Chapter 132: The Most Important Person

The sanatorium was a battlefield of tense standoffs.

Henry inched his feet, trying to slip away, but both factions turned their sharp gazes on him simultaneously.

“Henry, who is she?”

“Boss, am I not prettier than her?”

Laura, the wealthy heiress, the undisputed leading lady of Freton City, radiated a murderous aura that even Antonio would shrink from.

Phoenix, renowned for being ruthless and a figure of terror in the Triangle, now looked tearful and strikingly vulnerable.

“Stefano, do I have anything else to do later? Something so urgent that I must deal with it myself?” Henry didn't answer, but instead, turned to Stefano.

Stefano caught on instantly and hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes, there’s a state government project waiting for your decision, boss. With every passing second, we're talking millions, even lives on the line. We need to get going.”

“Really?”

Both women turned to Stefano, asking in unison, and then glared at each other.

Laura spoke coolly, “Stefano, I'm curious, if I threaten Henry to fire you, would he do it?”

Phoenix was more forthright, casually fondling her sleek little pistol as she locked eyes with Stefano, her gaze profound.

Stefano felt a shiver run through him. "Boss, I got it wrong; I'll handle this. You're busy. I should get going."

With that, he didn't even wait to see if Henry would reprimand him; he just turned on his heels and bolted.

Even Henry was taken aback by his speed.

"Is that guy flying or what?"

Now wasn't the time to dwell on Stefano's escape, so Henry turned his attention back to Antonio.

Antonio’s expression was cool and detached as he nodded, “I've got things to deal with too. I'm heading out.”

He was not averse to violence, but he wasn't foolish either.

One was the Henry's future wife, the other a comrade-in-arms. Staying to make excuses for Henry...

Antonio would rather flee.

As he walked away, his heart was heavy with frustration.

'Since when did he ever have to run?

Today is a break from his code of conduct!

It is all Stefano's fault for running off first!' Antonio thought.

Antonio remembered, the General had instructed Stefano to spar with him for a week.

A rare smile crossed his face.

However, it was a sinister grin that could scare anyone.

Henry stood stock-still, realizing that even with all his power, he was utterly helpless in front of these two women.

"What are you all doing?" Isabella Miller stepped out of the house, curious about the scene before her.

Henry felt a twitch in his heart. 'Oh, it seems he is powerless in front of three women...'

"Isabella, come here. Let me give you a hug," Laura said, deciding to take initiative with Isabella, seeing Henry playing dumb.

Isabella was about to comply, but then a flash of red zipped by. Phoenix, with a beaming smile, was already standing in front of her, taking her hand. "Are you Isabella? You are so adorable! How is your skin so flawless?"

As the head of an intelligence network that had grown from its roots in the Triangle to a global leviathan, Phoenix's success lay not just in the elite operatives from the North State, but also in her delicate touch and precise understanding of human nature.

Winning over a little girl with a few kind words was a piece of cake for her.

True to form, Isabella's face blossomed into a smile. "Well, my brother makes sure I get all the best supplements, like ..."

Chattering away, she began to share her tips for flawless skin with Phoenix.

Laura was not one to be outdone, joining the fray to shower Isabella with compliments, occasionally sparring with Phoenix. “You’re looking decent," she said, prodding, "But got a bit of a tan, huh? And wow, those are some muscles on your arms—so bulky!”

Phoenix managed to resist the urge to draw a gun, and instead began to retort, “Miss Laura, just how old are you now? Approaching thirty, aren’t you? Those eyelids are starting to droop. Better start taking care of that.”

…

Henry was flabbergasted, unsure who they were describing, listening to their back and forth.

Phoenix was certainly not dark-skinned. Her complexion was smooth and fair, just a shade less radiant than Laura's. And her arms, though muscled, looked more like her skin was tightly drawn, elastic and firm.

Laura was indeed older than Phoenix, but barely in her mid-twenties, not even twenty-five—let alone rushing towards thirty. Drooping was absolutely out of the question.

Henry took a closer look. Everything was firm and upright.

“What are you staring at?” Laura’s sharp eyes had caught Henry's gaze, a mix of pleasure and annoyance inside her.

“You haven't told me what Miss Phoenix's deal is.”

Henry spoke seriously, “She’s a fellow soldier, like a sister to me from our days in the service. I’ve saved her, she’s saved me, and that’s pretty much it.”

“That's pretty much it,” Phoenix chimed in with a grin. “Except for the time I was injured, stripped down, and Henry bandaged me up, lulled me to sleep. Since there was no blanket and he was afraid I'd get cold, he even held me through the night.”

“Really, it's nothing.”

Feeling triumphant, Phoenix stressed the point, and then remembered another detail, “And, boss even said to me once that I was the most unique woman in his life.”

“Don't twist my words. What I said was 'the most unique little girl,'” Henry quickly corrected. “I saved you and took care of you for seven years. You went from being like a daughter to a sister. How could you not be unique?”

Laura clinched her teeth, glaring at Henry, “What am I in your life? Just a passerby?”

Henry took Laura’s hand, his smile gentle, “Impossible, Laura, you are the most important person in my life.”

Before Phoenix could respond, Isabella, discontent, stomped her brother's foot and puffed her cheeks as she walked away.

No matter how much she liked Laura, she did not want her stealing the special place she held in Henry's heart. After all, she, Isabella was truly the most important to him.

With a huff, Isabella left the scene.

Seeing this, Henry thought to himself, 'Great, now Isabella won't speak to me for days after hearing that.'

Laura stepped back, contentedly. "Go comfort Isabella. Don't let her sulk."

With a sigh, Henry dashed after her. "Isabella, I can give up my life, but not you!"

Isabella couldn't help but laugh at his words, though she quickly composed herself and ran towards the small building of the sanatorium.

Laura looked on as they moved away, then turned to Phoenix. "You work for Henry, right? Better fall in line. I'm his fiancée, which makes me your future boss."

Once Henry was out of sight, Phoenix's indifference took over. "Fiancée? Even if you were married to boss, what of it?"

"If I don't recognize it, it doesn't count."

"I should tell you, I am the most important person to boss. Women like you could never understand the depth of a bond forged in seven years of war!"

"Sooner or later, I'll be boss's."

With a huff, Phoenix, her red dress swaying, turned and walked away.

Laura, left standing there, stamped her foot in frustration.