Chapter 168: Preparing for Strike
Xavier leaned back in his chair, rolling her words around in his head. Dangerous. Underworld auction. Eyes on him. It almost sounded like a warning—but coming from Angel, it sounded more like an invitation.
He tilted his head, smirking. "Dangerous, huh? Sounds like your kind of playground more than mine."
Angel didn’t even try to deny it. She grinned, flashing teeth. "You’re not wrong. But don’t act like you’re not curious. I can see it in your eyes already—you’re dying to poke at the edges."
"Curious, sure. But I’m not stupid." Xavier drummed his fingers on the glass table between them. "If half the shit you said about that place is true—AIs, artifacts, bottled memories—it’s not just some shady flea market. It’s a den full of wolves. Wolves who eat idiots that show up waving cash around."
Angel leaned forward, chin resting on her hand, studying him. "And you’re not an idiot."
"Exactly." His smirk turned sharper. "Which is why I’ll be walking in, and out, without letting those wolves sink their teeth in."
Angel’s eyes glittered, equal parts amusement and approval. "Confidence. I like that. But remember—this isn’t a nightclub, Xavier. You don’t get to charm your way out of every mess. Some of these people? They don’t care about your name, your money, or your fans. They see opportunity. You’ll have to make sure they remember why touching you is a bad idea."
"Don’t worry about that," Xavier said, his tone calm but with steel under it. "Anyone who tries to bite me is going to choke."
Angel laughed, low and warm, then sat back. "Alright then. The when and the how. It won’t be a simple invite—no one gets one directly. The auction’s mobile, changes locations constantly. Sometimes underground, sometimes orbit, sometimes drifting in the middle of nowhere. You’ll get your summon through Jason—encrypted coordinates, time, and passkey. You’ll need an escort to get past security. I’ll handle that."
Xavier arched a brow. "And when’s this happening?"
"Soon." Angel’s grin widened. "Very soon. They like to test new blood fast. You caught their eye after last night. Word spreads fast in the undercity, and you’re glowing on every radar right now. My bet? Within a week, you’ll be standing in that room."
Xavier leaned back, letting that sink in. A week. Less time than he thought. He smiled faintly, almost to himself. "Guess I better figure out what I want to buy when I’m there."
Angel’s laugh came like a blade sliding free of its sheath. "Or who."
The neon outside pulsed through the tinted glass, faint basslines thudding from the main floor while Xavier lounged in Angel’s private room. He’d spent most of the day in the club—half for business, half to kill time—while Angel sat cross-legged on the couch with a dozen holo-windows floating in front of her, fingers flicking across invisible keys as she tore through some hack gig that looked way too easy for her.
She didn’t glance away from her code when she spoke. "So... Ethan and Lucas. What’s the plan? You’ve been circling them long enough."
Xavier tilted his head, watching the lights dance on the rim of his glass. "Yeah, I had a plan. But things changed. I’ve got more people to take care of now."
That pulled Angel’s gaze up. Her lips quirked, sharp. "You mean Alexander Sterling?"
Xavier gave a slow nod. "Exactly. I can’t just break Ethan and be done. If I want the job finished, I’ll have to burn Alexander too. Problem is, he’s got roots everywhere—politicians, guild heads, corps. I can’t just walk in and cut his throat. Which means..." His smirk returned, cold and certain. "...I’ll be dragging him down through Ethan."
Angel leaned back, arms folding under her chest, as if the thought entertained her. "That’s a dangerous road. But messy roads are your style."
Xavier didn’t answer, just pulled out his phone and scrolled through contacts. He fired off a text to Yelena: [What did the Red Casino do with Ethan and his team after they were caught?]
He barely set the phone down before it buzzed. Yelena wasn’t the type to waste time with typing—she was already calling. Xavier answered, her voice crisp on the line.
"I watched your stream," she said without preamble. "You looked injured. What happened?"
Xavier chuckled, leaning back. "An accident. Nothing big. Why? Concerned about me?"
There was a pause, then Yelena’s tone sharpened. "If your ’accident’ has anything to do with your fight against Ethan at the Red Casino, then it isn’t your problem. My family should be the one handling this matter."
Xavier’s grin widened, though she couldn’t see it. "Relax. It wasn’t like that. Just a small accident, like I said. But since you brought it up—how’s Ethan’s case moving along?"
Yelena sighed, faintly annoyed at the shift but answered anyway. "Ethan and his four teammates were arrested for fraud, cheating, tampering with game protocols... and a few other charges. Their lawyer managed to bail them out, but the Red Casino isn’t letting go. The court hearing is coming up."
"When?" Xavier asked, sitting up straighter.
"In a few hours. Virtual session."
"Perfect." His eyes narrowed, voice low. "I want in. I was involved too. Might as well make myself heard."
Yelena hesitated. "I’ll talk to my father and our lawyer. If they allow it, you’ll be added to the list."
The line went dead after that, leaving Xavier staring at his reflection in the dark glass, smirk curling again.
Angel raised a brow at him from across the room. "Going to court now? That’s a new look for you."
Angel’s windows flickered shut one by one until she was watching him, chin propped on her hand. "You? In a courtroom? Please. You’ll turn a virtual hearing into a goddamn circus."
Xavier smirked, swirling the last of his drink. "Why not? Courtrooms are just theaters with stricter dress codes. The judge plays director, the lawyers are actors, and the jury—when they bother to have one—are the audience. I just plan to... steal the spotlight."
Angel laughed, low and dangerous. "Steal? You’ll bulldoze it. Poor Ethan—he’s already on life support, and you want to twist the knife while his daddy watches?"
"That’s the point." Xavier leaned forward, eyes catching the faint glow of the neon outside. "Ethan’s just a symptom. I want Sterling to feel it. Every stumble, every humiliation, every crack in his perfect son’s mask—it’s all leverage. If I can turn Ethan into a liability, then Alexander will spend more time cleaning up his own house than building walls against me."
Angel tilted her head. "That’s cold. Even for you."
"Cold keeps me alive," Xavier replied, voice calm, almost casual. Then his grin sharpened. "Besides, I’ve got a talent for making the truth sting louder than lies. By the time I’m done, Ethan won’t just look guilty—he’ll look pathetic. And Sterling will know I’m the one holding the strings."
Angel chuckled again, kicking her feet up onto the table. "I almost want to stream it live. ’Xavier vs. The Legal System.’ Ratings would explode."
"Let’s save the fireworks for when Ethan breaks," Xavier said, draining his glass. "That’ll be the real show."