Meanwhile, back in the real world—
As soon as Lyra Solis stepped out of the lift, she saw that the hallway on her company's floor was packed with idlers craning their necks and tiptoeing to peer through the glass doors into the office beyond.
"What's going on with this company?"
"Heard some creditors came to collect. Looks like it's not a small amount either!"
"Wait, isn't this Arcadia Pharmaceuticals? That's no small-time firm—why would they be in debt?"
Lyra hadn't even made it through the door when she overheard the murmurs of curious bystanders. She paused briefly, tilting her head slightly to catch the conversation.
"I heard the old chairman died, and his son took over. The CEO now is his granddaughter—they say she's quite the beauty."
"Tch. When a woman takes charge, the world's bound to fall apart."
"You said it. Rumor has it the current chairman has an adopted son he dotes on more than his own daughter. Wants her to marry him. But apparently, the CEO can't stand her so-called big brother. It's all one big soap opera, I tell you."
"…"
Lyra's expression darkened slightly as she listened, a flicker of exhaustion and sorrow briefly surfacing in her eyes. But she quickly pulled herself together, forced a breath, and strode forward, pushing through the crowd and entering the office.
"So? When is that woman getting back? We've been waiting nearly half an hour!"
"That's right! If we don't get answers today, we're clearing this place out…"
"This is just their corporate office—we should be targeting the factory. That equipment's worth something!"
"Yeah! Clear this out first, then head for the plant!"
"…"
The moment Lyra stepped through the glass doors, a barrage of crude and aggressive voices struck her ears. Her brows knit tightly together as a spark of fury lit her eyes.
Kindness invites contempt; meekness invites tyranny.
That ancient truth rang clearly in her mind. Her fists clenched involuntarily, the fire in her eyes flaring as she coldly declared,
"What is this, a robbery? Assistant, call the police."
Her voice wasn't loud, but the icy edge in her tone sent a chill down the spines of the dozen or so people crowding the reception desk. They turned instinctively to look at her.
The woman in black-rimmed glasses—her assistant—stood helplessly at the front desk, trying to reason with the angry mob. Hearing Lyra's voice, her face lit up with relief and she quickly pushed her way through the crowd.
"And who might you be?"
The mob stood stunned for a moment, seemingly taken aback by her presence. Eventually, a rotund, heavyset man stepped forward, his tone shifting to something more serious.
"I'm Lyra Solis, CEO of Arcadia Pharmaceuticals," she said, lifting her chin slightly, her posture tall and proud, her tone cold and authoritative.
The man blinked in surprise. He'd heard rumors that the new CEO was a woman, but he hadn't expected her to be this stunning. His gaze shifted, and with a sneer he said:
"No wonder this company's going under. They put a little girl in charge. Hah!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Exactly. What does a woman know about running a business? She'd be better off at home cooking dinner and having babies."
"Just look at Arcadia now—it'll be bankrupt any day!"
More voices joined in, spouting sexist drivel like it was sport. A crowd emboldened by numbers.
Lyra's expression didn't change, but her eyes narrowed. She turned to her assistant and said crisply:
"What are you waiting for? Call the police. Now."
"Yes, Ms. Solis."
This time, the bespectacled assistant didn't hesitate. She picked up her phone and began dialing.
As the sound of emergency services being contacted reached their ears, the jeers and jabs around the room quieted somewhat. The heavyset man hesitated, then cleared his throat and stepped forward again.
"Ms. Solis, we're not here to cause trouble. Arcadia owes us over three hundred thousand pounds. Don't you think it's time we settled the invoice?"
"Settle the invoice?" Lyra's voice sharpened. "Is that what you call this? Because it looks more like daylight robbery to me."
A few people shifted uncomfortably. The spokesman, despite the tension, pressed on.
"This might look bad, I'll admit. But you have to understand—we're desperate. Word is Arcadia's accounts are dry. If you can't pay by the end of the month, what happens to us?"
Murmurs rippled through the group again. A young man added:
"Arcadia's a massive company. To you, this is nothing. But to us? This is our payroll—our families depend on it."
"He's right!"
"If we don't get paid today, we're not leaving!"
"Exactly. We need that money!"
The room, which had just begun to settle, boiled over once more. The group began edging toward Lyra, each one demanding a resolution.
"What the hell is going on here?!"
Just then, a small group of four or five men stormed out from deeper within the building. Leading them was a sharply dressed young man in a grey suit. His handsome face was marred only by the dark circles under his eyes. And when his gaze flicked to Lyra, there was a flicker of greed behind the calm.
"Ah, it's Mr. Shandar's boy!"
"Good to see you, Mr. Voss! You've got to speak for us here!"
"Yeah, with Mr. Voss on our side, we can trust things'll be fair!"
The crowd instantly recognized the man—none other than Kael Voss, Lyra's adopted brother.
Kael's arrival sent a small ripple of relief through the mob. Several even started flattering him outright. Surrounded by a few men in black, he strode confidently to Lyra's side.
"What's all this commotion?" he demanded. "This is a lawful country. Who dares threaten my sister?"
"Mr. Voss, we'd never!" the heavyset man said quickly, bowing slightly. "We're just here to collect what's owed to us. According to the contract."
Kael's eyes flicked from the man to Lyra, and his expression twisted into one of faux concern.
"I understand. As Deputy Director of Arcadia, I give you my word—you'll be paid in full. Not a penny short."
He glanced at Lyra again, clearly watching for her reaction. But her face remained unreadable, calm to the point of apathy. That disappointed him.
Trying to regain control, Kael added smoothly:
"Just give us a moment. I'll discuss the matter with Ms. Solis and we'll give you an answer shortly."
"Now that's more like it! Unlike certain people who just stall and stall…"
"Mr. Voss is a man of his word. We believe him!"
A few people in the crowd chimed in with suspiciously well-timed praise. Lyra's cold gaze swept over them. She had already noticed the subtle orchestration—certain individuals were working to stir up the group, feeding the tension at key moments.
The heavyset man was clearly the ringleader, but others were lurking in the crowd, providing backup when needed.
She'd suspected from the beginning that this was a staged incident. And the moment Kael arrived, she understood everything.
This entire charade… was Kael's doing.
The only question was—what exactly did he hope to gain?