Karina's right hand turned the doorknob, and she entered the room with Jeffry trailing behind her.
"Not bad," Karina muttered, propping her chin on her right hand. Her expression turned serious, as though she were weighing something.
Noticing something odd, her gaze shifted to a flower standing on the bedside table. She walked closer to examine the blooms.
Jeffry frowned at her unusual behavior. Could his girlfriend possibly have an interest in flowers?
Remembering something, he rummaged through the pocket of his blazer, searching for an item. Then, his eyes fixed on Karina's back as she continued staring at the flowers. He steadied his breathing, trying to calm his racing heart.
Karina, meanwhile, was focused on inspecting the flowers for hidden cameras or recording devices, completely unaware of Jeffry's presence behind her.
"Karina."
"Hm?" she responded dismissively, ignoring Jeffry.
"Karina," Jeffry called again, impatiently.
With a sigh, she turned to face him. Her expression was questioning as she raised an eyebrow at him. Jeffry didn't answer right away, but instead, his gaze shifted downward.
Following his gaze, Karina's eyes widened when she spotted a beautiful box in Jeffry's hands. Without realizing it, she covered her mouth in surprise.
Slowly, Jeffry removed the makeshift grass ring from her right hand and replaced it with a real emerald ring.
Karina lifted her hand to examine the emerald gemstone more closely. She felt a peculiar energy coursing through her veins from the stone. Startled, she realized it was a high-grade crystal core.
"This!"
"Don't try to pur—" Before Jeffry could finish his sentence, something soft and warm pressed against his lips, silencing him. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Regaining some composure, he reached for the back of Karina's neck, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss.
When her breath ran short, Karina pulled back, almost gasping. Jeffry barely stopped himself from mentioning "purification," aware of the many cameras and audio recorders around them.
As the tension subsided, an awkward silence enveloped them. Karina berated herself internally for her impulsiveness.
Contrary to her expectations, Jeffry suddenly pulled her into a warm embrace, surprising her. For a moment, she was stiff, but soon the shock gave way to a soothing warmth.
Jeffry's comforting presence made Karina smile softly. So this is what it feels like to find solace in someone's arms.
"Thank you," Jeffry murmured.
"For what?"
"Thank you for staying alive."
Karina chuckled. "Someone like me doesn't die so easily."
Meanwhile, those monitoring them through the hidden cameras wore expressions of irritation and envy.
"Boss, why are we watching people flirt? This is boring."
"Shut up!" snapped their superior, making the subordinate swallow hard. A confirmed bachelor, he could only lament his fate. Women these days only cared about looks and money.
"Keep monitoring," the red-haired boss ordered before leaving the control room.
"Yes, sir," the subordinate replied, saluting as he begrudgingly returned to the pointless surveillance.
After leaving the room, Yuta headed to a small chamber. He cracked the door open and peeked inside.
His elderly mother, worn down by time, was performing a ritual of worship.
Diverting his gaze, he noticed bloodstains on his hands and clothes, which caused him to clench his fists in frustration. He was sick of obeying this false god. Yet, with his mother's brainwashed devotion, he had no choice but to comply.
After observing silently, Yuta gently closed the door and walked away.
"Boss, the last subject disappeared," one of his soldiers reported.
"Catch them," Yuta ordered dismissively, leaving the subordinate behind.
He entered a room reeking of decay, wrinkling his nose at the stench. The room was filled with people, and Yuta took a vacant seat.
"We've captured the scientists. Are we going to let them go without extracting information?"
"Right, we can't let them leave empty-handed."
"Silence! Find out who the scientist the woman mentioned is," the leader barked.
"Sir, our spy discovered no useful information, only that the patent for the drug is registered under Miss Karina Aerinka's name."
"That damned woman isn't the inventor. She's just leveraging her position. Quickly, find the real information, or you'll all end up as meat soup!"
"Yuta, what's happening in the control room?"
"No useful intel," Yuta replied coldly, prompting Cores to slam the table in anger, making everyone flinch.
"Sir, from my observations, it seems the leader of the base's girlfriend deeply trusts you. If we can sway her to our side, it would be a significant advantage," one person suggested.
Hearing this cunning plan, Yuta growled in anger, glaring murderously at the speaker.
Yuta was part of this group solely because of his mother's blind faith in the cult. If he disobeyed Cores, his mother would be sacrificed willingly, her mind too far gone to reason.
Cores, however, grinned greedily at the idea. With the power of the drug, he could grow even stronger and ensure no one would dare look down on him again.
o0o
Karina patted the spot on the sofa beside her, signaling Jeffry to sit next to her.
She gazed at him with a sparkle in her eyes. Taking a closer look, her boyfriend was undeniably handsome, with almond-shaped eyes that suited his sharp gaze, a chiseled jawline, and—wait, those broad shoulders that seemed perfect for her to lean on.
Under Karina's intense gaze, Jeffry started to feel flustered. Unconsciously, a wide smile spread across his face.
But then, a thought crossed his mind, and he tried to adopt a serious expression. "Explain what happened," he asked softly.
Instead of answering, Karina leaned closer to Jeffry, causing his breath to catch instantly.
"There are a lot of people watching us," Karina whispered right into Jeffry's ear, sending shivers down his spine.
"Uhuk!" Jeffry coughed, quickly turning his face to the side with a cool demeanor, pretending to scan the area for cameras. However, a nervous, wide grin crept onto his lips—one that Karina couldn't see.