"You are here."
Claire spoke up the mont she saw Lucian walk out of the elevator. Lucian looked at her, then he grinned.
"Miss Voss, if you keep waiting for like this, I might misunderstand."
Claire completely ignored his words and—
"Let’s go.
You have been assigned to a new mission."
"You know, that’s the part that’s confusing . I thought they put on hold and I wouldn’t get any missions for a while."
Claire didn’t deny that.
"Under normal circumstances, you should not be assigned to another field mission so quickly considering what you did in the last mission."
"Co on, I didn’t even do that bad."
Lucian groaned.
Claire, however, just looked at him and—
"You disobeyed a direct order, acted independently without the team leader’s permission and you destroyed critical evidence."
She listed everything out.
"I also saved soone."
Lucian added.
"You did."
Again, Claire did not deny it.
"That is also the reason you are being assigned to this mission in the first place."
"Because I saved soone...?"
Lucian tilted his head.
"Because you saved Evelyn Starling.
And she requested you personally."
"Evelyn Starling? The singer?"
Lucian narrowed his eyes.
"She was attacked again."
Claire nodded and Lucian’s expression changed.
"What...?"
From what he knew, Evelyn was released from the Enclave’s dical Clinic after so final checks and procedures and had returned to her normal life.
She... was attacked again?
"By who?"
Lucian questioned, Claire however, shook her head.
"We do not know yet.
It all happened too quickly, there were also so supernatural elents involved. Her ordinary bodyguards managed to delay the attackers, but they would not have survived if one of our hunters had not been placed nearby as quiet insurance.
According to the hunter’s report, it didn’t seem like they were trying to hurt her. He says they were trying to abduct her."
"Orpheus?"
Lucian questioned directly.
Honestly, he was the only one he could suspect at this point in ti.
And the Enclave was no different.
"That is the current assumption."
Claire nodded.
"He is persistent."
Lucian smiled lightly, though this ti, there was no amusent in it.
"He is dangerous."
Claire corrected and Lucian did not deny it.
He had a hard ti believing that Orpheus, the man who hired the Velvet House to condition Evelyn, knew nothing about the supernatural world.
He could tell he had so connections to it.
Connections that... might even be more dangerous than Silas.
Still...
"Why ?"
Lucian didn’t understand.
"I’ve had no interaction with her. How does she even know my na?"
"She did not."
Claire shook her head.
"She only requested the man with purple eyes who saved her."
"She rembered that?"
Lucian raised his eyebrow in surprise, he did notice when Evelyn opened her eyes and looked at him for about a second, but considering the state she was in, he didn’t think she would have rembered, at least not enough to specifically request him.
"She rembers more than that."
Claire answered.
"What does that an?"
Lucian’s frown deepened.
"She heard people arguing about the data, she explicitly ntioned the man who was holding her and fought for her while others were worried about data."
"She... heard all of it?"
Lucian couldn’t believe it.
"She didn’t hear everything, but it was enough for her to believe that she trusts you, even though she doesn’t even know your na."
"That sounds... inconvenient."
Lucian comnted.
He was no fool.
He could see how the Enclave would have reacted when they heard those words, it was no different than soone undermining their decision and rewarding him for not following orders.
"It is."
And just as he expected, Claire admitted it.
It was indeed inconvenient.
It was a tough pill to swallow for the Enclave.
"Then why accept her request?"
Lucian couldn’t help but question. After all, it was Evelyn who needed the Enclave’s help, not the other way around, the Enclave had no reason to fulfil her demands.
"Because Evelyn Starling is not an ordinary victim."
Claire answered and that made Lucian frown.
"Is it because she is famous?"
"Famous is too small of a word for what she is."
Claire then passed a file to Lucian, he opened it and saw a few pictures inside it.
Concerts.
Crowds.
Stadiums full of people.
News articles.
Charity events.
International broadcasts.
Millions of comnts.
Lucian looked at them and Claire continued.
"Evelyn Starling is one of the most beloved humans alive, her voice moves people across countries, her reach is enormous.
If she disappears, the world will not ignore it.
People would ask questions, dia networks would tear the story apart, her fans would not accept silence, not one bit and eventually—
The supernatural world would notice."
Lucian’s eyes moved at those words. Claire noticed it and with a colder, more practical look on her face, she continued—
"If the Enclave cannot protect one cherished human, one woman whose words can move millions, then what good is it?"
"So this is about reputation."
Lucian spoke directly.
"It is about protection."
Claire corrected, Lucian however, just laughed.
"Protection and reputation."
He added. Claire did not say anything, after all, denying it would be lying.
"You can be honest with , Miss Voss.
After all, the two of us go way back."
Lucian chuckled, Claire completely ignored his words once again and continued—
"Anyways, we need to protect Evelyn and since she requested you, you will be part of the team."
"A team?"
Lucian groaned.
"I work way better when I am alone, to be honest."
"Lucian."
Claire called his na with a serious look on her face.
"The entire Supernatural World will be watching.
Don’t take this lightly."
"I will not."
Lucian nodded, the amusent and ease in his eyes disappeared. Claire looked at him and—
"Good."
She nodded.
"Also, Evelyn does not know about the supernatural world, she does not know what the Enclave is, she believes you and the others are from Voss Security Solutions, an elite group of guards that are more professional than normal security agencies.
Keep it that way."
She looked into Lucian’s eyes.
"Keep her away from the Supernatural World—
For her own sake."
"I understand."
Lucian nodded with a solemn look on his face, Claire nodded back and—
"Then let’s et the rest of the team."
"Please tell there will be at least one person with a sense of humour."
"There will not."
"Oh co on.
I am in the land of uncultured swines."
Lucian groaned.
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