CHAPTER 16

After finding out that Miranda was listening in on everything that was going on I gave Glenn a concerned look. Obviously knowing Miranda it was already too late for us to hide it.

"Glenn, why are you pinning me on the ground? She probably heard everything you said ."

"what if she entered here with a machine gun and threatened to shoot us up?"

"Glenn we are not in a light novel written by a lonely girl in her room."

"How sure you?"

"extremely sure. You can get off me now." I said feeling my lungs being crushed by his entire body. I was barely breathing.

Glenn slowly stood up and held me up. As much as he was a bit of an idiot sometimes I could tell that he actually believed that Miranda would run upon us with a machine gun in hand screaming, "you betrayed me !" Oddly specific scenario to make up but sadly it was perfectly possible for our lives and level of trust at that moment.

"Since it is already too late for us you can just tell me. I will find out either way."

"The other person in the room was her father. She has been holding secret meetings with him ever since she came back."

That was news I never expected to hear. It felt like every chapter of this mission was constant reveals, mistrust, and just shock. I wondered why Miranda would hide that piece of information from us.

"She told her dad that she is alive?"I asked concerned and confused by Miranda's actions.

"No, of course, he doesn't know anything."

I tried my best to come up with excuses for Miranda. I would assume that she just missed her dad or something that was not something she would hide from us at all. I hoped that there was nothing bad in the situation.

"So then why should I get worried or even angry?" I asked

"It seems like you forgot something Important, Cy. Where exactly does Miranda's Dad work?

"He works for the plumbing company downtown as a security guard. Why is that so important?"

"Cy you really need to know when people lie to you. He only said that plumbing company for the location but what is located next to the plumbing company."

I paused for a while thinking about Miranda's father and then a worried look was written all over my face.

"It can't be."

"It is."

"Miranda's intel must have informed her, "I said still shocked, "Wait that means..."

"Yes., you smart enough to know what's been happening. She's using him to give her information about the Executive's activities."

Honestly, I could not believe what was happening, what I was hearing ,.How could Miranda stoop so low just to get some information just for Gendwall?

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It has been about a day since the bombshell about Miranda threatening her own father for information was out. I guess she thought it would be easier to destroy the executive from the Inside with someone she already knew and was close with. She knew all his weaknesses, pros, cons, and anything that could push him down.she was planning to tear him apart just to get information out of him but that was such an immoral way of getting information from someone especially her own father.

That information distracted me from doing anything productive the next day entirely. To make matters worse was that my mother and Kim had been in my house for the night before and they were actually serious about meeting Jen Blue. They spent the whole night nagging me to tell them all about the Jen Blue situation. Honestly, it was not a good day for me. I had to even leave the contest in the hands of the main supervisor.

"I think you should confront her," Glenn said breaking my train of thought

I looked up to him and went back to signing the papers on my desk. It was not that I was angry at her but I was just sad and disappointed that Miranda could not even trust me, even as far as we had come together.

"Cy you can't always solve your problems by sitting and waiting for something to happen."

"why not?"

"because your Cyrus and you're smarter than this."

"says the person who wanted me to know."

"I only wanted you to know so that you two can sort it out. Plus it was not the time to keep issues of mistrust under wraps at such a critical time. I understand why she would not trust us considering it has been a long time. You have to regain trust by acting now.once she depends on us more she will probably find no reason to threaten her father if she believes in us and our plan."

"I am not sure....."

"Cy gets over yourself. This is not the time to plead with your feelings. maybe when lives are not on the line. Now stand up and do something."

It had been a while since I heard Glenn talk like that. Maybe all those years it was something he always wanted to tell me when I was depressed about Miranda's departure. I wondered how long I had been enveloped in those regrets and self-deprecating thoughts. I must have been a real pain to deal with. It was hard to take in all those words at once but I knew he was right. I just had to swallow a hard pill and get over myself.

I stood up, ready to go talk to Miranda, and fix the trust issues she had with us.

"Well, the eyes burning with passion it has been long since I witnessed it. So do you have a plan?"

"Not at all."

"you are a real piece of work you know that."

"Well, that's why I have you here with me."

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Glenn and I came up with a couple of ideas on how to approach the situation. The major thing we had to do was make sure she trusted us completely by proving our loyalty to her.our lives constantly felt like a war manga written by an inexperienced writer trying to break the fourth wall several times in the series. Anyway, I was ready to prove that I was on her side no matter what.

I drove to the outside of the apartment and sat there rehearsing my lines in the car. Obviously, I was nervous about messing anything up so everything I had to say should be complete perfection word by word. Suddenly I heard a rude knocking on the car door and I attempted to hide my phone just in case it was Miranda. I looked out my car window and it was a face I never wanted to see.

"Jay, what the hell are you doing?"I said rolling down my window.

"Let me in."

it was exactly what I did not need in my life. Jay was cool and all but her being extra evasive was just making more anxious about the situation. She was not even hiding that she was following me around anymore.

"Let me cut to the chase here, Cyrus we suspect that your little fling is bad news."

"I thought secret agents were supposed to keep information like that a secret"

"i do things my way and we both know that. back to what I was saying this Jen Blue character seems untrustworthy."

"what makes you believe that?"

"for five years now you have never been romantically involved with another person but all a sudden a woman who appeared a few weeks ago is suddenly swooning you. "

"swooning me."

"Cyrus you employed her just the other day, you have been spotted several times together especially near your home, through your bank statements you have adopted a new spending habit on things you would never buy, for God's sake you're waiting outside an apartment that you are paying rent for. Why can't you see that she is using you?"

"You have no right over who I can and can not spend my money on."

"as much as I was assigned to make sure you not planning on anything stupid, I also make it my mission to protect you from harm."

"protecting me would never rewrite what you did to Miranda," I said now getting heated up by the tension.

"I know that!"

"Then why do you insist on protecting me now?"

"I do not want to fail again!"

Jay looked at me angrier than before. I could relate to failing others and I could feel the pain she was feeling at that moment. It was pain, regret, hate, and utter confusion all in one messy ball of emotions constantly bombarding you to near insanity.

"Jay , as much as you feel responsible i know i feel safe around Jen and i will be fine. You do not need to hold yourself accountable for things out of your control."

"it is my duty to care no matter what."

"okay you know me so well ask anything you want, we both know I won't lie .'

she paused and looked at me concerned.

"Do you completely trust that her intentions are pure?"

"Yes, no doubt in my mind."

she looked at me still concerned after a while she went at ease and looked at me as if I was a lost child.

"I am going to let this slide for now. But if we have any reason to detain her we will not hesitate to do so."