Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 165: Surrender

The room had gone silent except for the muted hiss of the monitor and the soft buzz of fluorescent lights overhead. Brent stood frozen, jaw tightening, fists clenched at his sides.

He had not expected this sudden move from Reynold. Everything he had orchestrated, everything he had whispered into the ear of the Chief of Staff, had been designed to push Cassius into prioritizing the Helix case.

Now it had blown up in his face. Too many people knew. If the enemy lurking in the shadows took action now, everything would unravel.

The air felt heavy. The walls themselves seemed to press closer. Cassius remained still, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the monitor showing Reynold and the soldiers outside.

Brent could feel Sophia’s stare on him but could not look at her. He had been so sure of his plan. Now the plan had teeth and claws.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, Brent forced himself to speak. "I’ll call the Chief of Staff about this matter," he said, voice low and steady but threaded with panic. "I’ll tell him it’s a misunderstanding and call back the soldiers."

Cassius did not glance at him. His eyes stayed locked on the screen, watching Reynold stand unflinching in the cool afternoon light, the son of his oldest friend and one of the few people left he trusted. "It’s too late for misunderstandings," Cassius said softly.

Brent’s hand trembled as he lifted the phone. He pressed his thumb against the contact, hesitating, then finally pressed the call button. The ringing sounded impossibly loud in the quiet room. Cassius and Sophia both watched without comment.

The call clicked. Brent snapped to attention, speaking immediately. "Chief, I think there’s a misunderstanding about Reynold’s report. Can you call back the soldiers now?" His tone was urgent, almost pleading.

On the monitor, the camera view shifted as one of the exterior feeds changed to a closer angle. The Chief of Staff was standing just a few feet from Reynold, holding a phone to his ear. His expression was relaxed, almost amused.

Then, through the speakers, the Chief chuckled. It was not the chuckle of someone confused or caught off guard. It was the chuckle of a man who had already won.

Cassius straightened at the sight. His gaze snapped to the screen as the camera captured the Chief’s smug face, his posture casual, the phone still pressed to his ear. Brent’s eyes followed, a dawning horror creeping across his features.

Sophia’s lips parted. Her eyes widened. "It’s him. The traitor," she whispered.

The Chief’s voice carried over the line, smooth and mocking. "Good job, Brent," he said with a smug laugh. "You’ve done exactly what I needed."

The words hit Brent like a hammer. He pulled the phone away from his ear as if it had burned him. "You... you used me!" he shouted, his voice cracking with rage and disbelief. "You used me!" He hurled the phone across the room. It smashed against the wall, the pieces scattering like dead insects across the tiles.

Cassius finally turned, his eyes dark. "Tell me!" His voice rose, sharp and commanding. "What have you done?"

Brent flinched under the weight of that gaze. He bowed his head, unable to meet Cassius’s eyes. "I... I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault." His hands trembled.

"He knows I’ve been chasing those behind Mr. Mystorium from twelve years ago. So I asked advice and help from him. He was my superior. He knew more about the purge of the Helix Project, because he led it at that time."

Cassius’s eyes narrowed but he said nothing, letting Brent dig his own grave with words.

Brent took a gulp of air and continued, voice thin and quivering. "He’s the one who gave us the idea of involving Reynold. Also the one who advised making Barmon walk free from prison to lure out those hiding behind the scenes."

He stopped, his shoulders sagging. A bitter chuckle escaped his throat. "But I was totally unaware he was actually the one leading behind the scenes."

Sophia stared at him, expression unreadable. Cassius’s glare deepened.

Brent forced himself to look up, his eyes glistening. "Also he is the one who advised me to make Levy involved so that you would finally take action as soon as possible."

The name struck Cassius like a blow. For a heartbeat, his face went still. Then his hands curled into fists.

Before Brent could react, Cassius stepped forward and punched him hard across the face. The impact sent Brent staggering sideways, crashing against the edge of the table. Blood welled from his lip.

Cassius’s voice erupted, harsh and full of fury. "How dare you! How dare you put her in danger! I can tolerate everything except if it’s about my daughter’s safety."

"I’m sorry!" Brent gasped, clutching his face. His eyes darted toward Sophia, who stood frozen.

Cassius hit him again, another quick, furious punch that sent Brent sprawling to the floor. "Your sorry will never be enough if something bad happens to Levy!" Cassius snarled.

The alarms wailed before Brent could answer. Red lights flickered in the corners of the ceiling. Outside, soldiers shifted formation. Through the speakers, Reynold’s voice echoed through a megaphone, steady and commanding. "You only have five minutes left to surrender."

On the monitor, Reynold turned his head toward the Chief, who was now standing directly beside him. The Chief raised his own voice, barking an order. "Get ready. After five minutes, if they still don’t surrender, we move and capture them inside."

The soldiers responded in unison, their shout echoing through the feed. "Sir, yes sir!"

Inside the building, Cassius turned sharply toward Sophia. "Any updates from The Archive?" His voice was clipped, all business now.

Sophia quickly checked her tablet. "As of now only a dozen of the Nulls accepted the mission," she said, eyes scanning the data. "They’re on their way now."

Cassius’s gaze flicked back to the screen. "What about the Runners?"

Sophia’s shoulders sagged. "Someone intercepted the Runners," she answered dejectedly. "You know it was the Chief of Staff who mostly handled them. Now all Runners are under him."

Cassius’s jaw clenched. He could feel the pressure building behind his eyes. "What about the assassins in the underground world? Have you asked Leon Blanco?"

Sophia hesitated, biting her lip before answering. "I already did but he refused to send men over. It seems he’s in cahoots with the Chief of Staff."

Cassius’s eyes widened at the revelation. Then he chuckled bitterly, a sound without humor. "So the Ungrounded King is actually in cahoots with the Military Chief of Staff. No wonder it’s been hard to track them. Two Erasers working together to overthrow me." He laughed again, sharp and sarcastic. "Great. Great. What a great job, Erasers."

Brent, still on the floor, wiped at the blood on his mouth. He and Sophia exchanged a look of shame and frustration. Neither of them knew how to fix the web they had helped create.

Cassius’s voice cut through the tension again. "What about the President? Alfred Lan?"

Sophia hesitated. "He already gave orders to policemen but they were blocked by the soldiers. In case they try to push through, a war will break out and the citizens will be affected." Her words were nervous, careful.

Cassius stayed silent for a long moment, the alarms and the muffled sound of soldiers shouting outside filling the space. At last, he exhaled. "Seems like we have no choice but to surrender first."

Sophia looked at him sharply. "Surrender?"

Cassius nodded once, curt and firm. "We need time. We’ll buy it however we can." He glanced toward the far corner of the room where Dr. Farah was still hunched over a stack of containers. "Put back everything in storage. I will seal this place now."

Everyone moved at once. Dr. Farah began sliding canisters and folders back into the hidden compartments. Sophia closed down her terminals, copying what she could to encrypted drives. Brent stayed kneeling, wiping his face, too stunned to rise.

Cassius crossed to the back wall where a panel lay hidden behind a metal grate. He pressed his thumb against the sensor, then keyed in a long sequence of numbers. The wall shuddered and split open, revealing a recessed vault lined with reinforced alloy. Inside lay the original files of the Helix serum, even the versions from Soren, preserved and untouched.

He began slotting drives, folders, and samples into their precise places. The vault’s construction was heavy, built to withstand bomb blasts and forced entry. He had spent years making sure no one could reach it without his codes and biometrics.

Even if the building collapsed, the storage would survive. Even if someone found it, they could not open it. This was his last redoubt, his last assurance that Helix’s truth would not be erased.

One by one, the shelves filled. Cassius took one last look before stepping back. The vault door sealed with a hiss, locking into place. Metal rods shot through internal braces, and the outer panel slid back into the wall until it was indistinguishable from its surroundings.