Chapter 910
“Yes. When it comes to the family, his loyalty is absolute and entirely blind to morality.
He did it for me, he did it for his son, and he’ll do it for Lawrence and his sister. Even
if they commit unforgivable atrocities, he will exhaust every resource to keep them out of prison p>
“With a grandfather like that, it’s no wonder the heirs turn into psychopathic monsters p>
When someone was always there to sweep the bodies under the rug, backed by limitless wealth, they inevitably believed they were gods among men.
“That’s exactly what Lawrence is p>
A man psychotic enough to tamper with an aircraft mid-flight didn’t deserve to breathe another day.
“But he always operates through proxies. There’s always a scapegoat ready to take the bullet p>
Mira tapped the table thoughtfully. “If we want to butcher Lawrence, our first move has to be isolating Leonard.
But at a critical juncture like this, your grandfather wouldn’t leave town even if you put a gun to his head.
And obviously, you can’t just have him kidnapped p>
Mira looked directly at Owen. “If you want to keep him safe while ensuring he doesn’t sabotage your investigation, I have a solution p>
“I’m listening p>
“We force him into a medical retreat for ‘health reasons p>
“He would never agree to that p>
“He won’t have a choice if he collapses into a coma, will he p>
Mira flashed a brilliant, dangerous smile. “I can synthesize a chemical compound that will induce temporary delirium. It’s completely non-toxic to his organs.
Once the dust settles and Lawrence is dealt with, we just neutralize the agent, and his mind will clear up instantly.
Give me the word, and I’ll start mixing the batch right now p>
“Are you absolutely certain it won’t trigger a heart attack p>
“Would I ever risk poisoning your grandfather with something that has lethal side effects?
The physiological toll is practically zero p>
Mira leaned forward, her tone clinical and precise. “The initial unconsciousness will be brief-a standard sedative will handle that.
To maintain the prolonged delirium, I’ll use an advanced, aerosolized hallucinogen. We just need to slip a scented sachet into his suit pocket and tuck another one beneath his mattress.
When you’re ready for him to wake up, you simply remove the sachets p>
“Do it. But it’s late. Go to sleep for now, and you can prep the compound tomorrow p>
“One more thing. The medical staff attending to him during this coma must be utterly loyal to you. They need to be sharp and capable.
You also need to make sure Leonard’s die-hard loyalists don’t misinterpret the situation and launch an attack on you or let Lawrence slip past their guard and actually assassinate the old man p>
Owen nodded firmly. He had already mentally mapped out every contingency Mira just listed.
With their strategy locked in, Mira realized it was far past her bedtime. She quickly tidied up the dining table and slipped into bed.
Still anxious about the escalating war, Owen knocked gently on her door frame. “You need to stay on high alert these next few days. Don’t give anyone a chance to blindside you p>
“I’ll be careful p>
iet
The following afternoon, Mira finished her classes but couldn’t shake the nagging anxiety about Owen’s situation. Needing to see the battlefield for herself, she bypassed the house entirely and headed straight for the Lance Group
headquarters.
From the driver’s seat of her SUV, Silas Vane glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
“Should I call Mr. Lance ahead of time?
What if the building security won’t let us through the lobby p>
Mira shook her head. “No calls. A surprise inspection is the only way to see what’s actually happening on the ground p>
Showing up unannounced to check on him was the point; calling ahead and forcing him to clear his schedule would only add to his mounting stress.
This was Mira’s first time stepping foot inside the Lance Group’s corporate citadel. She had never interacted with their security detail or the front desk receptionists before.
But this was Aethelgard. Was there a single soul in this city who didn’t
recognize her face? Who didn’t know she was Owen’s partner? Getting turned away at the door seemed mathematically impossible.
At least, that was what she assumed.
However, as she and her two guards strolled through the towering glass doors of the
grand lobby, they immediately ran into a roadblock.
“Excuse me, who are you p>
the security guard demanded, stepping into her path.
“My name is Mira Mercer. I’m Owen Lance’s girlfriend p>