Chapter 257

"You want me?"

Although Dottie was overwhelmed and had lost her composure, she still retained her basic ability to think.

Dottie certainly did not believe that he was helping her because he was some considerate friend to women who loved lending a hand, or because he had been moved by her life story.

There was no such thing as a free lunch. She had to pay a price that satisfied him in order to receive his help, and the nature of that price was not difficult to guess.

Though she had survived all these years and possessed several million pounds in savings, along with several properties in central London, judging from his methods, he probably did not lack such worldly possessions. (Heh heh…)

Therefore, the most valuable thing she possessed was herself.

"Get you? Though that phrasing is a little ambiguous…" Evenson nodded. "But yes."

"What do you want me to do? Become your personal spy? Or…" Dottie cast Evenson a seductive glance. "Do you want me to become your pet? Or are you planning to have me do both jobs at once?"

"You would not be my personal spy. You would be an agent of the company." Evenson corrected some of her wording. Well, only some of it.

"The company? What company?" Dottie asked.

"Umbrella Corporation," Evenson said. Seeing that she was about to speak, he immediately added, "I know you have definitely never heard of it. That is because we hide ourselves well. Also, do not ask me how large the company is. I do not particularly enjoy discussing that question with others."

Whenever Umbrella Corporation came up, people would definitely ask those questions. Evenson might as well answer them first.

Dottie did not doubt him much. There were plenty of secret organizations in this world, and it was perfectly normal not to have heard of a few. Besides, what concerned her more now was, "How do you intend to help me?"

"Power," Evenson said. It was probably an occupational habit of Sorcerers. No matter what the matter was, it always came down to one sentence in the end: you needed power.

"If you want to preserve your place in Carter’s heart, you must be able to catch her attention often enough." Evenson rested his chin on one hand. "But even if a giant lowers its head, it still cannot see the ants on the ground. You need to become stronger, so your Little Pei realizes, oh, Dottie, you truly are one of a kind."

"So you intend to give me power?" Dottie glanced behind Evenson. "Through some method like a cult ritual?"

"Do not lump me in with cults. They are far kinder than I am." There was no need for Evenson to hide his evil nature before Dottie. "However, you do not need that kind of ritual. I have other arrangements for you."

"You know, there is actually no need to make this so troublesome." Dottie suddenly suggested, "I can work for you. Any kind of work." As she said this, she gave Evenson a meaningful wink.

"And you do not need to give me any power. Consider it a cost-saving measure for you. You only need to stop Little Pei’s ritual. Then you will not have to give up anything, yet you will gain a spy who belongs entirely to you."

Dottie said confidently, "Believe me, as long as my opponent is not Little Pei, I will not perform worse than that Black Widow in any regard."

"Clever girl. How could earning the right to compete compare to having all your competitors disappear?" Evenson smiled. He knew exactly what Dottie was plotting.

Even if she gained power, she would merely earn the right to compete with Carter. And Captain America, that rival, was simply too formidable. There was almost no chance of winning.

But what if Peggy Carter did not regain her youth? Who would compete with her for an old woman nearly ninety years old? If things stayed as they were, they could continue being each other’s only one.

"Your feelings for Carter are truly twisted and selfish," Evenson said bluntly. "You know that if things remain this way, Carter does not have many years left to live."

"I was always a selfish woman." Dottie gazed obsessively at the still-unconscious Carter. "I would not despise her for becoming less beautiful with age. And… if one day she dies, I will go to another world and continue to be with her."

Good grief, lady, you were even planning to die for love?

"What everlasting devotion. I am nearly in tears." Evenson exaggeratedly wiped at the corner of an eye that held no tears. Only then did he say to Dottie, "Madam, your proposal is indeed very convenient, but you have gotten one very important thing wrong."

"What?" Dottie asked.

Evenson walked behind Dottie and spoke into her ear. "You are completely less valuable than Peggy Carter. Why would I give her up for you?"

"You were never part of my plan. The only reason you are sitting here talking to me is because I think your little bit of ability might be useful to me."

"So…" Evenson straightened up and played with Dottie’s hair from behind her. "You do not have that many choices. Either obediently do as I say, and perhaps you will still have a chance to win Carter back, or you can only…"

"Become a sacrifice."

Those words had not come from Evenson, but from a stern female voice. Yet beneath that sternness was a trace of irritation.

At that moment, a demonic portal had appeared out of thin air in another corner of the room. From the black rift, as though it had been forcibly torn open by countless hands, two tall and graceful figures stepped out. The instant they exited the portal, the rift behind them shattered into fragments and vanished into nothingness.

The arrivals were the Eredar Twins, and they had not disguised themselves at all. They had appeared in their true demonic forms.

The one who had spoken was the high-level Warlock Aurelles. Her cloven hooves struck the floor with crisp sounds as she strode swiftly before Dottie. "Listen, woman. Either agree to our demands, or I will rip out your soul and use it as a sacrifice for the ritual."

"Relax, relax. Do not frighten our new employee." Evenson waved his hands, then asked Queen Saloras beside him, "Is your sister in a bad mood?"

Had she drunk too much sulfuric special brew, or was it her special time of the month?

Saloras turned her head. Her expression was no better, making Evenson think, As expected of twins. Look at that synchronization. Even those days had to fall on the same day.

"In a bad mood? Of course I am in a bad mood!" Saloras glared at Evenson in extreme dissatisfaction. "I have to say, the portal you prepared was truly terrible. Though you did very well with the formulas and principles, the material for the fixed-point beacon was complete dogshit!"

"Using a portal like yours felt like being squeezed onto a subway for four hours, with nowhere to sit!" Saloras covered her face.

The more powerful the demon being transported, the higher the portal’s requirements. Although Evenson had no issue with the portal rune inscriptions, that fixed-point beacon… "It was cheap. Just make do."

The Eredar Twins: "…"

"Enough!" Aurelles fiercely stroked one of her horns. "I have seen plenty of Sorcerers, but I have never seen one who dared to make do with portal materials."

"Honestly…" Evenson strongly agreed with that statement. "I did not believe it before either."

"Gasp—" At that moment, a violent intake of breath ruined the atmosphere. Evenson looked over and saw Dottie gasping for air.

Ever since the Eredar Twins had appeared, she had apparently forgotten to breathe.