Human Civilization — Inner City.
Inside a lavish hall, Claire Monroe sat motionless in her chair. Her expression was blank, eyes unfocused, but every now and then, a flicker of cold calculation flashed through them. Whatever she was thinking, it wasn't pleasant.
Below her, a group of servants and senior members of the Monroe family stood like statues—silent, stiff, and tense. The air was thick with dread.
A heavy shadow had fallen over the entire Monroe family.
"Ma'am… are we really going to trade a Dreadnought-class Starcruiser for Miss Aria?" one of the butlers finally broke the silence, his voice cautious.
"Hell no," Claire snapped. "That plan's a joke. If we send a Dreadnought-class Starcruiser, that damn Zombie King will just take the ship and kill everyone on board."
Just like Ethan had predicted—she never actually intended to go through with the trade. Agreeing to it was just a stalling tactic.
The butler nodded slowly. Yeah, that made sense.
