Max's gaze shifted toward Mariko instinctively, but the silence in the room was suddenly broken by a peculiar sound.
"Gurulu..."
Mariko's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she averted her gaze.
Max chuckled softly and stood up. "I'll step out for a moment."
Mariko turned her head to watch as Max approached an inconspicuous spot in the room. A door materialized in the air. Max opened it and stepped through, and just as quickly, the door vanished.
After a while, Mariko cautiously rose from her seat and approached the place where the door had appeared moments ago. She tentatively reached out to touch the spot where it had been, deep in thought.
Before long, the door reappeared.
Max pushed it open, holding several bags in his hands.
"What's that?" Mariko inquired.
Max noticed Mariko sitting there, her posture subtly altered, but she didn't obstruct him upon his return.
"Time for a meal!" Max replied, placing the bags down and taking a seat beside Mariko.
Although Mariko remained mostly silent, she retrieved something from the bag and began to eat. She paid little attention to Max, and he, in turn, refrained from commenting. Mariko's figure still remained quite appealing.
"When will let me go?" Mariko eventually asked after finishing her meal.
Max didn't utter a word but simply set aside a satellite phone, making it clear that they were waiting for a call.
Mariko offered a bitter smile.
Initially, she had come across as fragile, but now, after this bitter smile, she appeared as someone deserving of care.
"Perhaps, this is my destiny," Mariko murmured. She then gathered the courage to pose a question to Max.
"Max, may I ask you something?" she inquired with a pleading look.
"Go ahead," Max replied.
"While Yukio isn't my biological sister, she has been with me since childhood. My father...he has always looked down on her. I hope you can take Yukio with you. I know she yearns for freedom. She has helped me a lot, and this is the only thing I can do for her," Mariko explained.
Max regarded Mariko in silence. Her words carried an air of finality, but Max couldn't help but doubt whether Mariko had truly given up so easily. He had his reservations about her intentions.
While it was clear that Yukio desired freedom and had assisted Mariko, she had ultimately departed with Wolverine once the dust had settled. Mariko's current stance left Max wondering if she intended to deceive him or if she had some ulterior motive in mind.
Max remained silent as Mariko clenched her teeth, appearing as though she had reached a somewhat uncomfortable decision.
"You are a mercenary, right? Mercenaries do anything for money. I don't have money. The only thing I possess is myself. Who knows what the future holds for me!" Mariko miserably admitted, then slowly approached Max's side seductively.
"It seems you've unraveled my little scheme," she said shyly, her head lowered as if waiting for him to make the next move.
Max immediately understood and smiled at Mariko.
Mariko blushed, as if giving him permission to proceed.
Without hesitation, Max reached out to embrace Mariko, and soon their voices filled the room.
After a long while, Mariko rested in Max's arms.
"Your injury..." She gently caressed the wound on Max's body, her brows furrowed in concern.
"Scars are a badge of honor for a man. In the world of mercenaries, unless you're a newbie, having no wounds on your body probably means you're too soft for the job," Max replied casually.
Mariko slowly got up and looked at Max, her arms on her cheeks as she smiled lightly. "Thank you. At least, I'll have no regrets before I die. I know my father well. As long as I promise to hand over the group to him, he won't kill me because I still have value. He'll force me to marry someone I don't love and create more value for him."
"But I won't agree!" Max said in an emotional voice. But it was fake.
"I'm not asking you for anything. I just hope you can take Yukio away."
"I promise," Max said simply.
Mariko paused, surprised by his swift agreement. Did he not have any compassion for her? Her expression changed slightly, and then she smiled lightly and nestled back into Max's arms.
....
The night grew deeper.
Suddenly, the phone rang.
Max glanced at Mariko in his arms. She understood but her eyes seemed to betray a hint of reluctance.
Reluctance?
Max's lips curled up slightly as he answered the call.
"I understand. I'll see you later."
Hanging up the phone, Max got up and opened a small door nearby, retrieving a bag from inside.
"Put this on. It's time for us to go!"
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