Hunter chuckled and said, “Aunt Mona, what are you thinking? How could I possibly cause trouble? I just want to have a chat with Mr. Scott here about Felicity. If he can protect her, I don’t mind letting him have her.”
“Alright,” Kayden replied curtly, following Hunter outside. He also wanted to get a better sense of who this Hunter really was.
Once outside, Hunter got straight to the point. “Brother, I can tell you’re not from around here, so I’ll be direct.”
“Even though you saved my Aunt Mona and helped Felicity a lot, Felicity and I grew up together. I’ve always made it my mission to protect her. I don’t know what your intentions are, but I hope you’ll stop here.”
“Felicity and you are from different worlds. Don’t think that just because she’s grateful to you, you can have her. My instincts tell me you’re using her for some purpose.”
“No one helps others without wanting something in return. You must have your reasons for helping her. Don’t tell me otherwise, because I won’t believe it.”
Hearing this, Kayden glanced Hunter up and down and coldly replied, “Felicity isn’t someone you can have. If you’re smart, stay away from her. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”
The harsh words created an instant tension in the air.
Kayden’s tone was always laced with an aura of cold arrogance and murderous intent.
Hunter’s expression darkened. Frowning slightly, he said in a low voice, “Kill me? You’ve got some nerve. Do you even know who I am?”
Kayden calmly placed a hand on Hunter’s shoulder and gave it a light pat. “I don’t care who you are, nor am I interested in finding out. But if you dare to have any ill intentions toward Felicity, I’ll kill you. No hesitation, no exceptions. Consider yourself warned.”
After saying this, Kayden turned and walked back into the house.
Hunter’s face twisted with fury. This guy was unbelievably arrogant, threatening him so casually. Who did he think he was? Hunter clenched his fists in anger, vowing to teach Kayden a lesson.
Stomping his foot in frustration, Hunter caused a crack to split the ground beneath him.
Kayden had just stepped back inside when Felicity emerged from the house, her face full of worry.
“Kayden, I’m so sorry,” she said hesitantly. “Did my cousin say something to you?”
She was anxious that her cousin’s sudden arrival might scare Kayden away. Hearing from her mother that the two had gone outside, she had come out to check on them.
Although she didn’t dislike her cousin, she had always only seen him as an older brother.
“Nothing much. Just some idle chatter,” Kayden replied casually.
“I’m really sorry,” Felicity quickly explained. “My cousin was just talking nonsense earlier-like that stuff about marrying me. Please don’t take it seriously!”
Kayden reached out and gently touched Felicity’s nose, his voice soft. “Why would I?”
It was an intimate gesture, one that Hunter noticed as he walked back into the house. Seeing the two of them like this made his anger burn even hotter. He hadn’t expected someone else to set their sights on Felicity before him.
“Alright, I’m going to rest now. Where do I sleep?” Kayden asked bluntly.
Felicity blinked, momentarily surprised, before pointing upstairs. “The second floor. Let me show you.”
“Cousin, you’re staying on the second floor too. Come with us,” Felicity called to Hunter.
She led the two men upstairs, one following behind the other.
Once they reached the second floor, Felicity showed Kayden to his room. “If you need anything, just call me. I’m staying right next door,” she said warmly.
Hunter was clearly displeased, but with Felicity present, he kept an awkward smile plastered on his face.
Kayden, observing Hunter’s forced politeness, grew even more suspicious. There was something off about him-he seemed to have ulterior motives for being here.
Had Hunter discovered Felicity’s true identity?
When Kayden had shaken Hunter’s hand earlier, he had sensed a hint of masculine energy radiating from him. Hunter’s demeanor definitely didn’t match that of someone who had just returned from doing menial labor in the city.
There were two possibilities. First, Hunter had joined some kind of practitioner’s organization while in the city and, upon learning about the benefits of the Innate Spiritual Core, had returned to find Felicity.
Second, this man wasn’t Hunter at all but was impersonating him to get close to Felicity.
Either way, it was troubling.
If someone had targeted Felicity, she could be in danger at any moment. And if that happened, what could Kayden do?
Kayden could kill Hunter, of course, but he didn’t yet know how many people Hunter had with him or who he was working for. For now, Kayden was willing to let him live a little longer.
Kayden’s thoughts were conflicted. He wasn’t sure if he should use this innocent girl to heal his old injuries. She was as pure as a blank sheet of paper, and Kayden didn’t want to hurt her.
If he did such a thing, he would at least have to take responsibility for her.
The next morning, when Kayden woke up, Felicity and her mother were already busy in the kitchen, with Hunter helping out as well.
The place was bustling with customers. Part of the reason was Felicity’s newfound beauty, and part of it was the improved flavor of the noodles.
“Kayden, you’re awake!” Felicity greeted him cheerfully. Her face was glistening with sweat from the work, but her smile radiated happiness.
This was a simple girl, thrilled by the success of their small business and the changes in her life.
“Look at this,” she said excitedly. “Business is so much better today. We’ve already made a thousand dollars this morning. The noodles you taught us to make are amazing-we’ve sold out already!”
Seeing her joy, Kayden smiled faintly and nodded. “I’m going for a walk,” he said.
“Alright!” Felicity replied enthusiastically.
Kayden walked out.
He had no interest in playing the attentive suitor. That wasn’t the kind of thing someone of his status and position would do. If he ever had to fawn over a girl, he’d consider himself a failure.
As he strolled through the small town, he found it to be a charming place. Surrounded by dense forests and nestled at the foot of the mountains, the town had the idyllic beauty of a paradise described in ancient poetry.
If he could spend his later years in a place like this, with someone he loved, it would be a fulfilling life.
“Hey, brother!”
Suddenly, a loud voice called out to him. Turning, Kayden saw a woman with an unremarkable face but an unusually ample chest.
He quickly recognized her-it was the woman from the bus who had come here to have her fortune told by Mabel Wren. She was divorced and had wanted Mabel to predict when she’d find a new husband.
“You’re here to see Mabel Wren, right?” the woman asked.
Kayden had no idea who Mabel Wren was or why this woman thought he was looking for her. He wasn’t interested in her gossip and was about to leave when she grabbed his arm.
“Let me tell you something,” she said conspiratorially. “Mabel Wren isn’t doing fortune-telling anymore. She says a monster has come to town, and she’s too scared to continue.”
“A monster?” Kayden repeated, intrigued.