The Heiress They Lost Came Back Overpowered

"Hey, what’s with the attitude? Have you no manners?!" Nina Jennings’s face twisted for a moment as she looked at Yvonne Lowell, feigning heartbreak.

"Lowell, your boyfriend has such a sharp tongue. Can a guy like that even be caring?"

Yvonne Lowell’s eyes narrowed. "You really seem to enjoy calling me Lowell, don’t you?"

"What?! Haven’t I always called you that?" Nina Jennings retorted, her confidence belying her weak argument.

’It wasn’t easy getting this fake face and a new identity. I have to stand up for myself in front of Leo Grant at least once.’

Yvonne Lowell wasn’t about to give her that chance. "Your face is already twitching. Is it wrong for my boyfriend to show some concern?"

"You! I’m Michael White! You think I wouldn’t know if I were sick?"

"As the saying goes, ’physician, heal thyself.’ The main hospital has some excellent doctors. If you need, I can help Doctor White schedule an appointment with an ENT specialist." Leo Grant tossed the comment out casually and led Yvonne Lowell out of the elevator.

Nina Jennings stomped her foot in exasperation and followed.

’You brat! Horrible woman! Ditching your friend for a man! Ungrateful wretch! Traitor! Always siding with outsiders! So fickle! So disloyal! You’re a total backstabber!’

When they reached the car, Nina Jennings promptly sat herself in the passenger seat.

Leo Grant gave Yvonne’s lips a light peck, his eyes filled with reluctance. "Eat your meals on time and get some rest. Be careful on the road. I’ll be waiting for you."

"Okay, I will. I’ll let you know when I’m done. You should head up now." Yvonne Lowell reached up to scratch his chin, then got into the car.

She smiled at him through the window, started the car, and drove away from the hospital.

Nina Jennings glanced in the rearview mirror. "Tsk, tsk. Would you look at that? Your President Grant is still standing there like a statue waiting for you. How pitiful."

Yvonne Lowell’s expression remained unchanged. "Oh? Did Silas Lynch message you back today?"

"Damn it! Yvonne Lowell, are you trying to twist the knife?!"

"Or maybe, did Silas Lynch unblock you today?"

She hadn’t forgotten Nina Jennings complaining just a few days ago that Silas Lynch had blocked her.

Nina Jennings took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and leaned back against the seat, falling silent.

’Some friend you are! Don’t get mad, don’t get mad. I’m not mad. Getting sick from anger is something even I can’t cure.’

...

It was late at night by the time she returned to the camp. Yvonne Lowell went to the monitoring room alone.

Zachary Jacobs heard her enter and glanced back. "You’re back. Want a self-heating hot pot?"

"Yeah, I’ll take one. Tomato flavor." Yvonne Lowell sat down and massaged her temples.

Hearing this, Finn Knight immediately got up to prepare one for her.

"Where’s Nina? Isn’t she done yet?"

"She finished up and went straight to her room to sleep."

"Why don’t you head back and get some sleep after you eat? We can handle things here."

Yvonne Lowell exhaled slowly. "No, it’s fine. I’ll just catch a nap here later."

Spotting a few shadowy figures moving stealthily on some of the night-vision camera feeds, Yvonne Lowell frowned. "Did you send people into the mountains?"

Zachary Jacobs glanced at the screen and said nonchalantly, "Yup. I figured I’d help the guys lighten their load. It must be exhausting, trekking through the mountains with all that gear."

Yvonne Lowell gave him an indescribable look. "Only you would come up with a plan this dumb. Forget the fact that they have a night watch—do you really think they wouldn’t notice, with how alert those squads are?"

"I sent experts in stealth. If they can swipe something, great. If they get spotted, they’ll just run. Think of it as a wake-up call. I mean, who sleeps soundly during field training, anyway?"

Yvonne Lowell opened the lid of her self-heating hot pot and said mockingly, "I finally understand why they all say, ’When there’s no danger, No. 1 is the biggest danger.’ It’s you guys ruining my reputation."

"Hehe, it just means they respect and admire you. They think of you first, no matter what. It’s a good thing, a blessing in disguise."

"Is that a blessing you’d like to have? Just don’t try to pin this on me when they get caught. Or you’re done for."

...

By the time the men Zachary Jacobs sent had crept near the four squads’ encampments, it was well past midnight.

Aside from those on watch, all the other squad members were fast asleep.

Over at the Gray Wolf Squad’s camp, the two on night watch were Ryan Ford and Hawkeye. They were outside the tent doing calisthenics.

Yes, you read that right. Don’t doubt it for a second. They were, in fact, doing calisthenics.

Two of the infiltrators circled behind them, attempting to silently make off with the military packs on the ground.

But they had been spotted long ago. The moment their hands reached out, the other squad members burst from the tents and pinned both of them to the ground.

Hawkeye stretched, his tone dripping with disdain.

"You really think they call me Hawkeye for nothing? My night vision is on par with an owl’s. I spotted you guys from a mile away but didn’t expect you to be such chickens. I was already on the fourth section of my routine by the time you finally made your move."

The two men exchanged a look, their faces grim. Their careers as infiltrators had just met their Waterloo.

Ryan Ford looked at the two captives. "Start talking. Who are you, and why are you here?"

One of the men’s eyes darted around. "We’re assistant instructors from the camp," he said. "We’re in charge of ensuring your safety at night."

Ryan Ford shone his flashlight on them, sizing them up. He didn’t recognize their faces, but their uniforms looked authentic.

"Protecting us involves grabbing our packs? Do you take me for a three-year-old? An instructor sent you to steal our stuff, didn’t they?"

Noticing they were wearing earpieces, he ripped one right off.

"Instructor, Instructor, I’ve got your men. What are you willing to trade for them?"

Zachary Jacobs cursed under his breath, opened the channel, and said with an awkward laugh,

"Frank, my boy, let’s talk this over. I really did send them to protect you. As for the packs, they were probably just hungry and looking for a snack. Has absolutely nothing to do with me!"

’Our hearts are broken. True heartbreak isn’t a loud argument, but a quiet betrayal...’

Ryan Ford paused. "Instructor Hughes, you sent them? It wasn’t Instructor No. 1?"

Feeling the murderous glare next to him, Zachary Jacobs braced himself and said,

"No. 1 went back to rest. I’m on duty tonight. Otherwise, how would I dare send people to ’protect’ you?"

Ryan Ford and a few teammates exchanged a subtle glance. His tone turned grateful.

"Instructor Hughes, you’re the only one who treats us right! So... could you secretly tell us where the flags are? We absolutely won’t tell Instructor No. 1!"

Zachary Jacobs cleared his throat. "Frank, my boy, that’s against the rules. We’re all upstanding young men of our generation; you have to learn to be self-reliant. You can do it! I’m with you in spirit."

"But the Anomalous Abilities Unit took the lion’s share of our supplies, and we barely found any flags this afternoon. Take pity on us, won’t you? Just give us a couple of locations..." Ryan Ford continued to lay it on thick.

"What was that? Is your earpiece dying? I can’t hear you... KSSSH... Hello? Hello? Frank?! Are you there, Frank?!"

CLICK. Zachary Jacobs cut the connection. "Hmph. Little brat, trying to set me up? Not a chance!"

On the other end, Ryan Ford tried calling a few more times to no avail. He and his teammates exchanged a look, their sinister gazes falling upon the two captives...