Page 51 of Stripe for the Picking
"And we're going to stay there. But Rylan—" Her tone shifted, becoming urgent. "Now that round two is officially over, we really need to move fast on the Arvox situation before he has time to plan another assassination attempt."
Rylan's jaw clenched as the arena's celebratory atmosphere faded into background noise. "You're right. Time to present our evidence to the Council and watch that bastard's world crumble."
"I've been looking forward to this moment for days. Let's go destroy him."
Rylan stormed out of the arena, his muscles still thrumming with the adrenaline from the second round and the lingering fury of Zarik's earlier ambush. His tiger was restless and agitated, itching to claw its way out and hunt down the Prime Minister who had dared orchestrate an attack on him. But hetold himself to focus. There was no time for his beast to take over—not yet.
He headed straight for the locker room, stripping off his sweat-soaked uniform and stepping into the shower. The water hissed against his skin, washing away the grime but doing nothing to soothe the tension coiled in his frame. He scrubbed his body with quick, efficient movements, his mind racing. They needed to act fast. Arvox was already one step ahead, and if the Council leader left the arena before they could present their evidence, it might be too late.
By the time Rylan emerged from the shower, towel slung low around his hips, he was already strategizing. He put on fresh clothes, his movements sharp and purposeful. The tiger inside him bristled at the delay, but logic prevailed. He couldn't storm up to the Council leader looking like he'd just come from a brawl—no matter how much he wanted to. Plus, he needed to give Wren time to compile their evidence into a clean, coherent presentation.
As he walked out of the locker room, his boots echoing against the polished floors, he spotted General Kael deep in conversation with the Council leader near the arena's entrance. Relief flickered through him. Good. The man hadn't left yet.
"Council Leader," Rylan called, his voice cutting through the chatter like a knife.
The Council leader turned, his expression a mix of curiosity and annoyance. "Commander Kaedor. What can I do for you?"
Rylan stopped in front of them, his posture rigid and his blue eyes burning with intensity. "I need a private meeting with you. Immediately. It's urgent."
The Council leader raised an eyebrow. "Can it wait until tomorrow? I have other matters to attend to this afternoon."
"No." Rylan's jaw tightened. "It's highly time-sensitive and critical to the security of Defense Nexus—and Nova Aurora as a whole."
General Kael stepped in, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to Rylan's simmering rage. "Give Commander Kaedor twenty minutes of your time, Council Leader. Let me walk you to the boardroom. Commander Kaedor will join us momentarily."
Rylan gave a clipped nod. "I'll be there in five minutes. I need to gather my materials."
Rylan didn't wait for a response, turning on his heel and heading for the elevators. His mind was already running through the evidence Wren had compiled over the past few days. He trusted her to have it ready—she was nothing if not razor-sharp and meticulous—but he needed to ensure they presented it flawlessly. This was their best shot at taking Arvox down.
When he reached their workstations, Wren was already there, her fingers flying across her keyboard. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a messy bun, and her eyes were laser-focused on the screen. She looked up as he approached, her lips curving into a small, determined smile.
"Almost done," she said, her voice calm despite the tension in the air. "Give me three more minutes, and it'll be ready to present cleanly."
Rylan leaned against the edge of her workstation, his arms crossed over his chest. "Good. Because we can't afford any mistakes."
She shot him a look, one eyebrow arched. "When have I ever made a mistake?"
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Never. But Arvox is slippery. We need to be sharper than ever."
"We will be." Her fingers danced over the interface one last time before she leaned back, nodding in satisfaction. "Done. Let's go ruin that bastard's day."
They quickly made their way to the boardroom, the tension between them a palpable force. When they finally arrived and entered the room, the Council leader was seated at the head of the table, his expression impassive but his eyes sharp with curiosity. General Kael stood nearby, his stance relaxed but alert.
"What is this about, Commander Kaedor?" the Council leader asked, his tone clipped.
Rylan stepped forward, his presence commanding the room. "Prime Minister Arvox has been working with an organized hacker syndicate and orchestrated the cyber attacks on Defense Nexus these past several weeks. We have the evidence."
He gestured to Wren, who activated the holographic display on the table. A detailed timeline appeared, highlighting the cyber attacks alongside Arvox's whereabouts and actions during the same timeframe. Wren stepped forward, her voice crisp and authoritative as she walked them through the data points, her explanations precise and unassailable.
"The timing lines up perfectly," she finished, crossing her arms. "There's no way this is coincidence. Arvox has been feeding critical intel to the hackers, sabotaging our defense systems for reasons we can only speculate—but we believe it's tied to his personal agenda against Commander Kaedor's leadership."
The Council leader frowned, leaning forward to study the evidence. "This is compelling, but it's still circumstantial. Without concrete proof or a confession from Arvox himself, there's nothing we can do."
Rylan's jaw clenched, his tiger roaring in frustration. "With all due respect, Council Leader, this isn't just about politics. The safety of Nova Aurora is at stake. If we wait for absolute proof, it might be too late."
General Kael cleared his throat, stepping forward. "The evidence is strong, and the pattern is undeniable. At the very least, this warrants an investigation."
The Council leader sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'll look into it personally and consider it an open investigation. But until we have definitive proof, there's nothing more I can do."
