Villain MMORPG: Almighty Devil Emperor and His Seven Demonic Wives Chapter 1227: Playful But Personal

Villain Ch 1227. Playful But Personal

She hesitated. "I an... yeah. What else am I supposed to do? Cry about it?"

"You could talk about it," Allen offered. "With ."

Zoe's chest tightened at the sincerity in his voice. She bit her lip, staring at the ceiling. "It's not a big deal, Allen. Seriously. Just one stupid dungeon. I've moved on."

Allen didn't press further, but his silence spoke volus. Finally, he said, "Alright. As long as you're sure you're fine. But if you ever want to talk, you know I'm here."

"Yeah, I know," Zoe said, her voice softer than she intended. "Thanks, Allen."

There was a pause, comfortable but charged with unspoken words. Allen broke it with a hint of his usual playful tone. "By the way, I've got a surprise for you."

Zoe perked up despite herself. "Oh? What kind of surprise?"

"You'll have to wait and see," he said, his grin almost audible through the phone. "But I promise it'll be worth it."

"Now you've got curious," Zoe said, her smirk returning. "You better not disappoint, Emperor."

"Never," Allen replied smoothly. "Get so rest, alright? I'll catch you tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah," Zoe said, rolling her eyes again. "Goodnight, Allen."

"Goodnight, Zoe."

The call ended, leaving the room silent once more. Zoe stared at her phone for a long mont, her chest tight and her thoughts swirling. She tossed the phone onto her bed and flopped back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling.

Her mind was a whirlwind. She thought about the dungeon, the stupid fish boss, and the way her heart had sunk when it wasn't tied to her past like she'd hoped. She thought about Allen, the way he'd called just to check on her, his voice steady and warm in a way that made her feel grounded.

Her emotions tangled together. Frustration, warmth, confusion—it was all too much. 'Why does he have to be like that?' she thought, her lips twitching into a faint smile. 'Always saying the right thing at the right ti. Stupid Allen.'

Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat loud in the quiet of her room. She pressed a hand to her chest, as if that could steady it. "Get a grip, Zoe," she muttered, but the words carried no weight.

She closed her eyes, his voice still echoing in her mind. 'A surprise, huh?' she thought, her smirk softening into sothing more genuine. 'Fine. Let's see what you've got, Allen.'

With that, she curled into her blankets, her thoughts still tangled but sohow lighter than before.

-----

Allen stared at the phone in his hand, his thumb hovering over the screen. The call had gone better than expected—Zoe hadn't brushed him off completely, and she'd even seed intrigued by his ntion of a surprise. But now, as the silence of his room settled around him, he realized the obvious problem was… 'I don't actually have a plan.'

"Okay," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Great job, Allen. Another spontaneous idea, and you just shoot your mouth off. Nice one."

He sighed, leaning back in his chair and tossing the phone onto his desk. The seed of an idea was there, though. He knew what he wanted to do—he needed to see her, face to face. Not in the ga, not through a screen, but in person. That's what Zoe deserved.

And the perfect opportunity? Her university. Showing up there would be unexpected, but not in a way that felt over the top. The problem was…

'I don't know her schedule.'

Allen frowned, leaning his elbow on the desk and resting his chin on his hand. He could always call her back and ask directly, but that would ruin the whole point of a surprise. He couldn't blow it by making this feel like another scheduled etup.

He grabbed his phone again, staring at it as if it might magically offer a solution. His thoughts drifted to the one person who might have the information he needed without ruining the surprise. Shea!

"Yeah," Allen said aloud, nodding to himself. "Shea's the play."

He opened his chat app and scrolled through his contacts, stopping at Shea's na. His finger hovered over the call button before he opted for a ssage instead. Shea wasn't the kind of person who needed a formal explanation; she'd get what he was after right away.

Allen: Hey, Shea. Quick question: Do you know what ti Zoe's classes end tomorrow?

He stared at the ssage for a mont before hitting send. Almost imdiately, the three dots appeared, signaling Shea was typing.

Shea: Now, why would you need to know that, hmm?

Allen let out a small laugh, shaking his head. Of course, she wouldn't make this easy.

Allen: Just planning a little surprise. Nothing suspicious.

Shea: Surprise for my daughter, or are you planning to kidnap her?

Allen: It's . Do I really seem like the kidnapping type?

Shea: Anything's possible.

Allen: Fair point. But no, just a surprise.

The dots danced again.

Shea: Alright, alright. I'll play along. Her last class ends at 12 PM tomorrow. And before you ask, yes, I know exactly where it is.

Allen: I wasn't going to ask… but thanks.

Shea: You owe for this.

Allen: I owe you for everything.

Shea: Damn right you do.

Allen set his phone down, a satisfied grin tugging at his lips. Shea was always quick-witted, but she was also reliable when it ca to Zoe. 'One step closer,' he thought, leaning back in his chair.

Now he had a ti to work with. The next challenge was figuring out what kind of surprise would actually work. Zoe wasn't the type to go for sothing cheesy or overly sentintal. She liked things bold, unexpected, and just a little chaotic—sothing that matched her energy.

Allen's mind spun through possibilities. 'Flowers? Too cliché. A surprise dinner? Maybe, but she'd probably see that coming. ' Then it hit him. 'She loves sothing playful but personal. Sothing to make her laugh. Like the ga center the other day.'