Denzel was about to speak before a sudden realization forced her to bite back the words.

Ashe raised the contract. "There's a loophole here. What if we sign this and you kill us immediately? If our souls are damaged and we're locked out of the Virtual World for two weeks, wouldn't we inevitably breach the agreement?"

Denzel removed her decorative glasses, her gaze dropping to the contract. "I hadn't considered that. You're overthinking things, Sir Knight."

Ashe countered, "I've been burned by contracts one too many times lately, so I've learned to be cautious. If you truly have no such intention, why not add a clause that restricts you as well? And make sure it includes your subordinates. You could always just have them do your dirty work."

Denzel stared at Ashe in a long, heavy silence. The cold glint in her eyes confirmed his suspicions were right on the mark. Sonya and...