Chapter 9 Something Fishy

All the train passengers had gathered in the middle to watch the drama unfold. Only two men in camouflage gear remained seated at the front, observing from afar. Lucas said sympathetically, "What a shame! She's pretty, but her judgment's clearly off." His comment had a double meaning—he was criticizing both Evelyn's inability to spot troublemakers and her calling him old earlier. Clearly, he was still bothered by being called "mister". After all, he was only 22 and far too young to be called that. "Do you want me to go save her again? Maybe get her number while I'm at it?" Lucas teased mischievously. He had been enjoying his nap when Damian kicked him awake, leading to his heroic rescue scene. He knew no man could overlook such a beautiful woman. It was too convenient. Damian had barely stood up when the conductor came to check tickets. Something fishy was definitely going on. Damian gave Lucas an icy glare and asked in a dangerous tone, "Do you need more training?" Lucas immediately shut up. The nickname "Demon Damian" was not just for show. Meanwhile, Damian glanced at the scene, absently rubbing his eyebrow with his thumb. The woman was not just eye-catching; she was clever as a fox. Hence, it was unclear who would end up getting the short end of the stick. Once Damian was sure that the woman could handle herself, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes to rest, reminding himself not to get involved. Still, his ears remained alert to the situation unfolding in the carriage. When Evelyn felt the tension had built sufficiently, she challenged, "Ms. Wilkinson, if I can prove that envelope is mine, will you return it?" Jessie studied Evelyn's confident expression with growing unease, wondering if Evelyn could actually prove it. Blaine sidled up to Jessie and whispered, "Ms. Wilkinson, let her try! I'd love to see how she does it!" Jessie was fuming, and Blaine's presence made her anger worse. She jabbed him hard in the side and hissed, "Get lost! Look at the mess you've caused!" The sleazy man's face turned green with pain, but seeing Jessie's genuine anger, he did not dare complain. Instead, he leaned in close and coaxed, "Ms. Wilkinson, don't be angry. "Even if she gets the envelope back now, once we reach Kingsbridge, everything—including her—will be ours. Let's just get past this moment before things get out of hand. Tonight, you'll see what I can really do..." Blaine made a subtle hand gesture to Jessie, indicating that he had found multiple targets, not just one. Evelyn frowned as she watched the pair whispering and gesturing. Though she could not hear their conversation, she had a good idea based on the plot she knew. After pondering it over, Jessie seemed to reach a decision. She let out a deep breath and said scornfully, "Fine. If you can prove this money is yours, it's all yours!" Then, she pulled an envelope from her pocket and added, "This is why you should never flash your cash. You can't trust anyone these days. I thought you were just some innocent country girl, but you saw me once before boarding, asked a few questions, and now, you're trying to scam me?" As their eyes met, Evelyn caught a dangerous glint in Jessie's gaze. She knew that this grudge was now personal. She realized that if she did not deal with Jessie now, she would remain a threat even after they reached Kingsbridge. For now, though, getting her money back was the priority.