Would Marcus Monroe step in?
Of course... not!
Not only would he not step in, but he also used the opportunity to have a showdown with Claire Chapman.
"We’re getting ready to head back to the base. What are your plans?"
Marcus Monroe glared at him, his attitude clearly hostile. He’d been like this ever since he found out that Claire Chapman had chosen to kill Zombies first instead of searching for Paige Summers.
Rationally, you couldn’t say Claire Chapman had made the wrong choice.
At the time, every extra Zombie killed meant one less loss for them.
However, with Paige Summers’s life on the line, where was the room for Marcus Monroe’s reason? In his heart, Paige considered Claire Chapman her best friend and partner. While Claire’s status was far below his own, it was still higher than anyone else’s. And despite that bond, Claire had actually prioritized other people’s lives over Paige’s. He couldn’t accept it at all!
So, after Paige Summers was rescued, the first thing Marcus did when he saw Claire Chapman again was beat the hell out of him.
Knowing why it was happening, Claire Chapman didn’t even try to fight back. He was beaten black and blue, almost suffering internal injuries. He hadn’t even dared to go see Paige Summers since...
Paige Summers had asked about him, but Marcus Monroe had just been vague and brushed it off, which only made him even angrier inside.
Hearing his words, Claire Chapman lowered his head and asked, "Has Shawn Monroe revealed Aunt Lowell’s location?"
’Obviously!’
Marcus Monroe raised an eyebrow. "He’s demanding a hostage exchange outside the city."
"But it’s extremely dangerous outside the city right now, and Paige Summers’s condition..."
Marcus Monroe cut him off with a frown. "You don’t need to worry about that. Since I’m bringing it up, I obviously have a plan. Just tell me your decision!"
Claire Chapman was silent for a long moment before saying, "I need more time to think."
Marcus Monroe’s temper flared. He stood up and stormed out, throwing one last sentence over his shoulder, "We leave in two days!"
As Marcus Monroe walked toward Paige Summers’s room, he wiped the unpleasant expression from his face and put on a smile. Paige was just starting to feel better and could get out of bed to walk around a little. He didn’t want her to worry about this.
’I can’t believe Claire Chapman still needs to think about it...’
’I already thought he was getting a little too invested in Southreach’s affairs and neglecting our own base. Don’t tell me he’s actually fallen for Maisie Joyce?’
Mulling this over, Marcus Monroe pushed open the door to her room.
But just because he wouldn’t say anything didn’t mean others wouldn’t.
Sean Raines figured Paige Summers was basically fine—just physically weak. Her spirit was still strong, and she could definitely handle this kind of "blow." In the spirit of unity, he decided to just tell her everything.
The main reason was that he shared Marcus Monroe’s confusion and had come to Paige Summers for an explanation.
"...So, do you think he and Maisie Joyce are for real?"
Having already stretched her limbs, Paige Summers was now back in bed, leaning against the headboard to rest. A thoughtful expression crossed her face.
"Is Marcus Monroe still blaming him for what happened before?"
Sean Raines shrugged. "Looks like he’s still mad."
Truthfully, he couldn’t understand what Claire Chapman was thinking, either. This sudden, noble-minded act was completely baffling to people like them, who were driven by "selfish" motives—especially those who prioritized the people closest to them. If it had been him, he wouldn’t have given a damn about the Zombies; he would have found Paige Summers first before worrying about anything else!
But then again, everyone makes their own choices in these situations. After all, they all had different responsibilities.
Paige Summers frowned slightly. "This must have put a lot of pressure on him." She tapped her forehead lightly. "This is my fault, too. I never took it seriously enough. I should talk to Marcus Monroe. He can be so childish sometimes..."
The corner of Sean Raines’s mouth twitched.
’Childish... Only in front of you...’
After a moment’s thought, he said, "It wouldn’t be right for you to bring it up."
After a moment of silence, Paige Summers sighed softly. "I know." Marcus Monroe was only like this because of her. In truth, it would be a lie to say she didn’t care at all. She just kept telling herself that, from a big-picture perspective, Claire Chapman’s choice had been the right one. But if they all got back together, could things really go back to the way they were? She really wasn’t sure.
People are selfish by nature, and she was no exception.
Perhaps Claire Chapman had understood this, which was why he was hesitating now.
Sean Raines glanced at her. "Instead of trying to persuade Marcus Monroe, you’d be better off talking to Claire."
Paige Summers gave a bitter smile. "You think I haven’t wanted to? He’s the one who won’t come."
Sean Raines mulled it over for a few seconds. "I’ll go talk to him. Hmm, I’ll pick a time when Marcus Monroe isn’t around. That should be easy enough. Keith Preston has been here twice recently."
"About Leo Joyce’s situation?"
"You know about that... Yeah. If you ask me, these people are really strange. They should just take Leo Joyce down. I don’t believe The Power Corps has suffered losses to that extent. Why go through all this trouble?"
Paige Summers smiled faintly. "Both approaches have their pros and cons. I personally feel that Maisie Joyce isn’t being decisive enough, perhaps because Leo Joyce has built up so much influence over the years. Still, it must be hard for her, managing a base this large. When you think about it, she’s actually quite capable. If Claire has really fallen for her, it’s understandable."
Sean Raines seemed to recall something and zoned out for a moment. Then he slowly stood up and stretched.
"This is why I hate big bases. Way too much trouble! Anyway, forget about them. I’m going to go find Claire."
Paige Summers smiled and nodded.
Once Sean Raines got serious, he moved fast. That very afternoon, he dragged Claire Chapman over, watched him enter Paige Summers’s room, and then prepared to carry Annie to the room next door.
Paige Summers gently stroked Annie’s little face. Seeing that she was sleeping soundly, she let Sean Raines take her.
The door closed. Paige turned her head and saw Claire Chapman standing there awkwardly.
Paige Summers couldn’t help but laugh.
"What’s this? Were you planning on avoiding me for the rest of your life? It’s not that big of a deal!"
Claire Chapman stiffened. It took him a long moment to slowly relax. With a bitter smile, he said, "I don’t know what to say..."
Paige Summers said decisively, "Then sit down and listen to me first!"
Sitting down with him on the sofa, Paige Summers began, "I’m not going to lie to you. When I heard what happened, I was definitely upset. But I never once thought you did the wrong thing."
"These past few days, I’ve been thinking about it constantly. Why did you do what you did back then?"
"Today—or rather, just now when I saw you—I suddenly understood."
Claire Chapman’s head snapped up to look at her.
Paige Summers said seriously, "You’re my friend and my partner, that’s true. But now, you are first and foremost the Base Chief of a base. You need to have that kind of big-picture perspective. In any dangerous situation, you can’t sacrifice more people to save just one person; it can only be the other way around. So, as your deputy base chief, I’m telling you, your choice was the right one!"
Warmth flooded Claire Chapman’s eyes.
But Paige Summers held up a hand, her tone sharp. "However, I completely disapprove of how you’ve been avoiding this afterward. Like this time—if Sean Raines hadn’t brought you here, were you really just going to let this rift grow between us? We’re friends who have been through thick and thin together for years. Don’t you think that’s worth fighting for our understanding? Or do you think we’re incapable of understanding you?"
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