CHAPTER 10

With the executive's suspicion, I knew I had to tread softly and calculate for every step I made. For the entire five years, The Executive had been on my neck. I would notice the sudden addition of cameras in the office building. They weren't trying to be subtle at all with me. They were obsessed over me and it was actually annoying like having an ex-girlfriend stalking you everywhere but they weren't even your girlfriend, to begin with.

I arranged for Jay and me to meet up so I could give her an explanation of the tournament which seemed a bit believable or at least let The Executive let it take place without raiding my place of work or home. I went to a coffee shop in the downtown area of Paradise where I ordered coffee for both of us. As a field agent, she was trained to act like a normal adult just going by her day to day activities, considering that she was assigned to me she even made the effort to know people and build a fake persona for herself as a coffee-loving freelance graphic designer. She looked just like any other human being you could imagine. T-shirt and jeans carrying around her phone. She would even go to the extent of taking pictures of her drinks and call herself a 'foodie' on social media. At times I am not even sure if she was faking the whole coffee-loving food persona.

She walked in normally and as usual field agents avoided standing out and you could feel zero presence from her. She had a happy go lucky smile patched across her face. I knew Jay long enough to know that this was completely opposite of her true personality. When I met her she had the cruel dark voice of a fictional leader of an evil race of aliens who were planning on blowing up planets for entertainment. It is a very specific description but honestly in a parallel universe that would have been her actual job.

After a glorious act of her walking up to a waiter asking about my whereabouts and letting the waiter point at my table so just she could pull up a 'thank you' smile was hilarious. No matter the situation, once you know Jay you could feel how dead inside she was the moment she stepped into the coffee shop.

"I see your acting is as good as ever," I said when she finally arrived at my table.

She shot me the dirtiest of looks that I had seen in a while. Agents really hated to be teased especially on the job. Her mood reverted back to her normal cold and stiff self.

"Cyrus we are both busy people, now tell me the truth, why are you holding such a large scale online event?"She asked going straight to the point.

"You guys have always doubted everything I have ever done, starting Digicliff, all my projects, even my personal property now I give a youthful teenager a chance on something as big as working at high-end tech companies and you still don't believe I can have genuine good-hearted motives ?"

"Why do you even try to lie we all know you can't lie."She said looking at me dead in the eyes

My lying deficiency might me into trouble one day. It was ashaming even to me at this point for everyone to catch my lie. I should have really stopped but my brain kept trying g to see if I would get better. Sadly I was just a disappointment.

" You usually plan for months before launching anything, your a planner and somehow this idea seemed rushed and our of your usual personality. I know you Cyrus Mayday and I know you are meticulous. Everything has to be done right so why the sudden we have a tournament game? "

"Jay when did you guys send Miranda ?" I asked now attempting to divert her attention away from the game itself.

"How does it have to do with... "

"It was five years ago Jay. Five years ago." I said looking at her so that she could clearly see the message I wanted to pass to her

Jay was clever and I knew that she knew what I was getting at.

"Okay Cy I get it you're devastated …..."

I never let her finish since I was already on a roll.

"You know that since that day it has been hard for me. I know you constantly follow me and we both know how hard it was even waking up, eating, walking, or doing anything productive. When I got something to do I finally felt like I was carrying Miranda's hopes and dreams. It was my fault and I needed to redeem myself. I only felt this is another step towards redemption by doing this I am making it up to Miranda."

Jay looked at me,I could tell she felt guilty just by the way she glared at me. I knew the mere mention of Miranda easily made her concerned. I never threw Miranda's name around just for my own sake. She was there when all of it went down that day and even though she was just following orders she did had to carry some small ounce of responsibility. She looked at me with her dead eyes but I knew her enough to know that she just pitied me the entire time. Plus no being should stop someone from accomplishing their redemption arc.

"Cyrus you know this is not the end."

"It never is."

"We will remain in a close watch on the activities and the reports will be sent to our servers. That is the only way you can continue with the tournament of yours."

"I already did that," I said looking at her in the eye.

"Well, you can continue with your tournament. But I caution you Cyrus any suspicious activity any wrong done or we find out your planning something else ....."

"I know I know Jay you give me those beautiful parting words every time we have these meetings," I said relieved that I was in the clear to just continue with my plan.

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It was an extremely tiring day for me. I had not gotten a decent night's rest for about two days by then. I met up with Miranda at my house which she had already concluded was hers. We sat down in peace and tranquility trying to put our thoughts in order. Peace and tranquility slowly became the eerie awkward silence. I was so used to being by myself that now it was now just odd being in silence with another human being.

I decided to take the brave action of breaking the silence with anything that would enter my mind.

"I want to meet them ."

"I beg your pardon?" she asked raising her eyebrows.

"You know your Intel the one you keep on meeting up with every now and then "

"Cy I already told you that you could not meet them."

"I don't care, Miranda, .if this is going to continue we have to give each other a hundred percent trust. Knowing who you are talking to is trust , if anything goes sideways I need to make sure you are safe and that means I need a connection to those people," I said looking at her seriously.

Honestly, there was no doubt in my mind that I trusted Miranda completely, but I could not bring myself to trust random people who she has been meeting for days on end. I lost her once and I was not prepared to lose her a second time. unfortunately, I could tell she was not convinced, and ever since she came back there had been this mysterious aura around her that was dark and had a lonely feel to it.

"Cy....."

"I hope the next words will be yes," I said now pulling out my secret weapon, puppy dog eyes

"You still do that when you want something Cy?" She asked creeping a tiny smile.

"Yes. It is my secret weapon I have nothing else than this."

"Well, you did let me stay at your place, give me a job and risk your company for my sake. I will only allow it once. "

She finally agreed but with some rules of course concerning the time, date, and location. She instructed me to avoid talking at all but her hesitation made me really concerned it was unlike her.

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