CHAPTER 263: THE QUIET WATCHERS

When night fell, Abby was relaxing in her room, just like she usually did. But instead of playing games or

watching TV, tonight she was on the phone with one of her best friends, Cindy.

"I’m telling you, something feels off," Abby said. "Everyone’s acting weird at school again. Even Joe."

"I mean, that kid’s always a little strange," Cindy replied, "but with everything that’s happened lately,

especially with Jay, can you really blame them?"

Abby paused. Cindy had a point. What happened had shaken everyone. It made them all realize just how

fragile life was.

Someone so close to them had been affected. When Sam passed away, it was sad, but Sam had always

kept to himself. No one was really close to him. People mourned, sure, but his absence didn’t leave a hole

in their daily lives. Jay, though... Jay was different. His sudden disappearance had left a silence no one

could ignore.

"What I’m really interested in," Cindy practically shouted, "is Max staying over at your house!"

"Cindy!" Abby groaned.

"Why didn’t you call me the moment he came over?! You could’ve left the phone on and let me listen in on

everything! I could’ve helped you. You know how frigid you get!"

When night fell, Abby was relaxing in her room, just like she usually did. But instead of playing games or watching TV, tonight she was on the phone with one of her best friends, Cindy.

"I’m telling you, something feels off," Abby said. "Everyone’s acting weird at school again. Even Joe."

"I mean, that kid’s always a little strange," Cindy replied, "but with everything that’s happened lately, especially with Jay, can you really blame them?"

Abby paused. Cindy had a point. What happened had shaken everyone. It made them all realize just how fragile life was.

Someone so close to them had been affected. When Sam passed away, it was sad, but Sam had always kept to himself. No one was really close to him. People mourned, sure, but his absence didn’t leave a hole in their daily lives. Jay, though... Jay was different. His sudden disappearance had left a silence no one could ignore.

"What I’m really interested in," Cindy practically shouted, "is Max staying over at your house!"

"Cindy!" Abby groaned.

"Why didn’t you call me the moment he came over?! You could’ve left the phone on and let me listen in on everything! I could’ve helped you. You know how frigid you get!"

"Please," Abby muttered, rolling her eyes. "You’re always talking about boys, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with a boyfriend."

"Hey, hey, that’s just because I’m picky," Cindy defended. "But I know what I’m talking about when it comes to winning guys over. Anyway," she continued with a dramatic sigh, "you know Max is a tough one. It’s like he’s into you, but there’s someone, or something, trying to block him. Like an evil stepmom or something."

"Max doesn’t have any parents," Abby reminded her.

"That was just an example," Cindy replied quickly. "Anyway, you need to strap him down! He’s the type of guy you have to make the first move on, seriously!"

As Abby and Cindy continued to chat, Abby’s eyes drifted toward the window, just like they often did.

Lately, she’d been feeling like someone was watching her. Sometimes she caught glimpses of people walking by, some that looked suspicious. Though there hadn’t been any incidents so far, Abby still liked to check daily, just in case.

The thing was, Abby wasn’t imagining things.

A specialized surveillance team had been assigned to keep watch over her. Four members in total. Three rotated shifts, patrolling the surrounding area on foot, while the fourth observed from a car, phone in hand, ready to contact Aron the moment anything seemed off.

In that vehicle, parked just across the street, a man casually approached and knocked on the window.

One of the guards rolled it down to address the stranger.

"Hi there," the man said with a smile. "I live just two doors down and noticed your car’s been parked here a lot lately. Is there a reason for that? Would you mind moving?"

"Oh, sorry," the guard replied politely. "If it’s causing trouble, I can move right now."

"Right," the man said, still smiling. "The thing is... I’m going to need you to move permanently."

Before the guard could respond, the man’s hand shot through the window. He grabbed the back of the guard’s head and slammed it hard into the steering wheel. Then, with a clenched fist, he punched him square on the chin through the open window.

The attacker was Na, one of the top members of the Rejected Corp.

’Who is this girl?’

Na thought as he dragged the unconscious guard out of the way. ’Four guards watching her at all times? But the house is so normal. The school too. There’s nothing special about this setup, on the surface.’

Na had been given a mission by Chorno, to retrieve the girl named Abby. The information had been passed on by Dud. Apparently, she was someone they could use to keep Max under control.

But as Na did his recon, something didn’t add up. Abby was clearly being protected by people trained for this kind of work. A regular person wouldn’t have noticed it, but Na wasn’t just anyone. He was special forces trained, someone who had spent years in the field.

Taking out the lookout was the first priority. Luckily, the car was stocked with enough equipment to properly restrain the man, even if he woke up. Tying him down, gagging him, and securing the interior, Na made sure the man couldn’t move, speak, or even signal for help.

Still, he couldn’t find any files or clear reason why Abby was under such heavy protection.

Continuing his sweep of the area, Na spotted another guard turning the corner. Without hesitation, he rushed forward. His large hand slammed into the guard’s face, pinning him hard against the ground.

"Who are you guys?" Na demanded. "Why are you protecting this girl?!"

The man didn’t answer. He just grunted through clenched teeth.

With no time to waste, Na dug his fingers into the man’s shoulder and yanked, dislocating the joint with a sickening pop. The guard tried to scream, but Na shoved a cloth into his mouth to muffle the sound. Then he pulled it out.

Still no answer.

Na sighed and knocked him out cold.

’They won’t talk. Are they professionals? Definitely. No time to risk more noise, I need to finish this job fast.’

Back in her room, Abby was just about to say goodbye to Cindy, who had been ranting about Max for far too long.

"Wait, wait, Cindy, quiet for a second," Abby whispered.

"What’s wrong? Did Max come to the door again?" Cindy teased.

"No... I think I heard something."

Abby stood slowly and crept toward her bedroom door. She opened it cautiously, peering down the hallway toward the living room.

"I must have just been hearing things," she murmured.

But as she reached to close the door, a hand shot forward and grabbed it.

With one violent shove, the door was flung open, and before Abby could even scream, a strong hand clamped down over her mouth.

"I’m sorry," Na whispered coldly. "But you’re coming with me."

With his other hand, he raised her phone, and stomped on it, smashing it into a dozen jagged pieces.