The once-tense air in the living room finally relaxed completely.
Claire let out a long breath, her tense shoulders slumping as she softened against Noah's side.
Leon's face, which had been filled with conflict and worry, finally showed a flicker of heartfelt, relieved ease.
He even began to steal glances at the woman beside him, who seemed to possess her own halo, with a gaze that was a bit silly yet incredibly focused.
The electronic flames in the fireplace continued to dance tirelessly, casting a warm glow on everyone's faces.
This brief peace was so beautiful it felt somewhat unreal.
However, this peace was instantly shattered by a gentle yet incredibly sharp question from Claire.
Her gaze crossed the warm firelight and fell directly on Ada's flawless face.
"Trant..."
Claire's voice carried a lingering trace of doubt.
"He's done so much for Sherry, does he really... not have some other motive for her?"
The question was like a needle, popping the warm bubble that had just risen.
The silly grin on Leon's face vanished instantly.
Indeed, in this world, there is no such thing as kindness without cause.
The power demonstrated by the man known as Trant, whom they had only heard of but never seen, had already exceeded all their imaginations.
He was like a chess player standing above the clouds, while they—Sherry included—were perhaps just involuntary pieces on his board.
Would such a person truly be so 'kind'?
Noah felt the slight tremor in Claire's body as he held her. He reached out and gently stroked her smooth, reddish-brown hair.
The movement was very light, carrying a soothing power.
He didn't offer hollow comforts like 'he won't' or 'don't overthink it.'
He simply looked into Claire's uneasy azure eyes and spoke in a calm tone that almost sounded like he was stating a fact.
"Don't doubt it. He does."
These few words were so direct and cold that they instantly shattered the last sliver of hope in Claire's heart.
Her body stiffened abruptly.
Even Leon sucked in a breath of cold air at this merciless answer.
Noah's hand remained on Claire's hair, gently stroking it every now and then.
He continued to analyze in a voice devoid of emotional fluctuation, calm to the extreme.
"However, we don't need to worry too much."
"At least for now, the value we've shown is high enough that Mr. Trant believes there's absolutely no need to turn against us over Sherry's matter."
"And, I have a feeling..."
Noah paused, seemingly organizing his words.
"I believe he is someone who enjoys and is very good at cooperation. He's more like a Merchant, pursuing the maximization of profit rather than a dictator who likes to use brute force to crush everything."
Silence fell over the living room.
Only the flames in the fireplace flickered silently.
Noah's analysis was like a clear light, illuminating the fear of the unknown that had been shrouded in mist within everyone's hearts.
Just then, Ada's clear, slightly cool voice rang out.
She nodded, her beautiful almond eyes looking at Noah for the first time with a glimmer of admiration that bordered on 'recognition.'
"That's also why I left my previous employer and chose Mr. Trant as my new boss..."
Leon's attention was instantly drawn to her.
Ada's... previous employer?
Ada ignored Leon's curious gaze. She picked up the cup of coffee that had already gone cold but didn't drink it, merely stroking the cold porcelain with her fingertips.
"My previous boss..."
Her voice became somewhat distant, as if she were recalling something not particularly pleasant.
"He preferred absolute control. In his eyes, everyone was a tool that could be replaced or sacrificed."
"But Mr. Trant is different."
"He prefers mutual benefit and cooperation. He evaluates the value of every 'asset' and then uses the most appropriate method to let that asset play its greatest role."
Ada's gaze swept over everyone present.
"Wesker has clearly touched Mr. Trant's cake because of some of his own ideas and his uncontrollable ambition."
When that name left Ada's lips,
Claire's body tensed uncontrollably once again.
The culprit who had personally pushed her brother Chris into the abyss!
And now, Wesker and Trant were actually in an adversarial relationship!
Countless pieces of chaotic information clashed and intertwined wildly in Claire and Leon's minds.
The outline of a larger, more terrifying dark web behind the scenes of this world was gradually presenting itself before them.
Leon's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.
He looked at Ada, the woman of his dreams, who now seemed like a mysterious stranger he didn't know at all.
He couldn't help but ask,
"Then... what exactly is Mr. Trant's ultimate goal?"
This question was also the biggest doubt in Claire's heart.
Hearing this, Ada raised her eyes to look at Leon.
The teasing and allure from before were gone from her eyes, replaced only by the calm and detachment of a top agent.
She slowly set down the coffee cup and gave Leon an elegant shrug.
"You take the man's money, you solve the man's problems," she said, her voice as flat as water.
"As for the reasons behind it... Leon, sometimes knowing too much isn't a good thing."
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Leon's heart, which was eager to uncover the truth.
He opened his mouth but couldn't say a single word.
Claire let out a soft sigh.
She leaned her head on Noah's shoulder, her voice carrying a trace of fatigue and helpless compromise.
"In other words... as long as our goals and interests remain aligned with Trant's in the broad direction, we can trust him for the time being."
Noah reached out his arm and pulled Claire tighter into his embrace.
His voice whispered low in Claire's ear.
"Even if we don't trust him, we have no other choice."
"We are also working for Trant now."
"In a sense, we are already colleagues with Ada."
"After all..."
Noah's gaze swept over everyone present.
"If we want to find and help your brother Chris..."
"And incidentally, cause Umbrella enough trouble to make them hurt..."
"Relying on ourselves alone, we probably couldn't even afford the travel expenses and equipment for the operation."
"Not to mention the intelligence and information we simply can't reach; for us, it would be a complete blank."
Noah's words mercilessly exposed the most embarrassing reality that they had all been deliberately avoiding.
Passion, courage, determination.
These things seemed so insignificant when facing a behemoth like Umbrella, which was like a towering giant beast.
No money, no intelligence, no backup.
They were like three fools holding wooden sticks, trying to challenge a dragon.
The living room fell into an even deeper silence.
Just then,
Ada's red lips curled up slightly, forming an exquisite arc capable of overturning all living beings.
Her beautiful almond eyes carried a playful smile as she looked at these three 'new colleagues' who were somewhat dejected by the blow of reality.
"I like being colleagues with smart people."
Her voice was like a breeze, blowing away the gloom in the room.
She slowly extended her right hand—fair, slender, and as perfect as a work of art—into the middle of the four of them.
Claire looked at Ada's outstretched hand, then looked up to meet Noah's eyes.
In Noah's gaze, she saw affirmation and support.
No longer hesitating, Claire also reached out her right hand and gently placed it on the back of Ada's hand.
Two hands, equally beautiful yet vastly different in style, overlapped.
One belonged to a top agent—elegant and lethal.
The other belonged to a college student—gentle and firm.
Noah smiled and reached out his hand, his broad and warm palm gently covering Claire's hand.
It was a silent gesture of protection.
Now, only Leon was left.
Everyone's eyes were focused on him.
Leon's face once again began to turn red uncontrollably.
His heart was pounding like an old engine in need of repair.
"Thump-thump-thump-thump!"
He looked at the three overlapping hands.
He looked at the one on the bottom, Ada's flawless hand.
A wild thought began to sprout frantically in his mind.
He wanted to slide his hand in from underneath.
He wanted the back of his hand to press against Ada's warm palm.
But... would that be too... too forward?
Would Ada think of him as a frivolous pervert?
But... if he just normally put his hand on top... then how would he be any different from Noah? Absolutely unacceptable!
Leon was having a mental tug-of-war.
His right hand, which was usually steady as a rock from years of holding a gun, was now twitching like it had Parkinson's, moving up and down in small increments in mid-air.
He wanted to reach out, then pulled back.
He wanted to place it on top, then took it away.
He looked as comical as a large dog wanting to please its master but not knowing which posture to use to scratch an itch.
Watching him, the corners of Noah's mouth began to twitch uncontrollably.
Claire, on the other hand, was nearly about to burst out laughing.
She could only press her lips together tightly, her shoulders shaking.
Finally,
Ada, looking at Leon's adorably silly and conflicted state, couldn't help but let a radiant, joyful smile ripple through her usually cool eyes.
She reached out her left hand with a crisp, decisive motion.
She accurately grabbed Leon's right hand, which was still swaying up and down with nowhere to go.
Then with a pull, she placed Leon's hand firmly on top, on the back of Noah's hand.
Leon's body gave a sudden jerk.
He felt the sensation of Ada's smooth, slightly cool skin through the back of his hand.
In that instant,
He felt as if his Soul were about to be completely hooked out of him by this one touch.
His heart was about to melt.
He looked up, staring blankly at Ada.
Ada was also looking at him, her alluring eyes carrying a trace of mock-reproach and teasing.
Leon felt as if he were about to dissolve.
He broke into a silly grin, 'hehe'-ing while using his free left hand to bashfully scratch the back of his head.
It was simply too painful to watch.
Just then,
Ada released her left hand from Leon's wrist and curled a finger.
"Thwack!" A crisp, light sound.
She used that long, fair finger to give Leon's smooth forehead a light flick.
It brought the grinning Leon back to his senses.
Looking at his stunned expression, Ada's red lips curled up slightly, but her voice carried an unprecedented solemnity and seriousness.
"From now on, we are partners."
"I will entrust my back to you."
These words were like an electric current, instantly striking everyone present.
The smiles on Noah and Claire's faces faded, replaced by an equally solemn and serious expression.
They gave a small smile and nodded heavily at the same time.
Leon also instantly snapped out of his lightheaded, blissful daze.
Looking into Ada's incredibly serious eyes, he straightened his back and nodded with all his might.
"Don't worry, Ada!"
"I will definitely protect you!"
The voice was loud, firm, and filled with a man's most sincere promise.
Ada looked at his hot-blooded appearance, as if he were ready to go through fire and water for her immediately.
Finally, she couldn't help herself.
She gave him an alluring yet somewhat helpless eye-roll.
The four of them withdrew their hands and sat back down on the carpet.
The atmosphere in the room was now completely different from before.
An invisible bond called a 'team' had quietly tied the four of them tightly together.
Ada picked up the completely cold coffee and took another small sip.
Her expression became grave and serious as a result.
Her beautiful eyes slowly swept over everyone present, her voice no longer carrying the teasing or laziness from before.
In its place was the calmness and professionalism of a top agent.
"Alright."
"Next, let's properly plan the itinerary for Rockfort Island..."
The words from her seductive red lips carried a bone-chilling coldness.
"On December 27th, Wesker will bomb Rockfort Island."
"On that day, all the island's defense Systems will fall into chaos, and most of the surveillance will fail."
"That will be the day of our operation."
She paused, then dropped another bombshell that made Claire's heart jerk.
"And according to the latest intelligence..."
"Chris is not acting alone."
"There has been a very reliable partner following by his side..."