THE EXILED LORD

CHAPTER 3

Marina took a deep breath and, without looking at Luca Ashford, she whispered under her breath, “I’ll distract them, while you move around and take out the bomber.”

Luca Ashford tilted his head slightly, as if considering. Then, to Marina’s irritation, he chuckled.

A deck of playing cards had somehow appeared in his hands, and he began shuffling them leisurely.

“You really think an ordinary guy like me can pull that off?” His voice dripped with mockery. “Aren’t you supposed to be the great warrior here?”

Marina gritted her teeth. “You coward.”

But she had no time to argue, lifting her hands, she slowly stepped forward. The thugs' eyes lit up as they recognized her.

“Well, well, well,” one of them sneered. “The famous Marina, the city's most famous warrior. I bet you don't remember us. You took our boss down, didn’t you?”

The other thugs were alarmed as they pointed their guns at Marina, who stared intently at the madman strapped with explosives.

Without him, she could have easily taken out everyone here; after all, she was still a warrior goddess.

Marina’s gaze was stern as she looked at them.

Another thug laughed. “Now you’re at our mercy. Let’s see what a warrior looks like when humiliated.”

The rest of the crew laughed out loud, it was the laughter that followed that irritated Marina, it made her blood boil, but she forced herself to remain calm.

If she reacted recklessly, she could cost lives.

Just then a faint movement occurred, a flicker of motion from where Luca Ashford sat.

Two playing cards soared through the air, it was silent and precise.

A barely audible snap and whoosh!

To the extent that the thug with the bomb vest didn’t even notice.

Marina, too focused on her next move, drew her gun in that instant and fired.

Her bullet struck his shoulder, sending him staggering backwards.

At that moment, a young girl, no older than six, whimpered in fear.

One of the thugs turned, raising his gun toward her.

“Please, don’t…” the girl’s mother sobbed.

Marina clenched her jaw and said; “Stop!!”

The thug paused, an amused grin spreading across his face. “Make me.”

“Fine,” he said, stepping closer. “Maybe we should make sure you’re not hiding any weapons. Why don't you strip?!”

Marina knew she had only one chance. Now these people were demanding that she take off her clothes, and this might be an opportunity for her.

Her hand slowly reached for the buttons of her clothes, unfastening them one by one.

Seeing Marina's actions, the thugs laughed triumphantly.

"Hurry up and strip! We've never seen the body of a warrior goddess! What do you think makes her different from other women?"

"You'll find out the difference once you check for yourself!"

The thugs' arrogant and smug laughter echoed through the airport, causing everyone to tremble and remain silent. Only Luca sneered in disdain.

If these thugs were at his quarry, Luca wouldn't even give them a job cleaning the toilets. Looking at the little girl beside him with tears in her eyes, Luca sighed softly.

"Well, I didn't want to get involved, but I'll show you a little magic," Luca's hand, which was playing with a deck of cards, twitched slightly, and two cards flew out swiftly. No one in the airport saw what Luca had done, but he knew.

The two cards, like sharp throwing knives, quickly severed the bomb's fuse…

At least now, whether Marina could defeat the thugs or not, everyone wouldn't die from the bomb. Of course, if Marina really was killed by the thugs, then her title as a warrior goddess would be undeserved.

Luca wouldn't let everyone die here. A few thugs were nothing; he could take them out in less than ten seconds.

At that moment, Marina's hand slowly moved to her waist. The thugs whistled, as Marina was about to take off her top.

Even the thug with the bomb let his guard down and revealed a lewd smile.

Marina's eyes widened abruptly as she pulled out an exquisite handgun from beneath her clothes and aimed it at the thug with the bomb! This was it!

Bang!

However, Marina was too nervous.

Her marksmanship had always been her weak point, and this time she made a fatal mistake.

Instead of hitting the thug's heart, she shot his shoulder!

"Ah!!!" The thug with the bomb screamed in agony. "You bitch, I'll make everyone die because of you!"

Marina's face turned pale, but as the thug pressed the button, nothing happened.

His twisted face froze. "What... what's going on?"

The thug frantically pressed the bomb switch, but the bomb remained unresponsive. "No... it can't be!"

Everyone was stunned, but Marina was the first to react.

She didn't know if it was her luck or her opponent's stupidity, but the most dangerous person was now harmless.

Marina fired several shots, and her guards, realizing the bomb had failed, launched a fierce attack on the thugs. Within minutes, the thugs lay in pools of blood.

Each bullet found its mark and within seconds, the threat was neutralized.

Some minutes later, the military stormed in, securing the area.

People began to rise from their hiding spots, murmurs of shock and relief spreading through the terminal.

Marina exhaled slowly, lowering her weapon. Then, she turned sharply toward Luca Ashford, her fury boiling over.

“You coward,” she spat. “You sat there and did nothing while innocent people almost died!”

The surrounding passengers, still shaken, nodded in agreement.

Luca Ashford only smirked, stretching lazily. “Marina, if your aim were better, that thug wouldn’t have pressed the trigger in the first place.”

“You…!”

Before she could say more, a small voice spoke up.

“I saw him,” the little girl from before said, pointing shyly at Luca Ashford . “He threw something. Two cards. They went whoosh and…” She waved her hands excitedly.

The people around them chuckled.

“Too many action movies, kid,” someone said.

“He is a coward, leaving everything to a girl, disdainful.” Another uttered.

Mariana scoffed. “Tsk… As if.”

Luca Ashford checked his watch. “Well, my flight’s boarding.” Without another word, he walked away.

Just then, a soldier approached Marina, saluting. “Ma’am, we examined the bomb vest. The trigger wire was severed before the bomber pressed it.”

Marina frowned as she was certain she didn't do it, “What, how come?”

The soldier held up two objects. “We found these near the wire.”

Marina Ward took them, they were two playing cards and they were both Jokers.

She stared at them for a long moment, remembering what the little girl said.

“…No, it couldn't possibly be,” She muttered to herself, shaking her head. “It’s just a coincidence.”

Yet, as she watched Luca Ashford disappear into the crowd, a nagging doubt settled deep in her chest.