Taken for a Fool

Lin Mo had noticed the change in her mood, of course.

"It's not that I won't tell you."

"There's just no point telling you now."

He raised a hand and gently flicked Joanna's forehead.

"Once everything's ready, you'll be the first to know."

"Really?"

"Promise."

"You won't leave on your own?"

Joanna pressed him. Her voice dropped noticeably as she asked.

The chill in her manner quickly faded, replaced by an unease she couldn't hide.

She didn't care what method Lin Mo had found or where they were going. From beginning to end, only one thing truly mattered to her.

Would Lin Mo leave her behind?

"Why would I leave on my own?"

Lin Mo didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.

"Then it's a deal," Joanna said softly.

"Never leave me."

She said no more.

But her fingers tightened around Lin Mo's arm without her realizing it.

If his arm had belonged to an ordinary person, she would have crushed it by now.

Lin Mo fell silent for a moment.

"Joanna."

"Mm?"

"Look at me."

Joanna raised her head. His face was clearly reflected in her pale eyes.

Lin Mo met her gaze, his tone unusually serious.

"No matter where I go, I won't leave you alone at Vought."

"You can hold me to that for the rest of your life."

After all, he had chosen to stay with Joanna. He ought to see it through.

The unease slowly faded from Joanna's eyes.

"Then I can always come with you?"

"Yes."

"You won't find me annoying?"

"That depends on the circumstances."

"Lin Mo!" Joanna grew anxious.

"I'm kidding."

Joanna pressed her lips together. Then she suddenly threw herself into Lin Mo's arms and wrapped both arms tightly around his waist.

She held him so hard that the bed frame gave a faint creak under the strain.

Lin Mo's expression shifted.

"Easy."

"The bed's going to collapse."

Joanna didn't let go.

"If it does, they can replace it."

"I meant my waist."

"It's not like you can get hurt," Joanna muttered. After so many years with Lin Mo, she knew exactly how tough he was. They had even tested it in secret. Not even her laser eyes could leave a mark on him.

"Not getting hurt doesn't mean I can't feel anything."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not really."

"Then it's fine."

Lin Mo was speechless.

The girl had always had her own peculiar way of showing concern.

As they spoke, a knock suddenly came from outside the room.

Knock, knock.

It was very soft.

Whoever stood outside was clearly nervous, afraid that knocking any harder might anger someone in the room.

The smile vanished from Joanna's face.

She kept her arms around Lin Mo and turned toward the door.

"Who is it?"

Her icy voice carried through the metal door.

After two seconds of silence, a researcher answered, his voice trembling slightly.

"Joanna, Mr. Lin Mo."

"Mr. Edgar has arrived at the Research Center."

"He'd like to speak with Mr. Lin Mo alone."

At that, two points of crimson light flared in Joanna's eyes.

The once-warm room was suddenly bathed in a dangerous red glow.

"Alone?"

She repeated the word. Outside, the researcher caught his breath, and his voice grew even more fearful.

"That... that's Mr. Edgar's request."

"I won't allow it."

Joanna answered without hesitation.

"Tell him to get lost."

The person outside fell completely silent.

The researcher had probably begun to regret being the one sent to deliver the message today.

He couldn't afford to offend Edgar, but he could afford to offend Joanna even less. The former could cost him his job. The latter could cost him his head.

It wasn't a hard choice at all.

The red light in Joanna's eyes grew brighter.

Even through the heavy metal door, she could clearly hear the man's heartbeat quicken.

Fear, nerves, and a trace of despair.

She didn't care.

All she knew was that someone had interrupted her time with Lin Mo again.

Vought always did this. She hated it when Vought disturbed them.

"Joanna, stop scaring him."

Lin Mo called to her. That girl had to bully anyone who came to him.

The red light in her eyes didn't fade, though, and she insisted stubbornly,

"He wants to see you alone."

"I heard."

"I don't like him."

"You've barely spoken to him."

"He's with Vought."

To Joanna, that was reason enough.

"No one at Vought can be trusted."

"I can't argue with that."

Lin Mo nodded, then patted the arms still wrapped around his waist.

"But I still have to see him."

Joanna jerked her head up, clearly unwilling.

"Why?"

"Because I want to hear what he has to say."

"He's definitely going to trick you." Joanna grew anxious. She knew what Vought was like.

"Then I'll have to let him speak first."

"I'm coming with you."

"He asked to meet alone."

"I don't care what he asked for."

Joanna rose from the bed. Crimson light flickered in her eyes, while her pajamas and blond hair stirred in a windless room.

In that moment, she was no longer the girl who had clung to Lin Mo and refused to let go. She was the strongest superhuman Vought had spent eighteen years raising with its own hands.

If Lin Mo gave the word, she could smash through the door the next second and tear the entire Research Center out of the ground.

"I do."

Lin Mo spoke calmly. She was too attached to him; a softer tone wouldn't get through to her.

Joanna froze. The red light in her eyes wavered, then gradually went out.

"You don't want me with you?"

"That's not it."

"Then why?"

"Because there are things he won't say in front of you."

Lin Mo got out of bed and walked over to her.

"Edgar came all the way to the Bunker but asked to see only me. That probably means he wants to talk about you."

"Me?"

"Most likely."

Joanna frowned. She didn't like being shut out like this.

She liked Lin Mo facing someone from Vought alone even less.

"I can hide outside and listen."

"You think they don't know you can hear them?"

"Then I'll make sure they don't."

"How?"

"Kill everyone who knows," Joanna said matter-of-factly.

It was true. The dead couldn't tell anyone.

Lin Mo fell silent.

Outside the door, all was quiet too. The researcher had clearly heard her.

Lin Mo could almost picture him trying to decide how to write his will.

"Joanna."

"Mm?"

"Try not to suggest plans that sound absurd the moment you say them."

"It would work."

"Of course killing everyone who knows would work."

Lin Mo reached out and pinched her cheek.

"But I'm only going to meet someone, not attack Vought headquarters."

Her cheek stretched gently between his fingers, but she still didn't smile.

"But I don't want you to go."

She suddenly looked a little hurt. Wasn't this just like the stories she often read, where a husband abandoned his sweet little wife at home to meet someone else, leaving her powerless to stop him?

"I know."

"Then why are you still going?" Joanna grew even more anxious.

"Because I need to know what Vought plans to do next."

Lin Mo let go of her cheek and stroked her soft blond hair instead.

"If we're going to leave this place, we can't go in blind."

At the word leave, Joanna's tense expression finally eased a little.

"Does this have something to do with us leaving?"

"Probably. Vought can't keep me locked up here forever."

"Will he let us go?"

"Of course not."

Lin Mo scoffed.

"If Vought were that generous, the whole country would belong to them by tomorrow."

"Then why see him?"

"To find out what he's up to."