Chapter 650: You’re Making This Very Awkward for Me

Chapter 650: Chapter 650: You’re Making This Very Awkward for Me

Claire Sinclair asked him, "Where are your phone and the watch I gave you?"

"Phones aren’t allowed here, except for online transfers. I had to turn in my watch, too. The management is incredibly strict; otherwise, things wouldn’t be this peaceful with so many people."

"I see." Claire Sinclair was deeply disappointed. ’I thought I might be able to contact my superiors. Looks like there’s no way.’

Suddenly remembering something, Claire Sinclair changed her tune. "Orion Osborne will be back any minute. You need to leave now."

"Okay." The moment Theo Rhodes got to his feet, the door swung open.

A man appeared in the doorway, an intimidating chill suddenly radiating from him.

Claire Sinclair immediately stepped in front of Theo Rhodes, shielding him with her body. Her expression was unwavering as she said, "He’s my apprentice. Please let him leave."

Orion Osborne’s cold, narrow eyes slowly swept over Theo Rhodes’s face. "I don’t welcome men here," he said in a low voice. "There won’t be a next time. Get out."

Claire Sinclair immediately grabbed Theo Rhodes’s hand and escorted him out the door herself. "Theo, go quickly. I’ll find you if I need anything."

"Okay, Master. Take care!" Theo Rhodes left.

Claire Sinclair watched Theo Rhodes disappear around the corner before letting out a long sigh of relief. She slowly turned, walked back into the room, and shut the door, pressing her back against it.

"Orion..." she began in a low voice.

Orion Osborne lowered his gaze slightly to meet hers. "Don’t ever do that again."

Claire Sinclair bit her lip, a stubborn glint in her eyes. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing at all.

Orion Osborne walked over and pressed a bottle of folic acid into her hand. "An undercover agent infiltrated last year," he warned. "His body is still hanging at the entrance to The Inferno. If you don’t want to end up like him, you’d better not expose your identity."

Claire’s heart leaped into her throat. She grabbed his arm anxiously. "Teacher Hartwell went missing in the Woodforest Community. Do you know where he is?"

Orion Osborne glanced down, his gaze landing on her hand gripping his arm. He frowned.

Realizing her mistake a moment too late, Claire Sinclair quickly let go. "Teacher Hartwell is my mentor," she added. "He’s very important to me. I’m so worried. Can you please help me? I’m begging you."

Orion Osborne was silent for a long moment, then simply shook his head.

Disappointed, Claire Sinclair lowered her head. She turned, walked to the sofa, and sat down. "It’s fine," she said quietly. "Once I get out, I’ll get someone else to help find Teacher Hartwell."

Orion Osborne walked over and sat down across from her. "Hell’s Paradise has deep roots," he reminded her. "Its reach is vast. Eradicating it won’t happen overnight. If you’re trying to rescue your superior, the odds are slim to none."

At his words, Claire Sinclair was on the verge of tears. "To you, Teacher Hartwell is just another person, but to me... he’s my mentor and my friend! If something happened to him, I’d... I’d..."

She didn’t know what she would do. All she knew was that the tears were already falling.

Orion Osborne’s brow furrowed. He slowly leaned in and removed the half-mask from her face.

Her tear-filled eyes were like a placid lake, its surface suddenly broken, sending ripples through the water—and through his heart.

He gently raised his hand to wipe away her tears. "Don’t cry," he said, his voice husky. "I’ll help you."

Claire Sinclair sniffled, her vision blurred by tears as she looked at his face. "Why the sudden change of heart? Are you just trying to cheer me up?"

"I don’t want to see you cry."

"..."

"This is awkward. Suddenly, I can’t cry anymore." Claire Sinclair tried to figure out how to keep crying, but her tears had already stopped.

Her words made Orion Osborne chuckle. He gently pinched her nose and smiled. "It’s okay if you can’t cry. I’ll help you with this."