Chapter 286: Chapter 286: It’s Erin Xavier’s Time
Their relationship with Secretary Justin Lewis wasn’t close enough for regular contact.
They were merely acquaintances.
Reporting it directly to The Military wasn’t realistic either.
The five of them fell silent for a moment in the Psionic Training Room. Miles Sherman was the first to speak. "I’ll handle this."
Among the group, Miles Sherman was the most suitable person for the job.
His father was a government official, so he likely had the closest connections to Quentin Ford and Justin Lewis out of all of them. Of course, it would also be a great help if Aaron Xavier could ask his father for assistance.
But Zoe Pierce and the others would never force Aaron Xavier to do that.
So, when you looked at it that way, Miles Sherman really was the most suitable person.
Zoe Pierce and the others didn’t know what arrangements Miles Sherman made, only that less than two days later, The Military launched a large-scale investigation into the Beta council members.
The operation was too massive to be kept under wraps.
Even Quentin Ford was subjected to several basic searches.
Zoe Pierce and the others even heard that Quentin Ford’s secretary had confronted The Military’s personnel over the search.
Somehow, his vocal cords were damaged, and to protest The Military’s search, he refused treatment.
The incident caused a brief uproar.
Justin Lewis wasn’t protesting the search on himself, but the one on Quentin Ford.
He wouldn’t stand for even a basic search.
For a moment, no one could tell if Justin Lewis was genuinely showing his loyalty or just putting on an act.
However, it was undeniable that because of his ruckus,
some of the Omega council members had also grown dissatisfied with The Military’s actions and were beginning to speak up for the Betas.
Omegas had always been a special group. The Alphas at the top needed them, and they, in turn, needed Betas. They were like a social hub, binding the different parts of society together.
Not even Alphas could ignore the Omegas’ opinions.
Otherwise, the matter of spiritual power soothing alone would be enough to give Alphas a massive headache.
In the end, even the basic investigation into Quentin Ford lost its initial rigor.
The basic search started with a bang and ended with a whimper.
And to show the depth of his conviction, Justin Lewis continued his silent protest even after The Military had concluded its search.
No one knew how long his protest would last.
However, when the news reached Zoe Pierce, she was momentarily stunned.
Justin Lewis’s voice... the very thing she had just been questioning.
Now, he suddenly couldn’t speak. No matter how she thought about it, it was too suspicious.
But the reason he gave was just so... fitting.
Yes, fitting.
Even though Zoe Pierce wasn’t politically savvy, she had seen plenty of protests in Western countries back on Earth.
Sit-ins, hunger strikes, public nudity.
Even marches and parades were commonplace.
Justin Lewis’s move was brilliant. Using a silent protest as a tactic, as long as he remained silent, the issue would never truly be over.
Everyone understood what had driven him to this state.
And this was his way of expressing his discontent.
Judging by Quentin Ford’s attitude, everyone could see he was being remarkably lenient with Justin Lewis.
He hadn’t even demanded that Justin Lewis seek treatment to restore his voice.
This implied that Justin Lewis’s protest might as well be an extension of Quentin Ford’s own stance.
Even if Ford claimed not to mind the investigation, everyone could read his true feelings in Justin Lewis’s actions.
He, too, was using this method to express his discontent.
As Zoe Pierce contemplated the stance behind this action, she felt an indescribable unease for the first time.
When it all unfolds before your eyes, and you’re a player in the game, it’s hard not to be affected.
But only Zoe Pierce could feel the relentless surge of a dark undercurrent.
’Who on earth noticed my expression that day?’
’I barely said a few words to Quentin Ford, and Justin Lewis was right there the whole time.’
’Was it Quentin Ford, or Justin Lewis?’
Following her logic, both had motive. Justin Lewis was practically doing a victory dance on her list of suspects.
But as for Quentin Ford, Zoe Pierce still wasn’t sure.
’Does this really have anything to do with Quentin Ford?’
Justin Lewis’s position alone was high enough for him to be the liaison for the Terrorist Organization.
He was second only to Quentin Ford, holding sway over thousands upon thousands of Betas.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Zoe Pierce felt truly conflicted.
The Military had investigated Justin Lewis, of course, but it yielded no results.
’Right,’ she thought. ’An organization capable of perfectly executing multiple terrorist attacks... if he’s really their liaison, how could they possibly find anything so easily?’
Besides, in a case like this, they would only confess if they were caught red-handed.
Clearly, the conditions for that hadn’t been met yet.
It felt like they were stuck in a vicious cycle.
At The Military, all Zoe Pierce could do now was continue her training and keep improving her ability to protect herself.
「Another month passed.」
The exclusive assessment for Zoe Pierce and her team concluded.
Every member passed the assessment with flying colors.
They were granted a temporary five-day leave.
They could stay on the Capital Star, but they had to be ready to return at a moment’s notice.
Aaron Xavier had been waiting for Zoe Pierce since early that morning.
Zoe Pierce didn’t know at first. She’d thought she was just heading home for a few days of rest, but then she spotted someone squatting by the main gate.
Noticing him from a distance, she scanned the area with her spiritual power.
The moment the Alpha’s face tilted up, she knew exactly who it was.
Aaron Xavier saw Zoe Pierce too. With a few quick bursts of spiritual power, he was by her side. "Zoe, you’re back!" he cooed.
Zoe Pierce was speechless.
Looking into those excited eyes, she felt an urge to flee.
He looked absolutely ravenous.
His eyes, which should have been harmless and round, were now sparkling with a brilliant light.
He looked so full of anticipation, he might as well have been wagging a tail.
Zoe Pierce knew exactly what he was anticipating...
...which was probably why she wanted to run.
"Aaron Xavier..." Zoe Pierce began, trying to speak to him gently.
Aaron Xavier put both hands behind his back and grinned. "Yes?"
Zoe Pierce didn’t know what to say. Aaron hadn’t spelled it out, and she couldn’t bring herself to say *those* kinds of things out here in broad daylight.
In the end, all she could manage was, "You behave."
Aaron Xavier immediately threw his hands up in surrender. "I promise, I’ll be on my best behavior~"
Feeling like they were wasting time outside, Zoe Pierce sighed softly. "Why didn’t you wait inside?"
They both had their fingerprints and iris scans registered to the door.
Aaron Xavier followed her inside. "I wanted to be the first to see you."
It was always difficult to see her at The Military, but here at her front door, it was easy.
When he started whispering sweet nothings, Zoe Pierce had no choice but to surrender.
The moment the door closed, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and said plaintively, "Our special day has been delayed for several days."
If you were counting, it had been almost a week since her three-month arrangement with Chase Shaw had ended.
And it had been five days since Chase Shaw’s pheromones should have completely metabolized.
Aaron Xavier had been counting down every single day.
Zoe Pierce knew Aaron Xavier’s personality. Making him wait was practically torture for him.
