"But to say this had nothing to do with Maurice?" Felicia scoffed. She wasn't buying it. That psychopath thrived on chaos, delighting in others' suffering and stirring up trouble. Even the twin venomous creatures controlling him couldn't suppress his self-destructive tendencies.

Felicia felt a headache coming on. She had originally used the twin venomous creatures on Maurice as a desperate, last-resort measure to save her own life. Now, she realized it was a double-edged sword. Especially with Maurice's knack for trouble, he had no shortage of enemies. If word of the creatures reached them… Felicia shivered.

If Maurice's enemies found out, they wouldn't target him. It would be far easier, quicker, and more efficient to come after her. For all she knew, the seventeen assassins from the other night were already acting on this logic!

Felicia had accounted for every detail, yet a crucial misstep slipped through the cracks. She cursed under her breath, then stepped outside and called out. One of Maurice's four trusted subordinates emerged.

"Ms. Fuller, is there anything you need?"

Felicia glanced at the man. He wore a slightly too-large janitor's uniform from the apartment complex and held a cleaning rag. Noticing her gaze, he chuckled awkwardly. "Since you don't want us following you openly, we've been protecting you in secret. This is just for cover."

Felicia considered this. He was right. While she was in her apartment, they disguised themselves as janitors, patrolling the building. At the clinic, they waited in a parked car. At night, their hiding places became even more creative; perching in trees seemed common.

The corners of Felicia's mouth twitched. These guys were dedicated. She felt a twinge of envy. Where could she find such loyal subordinates? Too bad they belonged to Maurice. Having people like them working for her would be invaluable.

Shaking off her wistfulness, Felicia stated, "Tell your boss I can help him remove the twin venomous creatures. Have him come to Khogend."

"Really?" The subordinate's eyes lit up. "That's great! I'll inform him immediately!"

Felicia nodded. Returning to Ablil was out of the question; Maurice would have to come to her. That way, even if he turned on her after the creatures were removed, she'd have a better chance of escaping on her own turf. Felicia had it all planned out.

What she didn't expect was Maurice's outright refusal after the subordinate's call.

"He refused?" Felicia was shocked. Even the subordinate was dumbfounded. It was such a good opportunity. How could Maurice refuse?

Felicia, thinking the subordinate hadn't explained clearly, grabbed the phone. "Mr. Glovers, I'll extract the twin venomous creatures for you—no strings attached. You don't need to worry about anything."

On the other end, Maurice let out a hearty laugh. Even through the phone, Felicia felt the vibration of his laughter. Unease crept over her.

Then, in a maddeningly casual tone, Maurice drawled, "No thanks. I like being bound to you. What are you going to do about it? Bite me?"