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The screen before him brightened slightly as several cards appeared, all faced down.
Trevor looked at each one carefully. He didn't exactly have much of a choice—he had to pick something anyway.
Without hesitation, he selected the card at the bottom left corner.
[Whispering Shadows: Allows you to hear people's thoughts and also speak to them through their minds, giving the illusion that it's their own thoughts.]
"What a powerful card," Trevor thought, already imagining what he could achieve with it tomorrow.
But just as he was lost in thought, he was pulled back to reality by the honking of a car outside.
Trevor quickly put everything away, informed his mother of his departure, and rushed outside to meet the vehicle.
He was dressed in his best clothes, though simple. A loose white shirt and a pair of joggers—nothing extraordinary, but they were the most expensive clothes he owned.
Waiting outside, he saw a sleek black Mercedes with tinted windows. As he approached, the driver calmly rolled down the glass.
From the man's black suit and dark shades, Trevor instantly knew he was a government official.
The man studied him for a moment.
"Are you Trevor?" he asked, his voice husky and formal.
Trevor nodded, and the man gestured for him to get in.
The road was quiet. Night was never anyone's friend, and only a few clubs dared to stay open at such hours—heavily guarded by government officials.
They passed posters plastered along the streets: "Dungeon explorers are evil!" and "We have taken down the Aviators. We can take down anyone!"
Trevor clenched his teeth and looked away. Those posters reminded him of memories he didn't want to revisit.
After about thirty minutes, the car finally stopped in front of a grand club. Trevor stepped out and immediately felt panic swell in his chest.
He hadn't expected something this extravagant. The fleets of luxurious cars parked outside made him glance down nervously at his own simple outfit.
"Trevor, so glad you made it. Let's go in," Chloe said as she walked toward him.
Trevor held his breath for a moment. Chloe is really a hot bitch, he thought silently.
She wore an extremely short, pink elastic gown that hugged her curves tightly, so much so that she had to tug it down slightly as she walked. A bow sat neatly atop her head, giving her a playful touch.
The gown had a deep V-neck, boldly displaying her cleavage.
Trevor gulped. She wasn't wearing a bra. Had she prepared for him in advance, or was she simply in a rush?
He followed her silently into the club, his eyes involuntarily glued to the sway of her hips.
Inside, Trevor grew even more tense. Every man around was dressed immaculately—expensive suits, polished shoes, and flashy watches.
Trevor felt painfully out of place. He hadn't known they were coming to a fancy club like this.
Chloe led him to a section marked VIP. To make matters worse, the table was right in the middle of the club—well-lit and impossible to ignore.
Trevor felt the stares. He was already becoming a spectacle; people were stealing glances, whispering, and gossiping freely.
Turning his head, Trevor found Chloe watching him with her arms folded.
"Well, yeah… about those clothes," she said with a laugh.
Trevor felt embarrassed but forced a smile, trying to turn the situation around.
"Yeah, well… who knows? Maybe I picked something close to your standards," he said, sitting down with a grin. It was the best he had, and he wasn't lying about that.
Chloe's face immediately turned pale. She had only been teasing, but Trevor had twisted it into something bold.
Quietly, she made up her mind: after tonight, she would cut ties with him. He might be hot, but she couldn't tolerate what she saw as disrespect.
Trevor studied her closely as she began eating, noticing her mood.
"Are you angry?" he asked quietly.
"Am I angry? Am I angry?!" Chloe burst out. "You disrespected me and took advantage of my little kindness. Aren't you even supposed to be grateful I gave you the privilege of coming on a date with me?"
Her voice carried anger and pride. She regretted agreeing to go out with him.
Trevor lowered his head, but a small smile formed. This was his chance.
"I'm sorry." Trevor said slowly,
"I was out of line. You look dangerous tonight, though."
Chloe looked at him a little and still remained silent; she was quite satisfied by his apology, but she was still a little angry.
As time went on, Chloe's anger began to soften, and Trevor, seeing this, saw his chance to make things right.
"But to be fair… you should've warned me you were dressing like that. I would've brought sunglasses just to survive the view."
When he raised his head, Chloe was laughing furiously.
"Are you crazy?" she said between fits of laughter.
"I have already accepted your apology. You don't need to come up with bizarre scenarios." she said, wiping away tears from laughing too hard.
"Well, it's not completely bizarre," Trevor replied calmly. "There's a lot of truth in what I said."
"Truth?" Chloe asked, now smiling faintly as she resumed her meal.
"Yes, truth. Like how your clothes caught my eyes… your voice… your arrogance. I loved everything," Trevor said, looking straight into her eyes.
Chloe blushed slightly, though she tried to hide it.
Trevor smiled. He needed to keep things steady until the night ended—at least until he could get what he came for.
"Wow, how long have you even known me?" Chloe asked, trying to sound authoritative as usual. But her expression betrayed her.
"Well, long enough to tell that you're very attractive, I guess." Trevor said as he leaned in with a sly smile, his gaze dipping to her cleavage before deliberately meeting her eyes again."
Chloe giggled as she noticed his eyes, covering her mouth with a napkin.
"Well, I have a surprise for you," she said with a playful smile.
"I can't wait to find out," Trevor replied eagerly.