Eira woke to the sound of her phone ringing. Groaning softly, she reached over to the side table, picking it up and squinting at the screen.
7:08 PM.
Her gaze shifted to the na flashing on the screen—Jania.
With a sigh, she leaned back against the headboard and answered.
"Hey," Jania’s voice ca through, brisk but laced with concern. "Reed told what happened. I called earlier, but you didn’t pick up. How are you holding up?"
"I’m fine. Just took a nap." Eira rubbed her temples, her voice steady. "Did you get what I asked Reed to deliver?"
Jania’s sigh ca from the other end. "Yeah, I got it. And I questioned the captive Reed brought in."
Eira straightened, her focus sharpening. "And? What did you find out?"
"He claims they weren’t after you or the Dellingers."
Eira frowned. "Then who—?"
"Cyran Carver," Jania cut in, her tone grim. "They were after him."
"What? Why?"
"I’m sure you know who the Carvers are. Even though Cyran isn’t from the eldest son’s family, he is the cousin to the current heir of Carver Industries, so it isn’t so surprising that so people would want to kidnap him," Jania explained. "What *is* surprising is how close they ca to pulling it off without anyone noticing. Or maybe... they did, but still let it happen."
Eira’s fingers tightened around the phone. "What do you an? And you still haven’t told the reason they wanted him."
"I’m coming to that. What I an is, if soone is planning to harm a mber of their family, I’m sure they—or at least one person—must have known, because they always keep tabs on every mber of their family in case sothing happens. It was sothing we found out a few years ago when we were investigating the Carver family. And what the captive said was that the person they wanted was Emrys, the younger brother of the current heir of the family. However, the amount of security around him was impossible to breach, so they turned to the next best thing—Cyran. Though it still amazes that he doesn’t have his own security detail. Even though his health is better than Emrys, he’s still sick," Jania said, muttering the last part to herself so softly that Eira barely heard it.
Eira paused, taking ti to digest all the information before speaking. "So he didn’t tell you why they were told to kidnap a Carver?"
"No. He said their boss only told them to bring soone from the Carver family."
"Wow. Then, if Cyran doesn’t have his own security detail, does that an he’s being mistreated?"
"I’m not sure, but I don’t think so. For all we know, it might be Cyran or his parents who dismissed the security detail."
"So you think the Carvers know?" Eira asked after a mont.
"They must have known," Jania said. "But they’re keeping it quiet, which isn’t surprising. The Carvers hate showing weakness."
"I see. Alright, keep updated."
"I will," Jania promised. "Take care of yourself."
"Sure, bye."
After the call ended, Eira sat still for a mont, staring at the darkened screen of her phone.
"AI, are you there?" she asked quietly.
[Yes, Master?] the synthetic voice replied, a hint of warmth in its tone. [What do you need?]
"Pull everything you can on the Carver Industries heir," she instructed.
[As you wish,] the AI responded. [This may take a few minutes.]
Eira placed the phone back on the table and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her mind whirring.
The Carver family. Powerful, secretive, and dangerous. If soone was willing to risk so much to target them, there was more to this than simple power plays.
A faint chi broke her thoughts as the AI spoke again.
[Preliminary information retrieved. The current heir of the Carver family is Rylie Carver, 29 years old, known for his sharp business acun and ruthless tactics. Emrys Carver, his younger brother, is 23 and reportedly suffers from a chronic illness, rendering him a recluse. Cyran Carver, age 18, is the cousin of the siblings and not in the line of succession. He is noted to have weak, almost non-existent standing within the family due to his estranged relationship with the other mbers. No recent evidence suggests he dismissed a security detail, but there are rumors he chose to live independently despite his health issues.]
Eira tapped her fingers against her knee, absorbing the information. "What about their connections? Associates?"
[Rylie is notoriously well-guarded and connected. He has partnerships with key political figures and underworld leaders. Emrys, however, has few public appearances and limited contacts beyond close family mbers and doctors. Weak points are not easily discernible for any of them, though Emrys appears to be the most isolated, while Cyran is estranged, and Rylie makes the decisions on behalf of the head of the family.]
Eira frowned. "Who benefits from kidnapping Cyran? And if Emrys was the original target, why settle for Cyran instead of abandoning the plan entirely?"
The AI paused before responding.
[The logic is unclear without further data, but possibilities include leveraging Cyran as bait or a bargaining chip to manipulate the Carvers. Given Cyran’s estranged status, his disappearance might not imdiately alarm the family, making him a lower-risk target for the captors.]
Fucking rich families and their conspiracies.
Eira sighed. "Thanks for the help. You can go back to your upgrade."
[You’re welco, Master.] With that, the voice in her head went quiet.
Eira lay back down and looked up at the ceiling.
If what the AI said was true, then it was hard to say if Cyran would be in more danger in the future. But if his family got to know—especially his mother—then his security detail must be reinstated.
Eira hoped so.
---
In one of the sky-high buildings in Washington, a sleek glass structure with the words *Carver Industries* emblazoned in bold, silver letters, the evening lights of the city reflected like diamonds.
At the pinnacle of the building, in the president’s office, Rylie Carver sat behind a massive mahogany desk. His long red hair was tied into a low ponytail, with a single curly strand framing the side of his sharp, angular face. Dressed in a tailored black suit with the top buttons of his shirt undone, the glimpse of his toned chest was revealed. A cigar smoldered between his fingers, a thin trail of smoke curling upward in the evening light spilling from the floor to ceiling windows behind him.
The office door opened after a soft knock. His personal assistant, a young man with perfectly parted hair and a neatly pressed suit, entered and bowed slightly.
"Sir, you called for ?"
Rylie’s storm-gray eyes, cold yet piercing, flicked up to et his assistant’s. He leaned back in his chair, taking a slow drag from the cigar before exhaling. "Is it true my cousin was attacked and nearly kidnapped?"
The assistant adjusted his glasses, his tone crisp. "Yes, sir."
Rylie’s gaze narrowed slightly, a predatory glint flashing in his eyes. "And how, pray tell, was he able to escape unscathed? Cyran isn’t exactly known for his resilience."
"Apparently, he was with the Dellinger sisters and another young woman at the ti. During the attack, the Dellinger sisters’ guard and the young woman intervened. They were the ones who subdued the assailants."
Rylie raised a brow, his lips curving into a faint, sardonic smile. "A girl? I understand the Dellinger guard, but a girl defeating highly skilled n? Are you sure Asher didn’t send amateurs?"
The assistant hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "The information we’ve gathered indicates otherwise, sir. Mr. Asher sent a team of highly skilled operatives to abduct your brother, Emrys. However, when they couldn’t breach his security detail, they pivoted to targeting Cyran instead. As for the young woman, sources claim she displayed exceptional combat skills, well beyond what one would expect from soone of her age or background."
Rylie’s smile faded, replaced by a calculating expression. He stubbed out his cigar in the crystal ashtray on his desk. "Interesting. And who is this young woman?"
"Her na is Ephyra Allen. She’s not officially connected to the Dellinger family, but she’s been friends with the sisters for so ti. Preliminary reports suggest she has an unusual background, though details are scarce."
Rylie’s eyes glead with interest. "Ephyra Allen," he murmured, the na rolling off his tongue. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, fingers steepled. "I want a full dossier on her by tomorrow morning. If she’s connected to the Dellingers and managed to best Asher’s n, she’s soone I need to know more about."
"Yes, sir," the assistant said with a nod.
Rylie leaned back again, his mind already racing. The attack on Cyran was an inconvenience, but the involvent of this mysterious girl was... intriguing. He drumd his fingers on the desk, a slow, deliberate rhythm.
"And what of Cyran? How is he handling the situation?"
"He seems shaken but unhard, sir. However, he has refused any additional security detail, insisting he can manage on his own."
Rylie let out a low chuckle, devoid of humor. "Stubborn as always. He may not hold any real power in this family, but he’s still a Carver. Whether he likes it or not, this incident has made him a liability."
"Shall I arrange for security to be assigned regardless of his protests?" the assistant offered.
Rylie shook his head, a cold smile playing on his lips. "No. Let him dig his own grave if he insists on being reckless. For now, our focus is on this Ephyra Allen. I’ll decide what to do with Cyran once I know more about her."
"Oh, before I forget, when is my eting with Lyle Aelion?"
"In a week sir."
"Alright." Rylie grinned. "You can leave."
The assistant bowed once more and quietly exited the room, leaving Rylie alone with his thoughts.
Rylie stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights sprawling beneath him like a glittering web.
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