Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 343

Chapter 343

Author’s POV;

Jade spotted Night making his way back into the grand hall. The place had been thoroughly cleaned after yesterday’s human bomb incident – marble floors gleaming as if nothing had happened. Even the shattered vases had been replaced with identical ones, the bloodstains scrubbed away as if they never existed.

Night’s leg was properly bandaged, but he exaggerated his limp for sympathy. His face brightened when he saw jade, the pain in his eyes momentarily replaced with something warmer.

“Baby, I’m back,” he called out, voice deliberately pained. “Doctor says I might need physical therapy. Hurts like a bitch, but I’ll live.*

He collapsed onto the sofa beside Jade with a theatrical groan, placing his head on her shoulder. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ethan sitting alone on a single armchair, his jaw tightening slightly at Night’s display. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the armrest.

Jade glanced between them, a mischievous thought crossing her mind. What if she walked over and kissed Ethan right now? Night wouldn’t break down completely, but he’d definitely aggravate his wounds out of spite, probably setting his recovery back by months.

“Baby, I’m tired. Help me upstairs?” Night asked, voice honeyed with fake exhaustion.

– as she pulled his arm around her shoulders. His body was warm Jade stood abruptly, yanking him up. He winced – genuinely this time against hers, familiar yet somehow intrusive after so much time with Ethan.

“Chris,” Night called out as they headed toward the stairs, “finish your tea and get some rest.”

This pointed exclusion of Ethan was deliberate. Night’s gaze swept past him as if he didn’t exist, creating an invisible boundary that marked Ethan as an outsider to their little circle.

“Ethan,” Jade said deliberately, “get some rest too.”

This was intentional too. Ethan knew he’d be coming to her room later to help with her medication. She watched satisfaction flicker across his face.

“Goodnight,” Ethan replied, eyes meeting hers with understanding.

Night’s grip tightened painfully as they climbed the stairs. Jade could practically feel his jealousy radiating through his fingertips.

The next morning, Jade activated the robot to patrol the apartment. Human bombs were just the beginning. Now that Shadow Organization had found her hiding place, they would deploy increasingly creative tactics. A robotic sentinel could detect things humans might miss–like explosives surgically implanted in operatives.

If the robot had been active during yesterday’s attack, it could have scanned the Shadow operative and detected the bombs in his body cavity. Lives would have been saved. Jade wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

Ethan approached the robot as it scanned the hall, its mechanical joints whirring softly as it moved.

“Maxi,” he called.

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11:30 Sat, Oct 4

Chapter 343

The robot turned, its optical sensors scanning him from head to toe before continuing its patrol without acknowledgment. The cold dismissal was almost comical.

Chris walked up and patted its smooth metal head.

“Please do not touch,” the robot responded in Ethan’s voice- so similar it created the illusion of Ethan himself speaking, low and commanding.

“She didn’t change his voice settings?” Chris asked, surprised.

Ethan looked startled too, a hint of pleasure crossing his features. Did this mean jade liked his voice enough to keep it programmed into her robot?

“Master has instructed me to patrol,” the robot stated in Ethan’s voice. “Please do not interfere.”

Ethan suppressed a smile, amused by the robot using his voice to address Jade as “Master.”

The robot’s patrol had woken Jade, and she walked into the kitchen, irritated and groggy, to wash her hands.

She heard Ethan’s footsteps behind her, then his low voice near her ear: “Master.”

A shiver ran up Jade’s spine, skin instantly prickling with goosebumps. She was suddenly wide awake, the word cutting through her morning fog like a knife.

She turned, expression blank. “What’s wrong with you?”

Jade flicked water from her fingers. “Since you’ve already said it, say it again so I can hear properly.”

Ethan hesitated before repeating, “Master.”

She couldn’t help the slight curl of her lips. Hearing him say it in person rather than through the robot was oddly satisfying. The word

sounded different when formed by his actual lips, carrying warmth the robot could never replicate.

“But robots are just machines,” he continued. “They’re not nearly as interesting as real people. Perhaps Miss Morgan would prefer a different game next time.”

A cold smile formed on Jade’s lips. “Not a bad suggestion. I’m just concerned Mr. Haxton’s body might not be up to it.”

“We won’t know until we try,” he replied, voice dropping.

She nodded. “Had breakfast yet?”

“Waiting for you,” he answered.

“Come to my room after we eat,” Jade said casually.

Ethan’s expression shifted, surprise and anticipation flashing across his face. “What?”

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