Teaming Up with My Enemy to Rule the Apocalypse

Claire Vance lifted her chin, her expression turning colder. Her pretty face was now frosty, and her voice became sharper than before.

"Nathan Thorne, I was trying to discuss this civilly—that was me showing you respect. Don’t throw it back in my face. I’ve already told you: there’s no one I, Claire Vance, want that I can’t have. Today, you’re coming with me whether you like it or not. Did you think I was asking? Did you think you have any right or standing to refuse me?"

It had to be said, from the perspective of a complete outsider, Claire Vance’s speech was undeniably domineering.

But as things stood, Sierra Sullivan couldn’t remain a mere bystander.

Sierra Sullivan stepped out from the crowd. "Doesn’t Subterra have laws? Do the laws in Subterra allow people to be abducted in broad daylight?"

Claire Vance looked over, her brows knitting together in annoyance.

But when she got a clear look at Sierra Sullivan’s face, the annoyance on her face vanished instantly. In its place was a radiant smile, and she looked even more delighted than before.

"You must be Sierra Sullivan, right? The one and only Sand Ability User. I know of you."

Sierra Sullivan raised an eyebrow.

’Claire Vance really did her homework!’

Sierra Sullivan didn’t reply, so Claire Vance continued on her own.

"I was actually planning to look for you in the next few days. I didn’t expect to run into you here today. Meeting like this must be fate. You can come with me too!"

Sierra Sullivan: "???"

Before she stepped forward, Sierra had imagined all sorts of possibilities, but she had never considered this one.

’What did Claire Vance mean by that?’

’Did she mean what I think she meant?’

"Does your silence mean you agree?"

Claire Vance said, a smile growing on her face.

"You’re a bit smarter than Nathan Thorne. Since you know resistance is futile, you might as well just agree. That way, my impression of you will be better, and I’ll be able to treat you better in the future. Rest assured, I would never treat you unfairly."

Sierra Sullivan: "..."

Sierra Sullivan laughed, a laugh of pure exasperation.

’She’d honestly never expected a scene straight out of a novel to one day happen to her in real life.’

’Has Claire Vance been watching too many of those short-form web dramas?’

’Otherwise, why would she sound so... ridiculous?’

Seeing the smile on Sierra Sullivan’s face, Claire Vance finally realized something was wrong.

Something about Sierra Sullivan’s smile was unsettling.

Claire Vance frowned. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing." Sierra Sullivan shook her head. "I didn’t agree to your offer, and I’m not going with you. Neither is Nathan Thorne."

Being rejected by Nathan Thorne was one thing, but now being publicly refused by Sierra Sullivan made Claire Vance absolutely furious.

"Do you have any idea who I am? Do you know the consequences of refusing me? Believe it or not, I can make it impossible for you—for all of you, and all your friends and family—to survive in Subterra!"

"Is that so? I had no idea Miss Vance was so capable. Since when did the Vance family start running Subterra?"

Those words didn’t come from Sierra Sullivan.

The voice came from behind Sierra Sullivan.

And it was a very familiar voice.

Even without turning around, Sierra Sullivan knew who it was.

Simon Hughes.

That playful, slightly roguish tone could only belong to Simon Hughes.

A moment later, Simon Hughes emerged from the crowd with a few people in tow.

When Sierra Sullivan looked over at Simon Hughes, her gaze naturally fell on Joy Warren, who was standing beside him.

Joy Warren’s face was blank, but her eyes held a complicated expression.

Claire Vance glared at Simon Hughes, her face stern. "Simon Hughes, this has nothing to do with you. I’d advise you to stay out of it."

Simon Hughes raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure it has nothing to do with me? In fact, it has everything to do with me. Sierra Sullivan, Nathan Thorne, Jayce... they’re all friends of Joy. And Joy is my woman, which makes her friends my friends. You’re publicly harassing my friends, so you tell me: does this have something to do with me or not?"

Claire Vance clearly hadn’t expected this connection. Her sharp gaze immediately landed on Joy Warren.

Joy Warren’s body went rigid under Claire Vance’s stare, but she held her ground and refused to lower her head.

A moment later, Claire Vance sneered.

She didn’t say anything, but her silence was more humiliating to Joy Warren than any words could be.

Claire Vance looked away from Joy Warren and addressed Sierra Sullivan’s group. "Make your choice. You can follow me, or you can follow Simon Hughes. Don’t be fooled because he’s always smiling and looks approachable. The truth is, he’s the kind of man who’ll devour you whole and not even spit out the bones. He’s ruthless and black-hearted. Follow him, and you won’t even know what hit you when you die."

Despite being described that way in public, Simon Hughes didn’t seem the least bit angry. The radiant smile remained on his face, and his voice was as gentle as ever.

"Claire Vance, I know you don’t like me, but slandering me in public is going a bit too far, don’t you think? But since I’m the man here, I won’t stoop to your level. I do have a piece of advice for you, though. At the end of the day, you’re still a young lady. You should try being a little more gentle with your words and actions, or you’re liable to scare people off."

With that, without waiting for Claire Vance to reply, Simon Hughes turned to Sierra Sullivan with a smile. "Sierra, shall we get going? We can all grab a meal together. Joy is always telling me how well you all treat her and look after her. I’ve been meaning to treat you to dinner for some time now."

His demeanor was gentle, as if he genuinely admired Sierra and her friends and truly wanted to befriend them.

But just as Claire Vance had said, Simon Hughes’s smile was superficial; it never reached his eyes.

People like him were often called smiling tigers.

With an expressionless face, Sierra Sullivan glanced at Claire Vance, then turned her gaze to Simon Hughes.

"I think you’ve both misunderstood something. I have no intention of choosing either of you, and I have no interest in having a meal with you."

The surrounding onlookers all looked astonished when they heard what Sierra Sullivan said.

In their opinion, there had to be something wrong with Sierra Sullivan’s head.

’Being recruited by both the Vance Family and the Hughes Family, you have to choose one!’

’Even though choosing one would definitely offend the other...’

’...if you don’t choose either of them, you’re just offending both at once, aren’t you?’

’Living in Subterra and offending both the Vance and Hughes families at the same time... isn’t that just a death wish?’

Sierra Sullivan didn’t care what others thought. She spoke again, "If there’s nothing else, we’ll be leaving."

Claire Vance suddenly burst out laughing, her smile radiant and her laughter like silver bells. "Oh, Simon Hughes, Simon Hughes. To think you’d come out here to play the hero, only for them to completely shut you down. How does it feel? That’s got to be a slap in the face, right?"

Simon Hughes was still smiling, but the expression was now clearly forced, even a little distorted.

"Sierra, are you really not going to do this for Joy’s sake?"

He didn’t ask her to do it for his sake, but pushed Joy Warren to the forefront instead.

It was not just to save his own face, but also a subtle threat.

At this, Joy Warren looked over, her eyes filled with a pleading look.