Margaret pouted after being ignored.
She seed too tired to get angry again.
Whether it was genuine or just an act—who knew.
Leonardo still didn’t trust her. Even if she wasn’t pretending, he believed people could change in an instant because of greed.
"Nothing ever goes perfectly. But cooperation creates more solutions," Margaret said again.
"Wouldn’t you like more if I stayed like this?" Leonardo replied with a chuckle.
"As your girlfriend, of course I want to be trusted too."
"Unfortunately, there’s not much I can reveal. Most of what’s in your mind are just baseless assumptions."
"You..."
"Honestly, I’m curious too. Who stole from your house, who stole from Levi, and who stole from the Association President?"
"Alright, stop talking!"
When Leonardo fell silent, sothing interesting appeared in the restaurant—a live broadcast from a press conference in front of the Awakener Association building in City Z.
Margaret imdiately straightened her back when she saw it.
"They’re going to announce the stolen item so more people will get involved in finding it," Margaret said.
Leonardo’s expression didn’t change, but this was clearly a serious problem for him.
"Mr. Maxwell, please tell us what item was stolen and how you knew what was inside the ruins without even seeing it," a reporter asked loudly.
"How I know—that cannot be disclosed," the Association President replied directly.
"However, it is indeed an extrely valuable item. It is the third one to appear."
"You an there were only two before this?"
"Yes."
"There are only a few items like this."
"That’s right. Only a few. A set of Diamond Bones. For Knights, this is the most valuable thing that exists. But the thief is likely not a Knight, judging from their abilities, so they can’t use it imdiately."
"..."
Margaret looked at Leonardo again after hearing that. Her breathing beca slightly faster.
Even so, she chose not to speak.
Without saying anything, Leonardo stood up and went to the restroom. When he returned, he headed straight to the car.
"To school," he said to Margaret.
She had no choice but to follow.
For Awakener students like them, wearing casual clothes to school wasn’t a problem.
Leonardo drove quickly.
The school wasn’t fully crowded yet. After parking, Leonardo got out but stayed beside the car, leaning against it.
"What are you waiting for?" Margaret asked, confused when he didn’t move.
"Co on, we don’t have to stick together all the ti, right? Because of you, people keep staring at ," Leonardo replied.
There was no way he wouldn’t attract attention while being with her.
Everyone wanted to confirm what their relationship really was.
"I don’t care," Margaret said.
Not long after, Leonardo spotted Elsa and Mary in their school uniforms.
Both of them showed different expressions upon seeing him—especially Mary, who looked awkward.
Only Elsa managed to keep her smile.
However, they knew it wasn’t appropriate to approach him with Margaret present.
She was the last person they wanted to know.
As Leonardo continued leaning against his car, Margaret began to feel uncomfortable.
She wasn’t used to waiting. And it seed Leonardo wouldn’t do anything as long as she was around.
Of course, things weren’t that simple.
Leonardo didn’t act—but Ellie arrived at the school carrying two fully blood Phantom Veil Orchids.
She just didn’t approach him.
Not long after, Levi Harvey suddenly appeared and walked toward them.
"Anderson, let’s talk for a mont," he said, surprising Margaret, who thought Levi ca for her.
"What do you want to talk about?" Leonardo asked.
"You’ll know soon enough. Just co first," Levi said, sounding insistent.
"Levi..." Margaret looked displeased.
"What’s wrong, sis? Is it true what people are saying—that you two are dating?" Levi said to her.
"Don’t worry, I don’t care about your relationship. I just have personal business with Anderson," he added.
"Anderson!" he turned back to Leonardo.
"Alright..." Leonardo followed him to his car, and they left the school.
While driving, Levi’s expression darkened for a mont.
"You shouldn’t have done this to ," he said coldly.
Even under the influence of the Phantom Veil Orchid—forced to obey Leonardo—he could still feel anger when no one else was around.
But Leonardo remained indifferent.
"What do you want to do?" Levi asked.
"Nothing," Leonardo replied.
"What do you an?" Levi frowned.
"Right... do you want to help you fly? It would be easier with than using that boat."
Levi, "..."
The truth was, the one with Levi was only Leonardo’s shadow.
anwhile, his real body had already slipped onto a high-speed train with Ellie, heading toward New York City.
It was the nearest major city—less than an hour away.
Leonardo needed a hospital, and it definitely couldn’t be Neptune Star Hospital.
If he didn’t implant the Diamond Bone into his body now, he wouldn’t feel at ease.
To him, even if he was exposed, surviving would be easier with that kind of power.
New York City.
Once the city with the strongest economy in Arica.
Now, it could only be called the largest city—not the richest.
Skyscrapers still stood tall, but they were too old—almost like rat nests compared to those in City Z.
This decline was because building new cities was easier than renovating old ones.
Besides, New York City had beco chaotic. Its population was too diverse, filled with immigrants, and the drug trade was rampant.
Even its police were notoriously corrupt.
Leonardo stood in front of a large but aging hospital, frowning slightly as he looked at it.
So people entered normally—but when they ca out, they looked high.
’This is sothing else...’ he thought.
(Boss, I’m not sure this is the right place,) Ellie said. (Aren’t there other cities?)
(No. Things are easier here,) Leonardo replied—though even he wasn’t entirely sure if the hospital’s reputation for Awakener surgeries was as good as what he had read online.
But he was already here. Of course, he could first make sure it was safe.
He stepped into the hospital.
Those who ca looking for drug injections were imdiately granted access to et doctors, while the elderly were made to wait without any clear reason—even though so of them looked like they were on the verge of death.
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