Chapter 480

Shermaine’s greedy side was in full swing.

Simon had complete faith in Queen Cobra’s abilities. After all, she was ranked third on the Kingdom of Xyperia’s assassin leaderboard. Even the strongest men fell at her hands. Plus, his father, Bronx Moreno, had paid top dollar to send her as his protection.

What Simon didn’t know was that Baykeep had given Joshua the most important mission–but Joshua had no intention of carrying it out.

Simon saw his chance. “Deal.” He pulled out a card loaded with three million Xyperia tokens. “Is this enough?”

“Three million?” Shermaine’s lips curved into a wicked smile. “Too little.”

“Name your price.”

“Three hundred million.” She went straight for the kill.

The difference between three million and 300 million Xyperia tokens was astronomical.

Simon frowned slightly at the amount, but 300 million Xyperia tokens weren’t much to him. His family owned all of Baykeep, and his personal assets were worth at least ten billion Xyperia tokens.

So he didn’t hesitate. “Three hundred million tokens it is.” But he wasn’t stupid enough to make a losing deal. Since Shermaine had raised the stakes so high, he’d be greedy too. “But if you lose, you’re mine for the whole night.”

“Set the time,” Shermaine said without hesitation.

“Five minutes.” Simon chose a cunningly short timeframe.

“Deal.” She didn’t even hesitate.

Simon felt a surge of irritation. Boa’s absolute faith Joshua would return within five minutes was getting under his skin. He wanted to crush that trust.

Shermaine pulled up her Orthish and set the timer. Five minutes, counting down.

Meanwhile, in the locked restroom, a couple stumbled against the door, lips locked and desperate to get inside.

The man pushed at the handle a few times and cursed under his breath when it wouldn’t budge.

Just as they assumed someone had beaten them to it, a loud crash echoed from inside the restroom.

Inside the restroom, Queen Cobra slammed into the wall, leaving a hole behind her. She collapsed on the floor, coughing up blood, her mechanical limbs in tatters.

If she died here, the assassin leaderboard would update instantly. Every assassin had a small device implanted that recorded their fights.

Queen Cobra finally panicked. “Don’t kill me.”

Joshua ignored her and picked up another shard of glass. “You’re too weak for that position.”

“I surrender!” Rankings didn’t matter as much as staying alive. If she surrendered, she’d drop from third place anyway.

Joshua remained unmoved. Her fate was sealed the moment she walked through that door.

The two people outside froze when they heard the commotion. Then the restroom door opened.

Joshua stepped out, having tossed his coat in the trash inside. He glanced at them and said calmly, “You should find somewhere else to go.”

They hesitated for a moment, not daring to look inside, then quickly turned and left.

Joshua headed in the opposite direction, walking quickly. He’d already wasted too much time–Shermaine must be getting impatient.

Only one minute had passed since the five-minute window. Shermaine glanced at her watch and yawned lazily.

Simon didn’t just stand there waiting. He ordered a glass of juice for Shermaine, but she wouldn’t touch it.

He even tried goading her, casually moving closer as he said, “I just thought you looked thirsty, Boa. What, are you scared?”

Shermaine noticed his approach and was about to step back when she sensed someone behind her. Joshua was there. In the next instant, his arm wrapped around her waist, and with a gentle but firm pull, he swept her away.

Shermaine’s eyes crinkled with pleasure when she saw Joshua. She tilted her head up and planted a kiss on the corner of his lips. “What took you so long?” she asked in a playfully pouty tone.

“Washing my hands took a bit,” he replied. After dealing with Queen Cobra, he’d needed to be thorough.

Shermaine noticed his coat was gone. His hands carried the fresh scent of soap, with no trace of blood.

Joshua shot Simon a dangerous look, his eyes glinting with barely controlled fury. ‘This bastard never stops trying to make moves on Sheary,’ he thought, the killing intent radiating from him so strongly that the air seemed to crackle with tension.

The other bodyguards around Simon immediately sensed the threat and stepped forward, forming a protective barrier.

One of them leaned close to Simon and delivered the news in a low voice. “Sir, Queen Cobra is dead.”

Simon’s face instantly drained of color, his expression turning ugly as the implications of this news hit him.

Shermaine turned to Simon with a confident smile. “Mr. York is back,” she said smoothly. “That’s 300 million you owe me. Transfer it to my account right away.” She had a reunion dance to share with Joshua, and she wasn’t about to let anything delay it.