Chapter 1

"I… I'm going to take a shower! You're not allowed to peek, okay?"

As Hudson Jarrott listened to the sounds of the shower running in the bathroom, he could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest. A mixture of eagerness and uneasiness began to rise from within.

He pinched himself on the cheek, trying to make sure if what he was experiencing at the moment was real.

"The campus Belle of my university is taking a shower in my bathroom right now! She might even spend the night in my apartment! Holy shit… Did I have too much to drink?" Hudson said to himself.

His lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. Even though it was unbelievable, the fact that it happened still stood. This was his reality now.

Since he had just gotten his heart broken, he originally thought that he'd seal his heart away and avoid falling in love for the rest of his life.

Who would've thought that his second opportunity at finding love came so soon?

Anne Sullivan, the perfect woman with stunning looks, impeccable charm, and top grades, actually wrote him a love letter and confessed to him out of nowhere.

She had even asked him, "Can I… spend the night in your apartment?"

Hudson felt that no one would ever say no to that type of request as long as they were men with any amount of libido.

The way things had unfolded were so unpredictable and cheesy that not even authors implemented this trope into their novels.

Hudson turned on the television with a trembling hand, hoping to ease his nervousness and primal urges. Hopefully, whatever that was playing on the TV could help distract him.

He did his best to focus on the news that was being reported on the news channel instead of the beautiful girl in the bathroom.

Soon, the news anchor's serious voice helped him regain a semblance of rationality.

The news anchor reported, "The police hosted a press conference today to brief us on the latest updates of their investigation on a series of murders involving young women.

"According to the police, a total of five cases where young women were brutally murdered had happened in our city in just last month.

"The victims' ages were between 16 to 20 years old. Their identities were vastly different, but they were murdered using the same method."

The news anchor's monotonous cadence rang out in Hudson's living room. "The police have concentrated all of their resources and efforts into solving this series of murder cases at the moment. All citizens are advised to be vigilant.

"Young women, in particular, are encouraged to avoid going out at night. If you happen to notice any suspicious individuals, please do not hesitate to call the police.

"The police hope that all citizens can proactively provide clues to them to help them arrest the murderer as soon as possible. That way, peace can be restored to our society."

"Do these people not work or study? All they ever do is get revenge against this society," Hudson complained while knocking his knuckles on the coffee table subconsciously.

Although he wanted to focus his attention on the news, the movements coming from the bathroom as well as Anne's faint fragrance kept reminding him of one thing.

A voice in his head kept echoing, asking him to stop watching the news and look at the bathroom.

"Hudson."

Just as Hudson's mind was filled with nonsensical thoughts, the sounds of the shower had stopped.

Anne was standing at the bathroom doorway in nothing but a white towel. Her appearance instantly attracted Hudson's full attention.

Hudson picked up the TV's remote control and immediately changed the channel. He didn't want such a horrifying scene broadcasted by the TV to appear before Anne.

Anne's skin seemed extraordinarily delicate under the hallway's lights. Water droplets slid off the ends of her hair, adding a charm of purity to her visage.

"Sorry, but can you lend some clothes? I didn't bring any pajamas with me." Anne's gentle voice was laced with a hint of shyness.

"Okay," Hudson replied.

He stood up while feeling his heart thunder inside his chest. He walked toward the closet and opened it, only to find out that his ex-girlfriend's clothes were still there.

At first, Hudson thought of lending Anne one of those clothes. However, the sight of the skimpy nightgown made of translucent fabric made him cancel that notion.

He'd definitely be viewed as a pervert if he did that.

Hudson tossed the lewd nightgown onto the bed, having made up his mind to throw it away when he had time later.

After that, he pulled out a shirt from his closet. His hand trembled slightly as he passed the shirt to Anne, his eyes stubbornly avoiding her gaze the whole time.

"Thank you…" Anne said.

She flipped her hair, which was still dripping wet, with one hand while accepting the shirt with the other. She moved gracefully and elegantly, showcasing her good mannerisms and upbringing.

After that, she returned to the bathroom and slipped into Hudson's shirt.

When Anne emerged from the bathroom once again, the hems of the shirt happened to cover her thighs, revealing her long and slender legs. She had beautiful legs with smooth outlines and flawless skin, making her look like a masterpiece created by God.

Not even a plain shirt could conceal her beauty and charms.

Hudson was attracted by every move that Anne made. A trace of wonder and awe could be seen in his eyes.

Every move that Anne made radiated beauty and elegance. It made him feel very relaxed around her.

"I'll take the couch tonight. The bed's already made. Good night." Hudson tried to sound as composed as possible, but it was difficult for him to suppress his excitement.

"But it's not even 9:00 pm yet." Anne smiled gently while drying her hair with a towel. Her smile was as warm as the sun on a spring day.

Hudson didn't dare to respond to Anne.

His heartbeat accelerated at that moment. He could feel Anne's gaze on him as well, making him blush unconsciously.

Anne slowly sank down on the couch. She placed her slender hand onto Hudson's waist before slowly sliding it downward.

Hudson trembled immediately from the sudden action. He instinctively sat up straight.

At the same time, he was shocked by what was happening.

Anne's actions were gentle yet seductive. Each move she made exhibited an inexplicable sense of allure.

A cheeky glint danced in her eyes. It was as though she was enjoying the subtle shift in the atmosphere.

"Hudson, do you really have the heart to leave me in bed all on my own?" Anne's gentle voice was laced with a hint of risqué charm. Her lips curled into a cheeky smile.

Hudson had never seen this side of Anne on campus before.

The Anne next to him resembled an enchanting fairy of the night. Her beauty and confidence made her extremely irresistible to others.

Hudson's heart kept pounding in his chest. He did his best to remain calm, but Anne's approach made his breathing gradually intensify.

"You know what happens if a man and a woman are in the same room, after all," Hudson said.

As he spoke, Anne didn't hesitate to straddle him right away.

Even though she had already dried her hair with a towel, there were still water droplets hanging off her locks. Those droplets glistened under the light, adding a touch of seductive charm to her visage.

Anne said, "You didn't turn my confession down, and you didn't turn down my request when I asked to spend the night at your place. Yet you're trying to play innocent now. Don't you think this is unfair to me, Hudson?"

Anne wrapped her arms around Hudson's neck. Their faces were extremely close. He could feel her warm breath on his face and smell the fragrance coming from her body.

Her eyes bore into Hudson's, the depths in their pupils seemingly filled with infinite secrets and desires. One could easily get lost in those eyes.

Anne was right. The fact that he was outright resisting her would definitely spoil the mood.

Hudson took a deep breath.

He was already a university freshman. They were both adults, so it was time for him to learn how to deal with such situations.

"But then again, I'm curious as to why you'd have a crush on me, Anne," Hudson asked.

"Why? Do I need a reason to like someone?" Anne replied.

"Honestly speaking… I don't really understand the reason. We barely even know each other," Hudson said.

"Is that important?" Anne said as she winked at Hudson, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly at the action. They served to add more to her charm.

She added, "Most importantly, you and I want each other very badly right here, right now…"

Before Hudson could say anything, Anne leaned over and captured his lips with her own. Her soft lips were firmly pressed against his, their hot breaths soon weaving with each other.

The kiss lasted for a very long time. Only when Hudson thought that he was about to suffocate did he feel Anne's lips leaving his.

Anne panted heavily while gazing at Hudson, her eyes darkened with lust. "Are you satisfied now?"

Then, she tilted her head while flashing Hudson a seductive smile. She grazed a slender finger across his chest suggestively. "Or perhaps… you'd like more?"

Hudson was stunned for a moment. Then, he did something bold for the first time ever. He reached out and wrapped his arm around Anne's slender waist.

Anne seemed surprised by Hudson's sudden proactiveness. But soon, the hint of surprise morphed into affection for him.

Hudson was no fool. He knew very well where his strengths lay. None of them would be able to attract a bombshell like Anne.

But if everyone was meant to find their soulmates at a certain point in their lives, why couldn't Anne be his?

Hudson decided to not dwell on the reason. Instead, he chose to immerse himself in the moment.

He could feel Anne's warmth as their faces got closer to each other.

Anne's breathing became a little fast-paced as well. Even her heart rate had picked up. But she still leaned over eagerly.

Just as they were about to kiss for the second time, Anne placed her hands on Hudson's chest and shoved him gently back onto the couch.

Before he could react, she already placed her hands between his head. After that, she leaned forward to trap him between her arms.

A lock of dark hair slid down Anne's shoulder and tickled Hudson's cheek gently. It also strummed his heartstring.

"Anne, I'm not a wonderful guy by any means. I know that. Also, I need to be honest to you. I just got out of a relationship. Are you still willing to be with a guy like me despite knowing that?" Hudson's voice was a little bitter. He was filled with uneasiness at the moment.

His shirt was too big for Anne. At the moment, half of her body was currently exposed.

Hudson couldn't help but look at Anne. The outline of her figure was even more obvious now that the shirt was clinging onto her. She was brimming with youthful energy, yet there was a trace of mysterious and beguiling charm that surrounded her.

"Be more confident in yourself, Hudson," Anne bent down slightly and murmured into his ear in a slightly husky voice. "You smell so good that… I can't hold myself back anymore…"

As Hudson listened to Anne's response, he was filled with a myriad of strong emotions. He'd never have expected that he was that special to Anne.

After all, he had always been a wallflower since he was a kid. Even his ex-girlfriend, whom he had loved with all his heart in the past, broke his heart by dumping him.

As time passed, Hudson slowly lost his real self. He got reduced into a timid person without any self-confidence. In fact, he thought he was doomed to toil his life away unnecessarily.

But now, Anne, the perfect campus belle who seemed untouchable, actually told him that she had been paying attention to him. She was actually attracted to him.

Her words were filled with praise and admiration. There was nothing but encouragement and eagerness in her eyes.

It was as though she was telling Hudson, "You're a great guy. You deserve to be loved."

Perhaps he shouldn't look down upon himself.

Anne was like a ray of hope that dispelled the innermost darkness plaguing Hudson's heart. He wanted to thank her properly before embracing her.

However, just as Hudson raised his head to smile at Anne, he noticed something.

Anne's dark purple eyes weren't filled with love. They were taken over by the primal hunger exhibited by predators when they saw their prey.

Meanwhile, Anne's supposedly smooth shoulders and delicate collar bone were covered by some sort of a weird tattoo.

"Anne…" Hudson said.

"Ahh…" Anne covered her mouth daintily and giggled, as though her secret was discovered. "You smell too good… Hudson, I really, really can't… hold myself back anymore."

She opened her mouth wide, the warm smile now wiped away from her face. A row of jagged sharp teeth could be seen lining along her exposed cavity.

Anne's cheeks were flushed. Her eyes glowed in an eerie shade of purple, making her look even more demonic.

Hudson was shocked. "Who the hell are—"

A loud squelching sound echoed throughout the room.

Before Hudson could register what just happened, Anne's hand—or rather, her claw—had already penetrated his chest.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Hudson could feel the young woman clutching his heart firmly at the moment.

Young woman? As if.

Hudson's breathing gradually quickened. Blood began seeping down the corner of his mouth as well.

Anne was a monster.

"Babe, I got your core now!" With an eerie smile painted over her face, Anne proceeded to rip out Hudson's heart.

Chapter 2

What the hell was going on right now?

Hudson could only stare at his own heart that Anne had ripped out, which was still attached to some blood vessels and other parts.

He wanted to ask that question, but his throat and lungs were being tormented by an unimaginable pain. When he opened his mouth, he vomited fresh blood.

His blood ended up splattering all over Anne's face. Not only did she not avoid it, but she also stuck out her tongue to lick the blood flecks near her lips.

"I knew I found the right person. You really are special… I'm sorry. I wanted to pleasure you before killing you," she said.

Anne bent over to show Hudson his beating heart. "But I really couldn't hold myself back anymore. You only have yourself to blame for smelling so good."

She opened her mouth. While she was still beautiful, her jagged teeth added a sense of peculiarity to her appearance.

Hudson was tormented by raw fear and pain. It was as though his brain was desperately trying to distract him.

A question soon popped into his head. Why was he still alive despite his heart having gotten dug out?

Hudson couldn't move his limbs due to the intense pain. All he could do was watch the monster piercing his heart with her teeth before sucking on the blood that spurted out of the organ greedily.

Anne slowly stopped sucking on the heart. Her mouth was completely bloodied at the moment. Whenever she opened it, Hudson could smell the strong copper wafting from it.

"What the hell? Why isn't your core inside your heart?" she said.

Obviously, Anne didn't get what she wanted. Her gaze slowly turned cold.

What? His core?

Hudson couldn't really make out what Anne was talking about.

Suddenly, Anne seemed to have remembered something. Her eyes curved slightly as she revealed an extremely frightening yet meaningful smile.

"I know where your core is right now," she said.

Anne sat on top of Hudson. She bent backward slightly so that she could place her hand on his thigh. She hooked a sharp fingernail against his waistband with a flirtatious expression.

"Then I shall satisfy you this once," she said.

Hudson tried to fight back with all his might. It was one thing to die, but it was another to get violated before his death. He'd rather die on the spot than go through the torture.

However, even moving one finger hurt him immensely. So, he focused all of his energy on turning his head.

Hudson slowly turned his head, hoping to find something that could help him out in this situation. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything.

Hudson was helpless. He could only turn his attention to the scenery outside the window.

The torment brought to him by the immense pain was starting to fade away. Instead, a numbing emptiness soon replaced it.

He couldn't really feel what Anne was doing to him right now. However, he didn't want to die yet.

"If there was truly a god in this world, please… Please help me," he pleaded desperately.

At that moment, a figure appeared within Hudson's line of sight, as though she was answering Hudson's prayers. She levitated outside the window, looking extremely beautiful and radiant under the moonlight.

Hudson originally thought that he was just seeing things, but he did notice the young woman flashing him a small smile outside the window despite his vision going hazy. Then, she placed a finger before her lips as an indication for him to stay silent.

Before Hudson could react, the young woman shattered the window and broke into the apartment. The moment the glass shattered loudly on the floor, the woman lunged toward Anne at lightning speed.

"Close your eyes." A cool and melodious voice drifted into Hudson's ear.

It felt as though that voice was laced with some sort of magic, for he closed his eyes immediately. Then, he heard Anne's enraged screams as well as a sound that resembled solid metal slicing into flesh ringing out loud.

After that, Anne let out a short shriek.

"Alright, open your eyes." The voice boomed again.

Hudson opened his eyes weakly. It was only then that he was able to make out the voice's face clearly.

The young woman had a delicate and cold-looking face. Long dark hair cascaded down her back. She wore a uniform consisting of only black and white, which highlighted the curves of her body. Hudson couldn't even avert his gaze from her ample assets.

At the same time, he recognized the young woman under the moonlight's illumination. She was Winona Lloyd,a classmate of his at the university.

Hudson didn't really talk to Winona. As far as he remembered, she was a bubbly and cheerful young woman, making her rather popular. One would always feel cheerful and energetic after hearing her tinkling and melodious laughter.

However, the Winona right now was completely different from the Winona Hudson remembered.

She stood by the window while wielding a scythe that was almost taller than her. Crimson blood dripped from the sickle belonging to the scythe.

Of course, the blood belonged to Anne, who had gotten decapitated by Winona.

Anne—or rather, the monster—was now dead.

"I've confirmed that the target is an advanced infected, codenamed Zyphros. The hunt is over. Reaper has accomplished her mission. Proceeding to scan around the environment right now." Winona stepped over Anne's corpse lightly while reporting her findings to her earbud.

At the same time, she approached Hudson. "Additional info—a citizen has been dragged into this mission."

She crouched down to look at the gaping hole in Hudson's chest. Then, she reached out to cup his cheeks.

"Final verdict—the citizen didn't survive the attack. Requesting a clean-up crew to deal with the scene stat. Reaper shall leave the scene immediately. Over and out." She concluded her report.

After that, Winona took Hudson's hand gently. As she gazed at his opened eyes which couldn't find solace even in death, she let out a small sigh.

Then, she slowly placed Hudson's hand on his own chest. "May your soul rest in peace. May you be spared from all the pain and suffering in your next lifetime…"

At that moment, Hudson spoke up. "I'm not dead yet."

Honestly speaking, he just had his eyes open like a regular person. It was just that he couldn't utter a word due to how shocked he was. He didn't expect Winona to mistake him as a dead person.

Winona was flabbergasted and shrieked as she landed on her ass. Almost immediately, she hooked her scythe around Hudson's neck.

"How are you still alive?" she asked.

"I don't know! I wanted to die just now, but I just couldn't, you know? I'm incapable of dying!" Hudson said.

Winona gulped in response. Her cheeks were tinged red because of the unexpected shock. She continued to arm her scythe vigilantly, though she freed up a hand to feel Hudson's exposed and damaged heart.

Winona said, "You didn't get infected, nor did you exhibit any symptoms of an awakening. It's verified that your heart has been destroyed, yet you're still alive."

She knelt down next to Hudson, her curiosity piqued as though she discovered something interesting and fun. She used the hilt of her scythe to tap on Hudson's head before sticking out a finger to touch the wound on his chest.

"Is this fun to you?" Hudson asked.

"Kinda. It's my first time seeing someone like you," she replied.

Winona looked torn, unsure if she should report this situation to the higher-ups. If the clean-up crew arrived at the scene and found Hudson in this state, they'd most likely view him as an infected and get rid of him.

However, she could smell that the young man before her wasn't infected whatsoever.

"Are you still retaining your own consciousness?" she asked.

"Yup. It's just that my chest feels awfully cold," Hudson replied.

As soon as his words fell, Winona couldn't help but giggle. "Are you an idiot? That's because your chest and your stomach have gaping holes in them."

Hudson didn't say anything. Instead, he could only stare at the way Winona laughed.

Her mirthful eyes were curved into crescents, her beautiful face looking extremely charming at the moment. Her tiny nose wrinkled slightly, and her dimples could be vaguely seen on her cheeks. They only served to make her smile even sweeter and brighter.

Thanks to the smile, Winona's murderous air was instantly replaced by the cheekiness and bubbliness that only young women had.

Originally, Hudson wanted to ask Winona if she had recognized him as her classmate. However, Winona suddenly raised a hand to cover her ear. It seemed that there was a voice drifting from her earbud into her ear.

"Reaper, why is your signal lingering at the scene? Did something unusual happen?" she asked.

That voice snapped Winona out of her thoughts. She quickly got up and walked toward the window.

A moment of silence later, she gave Hudson a side-eyed glance before replying, "Update—a citizen with a unique physique has been discovered at the scene. His heart had gotten dug out of his body and destroyed, yet he didn't die nor exhibit any signs of dying. No signs of awakening have been observed yet."

"Reaper, stay by his side and place him under further monitoring. If you discover any signs of infection, you are to deal with him promptly. Day of the Beast Wave is coming soon. We mustn't lower our guards at this time," a person replied over Winona's earpiece.

"24 hours and 360 degrees monitoring?" Winona asked.

"Yes. For now, the monitoring period will be one week. If the citizen doesn't show any other signs of mutation over the week, you may bring him back to the HQ," the person said.

"Affirmative. Over and out." Winona sighed after the call was over.

Hudson stared at her scythe-wielding silhouette, which was bathed by the moonlight that poured through the window she stood next to.

Just now, the voice in the earbud said a lot of things he couldn't understand. Something about monitoring periods, infecteds, and awakenings.

But what puzzled him even more was the fact that he could hear the voice coming from Winona's earbud. It seemed that his hearing had gotten enhanced somehow.

"Give me a moment," Winona said to Hudson, who laid on the couch.

After that, she dug out a yellowed piece of paper charm from a white sack that slung by her hips. Then, she trapped the thin charm between two fingers.

With her eyes closed, she began chanting an old and ancient spell. "Hearken my command, o' light of mine! Purge the vileness from my sight!"

After that, Winona gently raised her hand. The yellow charm floated in mid-air before combusting on its own.

Surprisingly enough, its ashes turned into numerous black souls. Those souls were quick to pounce onto Anne's corpse and began feasting on her greedily. Soon, the souls finished devouring her, leaving no trace behind.

Hudson couldn't help but gulp at the harrowing sight.

Once the souls were satisfied with their feast, they didn't approach him at all. Instead, they slowly faded away.

Chapter 3

After she was done with everything, Winona returned to Hudson's side. Both of them gazed at each other in the dark living room.

Hudson continued lying on the couch. Meanwhile, Winona sat next to him while looking at him. Both of them just stared at each other for a while.

Some time later, Hudson couldn't resist asking, "Will you kill me?"

At first, Winona shook her head. However, after a bit, she nodded. "It depends on the results derived from the monitoring period. If you show any signs of being infected, I'll kill you."

"So, the so-called monitoring period happens when you sit next to me and stare at me the whole time?" Hudson asked.

"What else could it be?" she replied.

Hudson was starting to doubt himself. Was this woman really his classmate? Why did he have a feeling that this Winona was vastly different from the Winona at university?

"Don't tell me you're going to stay in my apartment," Hudson asked.

Winona nodded in response.

Hudson was speechless, to say the least. He felt that the things that had happened tonight were extremely ridiculous.

First of all, Anne, the campus belle, had confessed to him and even wanted to sleep with him. When they were about to engage in foreplay, she turned into a monster and ripped out his heart.

After that, he got rescued by another beautiful student in his class. Now, she wanted to stay in his apartment.

Could it be that he was the protagonist of a male-centric novel that would give him unlimited power and a harem?

At that moment, a ringtone blared loudly in the room. Hudson realized that this wasn't his phone's ringtone at all.

He watched as Winona pulled out her phone. It turned out that this was an alarm she had set.

"Time's up," she said as she got up to her feet.

Hudson thought that Winona was going to leave his apartment soon. He was about to heave a sigh of relief when he saw Winona undoing her shirt's buttons. Then, she began sliding her skirt off her hips.

Soon, she stood in front of Hudson in nothing but her lingerie.

"What are you doing?" Hudson asked suspiciously.

That monster had pulled down his pants halfway earlier. Now, he was only wearing his boxers.

Winona glanced at Hudson before replying with a poker face, "It's 10:00 pm now. I usually take a shower and go to bed at 10:00 pm if I don't have a mission going on. A regular sleeping schedule is the secret to having a longer lifespan."

After that, she walked toward Hudson's bathroom without any hesitation.

Hudson was extremely confused.

Soon, sounds of flowing water drifted from the bathroom. Hot steam seeped out of the gaps of the door, allowing one to fantasize freely about what was going on inside the bathroom.

Hudson could only sit on the couch stiffly. His gaze kept drifting toward the bathroom uncontrollably. The sounds of the water filled his eardrums. Every trickle and drip seemed to strike him in the heart.

To think that two beautiful young women had taken showers in his bathroom in just one night. What the hell was going on?

Hudson's mind kept replaying the scene of Winona undressing before him. Her smooth skin, delicate collar bone, and her…

"Why is my life starting to turn into a soap opera? Is this really a good turnabout in my life?" Hudson asked himself.

He shook his head violently, forcing himself to not fantasize about Winona anymore.

He looked down at the destroyed heart in his hand. The bright red muscle continued to pulse weakly in his hand, its existence serving as a reminder of the crazy things which had happened tonight.

As he cradled the heart gingerly, he slowly sat up on the couch. Still, there were remnants of pain darting about in his system. All he could do was shuffle on the spot slightly.

"What the hell is going on…" Hudson mumbled under his breath, a deep frown gracing his features.

Anne's mutation and Winona's mysterious identity were things that had gone beyond his perspective of the world.

Hudson was puzzled and confused. He was also starting to fear the unknown.

At that moment, he felt a sudden itch flaring from his chest. He wanted to scratch at it, only to remember that he had a hole in his chest. There was no way that he could scratch it, right?

But his hand had already touched his chest. Strangely enough, there wasn't any pain at all.

Hudson lowered his head to see zero traces of the gaping hole on his chest. All that was left were bloodstains and the extracted heart, which were evidence that the attack wasn't a hallucination at all.

He got up to his feet and flexed his limbs for a bit, realizing that the pain was gone too. The development of things has been nothing but shocking so far.

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Hudson wanted to get the door at first, but he soon realized that he was covered in blood. Not to mention, his clothes were in tatters too. More importantly, his apartment was a huge mess.

Although Winona had already burned Anne's body, the blood puddle on the floor was still there.

Hudson rushed back to his room as quickly as possible and changed into fresh clothes. He tossed the ruined heart into the trash can and approached the front door.

Regardless of who the visitor was, he mustn't let them into the apartment no matter what.

Having made up his mind, Hudson asked, "Who's there?"

"It's me." A young woman's voice drifted from outside the door. That two-worded response was enough for Hudson to recognize who she was.

He opened the door before gazing at the woman, albeit exasperatedly. "What is it?"

The young woman was Natalie Cooper, Hudson's ex-girlfriend. She stood at the doorway in a white dress that complemented her amazing skin and made her look very beautiful.

But she wasn't smiling at all. Instead, she just stared at Hudson icily.

"We need to talk," Natalie said bluntly, her tone firm and decisive.

Hudson frowned. He replied impatiently, "It's really late now. If you want to talk, we can talk tomorrow."

All he could think about was the incident involving Anne and Winona. Right now, he wasn't in the mood to deal with his ex-girlfriend.

Besides, if she were to lay her eyes on the chaotic evidence in the apartment, it might cause unnecessary trouble for Hudson and Winona.

However, Natalie didn't seem like she was willing to let Hudson go. She folded her arms in front of her chest while cocking a brow.

She sneered at him. "It's useless for you to keep dragging things out, Hudson. I don't love you anymore. Even if you keep spamming me with greeting messages every morning, noon, and night, I will never respond to any of them."

Hudson scratched his head. He remembered sending Natalie those text messages like a pathetic, snivelling simp up until last week.

But ever since he witnessed her holding hands with that Quinton guy while being lovey-dovey with him, he had officially given up on her. After that, he no longer bothered Natalie.

Hudson thought everything was already over. He didn't expect Natalie to seek him out at a time like this.

"Yeah, I know. I'll delete your number right now," he said.

Hudson was about to pull out his phone, but he realized that he didn't have it on him at the moment, seeing as he had just changed his clothes earlier.

"Ugh. I didn't bring my phone with me. I'll delete your number later. If that's all, you should leave now. It's pretty late at night, after all."

As Hudson spoke, he moved to close the door when Natalie jammed the door with her hand. "Hudson, can you stop acting like this? Stop coming up with so many excuses! You should always focus on the future! Why are you still pestering me?"

"When the hell did I pester you? Didn't I stop contacting you for a week?" Hudson said.

Natalie chuckled coldly. Her brow still raised, she looked at Hudson coldly. "Stop playing hard to get. It won't work on me. Hudson, Quinton and I are truly in love with each other. I don't care about his wealth at all."

Hudson was confused. Natalie could love whoever she wanted. Why was she even telling him all of these things?

"I told you I agree with you. We've already broken up with each other. I'm not going to pester you anymore," Hudson said.

"Then hurry up and delete my number! You don't have your phone with you, but you're at home right now. Can't you retrieve your phone? If you don't want to do that, I'll grab it for you," Natalie said.

"Don't!" Hudson yelled.

Hudson still had a heart in his trash can, after all. How could he possibly let Natalie into his apartment at this time?

At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Winona's voice drifted from the living room.

She said, "My mistake. I need to monitor you closely at all times, which means we need to bathe together as well. By the way, I didn't bring my own pajamas, so I picked up some clothes from your bed. What are you doing at the doorway?"

Winona walked to the front door, clad in only a white translucent nightgown with thin straps. Her curves could be vaguely seen beneath the fabric, making her look extremely sexy.

The nightgown barely went past her hips, where a pair of long and slender legs stretched out from beneath the clothes. Winona had smooth and flawless skin that seemed to shimmer under the light.

Winona's sudden appearance clearly caught Natalie off guard. She took a step backward subconsciously and eyed Winona up and down, her expression soon darkening.

"Winona Lloyd? Why are you here? You're even wearing my nightgown!" Natalie said.

Oh, right! Why was she wearing Natalie's nightgown? Hudson's mind was buzzing in chaos.

So much had happened today. Everything that had happened so far could've easily stunned anyone.

Natalie was already here to cause trouble for him, but to think that Winona would worsen the situation.

Just as Hudson thought that his mind was about to explode, Natalie suddenly scoffed. She plastered a fake smile on her face before outright mocking him.

She said, "No wonder you didn't want to let me in… It turns out that you have a woman at home with you, huh? You really are something, Hudson Jarrott! To think that you're able to entice Winona with your charms!"

Hudson fell silent at Natalie's words. She wouldn't have believed it if he were to tell her that Anne was here too.

Just as Hudson was about to respond to Natalie, he felt an arm moving to hug his arm all of a sudden. The soft sensation was immediately transmitted to his skin.

Hudson was stunned as he turned his head slightly to see Winona putting up yet another façade.

She smiled at Natalie before saying, "Who's this old lady, Hudson? Why is she still looking for you at such a late hour? Are you cheating on me behind my back?"

Winona's sudden change in demeanor gave Hudson a huge scare. Then again, the way she spoke and acted did fit his impression of her.

"O-Old lady? Who the hell are you calling an old lady? Winona Lloyd, I'm your classmate! Don't you recognize me?" Natalie said.

She was furious when she heard Winona referring to her as an old lady. It was true that she was beautiful, but her beauty paled slightly in comparison to Winona.

"Oh? Is that so? You're my classmate, huh? I'm sorry, I can't really see your face clearly. My eyes are still a little dry from the bath. Based on the outline of your face, I thought you're one of the old ladies from the HOA!" Winona said.

"You… You little… Say that to my face one more time!" Natalie was so pissed that she kept trembling all over.

But clearly, Winona didn't plan on holding her tongue. "Is this nightgown yours? It's quite stylish. It's a great nightgown and all. It's just that the chest area is a little tight."

As Winona spoke, she even tugged at the fabric on her chest. "Ah… It feels so suffocating when I'm wearing clothes worn by an A-cupper."

"Who the hell are you calling an A-cupper? Hudson Jarrott, so this is the type of woman you like, huh? Since when did your taste in women degrade this much?" Natalie yelled.

Hudson thought that he'd be uncomfortable with this situation, but now, all he felt was…

Immense satisfaction.

He used the opportunity to move closer to Winona before shooting Natalie a taunting look. "It's true that I didn't have taste in women in the past. Yesterday, I finally sobered up and developed an actual taste for nice women like Winona.

"Is there anything else I can help you with? My girlfriend doesn't like me talking to other women at my front door late at night."

"You… You two…" Natalie pointed at Hudson and Winona angrily while backing away from them slowly.

"Alright. Fine then. Just you wait! You can forget about studying peacefully on campus from now on!" she said.

After that, Natalie turned to leave.

Hudson picked up a bank card that was left on the ground. "Hey! Don't you want your card anymore?"

"You can use the money to make funeral arrangements for yourselves! Get ready to die, you bozos!" Natalie yelled.

"Take care on your way home, old lady!" Winona said.

Natalie's loud curses and sounds of her high heels stomping away could be heard coming from the corridor.

Once the sounds completely faded away, Hudson noticed Winona's smile gradually dissipating. Soon, her expression became impassive once again.

"How long are you planning to hug me?" he asked.

Winona slowly released her hold on Hudson's arm before closing the door. Then, she dragged him back to the bedroom.

"Lift your shirt," she said.

Hudson was a little hesitant. But in the end, he still lifted the shirt that he had just changed into.

Winona didn't see that gesture as a seductive one. She just approached him with a poker face.

She crouched down and began studying his stomach and chest properly. She even reached out to caress his chest, which was supposed to have gotten penetrated by Anne earlier.

"Your wounds have completely healed. Even your organs have regenerated." Winona slowly raised her head to make eye contact with Hudson. "There's one good news and one bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"Let's go with the good news first," Hudson said.

"For now, you're safe. Your body has completely healed, so the possibility of you dying has been reduced to zero," Winona said.

"What about the bad news?" Hudson asked.

Winona slowly drew to her feet. She made sure to pin her icy gaze on Hudson's face.

She said, "Humans don't possess such powers. I'll find out whether or not you're an infected or an Awakened throughout the monitoring period. If you show signs of being infected, I'll kill you."

This was definitely bad news.

Hudson slowly got up and walked toward the living room.

"Where are you going?" Winona asked.

"I'm going to take a bath."

"No way." Winona grabbed Hudson's hand immediately. "I'm going to bed in five minutes. I can't wait for your shower to be done."

"Huh?" Hudson was puzzled, to say the least. "If you're tired, you can sleep first. I'll take the couch after I'm done with my shower."

"I told you, I need to keep an eye on you all the time. Even if you take a shower, I still need to be there to watch you." Winona dragged Hudson to her side forcefully.

Hudson gulped subconsciously. Winona was too close to him. The distance between them was so short that he could smell the fragrance coming from her body shampoo and feel the warmth from her breath.

His heart rate accelerated instantly. Even his breathing became heavier.

"I want to sleep in the same bed as you," Winona said.

"Huh?" Hudson was confused.

Before he could protest, Winona had already dragged him onto the bed. "Hurry up! I still have three minutes left before I'm late for bed!"

"Wait, how can you be late for bed? H-Hold on! Are we seriously sleeping together?" Hudson said.

Winona suddenly remembered something. She quickly got up and jogged to the living room. Then, she retrieved a pair of handcuffs from the pocket of the clothes she had discarded.

Once she returned to the bedroom, she cuffed her wrist and Hudson's wrist together with a soft click.

"There's one minute left. I'm going to bed now," she said.

"W-Wait! What's the meaning of this?" Hudson asked while raising his cuffed hand to look at the handcuffs.

But Winona had already slipped under the covers. She yanked her hand instantly, thus pulling Hudson under the covers as well.

"Don't move around when you're sleeping. Don't you dare snore as well. Otherwise, I'll slit your throat. You can easily heal yourself anyway. We have 10 seconds remaining. Good night."

In the end, Hudson laid on the bed with Winona, looking confused.

What the hell was going on now? Was he seriously sleeping on the same bed with his bubbly and cheerful university classmate?

Approximately ten seconds later, Hudson could hear Winona's light breathing. He stared at the ceiling before letting out a heavy sigh.

Whatever. He'd just deal with this tomorrow.

The thought of having gone through so much in just an hour tonight caused exhaustion to wash over Hudson. After that, he slowly closed his eyes as well.

…

A weird noise kept playing the whole time.

Hudson opened his eyes amidst the sleepy haze. An old ceiling fan continued making grating creaking noises as it spun above his head. Its rusty blades cast warped shadows onto the room under the illumination of the dim incandescent lamp, making those shadows seem like dancing spirits on the wall.

The light itself looked eerie as well. Its brightness kept blinking in and out, as though something was watching from behind the lamp.

There was the smell of mold permeating the air. It was mixed with an indescribable odor which was very strong. One could easily feel nauseous when they smelled it.

The paint on the spotted walls were all flaky and peeling off. Some of the ugly and eerie-looking concrete was revealed.

Hudson wasn't shocked by this scene at all. After all, he had been stuck in this scene ever since he was five years old.

This was his dreamscape.

When he was five years old, he was terrified when he first came to this place via his dreams. To a kid, this place was akin to a haunted house. That was why he never liked sleeping in the first place.

As Hudson grew up, he found out that a room filled with desks, archive lockers, and documents were called an office.

However, he couldn't open the door that served as the exit for the office no matter what.

"Ugh… I'm here again…" Hudson said.

He let out a sigh. He planned on sitting on the soft office chair and counting the number of times the fan spun just so he could pass the time like before. Those were the things he tended to do while he waited for his body to wake up.

"Huh?" Something caught his eye.

Since Hudson had been here countless times, he could easily pick up on the tiniest change in the office. He found out that the large archive locker which looked heavy and cold was actually open.

Inside the locker were different rows of tinier lockers. There happened to be a key placed on the desk. A post-it note was stuck to the key. A number "001" was written on it.

What was that?

Hudson picked up the key quizzically. Then, he walked over to the archive locker. As expected, he was able to unlock the first locker named 001.

After opening the locker, there was only a thin document inside.

"Document number: 001

"Codename: Bonewarden

"Class: Abyssal

"Danger level: Unknown

"Bonewarder is an interesting inmate. It never made any requests, nor did it pursue power of any sorts. It's like a statue. That's why I've given up on communicating with it.

"It's extremely easy to guard an inmate who doesn't eat, drink, or have any desires. If you want it to succumb to you, there's only one way to demand its loyalty. Let it consume more beast cores."

After that, a photo fell out of the document.

Hudson picked up the photo. He was about to look at it when he felt his mind buzzing. He knew that this was a sign that he was about to wake up from this dream.

Bonewarden… That codename kept reverberating in Hudson's mind.

A young woman's murmur soon drifted into his ears. "You… won't be able to escape."

Chapter 4

Hudson's eyes flew open.

What the hell? That voice had never appeared in his head before. Not to mention, it sounded so familiar. It was as though he had just heard that voice recently.

The voice said, "Hehehe… You won't be able to escape… You're all mine… Bread, cake, tarts, desserts… Come to my mouth right now… Heheheh…"

Soon, Hudson realized that the voice belonged to Winona, who was talking in her sleep.

Rays of sunlight poured through the gaps in the drawn curtains. That was when Hudson realized that Winona and him had been hugging each other tightly all this time.

Her face was extremely close to his. Her button-like nose twitched slightly with every breath. Her pink lips were bunched into a small pout. She looked very innocent when she was asleep.

Winona's occasional mumbles and the transparent strand of drool hanging from the corner of her mouth made Hudson think that she was actually pretty cute. If anything, she wasn't as scary as he thought she was last night.

Honestly speaking, Hudson didn't rest well. There was a popular student sleeping next to him, after all. More importantly, she was wearing a skimpy white nightgown.

The main point was, Winona was a restless sleeper. She had the nerve to warn Hudson not to move around and snore in bed, yet her sleeping behavior was even worse.

Not only did she place her legs onto Hudson's stomach, but she'd also talk in her sleep. Sometimes, she'd also let out weird cackles. She sounded scary whenever she did that.

In the end, she straight up hugged Hudson tightly as though he was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Just like that, Hudson managed to tough it out until it was almost 3:00 am. That was when he gave up on fighting back his urge to sleep. He closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

Then, he was awakened by Winona's sleep talk when he was stuck in his eerie dream.

What Hudson didn't expect was that he'd wake up earlier than Winona. He raised his wrist carefully to look at the time.

It was 7:40 am. He only slept for four and a half hours.

What made Hudson curious was that he was actually brimming with energy instead of being exceptionally tired due to the lack of sleep.

After all, he loved sleeping in. It was extremely difficult to get him to wake up early in the morning.

However, Hudson had a feeling that his sleepiness and exhaustion evaporated instantly the moment his eyes opened.

He gulped nervously while wondering if this could be a sign that he was infected, like Winona had said last night. Or, could it be a side effect brought to him due to an awakening?

At that moment, a light breath suddenly swept across Hudson's earlobe. It made him feel all tingly and had his heart racing.

It was only then that he realized that he and Winona were currently embracing each other in an intimate fashion.

Hudson tried to struggle out of the embrace, but soon realized that the handcuffs had completely restricted his movements.

Winona must have sensed his movements as she frowned and tightened her arms around him.

Hudson dared not move around after that. He was afraid of disturbing the young woman who looked innocent and cute on the outside, but had actually possessed mysterious strength and skills in reality.

The threat he received last night was still printed in his mind vividly. If he were to disturb Winona in any way, he'd most likely get his throat slit. Even though Hudson might not really die from the injury, the pain would still be etched into his body.

Just as Hudson began to overthink, Winona slowly opened her eyes. She stared at Hudson with bleary eyes at first, but they quickly turned sharp and clear.

"Are you that happy to see me?" Winona asked.

That question completely caught Hudson off guard to the point where he actually trembled for a moment. It was only then did he notice Winona's awakened state.

"Am I happy to see you? What do you mean by that?" Hudson asked in confusion.

But he quickly caught the actual meaning behind her question soon enough.

Since Winona had really bad sleeping posture, she had hooked her leg onto his abdomen when she was hugging him. Naturally, her calf rested on a certain sensitive spot between his legs. That was why she asked Hudson that question.

"I can explain! It's just a natural biological occurrence!" Hudson sweated nervously. He secretly hoped that Winona wouldn't castrate him as a form of punishment.

However, Winona merely let out a soft chuckle. She caressed Hudson's cheek gently before speaking up in a soft tone that was laced with huskiness that was only present when she just woke up.

"Why are you so nervous? Are you scared of me?" she said.

Winona was putting up yet another façade, so Hudson felt that he could never understand what exactly she was thinking.

Before he could react to Winona's new persona, he heard a soft click.

Suddenly, he realized that his hand that should be cuffed to Winona's was now instead cuffed to the wooden decorative knob on the bedpost.

The sudden shift shocked Hudson.

Just now, Winona still had one hand on his cheek. How on earth did she uncuff herself before cuffing him to the bedpost with the other hand?

"What did you just do?" Hudson asked.

"I have a habit of taking baths in the morning," Winona replied randomly while getting out of bed.

She began stripping down while walking toward the bathroom.

"What does your bath have to do with cuffing me?" Hudson asked, clearly peeved.

"According to the 24-hour non-stop monitoring period's protocol, you have to stay with me when I'm taking a bath. But judging from your current condition, I feel that you'll suffer even more if you enter the bathroom with me," she explained.

Winona walked to the bathroom door. As she flipped her hair from her shoulder, she turned around to glance at Hudson's body.

Her words gave him the completely opposite effect. Now, he felt even more uncomfortable.

"So, you should wait outside the bathroom. Don't even think about wiggling out of the cuffs," she said.

By then, Winona had already walked into the bathroom. Hudson gazed up at the ceiling before letting out a long sigh.

...

By the time Winona stepped into the bedroom, she had already changed into the black outfit she was in when she arrived at the apartment last night.

Previously, Hudson couldn't make out her outfit. Now, he could see everything clearly.

The outfit was even more plain than he thought. However, it appeared to be quite dazzling once Winona wore it.

It was basically an oversized white shirt with its hems casually tucked into a pair of black denim shorts which clung to Winona's hips and thighs. A portion of her slender waist was exposed because of the way the shirt was tucked.

A short-sleeved black jacket overlapped the white shirt, effectively concealing Winona's gorgeous figure. Lastly, a pair of ankle-high black boots completed the outfit.

Everyone could tell that Winona was very fashionable just at one glance. But Hudson felt that a woman as gorgeous as Winona would be able to make any clothes look good on her.

While people often made themselves more presentable with different clothes, sometimes, clothes needed attractive people to serve as their models just to bring out their charm.

"Have you calmed down?" Winona had reverted to her icy appearance. She folded her arms in front of her chest while looking at Hudson.

When she noticed that Hudson seemed a lot more turned on than before, she clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.

"Let me take a bath too. I'll calm down after the bath," Hudson quickly said in order to mask his embarrassment.

Hence, Winona approached the bed and bent over to uncuff Hudson from the bedpost.

He could even smell the fresh fragrance wafting from her hair. It was a light floral fragrance mixed with the sweet scent of fruits. It reminded him of a garden in full bloom on a spring day, where everything was brimming with vitality and energy.

Winona's movements were gentle yet skillful. Soon, she freed Hudson from the handcuffs.

Throughout the entire process, her gaze never left Hudson's face, as though she was observing his reaction.

Once Hudson regained his freedom, he quickly got out of bed and made a mad dash toward the bathroom.

When he realized that Winona was about to follow him into the bathroom, he quickly slammed the door shut. "My bathroom doesn't have any windows, so there's no way I can escape! I'll call you if anything happens!"

Winona was silent outside the door for a moment. Then, she said, "Hurry up. We're going to be late soon."

Cold water flowed all over Hudson's body, making him shiver. His teeth rattled against each other uncontrollably.

The blood left on his chest and stomach had already dried up. It started crumbling into flakes under the shower. The sight of the dried blood made Hudson calm down for the time being.

After the bath, Hudson spotted Winona lying on the couch, playing on her phone. He quickly darted into his bedroom and changed into fresh clothes.

By the time he returned to the living room, he saw Winona heading toward the front door.

She shot him an impassive glance "Let's go. We can't be late for class."

Just like that, Hudson followed Winona out of the apartment. They headed down the stairs together before exiting the rundown apartment block.

At that moment, Hudson's phone chimed loudly. He dug it out to see a new message on WhatsApp. The sender was a person named "WinonaMelody".

The alias was pretty straightforward. Hudson turned to look at Winona immediately.

"Since when do I have your contact number on WhatsApp?" he asked.

"I keyed my number into your phone when you were showering earlier," Winona replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

Hudson wanted to tell her that phones contained a person's private information and that she shouldn't be poking around his phone. But then he thought about how she had saved his life last night. Besides, saving her contact number into his WhatsApp contact list wasn't a big deal.

After that, he noticed the text message Winona sent. "Once we reach the campus, remember to play along with me."

Hudson texted a question mark back to Winona, but she never replied to him after that. She also never said a word on their way to the university. This situation lasted for about 20 minutes.

When the pair was about to reach the street right outside the university, Winona suddenly said to Hudson, "Get ready."

"Get ready for what?" he asked.

Before Hudson could react, Winona quickly hugged his arm. At the same time, her expression shifted into something else entirely.

He was about to say something when he heard a voice calling out to Winona from behind. "Hey, Winona! Huh? You're hugging a guy's arm?"

"Morning, Zarina! This is my boyfriend, Hudson Jarrott!" Winona said.

The sight of Winona's bright and radiant smile made Hudson feel uneasy.

It was a shame that she wasn't an award-winning actress in real life, because that was how amazing her acting was.

Chapter 5

Hudson sat at his desk in the classroom. As he watched Winona interacting with the other students in a friendly manner, he couldn't help but feel a little creeped out.

The way she acted at the university was exactly the same he had remembered. Her optimistic and bubbly charm seemed like it was something naturally ingrained within her. She could easily attract everyone's attention because of it.

Winona's smile was warm and inviting. The way she spoke was always polite and elegant. Anyone could easily get attracted to her charms.

In this course, Natalie was the rich heiress whom everyone steered clear from. On the other hand, Winona was the one whom everyone wanted to befriend and was loved by everyone. Every move she made was incredibly charming, as though she was born to be a star.

Of course, Hudson knew that Winona was merely acting the whole time. The fact that she was able to achieve this level of acting meant that she was an absolute pro.

Unfortunately, Hudson got the short stick in this case. He was already known to his classmates as Natalie's pet who followed her around. They all thought of him as a toy who would get discarded by Natalie at any given time.

That was why the guys in his class relished in Hudson's pain when they found out that Natalie had broken up with him. They had mocked him, telling him that Natalie was way out of his league.

Meanwhile, the other ladies also gossiped among themselves. They jeered at Hudson for being delusional enough to think that he deserved to be with Natalie. In the end, Natalie treated him as a pest who kept badgering her.

But this morning, the sight of Hudson showing up with Winona hanging off his arm was quick to cause an uproar in the classroom.

"Winona, what's going on? Are you and Hudson…" one girl asked.

"Winona, Zarina told us you and Hudson are dating! Is this true?" A second girl tried to verify the truth from Winona.

"Oh my god! Winona, since when did you start dating Hudson? I thought you two barely spoke to each other! There aren't any signs of you two getting together at all!" A third girl was shocked.

Winona continued to smile sweetly as she listened to the other ladies' questions. A hint of shyness could be seen in her eyes.

She hugged Hudson's arm lightly as she replied in a soft tone, "Oh dear… To tell you the truth, Hudson and I have had a crush on each other for a very long time. It's just that we didn't have the courage to confess to each other.

"A few days ago, we finally mustered our courage and told each other how we truly feel about each other."

At first, Hudson thought Winona would be laughed at by the others. After all, he didn't exactly have the best reputation in class. Not to mention, he wasn't really eye-catching in any way.

Her reason basically made her seem like she was lowering herself just to be with him.

However, Hudson clearly underestimated Winona's popularity. The moment her words fell, the ladies around her instantly gasped in surprise.

They surrounded Winona and Hudson in hopes of being able to dig up more gossip about their relationship. At the same time, they gave the new "couple" their blessings.

When Winona heard the ladies' blessings, her cheeks turned slightly red. At the same time, her smile deepened.

She snuck a glance at Hudson. There was nothing but pure affection and love in her shimmering eyes.

That made Hudson feel extremely uncomfortable. Winona really was amazing at acting.

He wasn't sure what to do about the sudden relationship he was stuck in at first. But after witnessing Winona's reaction, he could only do his best to remain calm and play along.

"That's right. I've had a crush on Winona for a long time," he said.

At the same time, Hudson secretly thought that Winona's talent in acting was second to none. For a split second, he almost thought that he was in an actual relationship with her.

However, the ongoing scene made a certain beautiful woman feel very suffocating and uncomfortable.

Natalie and her lackeys watched coldly as Hudson and Winona were surrounded by everyone else, as though they were the center of the attention.

She let out a cold scoff. "What a bitch."

She didn't forget the way Hudson and Winona had humiliated her last night. Of course, she was bent on making them pay the price.

It was as though Winona could overhear Natalie's grumbles. She suddenly waved at Natalie with a bright smile.

"Natalie, I must thank you for letting me have Hudson. That's why we can finally get together. Hudson and I will be eternally grateful to you," she said.

Loud chatter burst out in the classroom right away.

It turned out Hudson didn't get dumped by Natalie—Winona was the one who had swooped in and stolen Hudson away from her.

Hudson was stunned by what he just heard. Winona's strategy in telling her side of the story first worked wonders.

Thanks to Winona's explanation, Hudson's status had elevated from a pathetic loser who was dumped to a charming guy who was the object of two beautiful women's affections.

Natalie was also depicted as the loser in this situation. Her thunderous expression was enough to tell the entire class that Winona spoke the truth.

"What are you talking about? I… I didn't give you anything!" Natalie yelled at Winona, clearly agitated.

Of course, the other classmates were even more excited at the prospect of having more gossip.

"Holy shit! Natalie's still not giving up on Hudson yet?" one person said.

"I thought she was the one who dumped Hudson! But judging from what's going on right now… Natalie, I might be Winona's friend, but I support you! You should steal Hudson back from Winona!" a second person added.

The classmates' teasing words nearly drove Natalie crazy. She tried to explain herself, only to successfully twist the truth even more.

In the end, she rushed toward Hudson furiously. "Hudson, come with me! I need to talk to you!"

If this had happened in the past, Hudson would get up and follow Natalie right away after hearing her order.

But now, he merely shot her a weird glance. "Can't we talk here? We're all classmates, aren't we?"

His voice was cool, yet what he said was sharp and ruthless.

"I… I…" For a moment, Natalie didn't know what to say. She didn't think that things would progress to this point.

In her plan, Hudson would always obey her every command. Even if they got into fights, he'd still show his concern for her and beg her for another chance. But now…

"I just wanted to ask you a question. Aren't you planning to apologize to me for what happened last night?" Natalie asked.

She attempted to slap on a haughty and confident façade. However, her chest, which was slightly heaving, proved that she was clearly rattled by Hudson's new persona.

Before Hudson could respond, Winona had already moved to hug his arm again.

She said, "Natalie, I understand what you're feeling right now. Since you're the domineering type, Hudson must've been under a lot of stress when you two were still together. Just let him go, okay?"

Natalie was extremely pissed, to say the least.

"Shut the hell up!" Natalie glared at Winona angrily. "You don't get to speak for my man!"

She was so furious that she was starting to run her mouth carelessly. Thanks to that, everyone firmly believed that she refused to accept the fact that she had lost Hudson to Winona.

Natalie was enraged as she bolted out of the classroom while the rest of the class murmured about the gossip. There were even a few people who openly mocked and laughed at her.

"You really are something, huh? I never took you for a sly one," Hudson murmured to Winona.

Winona glanced back. At that moment, her gaze reverted back to the icy one she had adapted last night.

"You owe me one," she replied in a low tone.

Her expression quickly shifted into an affectionate one. "Hudson, you won't ditch me, right? You can't leave me for Natalie, okay? Otherwise, I'll definitely cry!"

The pitiful expression on Winona's face made a fearsome combination with her status as one of the most popular students on campus. Just the sight of her looking so pitiful could easily evoke all the guys' protective nature.

On the outside, Hudson might be comforting Winona with a smile. However, he was secretly lamenting on the inside.

What kind of trouble did he get himself into this time?

Winona wasn't just skilled in combat, she was also extremely good in acting and scheming against others too. Just how many trump cards did she have up her sleeve?

This was merely a performance to show Hudson and Winona's loving relationship, yet it was enough to make those who had mocked Hudson in the past clamp up instantly.

The guys were extremely jealous of Hudson, but they had to remain nonchalant on the outside.

Meanwhile, the ladies were envious of Winona. They hoped that they could be the protagonist of sweet romantic relationships as well.

Of course, there were some who felt that Hudson didn't deserve to be fawned over by the two beautiful ladies.

As for the other female students, they kept discussing Hudson among themselves. "From the way I see it, there must be something really special about Hudson. Otherwise, there's no way Winona would've set her sights on him."

Another person said, "Precisely! Maybe he's very caring and gentle! After all, he's pretty handsome, isn't he?"

"Hey, could it be that Hudson's extremely good in… you know?" A young woman lowered her voice while giggling cheekily.

"Shhh! We can branch in that direction when we're in private!" Her friend was quick to retort, though her cheeks were suspiciously pink for some reason.

Soon, the ringing bell interrupted the students' murmurs.

Hudson's and Winona's seats were quite far away from each other. Still, Winona dragged Hudson to his seatmate.

Winona asked, "Hey, Zarina! Can you switch seats with me?"

Zarina Myers, the young woman who had bumped into Winona and Hudson when they were on their way to the campus, just glanced at the loving couple helplessly. She could already tell what Winona wanted to ask of her.

So, she heaved an exasperated sigh before she began making fun of Winona and Hudson with a wide smile on her face.

She said, "Oh my, it seems that you've truly fallen head over heels for Hudson, Winona! I know, I know; I'm just a third wheel at this point. If I don't switch seats right now, I'll be an insensitive idiot."

Zarina quickly packed her books up before moving to Winona's original seat.

Winona clapped her hands together. Then, she moved to sit next to Hudson. She even made sure to wink at Zarina gratefully.

"Must we really sit together? This isn't necessary, right?" Hudson mumbled to Winona, who was in the midst of rearranging her textbooks.

However, Winona just tilted her head slightly so that she could glance at Hudson icily.

She responded in an equally soft voice, "According to the 24-hour non-stop monitoring period's protocol, you are not to leave my line of sight no matter what."

Hudson was rendered speechless by her reasoning.

Left without a choice, he could only stop resisting against Winona. It seemed that she was extremely serious when it came to certain aspects in life.

…

At the same time, a man wearing a worn-out jacket and a cowboy hat could be seen sitting on the edge of a tall skyscraper in Liveria.

His legs dangled from the edge, yet he didn't seem the least bit frightened. In fact, he was even eating instant noodles in a relaxed manner.

The man's phone, which bore a slightly cracked screen, suddenly rang next to him. He quickly put down the noodles before picking up the phone.

As he wiped his mouth, he said, "Yeah? It's me. I'm having breakfast right now."

"Your breakfast is instant noodles?" the caller asked in confusion from the other end of the line.

"Heh! My mentee just got enrolled into university. I don't have any spare cash on me after paying for her tuition fees and buying her a few nice outfits," the man said.

The caller replied, "It seems that you truly treat her like your daughter."

"It's been more than a decade. What else do you think?" the man replied with a chuckle.

"Alright, alright. I'm not going to beat around the bush this time. We just received a gig recently. A Vanguard-Class beast had torn a rift open and escaped to Liveria. I need you to investigate this case," the caller said.

"A Vanguard-Class beast? Oho! These beasts really are getting more and more unpredictable! The Day of the Beast Wave isn't here yet, is it?" the man asked.

"They're a bunch of monsters from the start. Why are you still trying to talk logic to them?" the caller replied with another question.

"Okay, fine. Send the information to my phone. I'll go take a look at this beast of yours. Oh, by the way, I heard that you assigned my mentee to carry out a special mission," the man said after sipping from his beer can.

He continued, "I'll have you know that my mentee is extremely cowardly despite having put on an extroverted façade. Don't assign her to any weird missions, you hear?"

"Don't worry. She's just monitoring someone who's suspected to be an infected for one week. If she's determined that the target's infected, she'll eliminate them," the caller said.

"Alright. My mentee's rather special, you see. Don't let her face any beasts on her own before she can overcome her own issues. Well, I'm going to hang up now. I haven't finished my breakfast yet," the man said.

"Remember to investigate—"

The man ended the call right away. After that, he picked up his instant noodles. In just a few large slurps, he finished his food before wiping his mouth.

He smiled as he gazed at the distant horizon of the city.