Chapter 567
Roxanne and Shane Porter had orchestrated multiple attempts on Mira’s life. The recent kidnapping fiasco was just the latest chapter in their bloody vendetta.
But Mira kept those details to herself. Liora was too naive, and she had a habit of oversharing. Xavier, with his background in federal law enforcement, would quickly piece together the timeline. If he connected Roxanne’s disappearance to Mira’s deep-seated feud with her, it would pull unwanted heat onto the Solflare empire, even without concrete evidence.
Mira operated by her own moral compass. She never lost sleep over burying those who came for her.
“Since you didn’t know how deep she was in the criminal underworld, tell your brother to back off,” Mira advised. “The deeper he digs, the uglier the truth is going to get p>
Celine nodded vigorously. “Mira is right, Liora. Roxanne is toxic. Tell Xavier to drop the case. Some things are better left in the past p>
Thankfully, the harsh truth seemed to penetrate Liora’s naive bubble. She wiped her eyes and took a shuddering breath. “Okay. I’ll talk to him p>
With the drama settled, they agreed to travel to Aethelgard together the day after next. Elara Finn and Harvey Rivers would be joining their convoy.
Having a couple of days to kill, Mira drove out to the outskirts of town to visit Master Ellis.
“Come to Aethelgard with us,” Mira urged, sitting across from him. “I don’t like the idea of you staying out here all alone p>
“Alone?” Master Ellis scoffed, crossing his arms stubbornly. “I’ve got a dozen disciples running around this compound p>
He knew exactly what she was playing at. She just wanted him close by so she could extract more martial arts secrets and use him as her personal trump card.
“Besides, I have a perfectly good life here,” he grumbled. “Why would I move to the capital just to deal with those snobbish elites p>
Mira grabbed his arm, giving it a playful shake. “You wouldn’t have to deal with anyone! You can live completely off the grid. Owen and I will handle all the heavy lifting.
“Oh, please. You’ll be drowning in university coursework, and Owen will be running
your corporate empire. Don’t think I can’t see right through you p>
Mira grinned impishly. “So you’re just going to leave us defenseless in the big, bad city? What if someone picks on us p>
Master Ellis scowled. “If you two let yourselves get bullied, you deserve it p>
He turned his head away, refusing to engage further.
Jax Weaver burst into laughter from the corner. “With everything you and Owen are capable of? If someone actually manages to bully you, it would be an insult to the dojo p>
In truth, Master Ellis’s refusal was a calculated move. He wanted his two star pupils to face the fire on their own he was always hovering over them, they would rely on him as a crutch. They needed to forge their own path.
On the drive back, Liora called again. “Mira, Xavier doesn’t believe Roxanne was
involved in drugs. He says he’s going to track her down no matter what p>
Mira sighed, staring at the road ahead. “Then let him waste his time p>
You couldn’t save people who were determined to drown. A friend could throw a life preserver, but they couldn’t force someone to wear it, The kidnapping was Miras fault, and it wasn’t her operatives who executed the snatch. She had simply redirected the Syndicate’s hit back at the woman who ordered it.
Not long after, her phone rang again. It was Owen.
“Vanguard Systems officially signed the partnership agreement for the Aegis OS framework p>