Chapter 65: James and Rex Ingram
At nine o'clock in the evening, James returned to his rental apartment feeling a bit off, perhaps because of Sarah's situation or maybe because of the words Nancy had spoken to him earlier in the day.
As he entered the lobby and was about to head to his room, he noticed that Linda's door was unexpectedly open. Inside, Linda was sitting on the bed, chatting happily with a handsome young man. Their faces were filled with joy.
James was taken aback by the sight of another man in Linda's room, knowing that she was supposed to be on a date with the hacker that day. The presence of a stranger in Linda's room indicated that he was likely the one who had hacked into James' account.
The man in the room appeared to be in his early twenties, with an average appearance but his attire suggested that he came from a well-off background. Dressed in a shirt, Armani pants, and sporting a Rolex on his wrist, he exuded a sense of affluence, resembling a rich second-generation individual.
In contrast, James was still dressed in his old clothes, which were worn worn out and faded, giving him a shabby look.
The difference between James and the man in Linda's room was unmistakable. Even a fool could see who truly embodied the wealthy Super Smith in Stream Verse.
James hesitated for a moment, considering taking a photo of the man with his phone to have Terry investigate his identity and reclaim his account. However, just as he was about to discreetly take a picture, Linda suddenly turned toward the lobby.
To avoid Linda's attention, James had no choice but to quickly put his phone away.
"When did you get back, James?" Linda called out, looking slightly confused when she saw him.
"Just got back," James replied with a slight glance at Linda.
Meanwhile, as the man in Linda's room, noticing James, he instinctively stood up and cheerfully asked Linda, "Linda, is this your friend?"
"Yes, he's my good friend and roommate, James!" Linda replied with a radiant smile, walked over to James and explained, "James, this is the Super Smith I mentioned to you before. We just had dinner and he was kind enough to give me a ride back."
Upon hearing Linda's words, James was now certain that the man standing beside Linda was the one who had stolen his account.
Unaware of James' identity as Super Smith, the man extended his hand to James and said, "Hello! James."
James did not shake the man's hand, but turned to Linda and said, "I have something to do, so I'll head back to my room."
With that, James turned and walked back to his room, harboring no fond feelings for the individual who had stolen his account and planned to deceive women using it.
James intended to wait for the man to leave, then learn his identity from Linda and have Terry investigate further. With Terry's influence in Lumina City, finding this person would be a breeze.
Not overly concerned about Linda being deceived, James had already explained things to her, but if she chose not to believe him, he had no intention of explaining any further.
Somehow dissatisfied by James' dismissive attitude, the man in the room seemed displeased.
Meanwhile, Linda felt a bit awkward and explained to the man, Rex, "Sorry about that, James has a temper. Please don't mind him."
Upon hearing Linda's words, Rex quickly put on a gentlemanly smile and asked, "Linda, does James like you?"
"James likes me?" Linda seemed perplexed.
"Yes, is it because James likes you that he was so cold to me when he saw me bringing you back?" Rex suggested with a smile.
"Impossible. Don't think too much. James and I are just ordinary roommates. James can't possibly like me. Even if he did, I..." Linda stopped mid-sentence, but her meaning was clear.
Linda was informing Rex that she could never develop feelings for James. It wasn't because James was poor; in fact, Linda had a favorable impression of him. It was mainly because of yesterday's events that caused Linda to feel that James was overly jealous.
Observing James' interactions with Rex earlier, Linda believed that his attitude toward Rex stemmed from envy of Rex's good looks and wealth.
As a result, Linda's admiration for James had dwindled significantly. It was now uncertain whether she could continue their friendship, let alone develop any romantic feelings for him.
"What?" Rex asked Linda with a smile.
"It's nothing..." Linda replied faintly before closing the door.
Unaffected by James' situation, Linda and Rex continued their pleasant conversation in the room.
Though Linda's affection for James had faded, her fondness for Rex had grown stronger. She thought that compared to James, Rex was not only handsome and wealthy but also a gentleman and amiable individual, surpassing James in every aspect.
Meanwhile, in his room, James attempted to contact the customer service of Stream Verse’s to retrieve his account. After a brief conversation, however, the customer service abruptly ended the call.
James hadn't linked an email address when he registered the account, and Rex had now linked the Super Smith account to his phone, making it impossible for James to retrieve it.
Frustrated with the unhelpful customer service, James was left with no choice but to give up on retrieving the account. He decided to wait for the man to leave, then learn his identity from Linda and have Terry investigate further.
Time passed quickly, and after half an hour, as James lay quietly waiting in bed, a loud noise resonated from the lobby, followed by Linda's scream.
Startled by Linda's scream, James quickly sat up.
"Linda's in trouble!" Realizing the urgency, James hurriedly pulled on his pants and rushed out of his room.
When a man and a woman were left alone, something was bound to happen. James suspected that the man had let his lust get the better of him and had tried to have his way with Linda and resorting to force when she resisted.
When James heard Linda's scream, he rushed into the lobby. Linda's room door was wide open, and after a brief hesitation, James stepped inside the room.
However, when James saw the scene inside the room, he froze.
