I woke up to the sound of silence.
The house, which had recently been filled with a new, chaotic energy, was empty. The usual morning sounds—the clatter of pans from the kitchen, Isabel's cheerful humming, the soft murmur of my mom and aunt's conversation—were gone. A quick glance at my phone confirmed it: a series of texts from the night before, updates from the front lines of our new empire. Everyone was busy, throwing themselves into the future I had shown them.
A strange mix of pride and loneliness settled over me as I got ready. I walked through the quiet halls, the emptiness a stark reminder of how much our lives had changed. I was tired, a deep, bone-deep weariness that had little to do with a lack of sleep. I went straight to the guild room. The real work, the dirty work, was waiting.
When I pushed open the door to our dusty sanctuary, I found only Tiffany and Anna. They were huddled over a laptop, the glow of the screen illuminating their focused faces.
"Good morning, Leader," Anna said, looking up with a small, respectful smile.
Tiffany just gave me a curt nod. "You're late."
"The king is never late," I replied with an easy grin, dropping my bag onto a chair. "Everyone else is simply early. Where are the others?"
Anna took on the role of my de facto secretary, giving me a crisp, efficient report. "Kenji and Padro are with Isabel at the bootcamp. She said they're showing 'frightening progress'," she recited from her notes. "Maya and Chloe are on duty, gathering intel. And at Phoenix Capital Group, everyone is already on fire. Mrs. Wilson has scheduled back-to-back meetings, Miss Holmes is in contact with some top designers, and Miss Stacy is leveraging her connections for our first recruitment drive. Jack and Ken are handling the on-the-ground advertising for that." She paused, a hint of admiration in her voice. "And Tiffany has been coordinating with her mother, the Headmistress, to smooth over our… extracurricular activities."
"Okay," I said, a deep sense of satisfaction washing over me. The gears of my new empire were turning, each person playing their part perfectly. "Everything is going well. What about the ambush?"
"Our spies are working on it," Tiffany said without looking up from the laptop. "They've confirmed the attack is scheduled for next week. We'll have the exact time and location within forty-eight hours."
"Excellent," I said.
Anna looked up from her screen, her amber eyes shining with a new purpose. "Miss Han also confirmed your appointment for this afternoon. She said she'll bring Hailey to 'The Conservatory' for lunch."
"That's good," I said, my own mind already shifting to the next phase of our plan. I looked at Tiffany. "I think you and I should go."
"Agreed," she replied. "It's a critical meeting. We can't afford any mistakes."
"Yes, that's right," I said. My gaze then shifted to Anna, my tone turning more serious. "But before that, Anna, I need you to create some new tech for me."
She looked up, her full attention on me now. "What is it, Leader?"
"A master key," I began, ticking the items off on my fingers. "Something that can unlock any digital lock. I also need the smallest, most perfect hidden cameras and microphones you can design. And a communicator. All of it needs to be linked to a central computer so we don't have to physically retrieve anything. And… anything else you think would be useful for gathering intel, just create it."
She nodded slowly, her mind already processing the technical challenges. "Why do you need all this, Leader?"
"Just create it," I replied, my voice leaving no room for argument. "And make sure to create a location tracker, something that can track a person in real-time. But most importantly, I want it linked directly to their emotional state. If the person is in danger, if their fear levels spike, I want an immediate alert with their exact location."
A flicker of understanding crossed her face, but she didn't press for details. She just nodded again, her expression a mixture of awe and a dawning respect for the sheer scale of my paranoia.
Tiffany, however, was less easily satisfied. "Who are these for, Adam?" she asked, her piercing green eyes studying my face.
"Tiff," I said, giving her a cool, mysterious smile. "I'll tell you when the time comes."
She didn't ask any more questions. She knew when to push and when to let things lie.
"Put the Trojan Horse on my smartphone before we leave," I instructed Anna. "Now, tell me the schedule for Mrs. Melissa Richard and Miss Natasha Richard."
Tiffany's perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose. "Now you're moving," she said, a hint of a predatory smile on her lips.
"You could say that," I replied.
Anna pulled up another file on her laptop. "The mother and daughter are very different," she began, her voice taking on the professional tone of an intelligence analyst. "Let's start with Melissa."
"Okay, continue," I said, leaning forward.
"Melissa Richard is a fierce woman, but with a fragile heart," Anna explained. "Her career as the Commanding Head of Police shows how transparent and righteous she is. She puts her duty first, then her family. Her record is completely clean—no charges of corruption, no dirt. But for some time, she's been hearing rumors about her husband's infidelity. She's upset. So, sometimes, she goes to a bar in the afternoon to relax, dressed in civilian clothes. Most of her time is spent at police headquarters or at home at night."
Tiffany processed the information instantly. "It means you only have one real opportunity to approach her: the bar."
"Yes," Anna confirmed. "That's the best place. She'll be emotionally vulnerable there. Other places, like the shopping complexes she visits or the police gym… no chance. She's on guard."
"The bar is perfect," I said, a plan already starting to form in my mind.
"Now, Natasha," Anna continued, her expression turning more serious. "Natasha is a model child, always has been. Top of her class, top university, top in every field she enters. She's an academic genius. She has a fragile body, but a cold, hard, calculative mind. Impressing her is almost impossible, unless she takes an interest in you herself."
"So, a direct approach is useless," I mused.
"Completely," Anna said. "But there are ways to grab her interest. She loves intellectual debates—mathematics, physics, other scientific areas. Her most favorite topic is quantum thread theory."
Tiffany let out a low whistle. "Is she a scientist?"
"Yes," Anna said, her own voice filled with a profound respect. "She is Dr. Natasha Richard. She has PhDs in organic, inorganic, physical, and analytical chemistry, as well as interdisciplinary fields like biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, and computational chemistry. She also has doctorates in classical and modern physics, pure and applied mathematics, and multiple fields of biology, including neuroscience and bioinformatics."
I held up a hand, my own mind reeling. "Wait."
Tiffany looked genuinely stunned, her usual composure finally cracking. "Are you serious?"
"What is her age?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
"She's around twenty-eight or twenty-nine," Anna replied. "I know it feels ridiculous."
"It's not ridiculous, it's outrageous," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "How does someone get that many PhDs by twenty-eight?"
"I am amazed," Tiffany said, her voice a low murmur. "How?"
"She was a scholar student," Anna explained. "A once-in-a-generation prodigy. She took admission in multiple programs simultaneously. The universities made exceptions for her. She is, for all intents and purposes, a living genius."
"I can't believe it," I said. "She's going to be tough."
"If you want to impress her," Tiffany said, a hint of a challenge in her voice, "you'll need to have at least ten percent of her knowledge."
"There is one more thing," Anna added, a small, hopeful note in her voice. "She loves the violin. She doesn't know how to play, but she loves to listen to it. And every weekend, she visits an orphanage to teach the students and spend time with them. She loves kids."
I filed that information away. A chink in the armor. "I'll think about Natasha later," I said, my focus returning to the more immediate threat. "Let's focus on Melissa. Also, Anna, I want you to start spreading the rumors about Kevin on the school web forums. Everything we discussed. He's a killer, his mother was a whore, he has an unethical love for his sister, he's using Hailey's innocence… all of it."
"Don't worry, Leader," Anna said, a cold, hard glint in her amber eyes. "It's already on fire."
"Okay," I said, standing up. "Anna, we're leaving."
Afterward, Tiffany and I left the guild room and headed for the café. We stood outside for a moment, the afternoon sun warm on our faces.
"Does our Miss President always host her meetings in such… premium locations?" I asked, looking up at the gleaming glass facade of 'The Conservatory.'
"Nari said she likes our plan so much she wants to treat us," Tiffany replied, a hint of a smirk on her lips. "For our cooperation. And having the meeting here allows us to kill two birds with one stone. It's a public place, but it's exclusive. Perfect for being seen by the right people."
"Does Nari have someone set up to take pictures?" I asked.
"Yes," Tiffany confirmed. "She does. And so do I. These pictures are necessary. They're the first move in our game against Kevin."
With that, we walked inside.
The restaurant was just as I remembered from my research: a masterpiece of understated elegance, a world away from the gritty reality of Northwood High. We were led to a table on the rooftop terrace, where Nari and Hailey were already waiting.
Nari was a portrait of serene control, a doll-like figure with a mind like a steel trap. Hailey, beside her, was a splash of warmth and color, her kind purple eyes wide with a genuine, almost childlike curiosity.
"So," Nari began, her voice a smooth, enchanting melody as she looked at me. "Phoenix Capital Group. That's a rather ambitious name, Adam. It implies a certain… dramatic rebirth."
I met her gaze across the table, a silent acknowledgment passing between us. "Every great story needs a little drama," I replied, my tone light. "And we believe in rising to the occasion. It felt fitting."
Nari's smile widened slightly. "A worthy philosophy." Her gaze shifted to Tiffany. "I trust your new role as a co-founder is proving to be a sufficient challenge?"
"The challenge is adequate," Tiffany said, her voice a cool, dry monotone. "The primary obstacle is finding competent people. A problem our new Head of HR is apparently solving." Her gaze flickered to me, a silent nod of respect.
"Competence is indeed rare," Nari agreed, turning her attention to Hailey. "Which is why it's so important to find a career that truly inspires you. Isn't that right, Hailey?"
Hailey startled slightly. "Oh! Yes, of course, President," she said, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "I've always just wanted to help people. I was thinking about going into counseling or social work after graduation."
"That's a very noble goal," I said, and I meant it. "The world needs more people like you, Hailey. People who want to build things up instead of just tearing them down."
My words surprised her. She looked at me, her purple eyes wide with a new, focused intensity. "Thank you, Adam," she said, a small, shy smile touching her lips. "Most people think it's a bit naive."
"There's nothing naive about wanting to help," I replied.
As she reached for her water glass, her hand bumped against her dessert fork, sending it clattering onto the floor. "Oh! I'm so sorry," she gasped, bending down to retrieve it.
Instinctively, I bent down at the same time. "I've got it."
Our heads were just inches apart under the table. My hand brushed against hers. It was a fleeting touch, but it sent a strange jolt through me. I looked up and met her gaze. In the dim light, her eyes were a swirling mix of embarrassment and a strange, vulnerable curiosity.
I picked up the fork and handed it to her, my fingers lingering on hers for a second longer than necessary. "Here you go," I said, my voice a little rough.
"Thank you," she whispered.
We both straightened up, the spell broken. A waiter appeared to replace the utensil.
"It seems our Vice-President is a little clumsy when she's flustered," Tiffany commented dryly, her eyes glinting with amusement. "A data point worth noting."
Hailey just looked down at her lap, a small, flustered smile on her face.
Nari smoothly steered the conversation back to business. "Speaking of the future," she said, turning to me, "Phoenix Capital is an investment firm, but I hear you have plans to expand into other sectors."
"A king needs more than one castle," I replied, my own confidence returning.
"And a queen needs a domain to rule," she responded, her smile widening. "It will be interesting to see which castles you build first."
The rest of the lunch passed in a pleasant blur of easy conversation. It was a carefully constructed performance, a dance of casualness that hid the sharp, calculating minds at work.
As we prepared to leave, Nari turned to me, her expression all business again. "Adam, I have that student council budget meeting tomorrow morning. It's going to be dreadfully boring. I might need a fresh, more… pragmatic perspective. Hailey will be there, of course. You and Tiffany should stop by."
"We'd be happy to lend our expertise," I replied. The first move was set.
We walked out of the restaurant and into the bright afternoon air. As we waited for our cars, Hailey turned to me, her earlier shyness replaced by a quiet sincerity.
"Thank you for today, Adam," she said. "It was… nice. To just talk. You're not what I expected."
"And what did you expect?" I asked.
"I don't know," she admitted. "Someone… scarier, I guess. After all the rumors."
"Sometimes rumors are just stories," I said, giving her a warm, genuine smile.
In that moment, looking at her kind, open face, I felt a strange pang of guilt. She was a pawn in our game, a tool to be used against Kevin. But she was also a genuinely good person who deserved better.
And as I watched her get into Nari's car, a new, unexpected thought solidified in my mind.
I will save you from him.
It wasn't a mission. It wasn't a strategy. It was a promise.