Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 397: Chapter 397

Zoe stared at the woman, then at the men she had just taken out. They were all pretty much on par.
Zoe thought to herself, 'Even if she didn't call for help, those men were doomed. She'd wait until they let their guard down, then kill them and grab all the supplies they had.'
The woman shot Zoe a cold look. "Since I've been exposed, do your worst."
Zoe had no desire to kill. As the woman said, those living in the shadows were already struggling just to survive. Expecting them to uphold morality and the law was simply asking too much.
"Go," Zoe said calmly.
As soon as Zoe released her, the woman scrambled to her feet without a word of thanks. Then, she swiftly stripped the unconscious men of anything valuable.
Shawn stood by silently until the woman left, and then he asked, "Why did you just let her go?"
She lured those men with her charms. In truth, she was no different; both had deadly intentions, just with different motives: lust versus greed.
Turning back to face Shawn, Zoe asked, "What if I told you I was once just like her? Would you believe me?"
Zoe's eyes showed no emotion, making her words seem almost unbelievable. Yet, hearing them, Shawn felt a pang in his heart.
Few in this world truly knew the past of Firefox, the Queen of Mercenaries, but Shawn did. No one became the Queen of Mercenaries by accident. Everything she had endured was more than most could ever bear.
Killing and wrongdoing were never her choice. But just like that woman said, survival took everything she'd got. There was simply no energy left to worry about anything else.
"You'll never have to live that way again," Shawn vowed.
Zoe couldn't help but laugh at how serious Shawn looked. "What, you actually bought that? I'm just a small-town girl who grew up rough. Sure, I've had my share of hard times, but murder? That's bullshit! I'm no killer."
Zoe laughed it off, but Shawn took it to heart. He vowed Zoe would never again endure homelessness or hardship. With him by her side, she'd always be safe.
The two left the shadowy district behind. As for the corpses on the ground, it wasn't long before packs of wild dogs came scavenging, drawn by the scent of death.
Survival here was a struggle for both man and beast.
Shawn held Zoe's hand, ready to head back to the Universal Tower. Strangely enough, not a single cab came by the entire way, which was rather unusual.
"Looks like we'll have to hoof it back tonight," Shawn remarked.
"No need. Let's just find somewhere to crash for the night and head back tomorrow," Shawn said, his gaze settling on a nearby hotel.
Zoe noticed it too. The hotel's gaudy, multi-colored neon lights made it clear this was anything but a respectable place.
Meanwhile, couples—guys and girls draped all over each other—were already streaming into the hotel, clearly looking for a good time.
Zoe looked at Shawn incredulously. "Are you seriously suggesting we stay in a place like this?"
Shawn, the legendary warrior, was actually taking her to a seedy love hotel. Now that was really unexpected.
"Life's all about trying new things," Shawn said with a smirk and then pulled Zoe into the love hotel.
Checking in was a breeze. With enough cash in hand, the front desk clerk promptly handed them the key card, and they moved right in.
Along the way, Zoe noticed a constant stream of couples coming and going. Some were already making out right in the hallway.
As they stepped into the elevator, they found a couple inside already getting carried away. The girl's clothes were practically falling off.