Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 149: Dirty Laundries

Chapter 149: Dirty Laundries

Breaking News: The Shedd Family’s Lyra Was Trafficked to Voidstar!

Lyra’s name, alongside the word "trafficked," shot up the trending charts. Everyone was stunned—no amount of disbelief could capture the shock they felt.

"Wow, I was just watching her live stream, thinking it was a treat, and now this huge news breaks! My heart goes out to her!"

"Seriously? Her grandfather stole her inheritance and just let her get Shanghaied? Vice Admiral Shedd, what’s wrong with you?"

"Don’t blame Vice Admiral Shedd! He said those assets need to be reviewed. Plus, Lyra’s parents were traitors!"

"Why should she suffer for her parents’ mistakes? And let’s not forget, she was hurt and taken away. She’s the Vice Admiral’s granddaughter—how can you believe there’s nothing suspicious?"

In just two minutes, the news exploded, but Lyra’s live stream went on without a hitch.

The butler, Greg, whispered to Ansel, "She used the outer star network to stream. We can’t shut it down."

In the military district, there was a high-tech signal monitoring system to protect officials’ privacy. No one could stream or film without permission.

No one knew how Lyra managed to live-stream the moment she arrived.

Ansel quickly decided, "Use my privileges to contact Lieutenant Commander Whyte from Wyrmtrace."

Meanwhile, Lyra had finished reviewing the inheritance list. These properties belonged to her mother and were untouched by the military tribunal due to their clear origin.

Now, almost everything valuable was gone. With a cold smile, she addressed the Shedd family, "My mother’s cash and real estate were worth nearly two billion. Now, all that’s left is some unsellable stuff." She stepped closer to the dining table. "These porcelain and silver items must have cost a fortune, right?"

Kail felt a shock—so much money!

All taken by his grandfather.

Viewers watching the stream felt their beliefs shatter.

"What a dramatic family saga!"

"All this wealth wasted by the Shedd family? Didn’t someone say Ansel was just a temporary guardian?"

"Those porcelain items are luxury goods, bought with her mother’s inheritance, while the rightful heir was trafficked to Voidstar?"

"Didn’t the Shedd family claim Lyra was dead back then? They never even tried to find her!"

Realizing her secrets were close to being revealed, Lyra decided to make a hasty exit. "I have things to do. I’m leaving now."

Ansel wasn’t ready to let her go. "We agreed on a family dinner. The food is ready. You can’t just walk out!"

In an instant, a man blocked the door, trying to avoid the camera.

But the live stream kept rolling. As long as Lyra remained in view, they couldn’t act easily.

...

On Wyrmtrace Star, Cohen Arrives at Lyra’s Caravan Base.

Cohen strode into Lyra’s caravan base, but Sean stopped him at the entrance.

"Lieutenant Commander Whyte, what brings you here?" Sean asked. Now that Morrison was gone, he felt a bit intimidated as a tech specialist without superpowers.

Cohen scanned the hall. "Where’s Koros?"

"He’s busy."

"Busy with the live stream?" Cohen’s expression hardened. "Haven’t you learned from the last incident with the Phoenix? You’re using Wyrmtrace’s network to communicate with the outside again!"

Sean smirked confidently, "No worries. Koros is using Voidstar No.2’s satellite, so Wyrmtrace’s info won’t leak. Our satellite monitoring won’t allow outside communication."

But Cohen wasn’t convinced. "You’re causing me trouble!"

He jumped when he received a message from Ansel.

"Lieutenant Commander, you’re mistaken! We answer to our boss, and this is a private matter with the Shedd family—why interfere?" Sean pulled up the live stream. "If you shut it down now, you’d endanger our boss."

To those unaware, the stream might seem minor, but Cohen grasped the situation’s seriousness. Ansel wouldn’t let whoever striking at the Shedd family slip away easily.

After a moment of contemplation, Cohen narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure it won’t leak Wyrmtrace’s information?"

"I swear on my life," Sean replied.

Cohen raised an eyebrow, then turned and walked away.

...

The Shedd family was wrapped in tension. Away from the live stream, Lyra stood surrounded by relatives.

Greg leaned closer to Ansel, whispering something that deepened Ansel’s frown. He then turned to Lyra with a smile. "I didn’t realize you were so close to that young Lieutenant Commander."

Lyra understood Ansel’s reference to Cohen. "It’s mutually beneficial," she replied, glancing at Mr. Frei.

Time to make their move.

Mr. Frei nodded almost imperceptibly.

Suddenly, a green light shimmered like a star, prompting Ansel and the others to instinctively shut their eyes.

Mr. Frei quickly enveloped Lyra in a spatial field. With everyone at level eight, this was their only chance to escape.

But just as they reached the door, the space around them froze, followed by a deafening crack from above.

Mr. Frei reacted fast, redirecting the lightning, but thick thunderclouds cut the signal—the live stream abruptly ended!

On Wyrmtrace, Koros stopped typing, rubbing his head. "There’s nothing we can do now. Good luck, boss."

Viewers were met with a pitch-black screen as chaos erupted in the comments.

Mr. Frei faced an armed Ansel, quickly flanked by the two seniors.

Lyra split her Schedar weapon with her fingers, pushing back incoming attacks.

Suddenly, Patrick charged from the front. He was illuminated by lightning, his face twisted like a barking dog.

Just as he lunged, a sharp blade pierced through his back, freezing him in place.

Blood splattered across Lyra’s face, but she didn’t flinch.

"Grandpa—"

Malona cried out, rushing to save him, but a delicate hand gripped Patrick’s neck first.

"Lyra, how dare you!"

She met Ansel’s gaze, his facade dropped, revealing murderous intent. With a cold smile, she replied, "Why wouldn’t I dare?"

Holding up the bleeding hostage, she shouted, "Everyone, step back!"

"You think you can create chaos here and walk away? The patrol will be here soon," Ansel threatened, invoking the law.

But Lyra was unfazed. "I dare to face a military tribunal; but do you?"

Feeling bold, she sensed she had an ace up her sleeve!

Seeing Ansel’s twisted expression, she smiled smugly. "The Shedd family can’t handle another investigation."

Years ago, the Shedd family had been implicated in the Tyro couple’s crimes but had escaped serious consequences.

Lyra suspected Ansel sacrificed her family to protect their reputation, and the old man had never considered proving his son’s innocence.

After a decade of struggle, the Shedd family had finally regained their footing, but sending Lyra to a military tribunal would bring the wrath of millions from the Alliance—too risky for Ansel.

As she noted his dark expression, Lyra signaled to Mr. Frei, who cautiously scanned the family before activating the spatial field again.

Lyra moved away without a hint of hesitation.

Once she was at a safe distance, she turned her gaze to Patrick. He showed fear at first and struggled against Mr. Frei’s spatial control.

"You don’t deserve to spill the Shedd family’s blood! Let me go!" he shouted angrily, realizing that killing a military officer was no small matter—and that Lyra wouldn’t dare to kill him.

"Oh, you think I won’t?" In the dim alley, Patrick recoiled at the coldness in her eyes, just before she pushed his head into a puddle.

"See hello to your stupid grandson in hell."

Patrick’s eyes widened. "You killed Jorath, you damn ungrateful wretch!"

Lyra retrieved a black mechanical spike from her Space Button, turning Patrick’s fury to sheer terror. "How do you have that?" he asked.

"I was going to return it to Ansel, but since he’s too old to handle it, you can take one for him." She had a brilliant plan; if she could escape, she wouldn’t fear his revenge in military court.

The green light enveloped the Soul Spike and plunged it into Patrick’s chest.

That hit the mark. His scream was music to Lyra’s ears, making her squint with delight.

Mr. Frei, though experienced, felt a chill—wasn’t the Soul Spike military technology?

But as a bodyguard, he kept his thoughts in check. When Lyra ordered him to throw Patrick back, he showed no sign of surprise.

With a thud, Patrick fell to the ground like discarded trash.

"Grandpa!" Malona rushed to his side. "Get the healing device!"

Though they treated his external wounds, Patrick’s superpower faded, causing him to age rapidly.

"What’s happening? Grandpa!" Malona knelt before Ansel, her eyes red with worry. "Call a doctor!"

Erin pulled her up, urging calm. "We can’t let Lyra get away with attacking a military officer!" She began to contact a doctor, but Ansel raised a hand to stop her. "No need for that."

He approached his brother, a complex look in his eyes. "Did she pull that out?"

Patrick nodded, anger swirling within him. "I... I didn’t know she could do that."

Erin was stunned. The Soul Spike was military tech, each one numbered with strict usage regulations.

Ansel had kept his because of his position, but now it was inside Patrick due to Lyra’s actions.

Ansel panicked. ’What if she has more? If one gets out, it’ll be catastrophic. No wonder she was so confident I won’t go to military court.’

"Grandpa Ansel? What do you mean?" Malona asked, disbelief etched on her face. "My grandpa was hurt because of you!"

Ansel’s cold glare made her step back.

"It was also because of him that Lyra escaped."

He turned to leave but was blocked at the door.

"Grandpa, what’s going on? Why are you treating Lyra like this? I need an explaination!" Kail shouted at Ansel, fury boiling over.

SMACK! Ansel slapped him across the face.

"What makes you think you can talk to me like that?" Ansel replied coolly, adjusting his ring. "Don’t forget who gave you everything, and don’t forget you’re a Shedd."

As he turned to enter the house, Kail’s voice followed, laced with anger. "So, you never intended to save her; you abandoned her on purpose!"

The memory of Lyra leaving all those years ago hit him hard. Kail squeezed his eyes shut and dashed out.