Chapter 361
Chapter 362 An Unexpected Appointment
Lyra huffed a quiet laugh when she saw the name.
This was the same man who had invited her to that banquet some time ago.
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He had once been a strong prime minister candidate, yet here he was, reassigned to run the Oversight Council. His shot was gone. She wondered who he had offended to end up here.
Since they were already acquainted, Lyra decided to pay him a visit and strengthen their connection.
Yoren sent another message right after.
Finnian had survived the earlier attack, only to die this time. All evidence pointed straight at the rebels.
Such an open, unapologetic provocation enraged the public and the Sentinels alike.
Under mounting pressure, the high–ranking officials could no longer stand idle.
They resolved to launch a full–scale suppression campaign against the rebels, using this killing as their justification.
“I don’t know what threads you have tangled up in all this,” Yoren wrote. “But you’d better get ready p>
Lyra’s expression turned grave.
In past incidents, Core Prime’s response to the rebels had been mostly noise with little real
action.
Troops had been dispatched to hunt and apprehend rebel cells, yet every operation felt half- hearted, little more than petty skirmishes.
Judging from Yoren’s tone, things were different now.
Lyra did not dwell on it.
Sooner or later, war between Core Prime and the rebels had been inevitable.
This was merely the excuse they had been waiting for.
Her top priorities were twofold: end the harsh interrogations targeting Felix and the others inside the Oversight Council, and get them released as quickly as possible.
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Chapter 362 An Unexpected Appointment
Inside Black Spire, she held far more sway.
Once they were out of those cells, everything would become manageable.
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Without delay, Lyra went to meet the official set to take over as interim chief of the Oversight Council.
Shortly after she left, Zev appeared at the Oversight Council’s main entrance.
He watched her retreating figure, his eyes slowly lowering.
“What are you thinking about p>
After her meeting with the official, both Nael and Hadrien noticed Lyra had sunk deep into thought again.
Lyra slowed her pace and typed her confusion. “It’s odd. He lost his eligibility to run for prime minister, so he should be angry or upset. But from what I saw just now, he didn’t seem to feel either p>
If anything, he had seemed strangely at peace.
“Maybe he never truly wanted to win the election,” Nael suggested.
Lyra shot him an exasperated glance. “Not everyone is like you p>
He had chased the candidacy in the first place, which meant he had wanted it. Something must have changed his mind.
Nael smiled and laced his fingers through hers. “All I know is, being beside the person I love is the greatest happiness there is p>
Lyra shook her arm, reminding him that she had not worn gloves today and he would soon become uncomfortable.
Nael understood. “It’s fine. We hold for a while, let it cool off, then hold again p>
Lyra laughed and did not pull away.
She reached out with her other hand and took Hadrien’s hand as well.
She grinned when their eyes met.
A faint spark flickered across Hadrien’s gaze, and the corners of his mouth lifted.
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Chapter 362 An Unexpected Appointment
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So Lyra walked through the sunlight, one man on each side, her steps light and carefree.
After a moment, Hadrien spoke.
“What I find even stranger is why he agreed to your request after losing his chance to run p>
Lyra froze.
That question had slipped her mind.
She recalled their meeting. The man had greeted her with the same warm enthusiasm he had shown at the banquet.
When she hinted she could grant him one favor if he helped her out, he had waved it off immediately.
He told her he was middle–aged, no longer chasing power. All he craved was a quiet life.
What he hoped Lyra could push through for him was to keep him as the acting chief who only followed orders.
The chief position carried more authority, yet the deputy chief bore the burden of upward oversight duties, forced to hold powerful people accountable.
He had lost all appetite for political rivalry and making enemies. He simply wanted peace.
As long as he committed no mistakes, even a future deputy chief brought in to supervise him would pose no threat.
Pending the arrival of the permanent deputy chief, he promised Lyra he would transfer Felix and the rest over to Black Spire within the bounds of his authority.
The former chief Finnian had dragged them on for ages without extracting any useful intel. He had only kept them locked up to pad his own political achievements.
Lyra had been too overjoyed at the promise to dig deeper back then.
Elevating a deputy chief into the top position was much easier than helping Zev, who held no office at all, climb the ranks step by step!
Now she saw how strange the whole situation was.
Why would he throw away all his ambition out of nowhere?
She was wondering what might be behind it when Nael said, “Who cares why? You can grant his small request now anyway. If something happens later, we’ll already be gone, so why should we care p>
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Chapter 362 An Unexpected Appointment
Lyra stared at him.
His attitude was becoming more easygoing by the day.
Nael smiled back. “Is that not so p>
Lyra blinked, then nodded firmly.
He was right. Focus first on achieving her goals.
On top of that, she no longer needed to waste energy chasing Zev.
Her mood lightened all over again.
Better yet, another piece of good news waited for her.
Her custom–built decoy body was finally finished.
The only remaining problem was figuring out how to get it delivered to her.
Nael volunteered to reach out to Phineas to sort out the logistics.
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Plans had shifted once more, yet Lyra found herself growing eager for the day she would leave Core Prime behind.
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Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.