Chapter 48
“Go on,” Tobias said, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Well, just now…” Devin recounted the event earlier in detail.
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“So, you’re saying that this guy, Frank, used the Overlord Blow? The same move that Joel is famous
for?” Tobias asked.
Devin nodded emphatically. “Honestly, I’ve studied martial arts for years, and I’ve never seen anyone execute Joel’s Overlord Blow with such precision. He said he might have a natural talent for it, and I guess that’s possible, but something about it just doesn’t sit right with me.”
“What exactly are you suspicious of?” Tobias had already sensed there was something off about Frank.
Devin frowned, looking troubled. “I think he might have something to do with Joel.”
“Honestly, I thought you were about to say he might be Joel pretending to be someone else,” Tobias
said.
‘Boss, seriously, when I saw Frank pull off the Overlord Blow, for a split second, I really thought he was Joel. But then I snapped out of it. There’s no way. Joel is Dr. Bennett’s number one bodyguard. He wouldn’t just show up here.”
Tobias nodded. “You’re right about your analysis, but this Frank guy… there’s just something off
about him.”
After thinking for a moment, he said, “Really dig into his background. Be thorough.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Devin replied.
“Keep it under the radar. Make sure no one notices,” Tobias reminded him.
“No problem, boss. You can count on me,” Devin said confidently.
In the next room, Kaia and Joel stood facing each other.
“You used the Overlord Blow in front of Devin?” Kaia asked, her brow furrowing slightly.
Joel nodded. “It was an emergency. I just acted on instinct.”
“From what I know, Devin is your die–hard fan. Didn’t he get suspicious?” Kaia asked.
“He did, but I played it off. Told him I just have a knack for it, like I was born to pull off the Overlord Blow, Joel replied.
“And he believed you?” Kaia asked.
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Joel frowned. “Pretty sure he did.”
Kaia rubbed her chin. “Don’t let Devin’s carefree vibe fool you. Anyone who sticks close to Tobias isn’t some dummy. Plus, Devin is Tobias’s trusted guy.”
“So you mean, even if he didn’t say anything, he’s still got his doubts about me?” Joel asked.
“Definitely,” Kaia replied, sounding sure. “Odds are, Devin already told Tobias about it. And knowing Tobias, he’ll have Devin look into you on the sly. By the way, how’d you set up this Frank persona? Is it airtight, or can they dig up your real info?”
“Don’t worry. I had someone set up my new identity. It’s airtight. No way anyone’s tracing it back to me,” Joel said, patting his chest with confidence.
“If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t be concerned. But Tobias…” Kaia’s eyes drifted to the wall connecting to the next room, and that sharp, clever look of his flashed through her mind.
“He’s not just smart. He’s got real skills,” she added.
“So you think Tobias could sniff something out?” Joel asked.
“Yeah,” Kaia said, turning to Joel. “But leave it to me. I’ll get someone to clean this up and make sure nothing gets out.”
Joel was curious. “Who are you planning to reach out to? Who could have the skills to keep Tobias in the dark?”
“The SR Alliance,” Kaia replied.
Joel’s eyes widened. “You know someone high up in the SR Alliance?”
The SR Alliance was the most elite task organization in the world, bringing together top every country. Their success rate was off the charts.
There was no job they couldn’t handle, as long as the money was right.
talent from
“I don’t really know the higher–ups at SR Alliance, but I’m actually on good terms with the boss- the one at the very top,” Kaia said, her tone casual.
At first, Joel didn’t think much of it, but when he heard the second part, he was stunned. He could hardly believe his ears.
“You, you know the top boss?” Joel stammered, his voice full of disbelief.
“That’s the SR Alliance! The number one task organization in the world! And she never mentioned this before?‘ Joel thought, still reeling from the shock.
“I met the boss a few years ago,” Kaia said.
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Chapter 48
“How did you meet this top boss?” Joel asked, still trying to process it.
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“It was kind of a coincidence. A few years back, the boss’s mom got seriously ill, and they posted a job on the alliance board with a three–hundred–billion reward. I was bored at the lab that day, saw the post, and figured it was a sweet deal. So I took the job,” Kaia explained.
Hearing that, Joel suddenly understood.
“No wonder you vanished for a while and kept dodging my questions. Turns out you were off helping the boss’s mom,” he said.
“Come on, is it that shocking that I know the SR boss?” Kaia said as she sat down and took a leisurely sip from her cup.
Joel stared at her, feeling like he wanted to smack himself in the forehead and laugh at the same
time.
Yeah, Kaia’s right. The SR Alliance might be a big deal to most people, but the girl having coffee in front of me is Dr. Bennett herself–a living legend,’ he thought.
‘Honestly, nothing about the SR Alliance could ever surprise me more than Kaia herself.’
“It’s getting late. You should get going before anyone catches you,” Kaia said, checking the time.
“Relax, I told you–I’m Joel. Nothing to worry about,” Joel said with a confident grin, then slipped out the window with practiced ease.
After Joel left, Kaia opened her laptop and started a video call with the SR Alliance’s top boss.
The man on the screen had long, golden hair that hung loose around his shoulders, and his deep, blue eyes sparkled with mystery and charm. His features were chiseled and striking, almost too handsome to be real, but he gave off a wild, untamed vibe.
With a flashy toss of his hair, he grinned and spoke in Wustrian with a thick foreign accent. “Sweet Kaia, what took you so long to call me? Have you forgotten about me already?”
Kaia grimaced at his clingy, almost jealous tone. That was exactly why she rarely called him.
“Wilson, I need a favor from you,” Kaia said, not bothering with small talk.
“Oh wow, only call me when you need something, huh? When life’s good, you forget all about me. You’re so heartless, as you Wustriland people say, a total player,” Wilson mock–whined, tossing his hair dramatically.
“I’m hanging up,” Kaia couldn’t take it, already losing patience.
“No, no, wait! Don’t hang up! You need help, right? Just say the word, and I’ll handle it, right now, no questions asked!” Wilson blurted out, sounding almost desperate.
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Chapter 48
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Kaia filled Wilson in on Joel’s situation, asking him to cover Joel’s tracks so the Moreno family wouldn’t be able to dig up anything about him.
“This isn’t some small–time job, you know. The Moreno family runs Morganburg. They’re loaded. Making sure they don’t catch on is gonna cost you a pretty penny,” Wilson said, suddenly sounding
serious.
“How much?” Kaia asked, cutting straight to the chase.
“How could you even bring up money with me? That hurts my feelings!” Wilson put on a wounded act, clutching his chest like he’d been betrayed.
Kaia rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
“Alright, here’s the deal. I’m coming to Morganburg in a few days. Since you’re the local, you better show me a good time!” Wilson said with a cheeky grin.
“No problem,” Kaia replied, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, by the way, I heard you got engaged to that Moreno guy?” Wilson said, his usual carefree grin fading, replaced by a shadow that darkened his eyes.
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