Harem Legion: Queens of the Apocalypse-Chapter 183 One Touch, Total Meltdown

At dawn the next day, Sophia and Chloe led their teams out first. Magnus, Lucy, Molly, and Ashton took charge of the remaining 300 and moved out last.

Before departure, Magnus caught sight of Isla in the ranks. She wore modified single-soldier gear from a male corpse – didn’t look half bad, had a bit of a heroic air standing in the line.

They had thirty vehicles in all: five trucks loaded with grain, twenty empty ones, three sleeper vehicles, and two off-road units at the front and rear. The vehicles hadn’t been upgraded yet - just had steel plates bolted on.

Magnus was in the lead car, sitting shotgun while Ashton drove. She knew the road, so that job fell on her.

They rolled quietly out of Ashbrook Town, winding through farmland, avoiding the cratered road from the last battle, then merged onto a smoother gravel stretch. The ride was bumpy. Ashton’s driving wasn’t great either, and with a sudden jolt, Magnus staggered sideways - his left hand unintentionally slapped onto Ashton’s thigh. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

She froze for a heartbeat.

Ashton had always sensed Magnus might be interested in her, just from the way he looked at her. But now that it was actually happening, panic surged in her chest.

Her combat gear, also taken off a male soldier’s corpse, didn’t feel particularly soft or pleasant - but even so, Magnus’s hand involuntarily pinched her leg lightly before he realized what he was doing. He pulled back instantly, acting like nothing happened, but cursed himself inside. What the hell was he thinking?

Then again, Ashton was stunning. Maybe not as dazzling as Emily or Sarah, but she had her own distinct charm, a kind of understated allure. Large, upward-curving eyes like an opera singer, soft, flowing hair, and a sculpted face made for catching attention.

Tall too - over 170 centimeters, slender, delicate. Made people want to protect her.

"Captain!" Ashton suddenly called out, her voice tight. She’d definitely felt it - his hand. Her heart pounded, and she lost a bit of control. The off-road vehicle swerved slightly.

"Careful!" Magnus said at once, reaching to steady the steering wheel. "Slow down. No rush!"

No rush? I wasn’t rushing until your damn hand landed on me! she thought, unfairly frustrated. Her thoughts flared toward her late husband. He used to stroke her like that too. Said she was his private treasure - an artwork made just for him. No one else could touch her.

And now... a younger man had casually pinched her leg. Just once. But for Ashton, who’d always been reserved, that single act was enough to shake her.

She’d respected Magnus. Tried to look after him like an older sister. Ever since that cave rescue, she’d felt a strong gratitude.

But turns out, maybe he didn’t see it the same way.

Her heart was in chaos now. She gripped the wheel and said, "Captain... you shouldn’t do that. I was married. You’re younger than me. This is wrong... it’s really wrong..."

All Magnus had done was a light pinch. But Ashton had clearly been wound tight all this time, and now, a tiny spark set the whole thing off.

Magnus, meanwhile, cursed his own impulsiveness. Just a moment of weakness, a stray impulse. But now Ashton had brought it all out in the open, and he had no idea how to respond. So he just pretended not to hear her, hoping she’d drop it so they could both move past.

Ashton was never someone who could bottle things up. If something wasn’t said clear, it would weigh on her until she couldn’t sleep. Now her heart was a mess, and the words rushing out of her mouth were disjointed and tangled.

"Captain, I... I’m grateful. That day, if not for you, I’d have been ruined in that shelter. You gave me a place, a home. I’m really thankful, but... but I don’t know what to say..."

As she spoke, Ashton grew more and more agitated, and suddenly stomped the gas pedal down. Magnus tensed. "Calm down! Ease off!"

But she hadn’t even touched the clutch. Her foot slammed on the brakes. The vehicle jolted hard, and in the chaos, Magnus instinctively reached out an arm to block her from slamming forward - his forearm landing squarely across her chest.

Everything went blank in Ashton’s head. One thought struck like lightning - he was going to take her. "Captain, don’t! I..."

"Enough, enough! I’m not doing anything! Just drive! My mistake, alright?!" Magnus broke into a cold sweat, trying to calm her down.

But Ashton was too far gone, convinced now that Magnus wanted her. Nothing could reach her.

"Captain, I... I know you saved me. And if you want me... but I can’t. I just can’t. Maybe... maybe I can use a glove for you?" Her words trembled as she added, "I just... I can’t betray my husband. Please, Captain... please..."

Use a glove for me? Magnus was hit by a wave of heat. A woman like her saying something like that to any man - how was he supposed to keep his cool?

"I can’t, I really can’t..." Ashton’s voice cracked as she clung to the wheel. Her emotions were spiraling.

Magnus forced himself to stay calm. "Ashton, look, just breathe. Focus on the road. I don’t want anything from you. Don’t take it the wrong way. Next time I’ll have Lucy drive. You can ride with Sophia. I won’t bring you along alone anymore, alright? Just calm down. And what just happened - totally my fault, I was out of line. I’m sorry. Really."

Just great. The cars behind them were watching them stop and lurch, back and forth. And only the two of them were in the lead vehicle. No doubt the others were starting to get ideas.

If anything had happened, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. But damn it, he hadn’t done a thing and might still get a reputation for something he didn’t do. What a mess.

Magnus was beyond frustrated. How the hell did this get so out of hand? Damn it!

"You don’t want me anymore?" Ashton’s voice suddenly quivered.

Hearing that he planned to transfer her to Sophia’s squad made her panic. Over the past few days, Molly and Lucy had spread rumors she was involved with Magnus, which made Sophia give her dirty looks. Riding with her would be miserable.

"I’m not throwing you away. I’m just... trying to stop you from misunderstanding more," Magnus explained quickly, realizing this kind of emotional whirlwind was something he wasn’t used to handling.

But Ashton was stuck in a loop, hitting a dead end. "Captain, please... don’t transfer me. It’s not that I think low of you. I just... can’t... I really can’t..." She broke down onto the steering wheel and started crying.

Jesus, what a nightmare. Was it really that serious? She messed up while driving, and all he did was accidentally press her thigh. Now she was crying like he’d done something horrible?

Watching her sob like that, Magnus was drowned in frustration. He hadn’t even done anything, but it felt like he had. He opened his mouth, ready to try again, but then he heard her mumbling through her tears - quiet, trembling words:

"It was him who saved me... he saved me... I’m sorry... sorry... Henry, I’m so sorry..."

She whispered it over and over, until suddenly - she snapped her head up and threw herself into Magnus’s arms.