"Miss, please keep it under control. We can sweep this under the rug because they're just thugs. But if you were to target someone important one day, then—"
"Shhh. I am not keeping you around to question my decisions. If you want to be paid on time, then make sure you listen to me."
"But miss, Sir Rin won't—"
"Rin doesn't have to know. Rin might keep you around because he's soft-hearted, but I am not. Are you sure you want to make me your enemy?"
The bodyguards shivered at Shelly's question. A madwoman like her was their worst nightmare.
Not only was she unhinged and unpredictable, but she also forced them to work for her. Moreover, she had the power to manipulate Rin and get them fired and blacklisted at any moment.
These were her words, not something they made up And that was why, despite being employed to serve Rin and follow his orders, the bodyguards were forced to follow Shelly's orders
This was also the reason they had not interfered when Rin had asked them to save Amelia and Reina. Knowing Shelly's obsession, would've only angered her.
"Anyway, you know the drill. clean this up properly, and I will even throw in a bonus. As for legal cleanup, you can arrange it here. I will pay the money needed."
The bodyguards cursed Shelly under their breath as they worked. She was someone who used her money for cleanup, and unfortunately, her method was highly effective.
Shelly watched the bodyguards clean for a moment before she quickly left the crime scene.
A quick look at her phone told her that she had spent over 15 minutes there, and Rin had called her four times by now.
She hurriedly fixed her hair and, touching up her soft-girl makeup, returned to Rin.
__________
'What is taking Shelly so long? She doesn't usually take this long in the bathroom. Did something happen? Should I go check on her?'
Rin was worried about his survival ticket in the apocalypse. Shelly had left almost 15 minutes ago and had yet to return.
Moreover, she was not picking up his calls either.
'Darn it! This would not have been so bad if we were not being followed today. What do I do now? Should I risk checking on Shelly? But she's in the female bathroom…'
Somehow, it did not sit well with Rin to check on Shelly when she was in the female bathroom. So he decided to grab a staff member and ask for help.
"Excuse me, miss, but can you help me out? My friend is—"
"Rin, why are you not at our seats? Have the drinks arrived? I am sorry I took so long. It took me some time to search to find my chapstick in my purse."
Shelly came back the second Rin decided to ask for help. Her arrival was unexpected, but Rin felt relieved.
"I-If you don't need my help, then I will get going now."
The woman in front of Rin spoke and quickly bowed before making a run for it. She looked afraid, but when Rin turned to look back, nothing there that should've scared her.
All he could see was the smile on Shelly's face that seemed to be stiffened by the second until it faded completely.
What startled him was the fact that this was not the first time something like this had happened. Even their classmates flinched sometimes when they looked at Shelly.
It was an abnormality he could not understand. Just what was it about Shelly that was making everyone feel afraid of her? Were their eyes failing them, unable to appreciate Shelly's beauty?
Or maybe her beauty was the problem. It might be making others feel insecure around her…
The reason did not matter. What mattered was the fact that Shelly was being made to feel like she was a freak people were afraid of. Rin needed to fix that and show her that wasn't true.
And the best way to do this was to pretend he did not see anything and treat Shelly normally.
"Shelly, let's sit down and finish our coffee first. Do you want to order anything else?"
He asked, and Shelly shook her head as she grabbed her coffee.
"I will just take coffee and nothing else. I don't have much of an appetite today for some reason."
Shelly sounded a little upset as she held her coffee. She was trying not to show it, but what happened earlier must still be weighing on her mind.
Rin quickly led Shelly out of the cafe and started to head back to his home. Shelly did not say anything the whole way, and her silence made the tension linger.
By the time they returned, it was as if nothing had happened.
Rin was able to go to sleep easier once he had made sure Shelly was alright. But while he relaxed in his bed, Shelly was making plans in her room.
She was gone by the time he woke up, and the butler informed him that Miss Shelly had declined his offer to drop her off. Her message confirmed it. But she also assured Rin that it was because she wanted to meet with her mother.
As a government scientist working in a classified facility, she was only allowed to meet family members who were visiting once a month. Rin understood her need to be alone.
"Well, since Shelly is gone, I should start looking into more people who would be able to help me survive the apocalypse."
Unlike Reina and Shelly, Rin was not going to be making a personal visit to others personally. But he did have a plan to make those people come to him on their own once things got worse.
When times are tough, most people either give up or turn to divine intervention. Rin was going to make them believe he was the 'divine intervention' they needed. And to do so, he needed to start laying the groundwork now
It was time to manufacture 'God's will' with money.
"Ah, preparing for an apocalypse is so hard."