The World of Beasts: She's Got Their Hearts novel Chapter 39

Scott probably noticed that Analise had finished everything on her plate earlier, which made him think she liked the dishes, so he must've asked the kitchen to prepare them again. In his own way, Scott was definitely making an effort.

Unlike Finlay's bold and obvious attempts to impress her, Scott's style was subtle.

Analise had started noticing it back on the starship. Scott would always set out clothes for her in advance, make sure her toiletries were ready when she woke up, clean up the rest pod's trash without a word, and quietly refill her water without being asked.

"Well, well. You're busy entertaining guests today?" A male slightly younger than Wayne walked in.

Wayne's expression immediately shifted. His eyes darkened as he looked at the newcomer with a questioning look.

Karl didn't look too pleased, either. He dropped his gaze, clearly lost in thought.

At first, the male's attention was completely focused on Analise—stunned by the presence of a striking, unfamiliar female. He didn't even notice Karl sitting nearby.

But when his eyes finally swept across the room and landed on Karl's familiar face, he froze before recovering and putting on a composed expression.

"You're back, too, Karl. I never knew you had so many friends," the male said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Since Scott and Finlay weren't wearing their usual uniforms on this trip, the newcomer hadn't recognized them right away.

Scott stayed silent, deliberately. He didn't want to reveal anything too early. Instead, he calmly started placing food on Analise's plate.

While Finlay was usually easygoing, he was particularly competitive. So, when he noticed Scott trying to win over Analise's attention, he quickly felt the need to fight for her. He quickly started adding food to Analise's plate, too, refusing to be outdone.

Wayne, watching the scene unfold, turned to Karl and waited for him to respond.

But Karl wasn't paying attention to the meal. His eyes were fixed on the man at the door.

"When you hand over the remaining 20,000 Astral Ambers, make it very public. Let him think we just happened to rescue Karl. If your assumptions about him are right, then the moment he confirms we've left, he'll try to make another move on Karl," Scott analyzed the situation.

"We're leaving? But I thought—" Finlay started to speak but was immediately silenced by a single look from Scott.

Clearly, another mission was already in motion.

He quietly returned to eating, occasionally placing more food on Analise's plate. He didn't understand most of what Scott and Wayne were discussing, but he didn't need to. His job was to follow Scott's orders when the time came.

"Who was that just now?" Analise had noticed the shift in Karl's expression.

The normally shy Karl had gone completely still and alert the moment that other male walked in.