Chapter 268 He Takes the Initiative to Strike

After dinner, as Sofia walked past Seraphina's table, she heard Seraphina's clear, melodious laughter ringing through the dining hall like silver bells, drawing everyone's attention.

After a while, Seraphina's laughter faded, and she looked up to see Sofia standing there. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by a smile.

Zachary frowned slightly, glanced at her with a complex expression, and then turned to leave.

Sofia seized the opportunity to ask Dane about Zachary's relationship status.

Dane gave Sofia a cold look and said, "Ms. Moore, I advise you not to pursue Mr. Baker. It's not suitable."

Sofia's face turned sour, but her stubborn nature kept her silent.

She turned to Allan and noticed his occasional glances at Seraphina, which made her furious. She snapped at him, "What are you looking at? Never seen a woman before?"

Allan thought Seraphina was more outstanding in both temperament and personality than Sofia, but he didn't dare to say it out loud.

After Zachary left, Seraphina lost her appetite. She took a few bites and then got up to leave the dining hall.

Lost in thought, she almost walked into a pillar, but Zachary quickly grabbed her arm, preventing her from getting hurt.

Seraphina snapped back to reality and met Zachary's deep gaze. Neither of them spoke.

Just then, Sofia also walked out and saw Zachary. Her smile froze, but she still greeted Seraphina casually, "Seraphina, done eating already?"

Seraphina felt a pang of bitterness and said, "I won't bother you two. I'll head back to my room."

For some reason, she impulsively walked towards the main entrance, where the night had already fallen.

Frustrated, she kicked a stone on the road, hurting her toe. She cried out in pain, squatting down and clutching her leg, unaware that Zachary had followed her and witnessed the whole scene.

She was about to find a seat when she looked up and saw Zachary standing nearby. Her face turned red, feeling embarrassed that he always saw her at her worst.

Limping to a bench, she sat down and took off her shoe to check her toe. Seeing a blood clot, she wondered if she should squeeze it out. Hearing Zachary's footsteps, she hurriedly put her sock back on.

Just as she was about to stand up, Zachary sat beside her, looking concerned. "How's your foot?"

Seraphina's eyes reddened as she questioned Zachary, "Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend? Why are you here?"

"Girlfriend?" Zachary was taken aback. He realized Seraphina had misunderstood his relationship with Sofia but didn't want to explain.

Seeing his silence, Seraphina's resentment grew. She turned away, "You don't need to worry about me, Mr. Baker. Please leave."

Hearing her angry words, Zachary helplessly reminded her, "Don't do anything to hurt yourself, okay?"

Seraphina brushed her hair back and sarcastically praised, "Sofia is so cool and sexy. She must be your type, right?"

She couldn't help but probe Zachary's feelings towards Sofia.

Seraphina mistakenly thought Sofia was the girl Zachary liked.

She added, "I think Dane is great. He'd make a good boyfriend, and Sofia wouldn't misunderstand me, keeping you from being distracted."

After speaking, she felt a sharp pain in her heart, and her eyes began to well up.

"You should find someone else to protect me," she choked out. Zachary was puzzled.

Just a moment ago, everything seemed fine. Why was she suddenly crying?

He reached out to touch Seraphina's shoulder, but she quickly dodged.

"Don't touch me."

Seeing Seraphina's tear-streaked face, Zachary's heart melted. He reached out to wipe her tears.

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Seraphina froze, then pushed him away and stepped back.

"Get away from me. Stop pretending."

Zachary didn't flinch. He pulled her up from the bench and hugged her tightly, as if trying to comfort her with his embrace.

Seraphina struggled in his arms, thinking, "This jerk rejected me a few days ago, and now he's hugging me. What does he take me for?"

She didn't hold back, "Let go of me. Who do you think you are to hug me? You jerk."

Zachary, though annoyed by her outburst, couldn't bear to let her go. He said helplessly, "Are you out of your mind? What are you thinking?"

Seraphina got even angrier, glaring at him, "Who are you calling mindless? If you have something to say, just say it. Don't insult me."

Seeing her genuinely upset, Zachary knew he had to explain, or she'd keep overthinking. He said seriously, "Sofia came to the camp today seeking shelter. I didn't know her before. Stop imagining things."

Hearing this, Seraphina felt embarrassed. She covered her face, feeling both angry and regretful for her foolishness. She hit Zachary's chest, blaming him, "Why didn't you say so earlier? You made me look like a fool."

"Can't you talk to me more? You always make me misunderstand."

Zachary, at a loss, could only hold her tightly, using his embrace to silence her complaints, hoping it would calm her down.

Seraphina, feeling his warmth, gradually let go of her grievances and hugged Zachary back, thinking, "Thank goodness it was a misunderstanding. Otherwise, I'd regret it forever."

Zachary suddenly remembered her earlier words and asked, "What did you mean when you said Dane would make a good boyfriend?"

Seraphina's eyes twinkled as she deliberately praised Dane to test Zachary, "Dane is kind, attentive, and caring. Why, is that a problem?"

Zachary's face darkened, his eyes showing a hint of displeasure.

Seeing this, Seraphina felt delighted, knowing he cared. She didn't say more, savoring the sweet moment.

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Just then, a mouse squeaked nearby, startling Seraphina. She instinctively jumped onto Zachary, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Zachary reacted quickly, scooping her up in his arms. Seraphina laughed and confessed, "I still like you better."

A faint blush appeared on Zachary's usually cold face, his ears turning slightly red. Seraphina then playfully said, "My foot hurts. Can you carry me back to my room?" Zachary didn't refuse, carrying her towards the camp entrance with long strides.

As they neared the entrance, Seraphina suddenly thought of his reputation, "Alright, put me down. It's not good if people see."

She then batted her eyes and asked expectantly, "Can I take a shower at your place?" Zachary hesitated for a moment but nodded.

Seeing no one around, Seraphina asked Zachary to lower his head, then quickly pecked his lips and boldly asked, "Did you like that?"

Seeing the tenderness in Zachary's eyes, she smiled and ran off, her heart still racing when she got back to her room.

She felt an unprecedented happiness and excitement, believing her relationship with Zachary had made significant progress.

Lying in bed, she still wore a happy smile.

Though nothing physical had happened, Seraphina felt deeply moved, her whole body radiating sweetness that night.

Meanwhile, Sofia was throwing a fit in her room because the camp didn't have private bathrooms, and she couldn't stand using the communal showers.

She went to complain but was told there were no separate women's showers. However, Sofia picked up some information from the young team members' chatter, and her mood became complicated.

She learned that Zachary's room had a private bathroom and that Seraphina often found excuses to shower there, sometimes staying for a long time.