Page 86 of Gathered Sparkle

Nicholas frowns, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest. “And what is the plan when you get them to the show?”

“Exposingthem.” Koen leans back in his chair, his smirk just shy of cocky. “Every single one of them. Their crimes, their secrets,everything. Mostly how they helped Veronica build her empire on lies and other people’s suffering. We’ve been gathering evidence for years, and the show is our stage to lay it all out for the world to see.”

“And how will you do that?” I ask, crossing my arms.

Sylus grins. “We’re gonna display their wrongdoings for everyone to see.”

Koen glances at Sylus. “Dove and I talked about that, Sy. We want it even bigger. Do you think you could manage to project everything onto the billboard screens outside the Lane Building?”

“Outside?” Sylus furrows his brows. “When people will be inside for the show?”

“No.” Koen’s gaze shifts to Ace. “Think we could make everything happen outside on the street?”

“The street?” Ace echoes.

“It’s Levi’s idea.” Koen nods. “If we hijack the street between the Lane Building, the Plaza, and Harrington Heights, we could gather a much bigger crowd. Spread the word on socials beforehand, make it accessible. No tickets, no barriers. People can just show up. Ezra even said it’d be easier for him to make sure the police will be there too.”

Ace exhales sharply. “Why are you only coming to me with this now?”

“Because we only talked about it yesterday,” Koen admits. “But I’ve thought it over, and I like the idea. Do you think we could pull it off?”

Ace’s gaze shifts to Sylus, who shrugs with casual confidence. “It’s doable. I can use drones as cameras and project everythingonto the screens on the Lane Building. The illusions work outside, especially if we do it at night. We’ll need to set up projectors in advance. I’ll probably need a van to have the tech close. You have to tell me if it’s realistic, though.”

Ace nods slowly, his fingers steepled in thought. “I’ll have to think it through, but I like the idea. We could incorporate the roof-hopping as part of the show. Let people see Koen risking his neck for it. Make it even more headline-worthy.”

“Roof-hopping?” I blink. “What are you talking about?”

“We want to spread the evidence we have across all the establishments Veronica owns.” Koen’s grin sharpens. “And as you know, there are a lot of them.”

“I want her face plastered alongside her crimes on every billboard and every screen on the Strip,” Sylus agrees.

“At least half the Strip,” Ace mutters.

I glance between them. “And what does roof-hopping have to do with that?”

Koen leans back, folding his hands behind his head. “We need access to the transmitter on top of Harrington Heights so Sylus can hijack the signal and spread the evidence to every business connected to the network. But the rooftop of the Heights is practically impenetrable.”

My stomach drops. “And how will you get up there then?”

“There’s a Lamborghini on the rooftop of the Plaza,” Sylus states.

“A Lambo?” I repeat, incredulous.

“The Lamborghini Huracán Belmont displays in a glass cage at his rooftop bar to brag to everyone that he has one of the five hundred in existence,” Ace says dryly, leaning back against the chair with a faint smirk. “And, apparently, he’d rather display it than drive it. But Koen will rectify that. Because what’s the point of a car like that if you’re not going to drive it fast.”

“Exactly.” Koen chuckles, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I’ll put it to better use.”

“You mean you’re going to steal it?” Nicholas scoffs, crossing his arms. “And then what? You can’t just hotwire a Lamborghini on a fucking rooftop. That thing’s been up there for years. It’s probably not even drivable anymore.”

Ace shrugs. “Every so often, Belmont does a showing. Starts it up, revs the engine for the crowd.” He smirks. “Last one was a month ago.”

Nicholas exhales sharply. “Fine. But let’s say you do get it running. How the hell are you planning to get it down to the street?”

“You’re not listening,” Ace raises an eyebrow. “Who said anything about getting it down?”

“Wait…” I blink, trying to catch up, “… you’re planning to steal the car to… what? Jump rooftops?”

“Exactly. The Plaza’s rooftop bar is the only easy access point, and their roof is higher than the Heights by just enough to give us the angle we need. The Huracán can hit the speed to make the jump in seconds…” Koen pauses, a flicker of something—doubt?—crossing his face before he masks it with his usual smirk. “If we get it lined up perfectly, it’ll work. I’ll need sixty-seven miles per hour at the exact moment it leaves the ramp. No more, no less.”

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