Crushing Nate & Aria

Dylan heaved a sigh of relief as soon as 20 Shots left the room, worn out from the day's visits. He barely had time for himself before calls and visitors began pouring in.

{You know who the third shooter is. You saw that tattoo. Why didn't you reveal his identity to the police?}

"And miss the chance to kill him myself? Nah, I'll pass." Dylan shrugged, his attention fixated on the messages on the panel.

His flashlight gave him a good glimpse of the man who shot him. The familiar star tattoo underneath his eyes gave away his identity as the bartender of the Velvet Viper Club.

Dylan doubted the murder attempt was to silence him and end the investigation. The moment they got their hands on the CCTV footage, they had lost the case.

Even if they killed him, Ethan still had it. This led him to believe the murder attempt was for personal reasons.

{Mission Failed}

{2/3 killed}

{+100exp}

{New Achievement Unlocked: Recognition}

{Host has become the hottest topic in the city and has received well-deserved recognition. This is your opportunity to rise to the top}

{+200exp}

{Level up}

{Level 2 --> 3}

{3 unused stat points}

{2 points --> Strength}

{1 point --> Agility}

{Name: Dylan Morningstar}

{Age: 28}

{Race: Human}{Class: Cambion}

{Sin: Lust}

{Level: 3}

{Stat}

{Str: 3}

{Agi: 1}

{Vit: 0}

{Int: 2}

{Cha: 5}

{DF: 0}

{Next level requirement: 600 exp}

{Skill}

{Tier 1: Allure aura} {Passive}

{Don't let one minor victory get to your head. There are much safer ways of achieving your goals without endangering yourself} the voice warned.

"I have lived a quiet life for the entire 28 years of my life. I don't mind shaking things up a bit." Dylan shrugged as he played down with a light groan.

Dylan was lucky the bullets didn't hit major organs, arteries, or bones, yet he needed four weeks at the very least. The preliminary hearing was in two weeks, so the case was bound to go to someone else.

This meant he had lost the chance of being Jamal down himself, and this frustrated him greatly.

--- A Month later ---

The sliding doors of St. Michael's Medical Center hissed open, cameras flashed as a wall of reporters swarmed the exit.

Dylan stepped out, supported by a cane in one hand and Clara by his side. His face was pale but composed, the lines of exhaustion etched deeply into his features.

Microphones jutted toward him, accompanied by a barrage of overlapping questions.

"Mr. Morningstar, how are you feeling after the attack?"

"Do you think the intruders were tied to the 20 Shots case?"

"20 Shots was acquitted of murder thanks to the evidence gathered by you. How does that make you feel?"

"Do you believe you were deliberately targeted?"

Dylan held up his free hand, signaling for silence. The crowd quieted, stunned that he even agreed to speak.

"I'll answer your questions shortly," Dylan began, his voice steady but firm. "But first, there's something I need to address... something far more critical than my recovery."

The reporters leaned in closer, their cameras focusing sharply.

"For the past month, I've been fighting not just for my client, but against my own firm," Dylan said, his tone heavy and emotional. "My managing partner, Nathaniel Cross, has been deliberately sabotaging my efforts, isolating me on a high-stakes case that nearly cost me my life."

The crowd erupted in gasps and murmurs.

"This wasn't just neglect," Dylan continued, raising his cane slightly and stomping the ground with it. "This was calculated. Internal emails I've obtained show that Nate reassigned my team members, ensuring I was left to handle the case alone. He removed critical support under the guise of 'firm priorities,' knowing full well the risks involved."

Dylan paused for a few moments, allowing his words to sink in while scanning the stunned faces of the reporters.

"Why did he do all this?" Dylan chuckled, but the warmth did not reach his eyes, "Nate's actions weren't just professional sabotage, they were personal. Nate has been involved in an affair with Aria, my fiancé. His actions were aimed at ending my career, just as he ended my relationship."

The crowd erupted into chaos. Reporters fired off more questions, their voices blending into an incoherent roar.

"How can you prove this?"

"Do you have evidence of the sabotage?"

"Has the firm responded to your accusations?"

Dylan reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a flash drive, holding it up for the cameras to see.

"This drive contains internal communications, meeting logs, and reassignment notices. Every piece of evidence you need to see how I was deliberately left to fend for myself." Dylan said, his voice cold.

He handed the drive to one of the reporters in the front row and watched them go wild.

Before the reporters could fire off more questions, Dylan turned to Clara, who gently guided him toward a waiting car. The cameras followed him until the vehicle pulled away, leaving the reporters buzzing with the explosive revelations.

--- Inside the Car ---

Clara sat beside Dylan, her hands clutching her tablet nervously. She never thought this was Dylan's intention when he asked her to investigate the company's internal communications.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sure... Nate wanted to leave me for dead. Now I'll completely destroy him." Dylan replied with a shrug, staring out the window.

Clara nodded, though her worry lingered. She glanced at Dylan, whose gaze remained fixed on the road ahead. She silently admitted that this man was completely different from the person she remembered.

Everyone knew about Nate's affair, and they also knew why Dylan couldn't touch him then. Unfortunately, with his image publicly tarnished, no one could save him.

Clara was just worried Nate's backer would take a special interest in Dylan by the end of everything.