However, Raven did not even nce at I. Instead, she turned straight to Ruth and asked, "Mom, did you see any houses you liked"
Ruth looked a little surprised as she asked in return, "Raven, the general you were just talking about? Is it the one everyone in Vyrdenia knows about?"
Right at that moment, an idea struck I. Quick on the uptake, she pulled out her phone and tapped the record button.
Raven gave a slight nod as she answered. "Yes." She noticed I''s little move, but chose not to stop her.
To be honest. Raven was rather curious to see what this so-called campus queen from Regalhold University was capable of.
Ruth''s expression shifted further into disbelief when she saw Raven nod. Then, with clear curiosity, she asked, "General Drakon has a ster reputation. How on earth did you get to know someone so high up!"
Raven exined calmly, "When I was seventeen, Ipleted a mission that was critical to Vyrdenia. In recognition of that. Lorne personally awarded me a medal. That was the first time we met.
I froze for a second. Then her eyes lit up with excitement as she looked at Raven. In that instant, she felt incredibly proud of herself for hitting that record button. Genius move.
In Vyrdenia, military merit is treated with an almost obsessive level of seriousness.
If Raven had only imed to know Lorne, sure, that would be a lie, but at most,
she would get pped with a light sentence, maybe two years, tops.
But now, she had gone a step further. She imed that she''d aplished a major mission at just seventeen, and that Lorne himself had personally presented her with a medal.
Only those who earned first-ss military honors or higher had the right to receive such awards directly from Lome.
ording to Vyrdenia''sws, if a member of the military fabricates ims of earning first-ss honors or higher, they face no less than ten years in prison. If the offender is a civilian, the sentence ranges from ten years to life.
The recording now saved on I''s phone was solid enough to put Raven behind bars for good.
Meanwhile, Cassian looked over at Raven, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Raven''s people had not been able to dig up anything on him, and likewise, Cassian had not found any solid information on her. Now, hearing this, he was starting to understand why.
Raven ignored Ipletely. A few momentster, she finalized the deal with Ruth on one of the two remaining vis with the bestyout.
As for the other adjacent vi, it had already been purchased by Carl, meant to be gifted at tonight''s party in honor of the newly appointed general
The vi''s configuration had already been taken care of, so it only took a few minutes toplete the paperwork I watched her father receive the property deed, then nced at the one Raven held.
After that, she leaned close and spoke in a hushed tone, just loud enough for Carl to hear, "Father, do you think the new general will actually move in? If she does, and sees who her neighbor is, won''t that leave a bad impression on you?"
Carl, who had been walking out of the sales hall, suddenly froze mid-step. A sh of concern crossed his face.
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I chuckled lightly. "Dad, Em just messing with you. I don''t know if that general will move in, but-
She suddenly lifted a finger and pointed at Raven. I can say for sure she''s never getting the chance."
Tonight, if Cassian truly managed to get Raven into the party, I would publicly release the recording.
Tm going to humiliate her in front of everyone. I''ll make sure Cassian''s father, Edric, is utterly disappointed in her. That second-tier nobody will never get the chance to marry into the Castiel family, wondered I.
I''s ambitions did not stop there.
Once Lome heard the recording, Raven would be dragged off to Bastion Prison on the spot, with no hope of ever making ieback.
And when that happens, I thought, I''ll stay close to Cassian and make him realize how horribly wrong he was to fall for someone like Raven. I''ll prove to him that I''m a thousand times better than her!
She turned to Carl, seeking confirmation. "Dad, do you think Cassian has any chance of getting her into the inner circle of the party tonight?"
Carl exined. "This party is all about the reorganization of Vyrdenia''s nine military districts. The appointment of a new leader is going to shake up the entire structure of the military. It''s a high-level event. Raven has no business being in the inner circle.
A flicker of disappointment crossed I''s eyes. But it vanished quickly, reced by a slow, knowing smile. It was as if a brilliant idea had just urred to her.
She would never let a good show lose its lead actor.
"Well then, I suppose I would not mind giving her a little push, make sure she digs her own grave even deeper. No way she''sing back from that, I thought, a glint shing in her eyes.
While she stood there plotting, Raven and the others had already walked out of the sales center,
The moment Raven and Cassian stepped through the main doors, a stunning young woman, who had clearly been watching from a distance, suddenly rushed straight toward Cassian, seemingly aiming to throw herself into his arms.
Cassian caught a glimpse of the figure approaching, and without missing a beat, calmly stepped closer to Raven.
A secondter, as the woman brushed up against him mid-charge, Cassian appeared to lose his bnce and suddenly stumbled right into Raven''s arms, "Ahr
At the same time, the woman who had tried to fall into Cassian''s embrace missedpletely and insteadunched herself into the lobby, where she slipped on the slick marble floor and hit the ground face-first, hard.
Raven did not spare the woman a single nce. Instead, her focus was immediately on Cassian, quickly scanning him from head to for
After making sure nothing seemed seriously wrong, she still asked with concern. "Are you alright?"
Cassian casually nced toward Preston, who stood some distance away, then rubbed the spot on his arm where he had been touched. A slight frown formed between his brows. "Hurts a little," he muttered.
ke, walking just behind them, froze for a moment.
Cassian''s physical condition was top-tier. He had been training in closebat
for over six months now. In the beginning, he had taken a beating almost daily without even blinking.
"Mr. Lysander hurt? Just from being touched hu a 118
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mass destruction? ke immediately tensed up now on high alert.
Meanwhile, Raven had already finished checking Cassian''s arm carefully. Though
she saw absolutely nothing wrong, she did not jump to conclusions.
Instead, she nodded cooperatively and said, "Looks like nothing serious, but it could be internal."
After speaking, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss
on the corner him. "The pain will fade soon. Be good. Just hang in there."
his lips, an affectionate gesture meant to soothe
Cassian nodded obediently. Then, pretending to muster strength, he pushed away from Raven''s embrace, but he had barely gotten upright when he suddenly wobbled again.
Raven immediately tightened her grip, holding him steady.
Cassian looked at her, now so close their faces nearly touched. His finely chiseled features wereced with guilt and vulnerability. "It still hurts."
ke was stunned for a full second. Then it hit him.
I think I get it now. Mr. Lysander is acting. Since when did he get so good at this?
That fake weakness is straight-up Oscar-worthy," he wondered.
ke even began to doubt whether the man in front of him, this delicate, fragile figure, was really the same cold-blooded Cassian who could kill without so much as blinking.
If he had not seen it for himself today, ke would have never believed such a terrifying transformation was possible.
At the same time, behind them, I froze in her tracks. Her feet felt like they were glued to the ground. Not far away. Preston also went stiff on the spot.
While the two of them were still reeling from the shock of this utterly mind- bending scene, they did not realize that Cassian had not even yed his best card yet.