Badass in Disguise Chapter 267

Chris Jensen walked into the villa's foyer, his men trailing behind carrying heavy metal cases. Jade stood at the base of the grand staircase, her face expressionless as she watched the procession. Ethan stood nearby, hands in his pockets, observing with interest.

"The weapons are all here," Chris announced, gesturing to the larger cases. "They'll be stored in the secure vault downstairs. And these," he nodded toward the smaller containers, "contain all the explosive materials you requested. I'll have them taken to your room."

Jade approached one of the smaller cases, popping the locks to inspect the contents. She ran her fingers over the chemicals and components inside, giving a slight nod of approval before closing it again.

---

Night lay in his bed, face contorted in pain as he shifted uncomfortably. His wound had worsened, yet he stubbornly refused to use the crutch Chris had brought him.

He didn't trust Chris now. Night growled to one of his men. "Make sure that bastard stays on the first floor. He is not to come within ten feet of the stairs. If he so much as looks like he's heading up, shoot him in the leg."

The man nodded grimly and left to relay the orders.

In reality, the precautions were unnecessary. Jade had barely acknowledged Ethan's presence over the past few days, completely absorbed in her work. The explosive materials she was crafting far exceeded military-grade specifications. She needed something custom.

Ethan, for his part, had chosen to avoid conflict by remaining in his room, handling backlogged business matters. It kept his mind occupied, preventing him from dwelling too much on the fact that he hadn't seen Jade in nearly five days.

---

Ethan stared at his phone, finger hovering over the video call icon next to Jade's name. He hesitated, wondering if she would even answer. Finally, he pressed it, holding his breath as the call connected.

He waited for what felt like an eternity, about to give up when suddenly the screen flickered to life. Jade appeared, looking tired, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, evidence of long hours without sleep.

She glanced at the screen briefly, then returned her attention to whatever she was working on at her desk. She didn't say a word.

Ethan didn't speak either. He simply maximized her image on his screen, studying her for a moment before propping his phone against a stack of books on his desk. He returned to his work, the sound of his typing filling the silence.

They remained that way for hours, working separately yet together, connected through the screen but requiring nothing from each other.

---

Jade had initially planned to wait until she was fully recovered before going on the offensive. But Shadow Organization wasn't willing to give her that luxury. They had made the first move.

This morning, Ethan was on a call when an urgent message from Colonel Edwards flashed across his screen. His face darkened as he read it, immediately ending his business call.

"I need to see her," he told Night's guards at the base of the stairs, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Now."

"You know the rules," one of the guards replied. "Mr. Night was very clear—"

Ethan didn't let him finish. In one fluid motion, he drew his own handgun and pressed it against the guard's temple.

"I'm going upstairs," Ethan said calmly, his eyes cold. "You can either move or I can paint the wall with whatever passes for your brain. Your choice."

The two guards exchanged uncertain glances, their hesitation giving Ethan the opening he needed. He pushed past them, taking the stairs two at a time.

He pushed open Jade's door without knocking. "Max is gone," he announced immediately.

Jade was sitting cross-legged on the floor of her suite's living room, surrounded by materials spread across every available surface. The air smelled of sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal. She had clearly been working through the night.

She looked up at Ethan, her expression sharpening at his words.

"The surveillance at Princeton shows everything normal," Ethan explained quickly. "He walked out of campus on his own. He deliberately avoided Colonel Edwards' men. We can't reach him at all."

Colonel Edwards had deployed personnel around Princeton to protect Max, disguising them as campus security to avoid causing panic. Sergeant Ford had volunteered to take the position of security chief.

Max's three roommates had even been replaced with young agents posing as exchange students, accompanying Max to and from classes. In their four-person dorm, Zach was also hidden, providing additional protection.

Shadow Organization had been looking for an opportunity to get to Max, intending to use him as leverage against Jade. But with Colonel Edwards' people everywhere, they'd been hesitant to act.

Yet somehow, Max had left campus voluntarily, avoiding all his protection.

---

Jade remained calm as she accessed her laptop, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Within minutes, she had hacked into Max's phone.

"There," she said, pointing to a video file that had been sent to Max hours earlier.

The video showed Linda and Emily, tied to chairs in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. A masked figure stood behind them, holding a knife to Linda's throat.

"They're using Linda and Emily to control Max," Jade said, her voice cold. "And using Max to get to me."

She quickly traced the location of Max's phone, only to discover it had been discarded on a lawn within the Princeton campus. The trail had gone cold.

---

Max walked along the path leading to Princeton's north gate, his heart pounding with fear. The south gate was closer to the Computer Science building and was guarded by Sergeant Ford. Following the kidnapper's instructions, he had to use the north gate instead.

He crossed the street, walking unsteadily forward. In the distance, a silver van was parked, its occupants watching his approach intently.

Max spotted the van and slowed his pace. For a moment, he considered running back to campus to contact Jade and Ethan. The thought died as quickly as it had formed. He couldn't risk his mother and Emily's lives.

On the other side of campus, Sergeant Ford was sprinting toward the north gate, phone pressed to his ear. "I'm heading to the north gate now," he reported to Jade, his voice urgent.

---

As Max approached the van, two fellow students intercepted him, concerned about his pale face and trembling hands.

"Max, are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out," one of them said, gripping his arm supportively.

"I'm fine," Max insisted, trying to pull away. "Really, I just need to go."

The van's horn blared impatiently. Max glanced nervously toward it, then back at his classmates.

"Seriously, we should take you to the health center," the other student insisted.

"I don't need help," Max said, growing desperate. "Please, just let me go."

The van's engine revved loudly.

---

Chase Astor was driving his Bugatti down the adjacent road when he spotted the commotion.

"Isn't that Max?" he muttered to himself, recognizing the familiar figure surrounded by two other students.

His eyes narrowed as he noticed the silver van accelerating toward the group. The three students, backs to the approaching vehicle, were oblivious to the danger.

Max finally sensed something wrong and turned, his eyes widening in horror. He grabbed his classmates' arms, trying to pull them away, but it was too late.

Everything happened in a blur. The van barreled toward them at full speed.

"Shit!" Chase cursed, slamming his foot on the accelerator. His Bugatti shot forward, tires screeching.

In the split second before the van would have hit the students, Chase's car swerved between them, taking the full impact of the collision.

The crash was deafening. The force of the larger vehicle sent the sports car tumbling, rolling toward the very students it had just saved.

Max pushed his classmates away with all his strength before the car slammed into him.

"Max!" Zach's voice rang out as he ran toward the horrific scene.

Sergeant Ford and Zach arrived with reinforcements, but the damage was done. Bystanders gathered around the wreckage as emergency services were called.

Both Chase and Max were rushed to the emergency room, their conditions critical.