The Supreme Soldier in the City
Chapter 136: The Quarrel Begins

Chapter 136: Chapter 136: The Quarrel Begins

James Brown and Emily Lopez took a taxi straight home. Along the way, Emily didn’t say much, but as soon as they got out of the car and walked into the residential area, Emily excitedly linked her arm through James’s and, with sparkling eyes, exclaimed, "Brother-in-law, you’re truly incredible! I knew you could fight, but I never imagined you could fight like that. Seven or eight thugs, and you took them out so easily. This is the first time I’ve seen someone so powerful. Brother-in-law, have you learned some real martial arts? Like the kind in W Region novels?"

Emily’s questions poured out like a burst of gunfire, one after the other, overwhelming James so much that he could hardly keep up. He replied with a wry smile, "Can we take these one at a time?"

Emily stuck out her tongue and said, "Alright then, let me ask you, do you really know martial arts?"

"I know some, what they taught in the military. Uncle Lopez knows this; I think he has some martial arts skills too. Haven’t you ever seen him?"

"Of course, I’ve seen him doing some moves, but he’s been out of the service for so many years. I think he’s just showing off with fancy moves. Not like you, brother-in-law—that was the real deal."

"Hehe, Uncle Lopez is a leader; he obviously can’t go around fighting people. I liked this kind of stuff while I was in the service, and it seems I have a natural talent for it, so I was a little better than the average soldier."

"A little better? You were amazing! Just like that, seven or eight guys were all down on the ground." Emily kept talking, gesticulating as she spoke; today’s events had truly excited her.

Amidst their laughter, they arrived at their apartment door in the elevator. James took out his keys and opened the door, only to find the living room light on, with Gina Lopez still wearing the same professional outfit she had on in the morning, phone in hand. James’s phone also started ringing at that moment.

"Sis, why are you back?" Emily asked Gina in surprise, then added in a guilty whisper.

Gina hung up the phone, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at them coldly, saying, "Can you two give me an explanation?"

Emily giggled and said, "I’m tired. I’m going to take a shower." Then she dashed into the bathroom to hide.

James was left somewhat speechless. Emily really wasn’t showing any loyalty at this moment. It was her idea to go out, and now that Gina had found out, she had bolted first.

"Great, you’ve got such a strong smell of alcohol on you. What exactly did you do?" Gina demanded, her voice harsh as she glared at James.

Of course, Gina wasn’t genuinely James’s girlfriend, and with Emily hiding in the bathroom, James didn’t feel the need to be afraid of Gina. He simply smiled faintly and said, "I took Emily out to a bar for a few drinks."

"A few drinks? With such a strong smell, how much did you drink?"

"We didn’t drink that much. We just went out to have some fun, and we didn’t do anything bad. It seems to me there’s no need for such a big fuss."

"I don’t stop you from playing during the day, but going out at night, don’t you know how dangerous it can be outside? If anything happened to Emily, how would I explain it to our parents?"

As Gina lectured him, James became frustrated, frowning as he said, "I was with her. What could have happened?" Pretending to be her boyfriend and looking after his sister-in-law, Gina’s temper was just too much for James to handle.

Emily then burst out of the bathroom, stood in front of James, and glared at Gina, "What do you think you’re doing? I just asked my brother-in-law to take me out for some fun. Do you have to make such a scene? Who do you think you are? I’m your sister. In this life, our lots are cast; there’s nothing we can do about that. But brother-in-law is such a good person, and you still treat him like this. Let me tell you, if brother-in-law loses his temper and doesn’t want you anymore, you’ll be too late even if you cry about it."

This was the first time James had seen the sisters really argue. Emily had a sharp tongue; she had turned Gina’s face red with just a few words, leaving her trembling with anger, unable to speak.

Emily stood with her hands on her hips and scoffed, "What, no comeback? Just because you’re a big boss doesn’t mean you can shout at my brother-in-law. Don’t forget, you’re still his girlfriend. Have you fulfilled your responsibilities as a girlfriend? All day, you think about what my brother-in-law should do; how come you’ve never considered what you should be doing?"

Seeing Gina’s eyes red with anger, James pulled Emily back and said, "Emily, stop it."

"I will not stop. She’s my sister; she yells at me, fine, but to treat her boyfriend like this? Do you think everyone is like your employees, dependent on you to make a living? People like brother-in-law, there are loads who like him, and you don’t even appreciate it. I really feel sorry for brother-in-law."

"Have you said enough?" Gina suddenly roared.

"No, I haven’t said enough. What about it?" Emily stared back, unyielding in her confrontation with her sister.

The two of them were equally furious, their expressions almost identical. If not for the different clothes they were wearing, James might once again have had trouble telling them apart.

James Brown’s headache worsened as the two bickered; he shot them a glare and barked, "Have you two had enough?"

Gina Lopez immediately snapped at James Brown, "You shut your mouth."

James furrowed his brows and stretched out his hand, suddenly lifting Gina into his arms. She was completely taken by surprise, and by the time she came to her senses, James had already carried her into the bedroom and then, with a thud, closed the door behind them.

"What are you doing?" Gina was startled and cried out.

James leaned in close to Gina’s ear and murmured softly, "Watch out, we might blow our cover."

Gina instantly calmed down. Compared to arguing with her sister, this was clearly more important. She snorted and demanded, "Then why did you carry me in here?"

James set Gina down and explained, "If I didn’t bring you here, you two would’ve kept arguing endlessly. What if you got so worked up that you gave us away? Then all my hard work these past days would’ve been for nothing."

Gina gave James a glare but knew he had a point, and said irritably, "So why did you go along with her to fool me?"

"The boss, you see, it’s just a bit of fun. No need for such a big reaction. Besides, as a qualified brother-in-law, shouldn’t I be doing this?"

Gina’s anger finally subsided, but as soon as she thought about Emily Lopez taking James’s side, she frowned again and said, "Emily is quite protective of you, isn’t she?"

"That’s because she thinks of me as her brother-in-law. Stop worrying about useless things. I know what I should and shouldn’t do."

Emily, seeing James carry her sister into the bedroom, quickly went up to the door to listen. She couldn’t hear what the two inside were saying, but apparently, her sister had stopped arguing. This surprised Emily considerably; she knew her sister’s temperament very well. Usually, even if she was angry, she rarely argued with Emily, but once they got into a real fight, it wouldn’t end easily. Who would have thought that after going into the room with James, her sister would quiet down so quickly? This brother-in-law really did have some martial arts skills, able to subdue her sister.

After a while, the bedroom door opened, and Emily playfully winked at Gina and James as they emerged, asking, "All good now?"

Emily was a girl with an open mind; she had a quick temper, but it also cooled quickly. She never bore grudges against her sister.

Gina glared at Emily and said, "Were you waiting to see if we’d break up?"

Grinning cheekily, Emily said, "Heh, it looks like even you aren’t foolish. Couples fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot, right? Oh, but you two aren’t a couple yet."

Gina’s face turned red with anger, and she snapped, "A dog’s mouth won’t spit out ivory. Get to the shower and off to bed."

James gave Emily a sly ’OK’ gesture behind Gina’s back. Emily giggled and scampered off to the bathroom.

And so the storm passed. It was getting late, so after everyone took their showers, they went off to their rooms to rest. Gina lay in bed, unable to sleep.

It wasn’t because there was a man beside her, but because of her current situation. For so many years, she’d always made decisions swiftly; what she disliked most was dithering. However, now she felt that with two issues on her plate, she was just making things messier.

The first issue was about her job. She wanted to leave but couldn’t bear the thought. The decision was genuinely torturing her. The JYPP Region Company was like her child; how could she let go so easily? But if she didn’t leave, the higher-ups probably wouldn’t let her stay in charge here either. She didn’t want to move to another branch or head to the headquarters. The JYPP Region still had so much potential, and she had many ideas yet to implement.

The second issue was about her relationship with James. She had thought that pretending to be a couple just to deceive her parents over the New Year would be the end of it, but things had become more complicated. James, as her boyfriend, had gained her family’s approval—not only did her parents like him, but her sister did too. If she were to break up with James, her parents would surely get angry, and they’d pester her about finding another boyfriend.

Gina didn’t want to drag these issues out any longer. She was well aware that prolonging them would only lead to more trouble.

After pondering half the night, Gina made up her mind. Regarding work, she’d leave the JYPP Region and join Lucy Campbell’s company. As for James, once Emily was gone, she’d tell her parents straight up that she and James had split. Her parents weren’t nearby anyway; they’d probably just nag at her, and she could excuse herself by claiming emotional hurt and a desire to avoid relationships for a while.

Having made these two decisions, Gina yawned, feeling sleepiness wash over her. Yet, as she turned to look at James, bathed in the hazy moonlight, admiring his distinct features, a sudden twinge of reluctance surged through her.

The thought startled Gina—who had merely hired James, after all? Why would she feel any reluctance? Could it be that she was truly developing feelings for James?