Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen novel Chapter 352

In the dimly lit room, with walls as thick as a prison cell, Egbert tossed down two cards. "Pair of sevens," he declared.

NightKing glanced at his own hand, then tossed down two cards of his own. "Pair of tens."

Egbert shook his head. "Pass."

NightKing chuckled and laid out a string of cards in one fluid motion. "Seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king!" he exclaimed triumphantly. He then glanced at Egbert's four remaining cards and waved his solitary card in the air. "Just one left," he teased.

Egbert casually threw his four cards onto the table. "Bomb," he said with a grin.

NightKing paused, his smile fading. "You had a bomb and didn't play it?"

Egbert leaned back in his chair, shrugging. "Just having some fun."

NightKing was left speechless, his face darkening with frustration. "You could have played that earlier!"

Suddenly, the sound of a door creaking open interrupted their banter.

Both men looked toward the noise. Standing in the doorway was Hale, pointing at Egbert. "The boss wants to see you."

Egbert raised an eyebrow and stood up, heading towards the door.

NightKing seemed to decide he was coming along too. As he approached, Hale started to protest. "You weren't called, stay and...," but before he could finish, NightKing had already reached out. With a swift motion, his thumb and forefinger closed around Hale's throat.

Hale's eyes widened in shock, his face turning red as he struggled to free himself from NightKing's grip.

NightKing's grey eyes narrowed as he delivered a cold warning. "Try to stop me again, and you won't be able to speak for a while."

Hale, left speechless for the second time that day, could only nod.

Egbert paid no mind to the commotion behind him. His steps were unhurried as he walked out of the room. He strolled down the corridor, his footsteps echoing off the walls, until he reached a door left ajar.

Inside, Eileen sat on the couch, her eyes darting up as he entered. "Finally decided to show up?" she quipped, crossing her arms.

Egbert leaned against the doorframe, a playful smile on his lips. "Are you still mad?"

Eileen gestured to the bed with her chin, her lips curling into a smirk. "It's not me who called for you. It's her."

Turning his attention to the bed, Egbert spotted Hana, her face bruised and a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth—a result of Eileen's earlier handiwork. Seeing Egbert, Hana's expression shifted to one of wounded innocence.

Eileen arched an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the show.

Egbert looked back at Eileen, genuinely puzzled. "And who might she be?"

Hana's lips parted in silent protest.

Eileen couldn't help but chuckle. "She claims she only wants to negotiate with someone from the military."

Egbert shrugged. "You know I’m retired, right?"

Eileen rolled her eyes, giving him a light shove toward Hana. "Go on, duty calls."

As she made to leave, Egbert caught her hand.

Eileen met his gaze, her expression questioning.

"Stay," Egbert said softly.

Eileen withdrew her hand gently. "Why? I shouldn't be hearing any of this. It's classified."

Egbert insisted, "You're the future war hero. You have special privileges."

Eileen hesitated. She wasn’t really granted any special privileges, but her involvement in the situation had already made her part of the scenario. Given her background and clean record, Egbert knew he could later file for special clearance for her to be involved.

Reluctantly, Eileen stayed.

Egbert, careful to maintain a professional distance, kept his conversation with Hana strictly business. Hana was seeking protection from the military.

"I’m willing to talk," Hana began, her voice edged with desperation. "I don't know how you got me out of there, but I'm ready to surrender and tell you what I know. But you know how these operations work, Silent Wing. I’m just a cog in the machine. I don’t know everything."

Egbert leaned back, unimpressed. "Then you don't qualify for top-tier protection."

Hana's face fell. "But—"