Special Agent (2)

An hour later, Jack walked out of the station. The officers kept glaring at him, but that was all they could do. As for the woman who saved him, she disappeared along with her lackeys without speaking a word to him.

He didn't know who she was, neither did the cops. All they knew was the woman had powers. She couldn't have suspended the higher-ups like that if she didn't have that kind of backing.

That made them afraid of Jack even more. If a woman like her came to help him, then he had to be a bigshot as well.

As Jack walked out of the station, he found Angela waiting for him. She looked nothing like the bubbly girl from yesterday. The one he talked for hours like she was a long-lost friend. Unfortunately, Jack had nothing to say to her, not anymore.

"Stay away from grandma," she said as Jack walked past her. "Or else—"

Jack stopped, looking into her eyes before shaking his head.

"I'm not going anywhere until she asks me to move out," Jack replied. "Besides, don't talk to me like I we're close or something."

Not close?

Well, there was some truth to it. Even if Angela didn't like that response. Did he think she was some slut for what happened last night? Someone to play with and then not recognize?

Her anger flared up as she turned to curse him out.

However, Jack was already in her face. The closeness brought memories of the last night into her head. Her face flushed as she took a step back.

Earlier, she told him she did what she had to in order to get his handprints, but that was far from the truth. It was an unintentional moment of weakness, a mistake which she thoroughly enjoyed.

As for the handprints she talked about, they weren't taken from that night, but in the morning during their handshake.

She did it because she wanted to know more about him. Especially since he had evaded her questions at the dinner table. As for the ID, she wasn't involved in that case, but found out about it once she ran a search for his handprints and informed the higher-ups about it.

It was the chief's plan to lure Jack, and she merely acted according to the orders.

That's why she did not know why the President pardoned him. All she knew was her high-ups were suspended, and she was pushed into probation for three weeks. If she didn't cause any problems in those weeks, she'd get her original position back, or else she'd be delegated back to being a rookie.

But that didn't mean she was letting go of the matter.

"You're a criminal—" she spoke, but was interrupted.

"Am I? The last time I checked, my crimes were pardoned. At least in New Borealis. What you're doing is slander," Jack scoffed. "Unlike me, it could actually land you in prison, officer."

Jack didn't know why the president helped him or who that woman was, but he knew he could throw around his weight now. As for Angela, he would have to deal with her in some other way.

"Are you threatening me?" Angela said, clenching her teeth.

But even through her anger, there was a part of her that wondered if she had been quick to judge him. The Jack she saw last night was nothing like the one she read about in the files.

Not to mention the president's letter. Jack wasn't a simple man, like she had assumed. He was like an onion. She peeled one layer, only to find another mysterious layer hiding underneath.

The investigation that had started as concern for her grandma had turned into something much more complex.

No! He's just a criminal with connections, nothing more!

Her heart and mind were conflicting with one another, and having Jack in such proximity wasn't helping her. She looked at him, but her gaze locked onto his lips and felt a familiar heat rise in her chest. She shook her head, not wanting to catch feelings for a criminal.

"You can't hide your crimes forever," she retorted, turning to leave before she did something regretful. "Getting my hands on you is now my life's goal."

"You already got your hands on me last night, remember?"

Angela bit her lip, wanting to dig a hole and jump into it. Despite her anger, she didn't take the bait and walked back inside the station.

Meanwhile, Jack couldn't help but stare at her swaying hips. After last night, he thought he would make her his next target, but it wasn't possible anymore. She hated him too much to even be around him, let alone bounce on him.

And here I thought I had found a bank in her.

Just as Angela was about to disappear inside, a mischievous thought appeared in his head. He pulled out his ID and waved it at her.

"Thanks for this, though!"

"Get lost!"

Her ass shook with rage, and it only widened his smile.

A shame… truly a shame.

—x—

With nothing else to do, Jack grabbed some to eat from a food truck and sat on the curb, browsing through his list of side quests.

His experience with the side quests had been fulfilling so instead of wasting his time, he thought it would be better to earn some money or EP. Most of it was trivial stuff like feeding the strays, being an ideal citizen, while there were some truly wild stuff like date a furry, get rimmed and whatnot.

A setting to filter these missions would've been helpful.

Just then, Jenna's voice echoed in his head.

[A new item has been added to the shop!]

[Quest filter. Price 100 EP.]

Jack couldn't believe Justa, the snarky bitch. She knew he only had 70 EP, on top of it, she was selling things to him which should've been incorporated into the system in the first place!

He closed off all the tabs and was a planning to head out when he heard someone call for help. Jack peeked into the alley next to him and saw a woman surrounded by three guys and a blatantly placed camera in front.

They were pulling a prank and hoping for someone to fall for it. Jack shook his head, finished the remaining taco in one bite, and walked into the alley.

He had no intention of saving the girl, but well, he could use some practice for his newly learned boxing skills.