Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 63: Investigation Result

Chapter 63: Investigation Result

"After digging deep, we’ve all agreed this was an unexpected and sudden accident."

That was the final word from the investigation team’s captain during the wrap-up meeting.

"Our investigation into Jorath confirmed he had plans to kill Lyra. But when he tried to track her down, he ran into space pirates who were also targeting her."

"Evidence from the scene suggests things escalated, leading to Bengal killing Jorath and dumping his body in the sea. There weren’t any footprints or DNA traces from Lyra, which matches her story..."

"And that’s the whole incident."

The military, police department, and investigation bureau all signed off on this conclusion.

As for the small doubts—like why the military chose to fight to the bitter end even though they were clearly outmatched—those could be chalked up to either a trapped situation or a thirst for revenge.

"Lyra can head back to school now," Cohen, seated at the table’s head, nodded. "Report it exactly like that," he instructed, adding, "I’ll go let her out."

He opened the door to the interrogation room with a serious look. Inside, the girl lay asleep on the table, wrapped in a blanket. Her breathing was soft, almost like a kitten’s.

It had taken them a full two days to piece everything together.

During that time, she had been surviving on whatever meals they gave her and sleeping on a folding chair in the room, clearly drained.

But when Cohen thought about everything she had done, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about this seemingly fragile yet cunning woman.

"How much longer are you going to stare?"

Her hoarse voice cut through the silence as Lyra raised her head, locking eyes with him, her gaze filled with a mix of anger and accusation.

"I have a question. How did you make it look like the adjutant died before Bengal?"

Bengal had died from blood loss, while the adjutant had taken a fatal wound to the abdomen.

If the adjutant had died last, the team would’ve suspected another party was involved, keeping Lyra in the spotlight as a suspect.

But by switching the order of their deaths, it looked like Bengal had killed the adjutant and then bled out, making the whole story more believable.

Lyra didn’t respond right away; she glanced around the cramped room.

"The cameras are off," Cohen sighed.

The girl smirked. "My superpower’s just a bit... unconventional."

She left it at that.

Cohen inhaled deeply, then suddenly lunged forward, gripping the edge of the table. "You made me work with Voidstar’s criminals!"

To hell with the excuse of chasing technology—there was no way this young woman wasn’t tied to those criminals.

The idea that he had been dragged into her schemes left Cohen feeling utterly manipulated.

"Let’s not dwell on the past. But as you can see, I’ve severed all ties with Blackheart," Lyra neither confirmed nor denied his accusation. "But with the ’core’ issue being exposed, do you know how much money that’s worth?"

Her dark eyes seemed to pierce right through him.

"Mr. Whyte, with your rank, you must be aware that no one in the military is spotless."

But Cohen had his pride. He looked her dead in the eye and said firmly, "I am nothing like you, and I’ll never become that kind of person."

Looking back on those words later, Cohen had to admit the path between him and Lyra had been set long before they ever met.

Lyra could see the conviction in his eyes and hear it in his voice—the same belief that had driven him to join the military. It was so unshakeable that she almost felt the urge to tear it apart.

"But wasn’t it you who tipped me off about the Shedd family’s movements?" she asked, resting her chin on her hand, her tone as calm as ever. "You played a role in Jorath’s death too."

SNAP!

Cohen gripped the edge of the table so hard it cracked, his teeth clenched in frustration. "I told you that so you could avoid them."

"I can never avoid the Shedd family," she replied, her smile carrying a hidden edge. "In the end, you only saw my ruthlessness. You never considered that I was coerced by Blackheart’s army at Voidstar, and after I escaped, I was hunted by both the powerful Shedd family and the wealthy Mendez family. I’m clearly so pitiful."

Only Lyra could make a plea for sympathy sound like a devil’s whisper.

Cohen felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. He knew she was telling the truth, yet he couldn’t find any sympathy within himself for her.

"What do you want?" he asked, exasperation thick in his voice.

"I want you to be more open-minded, earn money the right way, and keep your dignity intact." Cooperating with her had no downsides, she assured him.

"Heh, who’s to say your technology is legit?"

Lyra didn’t flinch at his sarcasm. "I swear, it’s family heirloom technology—honest and trustworthy." She gave him a sly smile. "So, could you sell me one of your properties?"

Only Cohen had the guts to sell her land without worrying about the Mendez family’s wrath.

He realized then that he had completely lost to her. He couldn’t risk exposing that he had leaked Jorath’s whereabouts, and Lyra’s mention of "benefits for the families of fallen soldiers and the costs of maintaining military equipment" cut right to his core.

...

Despite skipping school for two days, Lyra had managed to resolve a lot of issues in one go—an enormous win for her.

Instead of heading back to school right away, she started directing her people to prepare for a move to a new location—an estate in the suburbs.

Before that, she arranged to meet with Morrison. The first thing she said was, "Sorren’s done for. What’s your next move?"

The young man froze for a moment, then quickly pulled up a report on his opticomputer. "Boss, here’s the original report."

He tried his best to stay calm, but he couldn’t quite meet her eyes.

"You’re sharper than Sorren," Lyra said, giving his arm a pat. "From now on, you’ll take Sorren’s place. Do your job well."

Morrison’s eyes widened with a mix of surprise and delight. "Yes!"

Later, Lyra gathered the research team led by Sean. "I’ve got something for you."

She pulled a small metal sphere from her pocket. It was a silver-gray orb that, under her control through psychokinesis, stretched and morphed in shape. The familiar sight made the mechanics crowd around her in excitement.

"This... this... this is elastic metal!" Sean was the first to rush forward, carefully taking the ’core’ into his hands. He examined it closely with his electronic glasses, his breathing growing heavy. "And it’s a new variety! Boss, where did you get this?"

If excitement could be measured in light, the brightness in his eyes could rival deep-sea searchlights.

"I’ll hand over the technology to you, but you’ll need to sign a confidentiality agreement for at least twenty years."

The shock was so great that Sean didn’t hesitate. "Where’s the contract? I’ll sign it for life!"

After all, it was almost impossible to find a boss who paid well, provided cutting-edge technical guidance, yet without micromanaging.

With that settled, the sun was dipping low in the sky, and Lyra finally headed back to school.

As she got into the Lev, a disheveled figure suddenly bolted out from the roadside, causing the driver to yank the controls in a sharp swerve. Swearing under his breath, he cursed the person as a lunatic and sped off.

That figure then sprinted towards Sean and the others, who were busy with the move. But before he could reach them, a hand yanked him into the shadows of a nearby corner.

"Morrison, where are you all moving to? Why wasn’t I informed?"

It was Sorren.