CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 038: SCANDAL WITH SUPERHEROES! THE CROSSBONES INCIDENT!

Lorien’s final words hit George like a ton of bricks.

He replayed in his mind what he’d said on the way over—Stephen, the top surgeon, and Lorien Su, one of the most renowned psychologists in the field. Now, he wished there were a hole in the ground he could crawl into.

How was he supposed to know that the "Su" his daughter occasionally mentioned was this Lorien Su? Sure, the name matched, but it had never even crossed his mind that his daughter would personally know someone like him.

It was like your kid going out and somehow coming back with a bar of gold. Would you believe it? Yet here it was—she’d really done it.

That was why George had never connected the dots before.

Now that he knew, though, he was thrilled... and at the same time, completely at a loss.

Yes, he was the chief of police. But in America, a top doctor commanded immense respect—and this one also happened to have a special relationship with his daughter.

Stack those two identities together, and Lorien Su’s status was off the charts.

George suddenly didn’t know what tone to take, or how to keep the conversation going.

No wonder his instincts as a cop had been telling him earlier that Lorien was no ordinary man—because he wasn’t.

But now... what was he supposed to say?

And to make matters worse, it was getting late. George needed to head home, but since they’d just met, it felt awkward to simply say so.

What a nightmare.

Still, Lorien could read the situation easily enough. The drinks were finished, and he was ready to head home too.

He glanced at his watch, stood, and said,

"Mr. George, I should be heading home as well. It was a pleasure talking with you—you’re a good father. Gwen’s excellence clearly comes from your influence."

That earned him a slightly embarrassed smile from George, the corners of his mouth tugging upward.

"I’ve just tried to do what a father should. You’re an exceptional man yourself, Mr. Su—Gwen’s lucky to have you as a friend."

A few pats on the back, a couple of well-placed compliments, and the wall between them was gone in an instant.

That’s men for you.

After a firm handshake and a parting word, they went their separate ways.

From her perch on the rooftop, Gwen watched them part on good terms and finally let out a breath of relief. She slipped away quickly, even managing to make it home a step ahead of her father...

...

On the other side...

After a day of pure chaos, Lorien finally made it back to his room on the top floor of the northern building.

The moment he stepped inside, he kicked off his shoes, collapsed face-first onto the soft, spacious bed, and let out a long, satisfied sigh.

"Whew..."

How to put it... today had been pretty great. But for some reason, he also felt oddly drained—probably more mentally than physically.

Still, no matter how tiring it was, the gains today were absolutely worth it. And tomorrow... tomorrow would be another day full of possibilities.

...

The next day.

Lorien went about his usual routine—showing up to work, slacking off, and then lazily checking his phone after clocking out.

Wanda had flown overseas to carry out a mission against Crossbones. Thanks to last night’s events, both she and Gwen had skyrocketed in public reputation... though there were also a few rumors making the rounds.

[Scarlet Witch Battles the Mutant Lizard Again! Goddess-Level KO as the Lizard Escapes to the Sea!]

[Why Did the Mutant Lizard Appear? Does Iron Man’s Sudden Intervention Mean a Tech Company Connection?]

[Spider-Woman Saves Several Children! Lifts a Car Off a Bridge with Her Bare Hands! She’s the Real Superhero!]

[Who Is He? Why Has He Shown Up with Both Scarlet Witch and Spider-Woman Twice?]

[Scarlet Witch and Spider-Woman’s Shared Boyfriend?! Two Superheroes with the Same Man! So Envi—Wait, So Scandalous!]

And just like that, yesterday’s events were plastered all over the internet—mostly about Wanda and Gwen, with Iron Man and the Lizard trailing behind.

As for him? Well... he got lumped into the gossip column.

Sure, some of it wasn’t entirely wrong, but "shared boyfriend" was a bit... yeah. Whatever. It was just entertainment fluff—nothing damaging or disgusting—so he couldn’t care less.

...

Meanwhile, Gwen seemed to be up to something. For days now, she’d been circling around New York, clearly looking for and investigating something.

Lorien had noticed, but he wasn’t about to pry. If she needed him, she’d come to him herself.

...

Stephen, on the other hand, was buried in surgeries. His schedule was jam-packed, and he even called to complain about how the workload was killing him.

Sure, the money was pouring in, but the mental and physical strain was enough that he needed a serious release. He promised that once he finally got a break, he’d take Lorien to the racetrack for some high-speed driving and drifting.

Lorien had never tried it before, and since he didn’t have much else going on, he agreed without hesitation.

Until then, he was perfectly content to... well, keep doing nothing. Not that it was anything new—he’d been in "slack mode" from the start.

...

By 4 p.m., he was still sprawled out in a recliner, yawning while half-watching TV, occasionally hopping between a computer game and his phone. Multitasking at its finest.

Then, the TV suddenly cut to a breaking international news segment.

"At 2:19 p.m. today, the Avengers dismantled an international arms-trafficking terrorist organization, capturing all of its members — including the notorious operative Crossbones."

"Among them, the superhero Scarlet Witch descended like a goddess, using her magic to single-handedly eliminate the organization’s most powerful forces.

"She also rescued civilians from multiple countries, including Wakanda."

"The strength of this terrorist organization is..."

"..."

"This event... has been officially named the Lagos Incident."

...

(80 Chapters Ahead)

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