Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 64: Getting Famous

Chapter 64: Getting Famous

Lyra’s strike narrowly had missed Sorren’s heart, sparing his life. This left Sorren with the idea that Lyra still harbored some kindness for him, thinking she had intentionally let him live.

So, when he found out that Lyra was safe, he decided to return.

Even though she had left him stranded in Snowfall for months, Sorren believed Lyra still saw some value in him. Maybe, he thought, she’d let him back in, and they could start making money together again.

"Sorren, why’d you come back after she cut you loose?" Morrison asked, arms folded as he sized him up.

Sorren, full of confidence, replied, "Why else? I’m her right-hand man!"

"Not anymore, you’re not."

Right then, someone interrupted to ask Morrison what to do with some old equipment. Without much thought, he said, "Toss it."

That pushed Sorren over the edge. He shoved Morrison hard against the wall. "You stole my spot!"

Morrison just chuckled, easily brushing him off.

"Sorren, if I were you, I wouldn’t have been so greedy, cooking up false accounts when Lyra was just starting out. And I definitely wouldn’t have hesitated so much," Morrison said, brushing off his jacket where Sorren had grabbed him. "I used to envy you, but you got too greedy, too reckless."

Lyra was clearly someone with big plans. Being there for her from the beginning would mean huge rewards once she hit it big.

For a moment, Sorren just stood there, then he angrily spat out, "What do you know? In her line of work, always being hunted and on the brink of death, there’s no way she’ll last long."

The truth was, Sorren never really trusted Lyra. That’s why he kept taking whatever he could from her, always ready to bail at a moment’s notice.

Morrison, done with the conversation, pulled out a pack of mints. He popped one into his mouth, and said, "Since you introduced me to her, I’ll let this slide and pretend I never saw you."

"Pretend?!" Sorren, looking even more crazed, shouted, "She’s a witch! She never cared about me! If I hadn’t pulled her out of Elden Prime back then, she’d be dead by now. She wants to use me and then toss me aside? Not a chance!"

He muttered to himself as he stormed off, lost in his own thoughts.

Morrison frowned and called over a younger guy who’d been listening in nearby.

The guy hesitated, wringing his hands nervously. "Isn’t this a bit too harsh?"

Morrison, still savoring the mint, gave a cold smile. "What? You want to team up with him?"

"No way! He was so greedy, he didn’t leave us a scrap."

"You’re still young, worried about scraps. Keep at it, and you’ll get your rewards." Morrison pulled a gun from his pocket and handed it to him, watching Sorren walk away. "Sorren used to be a nobody who couldn’t even afford a rundown apartment."

The younger guy took the gun, nodded, and he followed after Sorren.

Morrison sighed, the cool mint flavor lingering as he scratched at his messy curls. "I told him to leave, but he just had to stay. This seat isn’t big enough for two."

By the time Lyra returned to the dorm building, she had already received word of Sorren’s death from Morrison.

"He seemed unstable. I was worried he might disrupt your studies, so I got rid of him," Morrison said, watching her closely.

"Next time, you can deal with these small matters yourself," she replied.

Morrison stared at the frozen communication screen, his thoughts racing even though a team of people buzzed around him, moving equipment and setting up the new site.

The noise was a constant hum, but all he could focus on was the sound of his own heartbeat, loud and insistent.

"Finally, Chloe, I’m going to make it big!" he muttered under his breath, a strange laugh escaping him as he rubbed his face roughly. Then, snapping back to reality, he turned sharply to start directing the others.

With things finally under control, Lyra’s name was spreading like wildfire through the school.

"Come on, she doesn’t seem like a good person at all. How else would she get mixed up with space pirates?"

"Space pirates are after her. That’s a huge red flag. You’d be running too if you were in her shoes."

"She might be shady, but does that make Jorath any better? That spoiled brat hired assassins to take out a classmate!"

Due to military pressure, Jorath and his adjutant’s attempted murder was spun in the media as a hired assassination. Otherwise, public trust in the military would have plummeted.

Zinnia had spent the whole afternoon arguing with people online. By evening, she stormed out of her room, seething. "If I ever find out who’s been stirring up this mess online, I’ll punch them into next week!"

Mandy glanced at Vivian’s room but stayed quiet.

Just then, the door opened, and a familiar cough signaled Lyra’s return.

"Lyra, you’re back!" Zinnia jumped up. "When did you leave the investigation bureau? Are you okay? Why didn’t you call me to pick you up?"

"I’m fine."

At that moment, a loud crash came from Vivian’s room, like something had been thrown against the wall.

Vivian stormed out, her eyes red with rage. "Lyra, you’ve got some nerve, don’t you?"

’How could she be so lucky? That useless Jorath ran into space pirates, and this little witch managed to slip away!’

Lyra calmly poured herself a glass of water. "Did your brother tell you where I found the new property?"

Vivian saw the challenge in Lyra’s cool expression and lunged at her, hand raised to strike. "So, you did seduce him again?"

SMACK!

Lyra’s left hand held her water cup steady while her right hand gripped Vivian’s swollen cheek. "You know, I’m not someone you want to mess with."

Vivian tried to fight back but found she couldn’t summon her superpowers at all in front of Lyra.

Mandy stood frozen in shock. ’Oh my god, Lyra actually hit Vivian. The Mendez family will never let her off the hook!’

Zinnia was momentarily stunned but quickly pieced things together. "So, you’ve been after Lyra this whole time?"

Looking around at the others in the dorm, she realized she was the last to know.

Vivian might have the Mendez family behind her, but in terms of raw strength, she was no match for Lyra.

After everyone retreated to their rooms, a brief calm seemed to settle over the dorm.

But when Lyra finished her shower and emerged, her opticomputer lit up with an unfamiliar communication request.

Drying her hair with one hand, she clicked to accept it. A very handsome face appeared on the screen. It was Alon, Vivian’s brother.

"Pleasure to meet you," Alon said, clearly struggling to keep his anger in check.

"Hello," Lyra replied casually, draping the towel over her shoulder and leaning back in her chair, her legs crossed in a relaxed posture. "What can I do for you?"

"Don’t you think you’re being a bit too arrogant, young miss?" Alon asked, his anger simmering as he thought of the mark on his sister’s face.

"Compared to the Mendez family, I’d say I’m pretty low-key," Lyra said, resting her head on her hand.

Before Alon could launch into his accusations, Lyra glanced at the clock and smiled. "If you’re planning to defend your sister, you might want to hold off. Why don’t you check the news first?"

A wave of dread washed over Alon as he quickly opened the Alliance news feed. His heart sank as soon as he saw what was trending.

A scandalous video and a series of photos were spreading like flood, accompanied by a bold, glaring headline:

"Heiress’s Private Photos Leaked"

"Little Princess Mendez Lives a Wild Life!"

The content was explosive. Images and clips that should have remained private were now plastered across every news outlet and social media platform, exposing Vivian’s wild and reckless behavior to the entire galaxy.

The Mendez family’s reputation, so carefully guarded, was on the verge of collapse.

Alon felt a knot tighten in his stomach. This wasn’t just a scandal; it was a ticking time bomb.

The fallout was going to be massive, and he knew the Mendez family was about to be dragged through the mud in a very public way.