When Ren came back to his senses, he was already out of the game. He cursed the developers nonstop in his head.


    Their timing couldn''t be any more perfect!


    Ren immediately pushed himself up from his pod and immediately made calls to the Advance Protectors Solution, the number onepany that provides bodyguards and other protective services.


    Thatpany''s bodyguards were specially trained and were known to have protected important and famous people around the globe.


    Their sess rate was always above ny percent, which was the highest in the world, even offering their life for their cause.


    And, of course, it was no joke to get their services. Their fee cost a limb.


    Even so, Ren didn''t care and requested a dozen bodyguards and had them go to Evie''s new address.


    He would have requested more, but the agency couldn''t send more bodyguards on such very short notice. They had already sent all their avable bodyguards to Evie.


    They usually don''t ept on-the-spot requests, but since it was from Ren, one of the top gamer in COVENANT who was even more famous than A-list celebrities, they were willing to make an exception.


    Evie didn''t seem to know the significance of her face reveal. Ren bet that she wasn''t even aware of how popr she had be.


    The fact that her real face was everyone could talk about and that she even had a spot in the daily newspaper, even bigger than ck Lion''s recent win, proved her poprity to the masses, especially to the men.


    Ren knew that it was only a matter of time before her apartment building was swarmed with reporters and all kinds of people.


    He tried to call her, of course, to warn her, but he couldn''t reach her, so he left a message instead.


    After taking a quick shower, Ren didn''t even bother drying his hair as he grabbed the first clothes his hands could reach and bolted toward the elevator.


    "Ren, where are you going so early in the morning?" Helen hollered, but Ren neither stopped nor bothered to look back.


    "Just fetching someone!" Ren answered back, and the elevator door closed, going down to the parking lot.


    Ren raced like a jet to Evie''s apartment like there was no tomorrow. The only reason why he got away with the numerous vitions hemitted on the road was because of the student te on the back of his car.


    He had to take advantage of that one-week te before it expired and was reced by a professional one.


    Within ten minutes, he arrived in her new apartment, and as expected, every alley and corner was swarmed by people.


    Good thing that the Advance Protectors Solution, together with the apartment''s security team, was quick to respond and barricaded the whole area.


    ? "Hey, that''s Ren of World Conqueror!"


    "Hey, Ren! Can we have a minute!"


    "What can you say about ck Lion winning the Guild War?"


    "Why didn''t your group join the war?"


    "Is it true that Evie is in your group?"


    "What are you doing here?"


    "What''s your rtionship with Evie?"


    Ren wanted to tell them that Evie was his girlfriend so the otherpetitors would back off. But he felt like it would only worsen the current situation.


    And besides, he didn''t have Evie''s approval. She would definitely get angry with him for acting on his own again and deciding for himself that otherwise, should have been decided by the both of them.


    Ren ignored the reporters while the bodyguards escorted him to safety inside the apartment.


    Without another second, he went to the concierge and asked for Evie.


    The Ladies were starstruck upon seeing Ren, who was as popr as a celebrity. Not to mention that he was good-looking and had a lean frame that women loved.


    "W-wait a minute. I''ll call her," the concierge stuttered, and while she was on her phone, she intermittently peeked at Ren under hershes.


    After a minute, thedy beamed and, in a sweet voice, said, "Miss Evie will see you now. She''s in room 404."


    "Thank you."


    Ren went to the elevator and zoomed into Evie''s room.


    Outside the door, he knocked a few times before it opened, and the first thing that greeted him was Evie''s soft voice.


    "What are you doing here?"


    A familiar voice pulled Ren towards the gap from which Evie was peeking. He saw her beautiful face staring back at him.


    She looked different without her armor on. She had a white dress, revealing her slender figure and shapely legs. Her hair was down, cascading on her shoulders like white silk.


    Her eyes sparkled in contrast to the dim light of the room. Even though she wore a long sleeve nightgown like that of a little child''s sleepwear, it didn''t conceal her beauty. In fact, it made her look more attractive than ever before.


    "We need to get you out of here."


    Evie pursed her lips and looked at the floor. "Why?" she squeaked, and Ren had to wonder if there was something wrong with her voice.


    Was she shy because of the kiss? Ren couldn''t help but smile in amusement, but this wasn''t the time.


    "Let''s talk about uster. For now, you need to leave here. You''re no longer safe after you exposed yourself."


    ". . ." Evie grumbled under her breath. "I-I''ll just move to a hotelter."


    "Do you know how to move without them following you?"


    Evie didn''t want to admit it, but she indeed didn''t know what the next step to take. She didn''t even know how to leave her room with all those people barricading the entrance.


    Ren''s appearance indeed made her feel safe and secure, but she didn''t know if she wanted to see him right now after everything that had happened.


    "I thought so . . . ," said Ren after Evie''s silence. "Come with me to my home, and you can stay there for the meantime until we find you a safer apartment. And don''t worry, I have an empty room at my ce, and my parents are at home."


    ( . . . continuation on NOTES)