Chapter 138
Chapter 138:
Britton took a breath before answering. “Everyone in our ranks is under your chip. If anyone meant to betray us, they would’ve found a way to disable it. But nothing’s happened. And the way this attack went down… It doesn’t add up p>
She narrowed her eyes. “How so p>
“They didn’t even know what they were stealing,” said Britton. “They triggered a blast and wiped out half the shipment. Those goods were worth nearly a billion p>
Her chest tightened as the words sank in.
“They blew up half of it p>
Britton let out a sigh. “That’s the strange part. Most of them died in the explosion, too. The few who survived took off with what little was left. The storm hit hard during all that. Our signal dropped once they got out of range.” After thinking it over, he offered a plan. “We could use satellite tracking. If I tap into the system, I can lead a team and reclaim what we lost p>
Rylie shut it down immediately. “No. Too many eyes are on me. Vital_ink, the Wildes, and the mayor’s secretary’s collapse—everything’s too sensitive. If we hack anything now, it’ll lead right back to me p>
His voice rose in frustration. “They stole our weapons. And they probably don’t even know how to use them. Could it be the buyer’s trying to back out? They didn’t want to pay, so they orchestrated this attack p>
She waved that off. “I doubt it. Give the team a bonus and tell them to get another batch ready. I’ll deal with this quietly p>
“Understood. By the way, the World Piano Association reached out. Their chairman said the Music Awards Gala wants you as a guest judge. They’re hoping X. Aria shows up p>
She gave a short laugh. “They don’t care about me. They want that unfinished piano score. They’re just using the gala as bait. Turn them down for me. I’m not making time for it p>
Britton replied, “Understood p>
Rylie spent the next two days holed up in the apartment of the community near the military compound, skipping school. Inside, the room was equipped with full surveillance gear. Her bedroom back at Serenity Manor had already been wired with micro-cameras.
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As Rylie had anticipated, once Paola learned that she hadn’t been staying at the manor recently, the surveillance cameras caught Paola sneaking into her bedroom.
Rylie had set out two decoy music sheets in advance. One lay openly on the table. Paola gave it a quick look, dismissed it as gibberish, and began rifling through the drawers instead.
Before long, Paola uncovered the second sheet Rylie had forged using a piano workbook. Her excitement gave her away. She snapped photos and hurried out, convinced she’d found something real.
From her end of the surveillance feed, Rylie watched the whole act unfold. Her grin kept growing. That woman really was a joke. And yet, people actually thought she was some kind of prodigy? The next Marcus, really?
Rylie brushed off the moment and turned back to her screen. She began working through intel from sea routes. Her fingers darted across the keyboard, breaking through a firewall and slipping into pirate camp servers that posed a risk to her shipping lanes.