Given the scale of the meeting, the hall should have been bustling with
activity by now. However, it was eerily quiet, as if no one was inside.
Mandy cautiously pulled out a dagger and held it tightly in her hand.
She gently pushed open the grand doors of the hall. As Mandy suspected, it
was pitch black inside. Her sense of alertness instantly heightened to its
peak.
âMiss Clinton?â Mandy softly called out, but there was no response from
within.
Frowning in thought, she quickly approached the main power switch.
But out of nowhere, a dark figure appeared, engaging Mandy in combat.
The mysterious figure was incredibly fast, with aggressive strikes, giving
Mandy no chance to catch her breath.
While parrying with him rapidly, Mandy demanded, âWho are you?â
The stranger didnât respond but intensified his moves, matching Mandy blow
for blow.
However, after a while, Mandy sensed that something was amiss.
The person she was grappling with was aggressive but always seemed to
hold back a little, as if he didnât want to hurt her.
Mandyâs brows furrowed deeper. Who was this man?
Just then, the headlights of a car outside flashed by, vaguely outlining a
silhouette in the darkness.
With just one glance, Mandy recognized him.
She grabbed his clothes, exclaiming in surprise, âJack?â
As she shouted his name, the lights in the hall suddenly turned on. Mandy
squinted due to the sudden brightness. When she opened her eyes, the scene before her was astonishing.
She thought the hall was empty, but it was filled with many people. Apart from
Charlotte and Joe, there were also people like Sharon and Gorya present.
What shocked Mandy even more was seeing some of her former mercenary
friends, and even the senior students she met when she first encountered
Ronnie Campbell, her mentor.
As for Jack, he was dressed in a light gray suit, with her gripping his sleeve
tightly, a helpless expression on his face.
âYou guysâ¦?â Mandy hesitantly let go of her hand, a look of confusion on her
face.
Jack took the opportunity to embrace her, whispering in her ear, âHappy
Birthday.â
Everyone quickly set off party poppers, smiling at Mandy, saying, âHappy
Birthday!â
Seeing Mandyâs still puzzled expression, her mercenary friend, Amelia,
quickly approached, smilingly remarked, âI knew youâd forget your birthday. If
it werenât for Jack planning this, youâd probably act like it never happened.
Youâ¦â
Gazing at Ameliaâs familiar and affectionate face, Mandyâs eyes suddenly
welled up with tears.
Ever since the incident with Emma, Mandy felt ashamed to face her
mercenary friends, including Amelia. She left with Bruce, distancing herself
from the group, and had not seen them since.
She could never have dreamt of a day to meet them again.