Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Kinsley tensed at my side. I was confident I wasnt showing anything on my face, but shed seen me go blank like this before. After briefly considering switching to I thought better of it. I wasnt sure I could maintain my composure without my default title.

If you said the word enemy, Aarons smug face would usually be the first association in my mind. He was rarely at the estate when I visited Daphne, but when he was, hed been kind. Eager to play the father figure and give advice. The faux parental aspect was strange, but I put up with it because his lessons were fascinating to me, fundamentally different from anything my parents and therapists had taught me. Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

In my mind, hed occupied the same space as Estrada. A valued adviser with no parallel. Which is why the betrayal cut so deeply.

Aaron had tried to hang the entire Quad Sigma clusterfuck on my mothers neck. Accused her of misusing company resources to create what the news at the time called the most dangerous black market in the history of the internet, solely of her own volition. Thankfully, the DA wasnt an idiot, and offered to knock down the charges against her from what could have easily been life in prison in exchange for her cooperation if she testified against her former boss and associates.

A few of them went down. Low security bids for a handful of yearsI think the highest was three. But save a lifetime ban on trading equities and six years of probation, Aaron got off scot-free, all his gray money undoubtedly secured in the Caymans.

Its stupid, but I used to fantasize about hacking him, wiping out his savings, ruining his life. The idea eventually led to a two-month stint, during which I discovered I had no talent for computer science or programming, let alone hacking.

Aaron slowly let his hand drop, grin diminishing to an apologetic half-smile. Of course. I saw the video before I came here. It wasnt the best quality. You looked familiar, but I didnt put it together until now.

Was that even possible? Maybe. But I fucking doubted it.

Do we have a problem? Tyler looked between us, concerned.

No problem. Aaron shook his head. Matthias and I have some history. I wasnt always a lawyer. A lifetime ago, I ran the hedge fund, and his mother was one of our employees. He glanced at Tyler. Im not certain how much you know about finance, but hedge funds generally operate in something of a legal gray area. As such, they present a juicy target for overeager prosecutors looking for another notch on their belt. Most of the charges were dropped.

Because you sold out your associates. Including my mother.

clear overreach on their partbut ultimately, it was my firm. My responsibility. It would be totally reasonable if he resented me for the part I played. Aaron frowned, all sympathy and regret. If youd prefer, I can recuse myself. Pull another representative from the city council. They may not be as familiar as I am with the area. But its more important that things run smoothly.

They let you practice law? I asked, genuinely shocked.

Aaron smiled. Lifes little ironies. My firm is just down the street, and I live on the other side of the region. I was trapped in here with the rest of the ungifted during the transposition. Same shelter as Lizette.

When I didnt react, he explained. Tylers wife.

I tried to ignore the fact that by fortifying the region, Id unintentionally saved Aarons life. There were things that didnt make sense that took precedence. Id assumed for as long as I knew of them that Aaron was a high-up in the Suits hierarchy. Daphnes presence was too strong of a connection, and I was certain Id overheard one of the mooks tell Daphne her father would be pleased that first night in the alley.

Youve never dealt with a special class. Aaron said.

I stared at him, gobsmacked, as he paraphrased the exact point Id considered.

And you have? Tyler asked.

No, but I hear things. Aaron leaned back in his chair, his hands steepled. The Ordinator is the big one we all know about, thanks to that little dog and pony show the Overseer put on. But he isnt the only one. And from the reports Ive heard, these fucks hit hard. Maybe you get an idiot who runs out in the street, screaming that hes the Dark Lord, and the problem takes care of itself. Maybe you dont. Its a total roll of the dice, and I dont like betting when I dont know the odds. Dont get me wrong, I think consolidating the Adventurers Guild here is still a good move. Fourteen lacks a guild, so its free real estate. And we could certainly use the protection.

Im inclined to agree. Vetoing that option. Kinsley swiveled back and forth in her chair, glancing at me for confirmation.

Same. I added.

What world did I slip into?

Theres already too much we dont know. I continued, Adding another variable would be unnecessarily dangerous. Fourteen didnt fortify in time, so every option is going to have a drawback. There are too many benefits for the special class not to be a significant threat.

I like the way you think. Aaron pointed at me.

Die in a fire.

Tyler nodded, I agree that the risks are too high. Were in accordance, then.

Then that leaves us with two options, Sara skimmed through the invisible text.

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Tyler and Kinsley both made strong arguments for positing that if we had a system in place with Users prepared to assist with any quest that had dire consequences, or was about to be failed, we could mitigate any potential spiral.

Aaron and Sara both argued for Aaron seemed to consider the resource curse a total myth, and even if it wasnt, argued that it was most damaging to nascent countries, and we were too developed to be affected. I pushed back, stating that by the standards of this new world, we were underdeveloped. Something Aaron vehemently disagreed with. Sara was less concerned with that, more uncomfortable with the idea of increased penalties for quests, guessing any system we put into place would be easily overwhelmed if the time limits were as unforgiving as the option implied.

Which, of course, left me as the swing vote.