Chapter 509
Shirley said, her voice low, “To take Summerbank from Judy, we need the city defense map to locate the aura shield and disable it. But it’s suicide. Judy’s main forces are there, and she’s got Apocalypse.”
The mere mention of Apocalypse made Shirley tense. That monstrosity had crushed her defenses before, leaving her scrambling to hold even a few cities.
But Shermaine and Joshua showed no fear. “Apocalypse isn’t a threat,” Shermaine said coolly. “It belongs to the royal family. My husband can handle it.”
Shirley’s expression remained neutral, but her mind raced. She thought, ‘They are connected to the royal family.’
Joshua snorted, “Judy stole what wasn’t hers. Time to return it.”
Shermaine shot him a look, and for a moment, something sweet passed between them.
Shirley couldn’t help but envy it. She was older than Shermaine, yet her love life had been extremely dull. She had lovers, but they were only for satisfying basic physical needs.
“Who keeps the city defense map?” Shermaine asked.
“Breus Palace,” Shirley replied. “It’s heavily guarded, rigged with traps. I’ve sent people before. None came back.”
“We’ll get it,” Shermaine said. Rescuing Dave was her real goal. That was why she had agreed to this action.
With Shermaine and Joshua taking the riskiest task, Shirley’s role was subtler–moving her troops undetected to a nearby coastal town.
There was only one way to do that without being detected–approaching through the sea. It would be risky, but it was unavoidable. Shirley was determined to find a way to make it work.
As the meeting ended, Shirley left with her entourage, already plotting the impossible.
In the city lord’s office, Jasmine stared at the mountain of paperwork on her desk and let out a long, despairing sigh.
She had worked all morning and was utterly exhausted, yet stacks of unsigned documents still loomed before her. Looking at them, she’d rather go back to babysitting Gracie.
Jasmine contemplated sneaking out, but she froze when she opened the door. Damien stood outside, his expression icy.
Her legs trembled slightly as she forced an awkward smile. “… I was going to the restroom.”
She tried to bolt, but Damien grabbed her by the collar and dragged her back into the office. “You can’t leave until this is done.”
Jasmine huffed, “You’re totally getting back at me! So what if I accidentally touched your abs? If it bothers you, you can touch mine.”
Damien’s gaze darkened dangerously. “I don’t hold grudges against drunks.”
“Then let me go.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It’s your job.”
Jasmine wanted to scream. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined Shermaine would appoint her as Baykeep’s city lord and dump all the responsibilities on her.
Sure, reclaiming Baykeep had been Jasmine’s goal, but she wasn’t ready for this. Worse, she missed Shermaine’s effortless competence. With Shermaine around, Jasmine never had to worry about a thing.
Defeated, Jasmine slumped in her chair. “I want to see Shermaine,”