Reborn in the Enemy's Embrace Chapter 413 - 4013

Deep within the woods, Zachary stood guard over Timothy and Xan as he messaged Ashton with updates.

His text stated, "Plenty of university girls are fond of Timothy. I bet many now view Xan as their competitor."

Ashton responded, "Keep an eye on Xan for me. Make sure she doesn't harm anybody."

Zachary fired back a shocked emoji, then typed, "How could a cute girl like Xan possibly hurt anyone? Why are you taking sides against her when you're her brother?"

Ashton shot back, "Even ten of you couldn't defeat Xan."

Zachary replied with an angry emoji and added, "You're underestimating me way too much, Ashton!"

Ashton sent a cute sticker pleading for him not to get mad—one Zachary had shared earlier, which he'd saved for a moment like this.

Unlike Xan, Ashton possessed a sharp intuition for others' emotional shifts. He could detect Zachary's irritation just from the messages.

Yet Zachary was simple to appease; a single sticker from Ashton left him thrilled for the entire day.

He never imagined the typically distant Ashton would bother with stickers.

Ashton messaged, "Please watch over my sister in my absence—and look after yourself as well."

Zachary grinned foolishly before responding, "Understood!"

At that time, Timothy was intently scanning the straightforward love letter Xan had crafted for him. "Were you sincere?" he inquired.

Xan nodded earnestly.

"What draws you to me?" Timothy murmured gently, feeling unexpectedly anxious.

Xan pondered briefly, gazing at his features, then answered gravely, "Your appearance."

His looks had first caught her eye, followed by his character. Sighing in resignation, Timothy pressed, "Would you still like me if I lost my good looks?"

Xan mulled it over. "I don't know yet."

She decided they could address that if it ever happened.

Timothy's feelings stung upon realizing her affection stemmed solely from his appearance.

"Are you my boyfriend now?" Xan questioned.

Timothy thought it over momentarily before nodding. "I am."

Since Xan had already poured her heart out, rejecting her would only sadden her. Moreover, he saw no cause to turn her down—even if it was just his looks she fancied.

"Great then. Farewell, boyfriend. I'm heading home with my parents now." Xan smiled brightly and waved.

Timothy barely had time to speak before she vanished.

He let out a sigh and eyed Zachary, who was glued to his phone nearby. "Do you believe Ashton would approve of me dating Xan?"

"He doesn't object. He mentioned Xan can do whatever she wants, so long as she doesn't kill anybody." Zachary glanced up at him.

Timothy's brow furrowed at the stark phrasing. Xan was utterly adorable, even rescuing injured butterflies—how could she ever take a life?

"What about Xan's parents..." Timothy voiced his concern.

"Don't overthink it. They'll welcome you if you treat Xan right." Zachary clapped him on the shoulder.

Xan dashed to the parking lot to join Sophia and Dexter, her face lit with a bright smile that betrayed her cheerful spirits.

Unlike the former emotionless Xan lost in her own realm, she now resembled her fellow students more closely.

Suddenly, Sophia grasped the lab's intent in pushing her toward social interactions.

Love indeed deepened one's emotional palette.

"Time to head home," Xan declared, climbing obediently into the car while awaiting Dexter and Sophia's drive.

Sophia took the wheel, with Dexter settling quietly in the passenger seat.

With both Xan and Dexter so compliant, and their family harmony intact, Sophia cherished her current life deeply.

"Steer clear of that scoundrel Timothy from now on," Sophia warned.

Though she noted Xan's positive shifts, Sophia fretted over the risk of some cad deceiving her.

"He's no scoundrel," Xan replied mildly. "He's kind."

She held Timothy in high esteem.

Sophia sighed in defeat. "I raised the kids, but they slip away to others once grown." Dexter gazed at her and murmured, "I'm yours forever, honey."

Sophia rolled her eyes, content that Dexter would always be hers.

"Avoid this route, Mom," Xan interjected en route to the mountaintop villa, urging a detour.

Instantly alert, Sophia veered left sharply, then eyed Xan anxiously via the rearview. "What's wrong? Are we being tailed?"

Xan shook her head. "A car wreck ahead will jam that road."

She'd caught the sound of a nearby collision.

Sophia exhaled in relief, easing her tension. The lab pursuers had kept her perpetually vigilant.

Dexter clasped Sophia's hand as they returned home smoothly.

"What's this?" The villa gates parted, exposing a delivery box obstructing the path—tossed in from beyond.

It was a hefty box, nearly matching a person's height.

Dexter reassured Sophia and Xan before cautioning, "Remain in the car; I'll check it out."

No deliveries were anticipated, so its origin was suspicious.

Once Dexter exited, Sophia tentatively unfastened her belt. "Stay put, Xan." Xan gripped Sophia's shoulder tensely. "I smell blood, Mom."

The sharp metallic odor hung thickly.

Stevie barked furiously, sensing trouble and growing restless.

Sophia rushed out, advancing slowly toward Dexter. Blood oozed from the freezer bag the moment he pried open the box.

Dexter scowled, unzipping the bag to uncover a lifeless dog, its ear marked with lab codes.

"Those damn maniacs!" Sophia fumed, glaring at the blood-scrawled message in the box: "The fate of lab dogs is death."

This threat came from the lab's youthful agents aimed at Sophia and Dexter.

"Phone Zion and summon the cops to handle this," Sophia instructed, massaging her temples.

To shield Xan's secret, she'd weathered endless lab jabs. She'd tolerate them unless they breached her limits or targeted her kin.

Cross that line, and Sophia would eradicate them ruthlessly, tracking every last one.

From the car, Xan stared at the blood pooling from the box, her pupils contracting sharply amid a surge of inscrutable feelings.

Xan strode toward an academic building at Huma University, backpack slung over her shoulder. She dressed discreetly, her long hair draping beneath a flat cap to veil her face.

Xan's sensitivities were peaking—her hearing, smell, and senses sharpening daily.

She progressed from detecting insect hums to discerning every heartbeat around her, her evolution ongoing.

"Xandra Milford!" Abruptly, a cluster of girls encircled her. "Time for a chat, you idiot!"

They menaced her into following to a surveillance-free nook behind the building.

Xan eyed them with intrigue yet complied meekly.

A pesky fly droned near her, irking her. Swiftly, she snatched it mid-air, flung it down, and squashed it.

The girls overlooked Xan's move, strutting obnoxiously onward.

"I hear you've been hounding Timothy nonstop," the ringleader declared, lollipop dangling from her lips.

She shoved Xan haughtily, adding, "We're here to set you straight today. Keep your distance from Timothy henceforth. He's Kiara's, the campus beauty. Got it?"