Chapter 249 The Inside Story
"Come on in," Kellan said.
The door, already unlocked, swung open, and Hayden stepped inside. If Skyview were here, he'd recognize Hayden right away as the guy who got him out of Jack's grip.
"What's up, Hayden?" Kellan asked, sounding serious.
"I got a message, sir," Hayden replied.
Kellan nodded, getting the hint. "Must be pretty important if you're bringing it straight to me."
"Yeah, it is. It's about the Darkmoon family from Skyscape City. You know them, right?"
Kellan chuckled. "The Darkmoons, one of the big four families in Skyscape City. They've been making waves lately. Even the Smiths, who run the place, have to watch their step around them. Especially that young guy, Kaelen Darkmoon. People say he's gonna be the next prime minister."
"Kaelen's a real powerhouse," Maddox chimed in, having heard the buzz about the young guy's feats. "He's done some impressive stuff. He's a solid leader."
Maddox had a lot of respect for Kaelen. And for good reason. Even though the Darkmoons were influential, they were still no match for the Smiths, the top dogs in Skyscape City. Any move by the Smiths to change leadership would naturally favor one of their own.
But Kaelen had a smart plan. He played on the international community's dislike for dictatorships and hereditary rule, using it to mess with the Smiths' succession plans. Skyscape City, relying heavily on global relations, had no choice but to give in to international pressure.
At the same time, Kaelen made a strategic alliance with the rising power of Golden Valley, using their growing influence to balance out the Smiths. Golden Valley was on the rise, looking like it was going to be a major player on the world stage. Even Maddox had to admire Kaelen's smarts and vision.
"Kaelen's people reached out to me," Hayden said. "They need our help."
Maddox frowned. "With all due respect, Kaelen's got a lot of power. What could he possibly need from us?"
"It's about one of our loan companies," Hayden explained. "There's this guy, Jaxon, who's behind on his payments. Kaelen wants us to grab him and use his sister, Suzanne, as leverage. He's offering fifteen million bucks and a favor from the Darkmoon family in return. He wants us to make it look like a simple debt collection, keeping the Darkmoons out of it."
"Have you checked out this Jaxon? How much does he owe?" Maddox's gut was telling him something was off.
"He's a repeat offender, sir. Takes out loans and then disappears. He owes us about twenty grand, but with interest and penalties, it's up to around a hundred thousand," Hayden reported.
"This doesn't make sense," Maddox said, his suspicions growing. "Fifteen million and a favor for a hundred-thousand-dollar debt? What's so special about this Jaxon? There's more to this, Hayden. You dug deeper, right?"
Hayden replied, "I did. And it gets interesting. Do you know who Jaxon is?"
"Enlighten us," Maddox prompted.
"He's ex-military, sir. His sister, Suzanne, is a recently retired soldier. Word is she's exceptionally skilled, not someone to mess with."
Kellan's eyes narrowed. "How skilled are we talking?"
"Reliable sources say she could take on a hundred men without breaking a sweat," Hayden revealed.
"If that's true, we can't afford to cross her," Kellan said, his voice cautious. "That's a hornet's nest we don't want to stir."
"So, the Darkmoons want us to grab her brother, knowing it'll provoke her?" Maddox mused, piecing it together. "Are they trying to set us up?"
Hayden expalined, "Not necessarily, sir. They're adamant about framing it as a financial dispute. And technically, we do have a claim against Jaxon. It's extreme, but as long as no harm comes to him, we have plausible deniability."
"What's Suzanne doing now?" Kellan asked.
"She's a personal bodyguard for Skyview, the chairman of the Twin Group," Hayden replied. "I've heard she's saved his life multiple times."
"Skyview's lucky to have someone like her watching his back," Kellan remarked, quickly grasping the situation's implications. "If I'm not mistaken, Kaelen's goal is to lure Suzanne away from Skyview, even if it's temporary. This is about more than just a debt; it's about eliminating Skyview as a threat."
"This is bad," Maddox's face paled as the gravity of the situation sank in. "Lily works for Skyview!"
"That's exactly why I had to tell you right away, sir," Hayden confirmed. "My investigation revealed an existing conflict between Kaelen and Skyview. They had a public falling out at the Brighter Futures Ball over a woman, and it wasn't pretty. I think Kaelen might have real bad intentions towards Skyview."
"He wouldn't dare harm Skyview on our turf," Maddox scoffed, though a flicker of unease remained. "How dare he try to assassinate a billionaire in Golden Valley?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
