Chapter 71. Games of Loyalty and Lies
"Raymond, call all our men across Scotland and inform them, we have a big mission to accomplish!" Mr. Frederick’s voice boomed with authority, his eyes fierce and unblinking.
The moment the command left his lips, Raymond sprang into action. He gave a respectful nod and quickly left the room to carry out the urgent task.
Left alone, Mr. Frederick stood by the window, clenching his fists as he looked out over the distant hills.
"This is war," he muttered to himself. "And I need to do everything in my power to rescue Elijah Simons. Getting him out of that death sentence is risky... but the thought of him fighting on our side, it’s worth every gamble."
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The Next Morning, Maria woke up early. Though her body still ached from the injury, her mind wandered to college. She missed her friends, their laughter, and the small comfort of routine.
But she knew today wasn’t the day to return. There were already too many plans in motion with Bernard and his parents.
Instead, she reached for her phone and dialed Cassandra’s number, hoping to remind her of their secret arrangement regarding Bernard. The phone rang once, no answer. She sighed. Then tried again.
This time, Cassandra picked up. Her voice came through, bright but questioning. "Sorry for missing your call... I was in the bathroom. But where have you been? You’ve missed college for days! And your number’s been off. What’s going on?"
Maria let out a tired breath. "Calm down, Cassandra. I’ve not been feeling well lately, and I won’t be at college today either. I only called to remind you about the plan with Bernard. He’ll be the only one coming to college today. Please keep it going."
"Oh, I’m sorry you’re not well," Cassandra said, her voice softening. "But don’t worry—I’ve been working on him. I’m confident he’ll be completely under my control soon. Everything we need from him will be in our hands in no time."