Chapter 1170:

Lance rested on his gaming chair, legs tucked up, ears burning beneath the tangled mess of his hair. Teeth digging into his lower lip, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen. It almost felt like he was making a life-changing decision. Then he typed with shaky fingers, “Even though we haven’t met in person, El, I wouldn’t mind if we become…”

The second Lance sent it, a deep flush crept across his face. His lashes trembled, and his skin—untouched by sunlight for far too long—turned an odd shade of pink. But despite his nerves, a small, bashful smile tugged at his lips. He looked like someone caught between embarrassment and giddy pride. The thought of actually dating El, someone he’d admired from afar, felt almost unreal.

Lance drifted into a happy daze, occasionally scratching his head or covering his mouth in disbelief, still completely overwhelmed.

All at once, the Pantheon group chat exploded with new messages.

Cyn chimed in, “SecondBest, what’s going through your head? El would never go for someone like you! Honestly, El, wouldn’t I be a better choice?”

Avo wasted no time. “Can you both just be quiet already?”

Cyn shot back, “Avo, you’re still here? I almost forgot you existed. You’re just another one of El’s admirers.”

Lance couldn’t help but scoff at Cyn’s jabs, convinced it was pure envy on display. He fired off a reply. “Cyn, quit running your mouth! This has nothing to do with you…”

“…and everything to do with El and me. What’s your problem—jealousy? Just back off!”

Avo jumped in with a quick retort. “Seriously, dude, get yourself together. You sound completely unhinged.”

Undeterred, Lance hammered out another message, his muttering barely audible as he typed. “Jealousy’s written all over you, Avo! El, ignore these clowns. I’m not confused anymore. I see everything clearly now. There’s no reason for you to hide from me anymore. So, when are we meeting up?” Just imagining a real-life meeting with El sent a rush of excitement through him.

Elena, on the other hand, struggled to figure out how Lance had come up with such an outrageous idea. There was no way she could let him discover her identity as the Healer—the guy couldn’t keep his lips sealed about anything. Her response was ice-cold. “Keep this up and I’ll kick you out of the group.” She locked her phone and left, hurrying back to her room before anyone could bother her again.

Meanwhile, things took a darker turn at Torin’s place. Bright lights illuminated the room, where six men—unmistakably the ones hired to rape Elena but who failed—knelt, wrists tied behind their backs, terror etched on every face.

𝓢𝓮𝓮 𝓲𝓽 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓼𝓽 ⲅ𝓪𝓁ⲛ𝓞𝓿𝒆𝓁𝓼⸳𝖼𝖔𝖒

One of Torin’s men reported, “Sir, these guys went after Miss Harper earlier.”

Torin sat sprawled in a leather chair, his eyes glinting with something dangerous as he swept his gaze over the kneeling men. The fear rising from them was palpable, making them tremble uncontrollably. Panic overtook the tattooed man. What started as a simple job for quick cash had spiraled completely out of control. Now he’d managed to anger the infamous Torin. Desperation took hold. Bowing his head as low as it would go, he pleaded, “Your Grace, I’m sorry if I’ve offended you somehow. I didn’t mean to cross you. Just show some mercy, I’m begging you.”

The tattooed man didn’t rise, maintaining the bow, desperate to show his regret.

Unmoved, Torin lazily spun a knife between his fingers and, without warning, drove the blade into the tattooed man’s shoulder. A wicked, almost predatory smile curled on his lips. “Tell me. Which hand did you use to touch her?”

Confused, the tattooed man barely managed to ask, “Who?” before he could react—both hands were severed and dropped to the floor.

Frozen in shock, he stared in disbelief and let out a raw scream. The next moment, his mouth was silenced by a gag.

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