Chapter 214: Open Your Eyes

Claire looked utterly unbothered, as though nothing could touch her. After everything she’d endured, it wasn’t just boiling water she wasn’t afraid of; she could probably handle scalding oil without flinching.

“Claire, I think…” Frederick’s eyes darkened, his patience wearing thin. This woman clearly wasn’t going to back down until she hit a dead end. Just as he was about to take action, his phone buzzed. Seeing Richard’s name on the screen, Frederick frowned, letting go of Claire to answer. At this hour, Richard was likely on his way to pick him up for work. A call now could only mean something urgent.

Sure enough, Richard’s anxious voice came through as soon as Frederick picked up. “General Hawthorne, we’ve got a problem. Ten minutes ago, there was an explosion at a produce market on the outskirts of Kingstown. The nearby troops have already secured the scene.”

“What happened? Any casualties?” Frederick asked urgently, already grabbing his jacket while holding the phone to his ear.

“We’re still assessing the damage, but initial reports suggest minimal injuries. It’s a suburban market, so there weren’t too many people around at this hour,” Richard replied, his tone calm but cautious. “Most shoppers head there later in the day. Early mornings, it’s mostly older folks, and even they wouldn’t be out in large numbers at this time – eight or nine AM is still fairly quiet.”

“Richard,” Frederick growled, his voice suddenly sharp, “remember this – even one injury is a failure on our part. The Kingstown Security Department exists to protect everyone.”

The force behind his words startled Claire, who had never seen Frederick lose his temper like this. He wasn’t just angry; he was commanding, almost fearsome in his intensity.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, unable to keep quiet any longer.

“There’s been an explosion at a market on the outskirts,” Frederick said curtly, already turning to leave. Whatever conflict he’d been having with Claire was now the last thing on his mind. As he rushed out the door, Claire let out a long breath, her body relaxing for the first time since their confrontation began.

But even as relief washed over her, her thoughts turned to the people at that market – innocent lives that might have been hurt. Why on earth had there been an explosion out of nowhere? Claire quickly pulled out her phone and searched for news about the blast in the suburbs.

The images flooding her screen were devastating – bloodied streets, heart-wrenching cries of anguish echoing through the chaos. “Mom! Mom, please! Don’t do this. Open your eyes and look at me, okay? Please!” “Grandma… Grandma… Officer, what’s wrong with my grandma? Why is she bleeding so much? Why won’t she get up? Grandma!” “You old fool! You just went to buy groceries, that’s all! You were laughing and joking when you left this morning. How could you just… lie here like this? Is this some kind of punishment? Is it because I didn’t go with you this time? What am I supposed to do without you now? What am I supposed to do?”

The cries of children, the heartbreak of the elderly grieving their lost loved ones, the agony of people who had just lost their closest family members – it all unfolded before Claire’s eyes. She couldn’t stop her tears.

For some reason, she had never felt as deeply as she did in this moment the importance of Frederick and the Kingstown Security Department. Seeing the raw devastation brought a sense of perspective. Their earlier spat felt trivial in the face of such overwhelming loss.

“There wasn’t much she could do,” Claire thought. Except for going to work as usual and performing her duties with care and dedication, she could only hope that in her own small way, she could contribute to her country. If the need ever arose, she knew she wouldn’t hesitate to step forward where she was needed. Wiping away her tears, Claire took a deep breath, stood up, and went to get ready for work.

What she didn’t notice as she stepped out of her room was Caroline standing nearby, watching her door with an unblinking gaze. Caroline had woken up to find her phone buzzing with news of the explosion. The trending headlines immediately brought Frederick to mind. Without even changing out of her sleepwear, she had rushed out of her room. But before she could reach Frederick’s door, she saw Claire stepping out of his room.

Caroline froze, clenching her fists tightly as she watched Claire descend the stairs. It was only after a long moment that she turned and went back to her room. As Caroline sat on her bed, her thoughts churned. One particular memory kept replaying. Her mind made up, she picked up her phone, opened her email, and replied to a message she’d been holding onto for days: [If you help me secure a connection with the Hiokeeh Group, I’ll help you.]