Fighting evil

Chapter 58

“What exactly did you tell Ophelia?” I asked, and it seemed like a floodgate had opened. 

It appeared the National leader’s involvement was the one thing Akira had been holding back, but now that it was out of the bag, there was no point for her to suffer needlessly anymore. 

I quietly listened to her recount all she had told Ophelia, and how Ophelia reacted. 

I was not surprised that she would kick the girl out even when she had done all she did on the Turners' orders. 

Ophelia only cared about Ophelia.

But one thing immediately bothered me about this recount. 

Ophelia was aware now that I had proof of her swapping the ring with a bugged one. What would she do with that information?

I could already guess that she must have taken advantage of the time I was in the hospital to wipe out every single piece of evidence that would prove she had made a bugged ring.

“I don’t think you will need that money.” I spoke up, referring to Akira's pay she would not stop lamenting about.

The pay she could not go claim because the police had an eye on everyone that had worked at the minister’s mansion.

She gasped as she looked up at me. 

“Ophelia would take excellent care of you,” I said, unable to resist smiling. And even Kan turned to look at me because he had no idea what I had in mind.

I stood up from the couch again as the air suddenly became still, with the sun beaming down harshly. 

Our pigeons lay exhausted under the cool shade of the trees. 

I walked towards the bowl of their feed and pulled a hand glove on.

“You will go back to Ophelia and tell her all that happened here today.” 

“What?” Akira’s jaw fell and Kan sat up to stare at me. 

I smiled at him, dipped my gloved hand in the feed, and threw it a few feet away from me.

All the birds took flight and stopped in front of me, eager to eat, their heat exhaustion momentarily forgotten. 

I giggled watching them, before I finally turned back to Akira, who was still looking up at me from her knees, wide-eyed.

“Tell Ophelia I want you to spy on her for me. And that I would kill you if you refused. She is too greedy to resist the temptation to spy on me.”

Both Kan and Akira were frowning at me in confusion.

“But you will only really be working for me, and I would not hesitate to kill your man if you betray me even once,” I said, squatting before Akira. 

“Look at me.” I gripped her chin with the gloves smelling of bird feed.

“What you did to Mrs Inuoe is unforgivable. The only reason I did not kill you on the spot is because you will serve us better alive. But that does not mean I will hesitate hurting you. You will be shocked at all the things I can do to everyone you have ever loved.”

Akira was looking at me with glassy eyes now, and I saw her mind was debating between rebellion or submission.

“It’s fine if you do not want to do this, of course,” I said, standing up. “Then you become useless to me, and I can just go ahead and finally avenge Mrs Inuoe.” 

I yanked the glove off, and smacked it down on the table. 

When I turned back around, the defiance in her eyes was gone. 

She was looking at me now with raw fear, “Will you protect me?”

I almost laughed in her face, and asked why she thought she deserved my protection. 

But I was aware that the thing that had made her sell the Turners out to me immediately was because she did not trust that they had her back.

“Of course,” I said with a smile. “The moment you begin, you become a very important part of my arsenal to take Ophelia down.”

A tear slid down her eyes as she bowed till her head was touching the floor. “I will do it.”

I clapped cheerfully with a giggle. “Good.”

When I turned around to walk back to my seat, I saw my father by the entrance, watching me. 

I nodded in his direction, he nodded back and walked away.

After Akira was dragged off by Kan’s guard to be coached and outfitted for her mission, Kan turned to me. 

“Happy?”

“Very.” I smiled brightly at him, and did not move away when he leaned in close for a kiss. 

When he finally withdrew, his eyes were bright and light.

“Whoever saw you just now would not doubt that you are a Sullivan by birth.”

I smiled, although inwardly that was the last compliment I ever wanted to receive from anyone. 

The Sullivans were definitely the worst of all three families, at least from my own perspective.

“What if she betrays you to Ophelia.”

“It would not take long before I found out, then she becomes useless to me.”

He gave me a look and shook his head. “I don’t know how you plan to pull this off. Ophelia would expect news about you.”

“My plans would not work if she didn’t.”

Kan frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“From this point on, I will feed Ophelia misinformation about us. Things that would please her and push her to make all the wrong moves.”

Kan’s eyes widened.

“That’s cold.” He was looking at me still in surprise.

I shrugged. “She is a horrible and spiteful woman. That’s the least she deserves. She would never stop attacking me even if I chose peace.”

I sighed heavily, and glanced at him. 

Why was he suddenly speaking like he did not know Ophelia? She was always plotting evil. 

Even when I had gone into hiding, she had not stopped searching for me. And since I reappeared, I have survived several murder attempts already.

“I only have one option, really,” I said finally. “Stay one step ahead of her at all times.”