C391 Plan In Motion

At the Wood family residence, everyone had only just returned from the meeting when Kelvin looked around the room. There was an unusual silence among them. The meeting at Ben's club had ended, but the decision they had made still hung heavily in the air. Everyone knew that things were about to change. Sarah and Samantha would soon disappear, leaving their family, their business, and their ordinary lives behind. Kelvin finally broke the silence. "So, when are you leaving?" Sarah and Samantha exchanged a quick look. For a moment, neither of them answered.

Sarah eventually shrugged. "We don't know yet. Alicia will tell us when everything is ready." Kelvin frowned. "So you are just waiting for Alicia to decide?" Sarah smiled. "Pretty much." Tracy, however, didn't look amused. She had remained unusually quiet since they returned home. Her eyes moved from Sarah to Samantha, and the worry on her face was impossible to hide. "I really don't like this," Tracy finally said. "Can at least one of you stay?" Samantha immediately shook her head. "I'm going." Sarah laughed softly. "So am I." Tracy stared at both of them. "Sarah..." Sarah walked over and placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. "Sorry, Mom. It's already decided." Tracy sighed. "I know. I just don't understand why you all have to put yourselves in so much danger."

Sarah didn't answer. She understood her mother's fear. She also knew that explaining everything would only make things worse. Before she could say anything, the television suddenly interrupted the conversation. A loud breaking-news alert filled the room. Everyone turned toward the television. The news anchor looked unusually serious. "Breaking news. A female assassin has reportedly been caught on CCTV near Glasgow Road after allegedly shooting a Korean representative earlier this afternoon." The room immediately became silent. A photograph appeared on the screen. It showed a tall, slender woman wearing dark clothing and a mask. Her face was hidden, but her posture and movements were clear as she raised a weapon toward a Korean man. A gunshot followed. The screen changed.

The news anchor continued. "Police forces have confirmed that the Korean male, aged twenty-eight, who was gunned down earlier today has been identified as Jiang Chenfeng, a member of one of the Korean underground forces who had visited Scotland on an undisclosed occasion." Sarah stared at the television. Then, slowly, a smile appeared on her face. "It has begun." Kelvin immediately looked at her. "What do you mean?" Sarah didn't answer. Kelvin's eyes moved between Sarah and Samantha. "Wait. Is the dead Korean related to Alicia?" Neither woman responded. Kelvin's expression changed. "Did Alicia kill him?" Samantha smiled. "You wouldn't understand." Kelvin frowned. "Understand what?" Samantha simply shook her head. "Just watch."

Kelvin remained confused. He looked back at the television, then at Sarah and Samantha again. Something was clearly happening behind the scenes, and he hated the fact that he didn't understand it. "Why does everyone know something except me?" he muttered. Sarah laughed. "Because you're not supposed to know everything." Kelvin rolled his eyes. "That's comforting." The television continued broadcasting images from the scene. Police vehicles could be seen surrounding the area. Officers were investigating the road while journalists stood behind the police barriers. The identity of the woman remained unknown. That was exactly what Alicia and Hammer wanted.

Shortly after the breaking news was announced, the same report reached the Mooney residence. Everyone gathered together when the television showed the images. Nobody spoke for several seconds. Then Alicia's phone rang. She looked at the screen. It was Hammer. She immediately answered. "Hello?" Hammer's voice came from the other side. "Madam, your father did not go to the scene, right?" Alicia smiled. "Yes. We just saw the news." She looked toward Mark. "My father sent his trusted team. You don't have to worry." Hammer became silent for a moment. "Good. That was important. Everything has to look real." Alicia nodded. "Understood." "I will contact you again when we are ready for the next stage." The call ended.

Alicia lowered her phone. Quinton immediately looked at her. "So, what is the next step?" Mark smiled. "Hammer's plan is clever." Everyone looked at him. Mark continued. "Me not being at the scene makes everything much more believable." He pointed toward the television. "Normally, whenever something serious happens, I am one of the first people to arrive. If I had appeared at that scene today, people might have started asking questions." Peter nodded. "Especially considering the victim's connection to the Korean underground." Mark leaned back. "Exactly." He looked at the image of the masked woman displayed on the television. "The fact that her identity hasn't been revealed is also smart."

He paused. Then he looked directly at Alicia. "But there is something I don't understand." Alicia raised an eyebrow. "What?" Mark pointed toward the screen. "Did you go there?" Alicia immediately shook her head. "No." Mark narrowed his eyes. "Then how does that assassin look exactly like you?" For a second, everyone remained silent. Then I laughed. I couldn't help myself. "Father, we are living in an advanced technological world." Mark turned toward me. "What does that mean?" I smiled. "It means technology can make people believe almost anything." Mark's eyes narrowed further. "You mean this entire thing is fake?" Alicia burst out laughing. "Dad, I've been here ever since we returned from the club." Mark stared at her for a moment before slowly turning back toward the television.

The masked woman on the screen had Alicia's height, her build, and even movements that were surprisingly similar to hers. He shook his head. "Unbelievable." I laughed. "That is exactly what we want everyone else to think." Peter smiled. "So what's next?" Alicia looked at the television. "We wait." Peter frowned. "Wait for what?" "Hammer's instructions." Everyone became quiet again. This was only the beginning. The first piece of the plan had been placed on the board. Now they needed to wait and see how their enemies reacted.

The breaking news did not take long to reach Willy's estate. Starc was sitting in another room when the television suddenly displayed the same report. The moment he saw the image of the dead Korean man, his expression changed. He immediately stood. Without wasting another second, he rushed toward Willy's office. He reached the door and knocked several times. "Come in." Starc opened the door and hurried inside. Willy was sitting behind his desk, speaking with Brian. The moment he saw Starc's expression, he frowned. "What happened?" Starc took a breath. "Boss, something happened." Willy immediately became alert. "What is it?" He paused. "Did you find a place for my nephew?"

Starc shook his head. "Yes, Boss, we found a place." Willy's expression softened slightly. "Good." But Starc quickly added, "But that's not what I'm here about." Willy's eyes narrowed. "Then what is it?" Starc walked toward the television. He picked up the remote and turned it on. "Boss, one of Wang's men was killed this afternoon." Willy froze. Brian immediately looked toward Starc. "What?" Starc pointed at the television. The same breaking-news report was playing. Willy stared at the screen. For several seconds, he didn't say anything. Then he shook his head. "That wasn't us." "I know, Boss." Starc changed the channel, bringing the news report back to the screen. "The CCTV camera caught the entire incident."

The footage began playing. A tall, slender woman appeared. She approached Jiang Chenfeng. The Korean man seemed unaware of what was about to happen. The woman raised her weapon. Then she pulled the trigger. Chenfeng collapsed. Willy's eyes widened. "Who is that woman?" Starc shook his head. "We don't know." Willy leaned closer to the television. Something about the woman bothered him. Her movements. Her height. Her build. There was something familiar about her. "Why does that woman look familiar?" Brian had been staring at the screen. Suddenly, his expression changed. He stood up. "It can't be." Willy turned toward him. "What?" Brian pointed at the television. "Boss..." He swallowed. "That woman looks exactly like Mark's daughter."

Silence filled the room. Willy slowly looked back at the screen. The masked woman appeared again. Willy began studying the footage carefully. He looked at her body. Her movements. Her posture. Even the way she held the weapon. Then he looked at Brian. "You mean Alicia?" Brian nodded. "Yes." Willy's expression became serious. "What does that mean?" Starc stepped closer. "Look, Boss." He pointed toward another part of the broadcast. "The leading officer at the scene isn't Police Minister Mark Mooney." Willy's eyes narrowed. Brian looked confused. "Is it really his daughter?" Nobody answered.

Willy continued watching the footage. The news report explained that the police were still investigating the murder and that the identity of the female assassin remained unknown. Willy slowly smiled. "You see what I told you?" Brian looked at him. "This woman is not to be underestimated." Willy's smile disappeared. "Is she an enemy of the Korean underground forces?" Starc shook his head. "We don't know." Willy turned toward him. "Is this real?" Starc looked confused. "What do you mean?" "Is it really her?" Starc hesitated. "I don't know, Boss." Willy slammed his hand against the desk. "Then find out!" Starc immediately became silent.

Willy continued. "Mark Mooney is almost always the first person to arrive when something happens involving his family. So why wasn't he at the scene?" Brian looked at the television again. "Maybe he was somewhere else." Willy shook his head. "That's not enough." He stood from his chair. "Could it be fake?" Starc frowned. "If it was fake, the police wouldn't have gone there." Willy stared at him. "Unless someone wanted them to." Starc didn't know how to respond. The possibility had crossed his mind. But there was something about the footage that made the entire situation look real. The dead body was real. The police were real. The CCTV footage was real. The media coverage was real. Everything seemed real. And yet, something didn't add up.

Willy turned toward Brian. "Could she be this dangerous?" Brian looked uncomfortable. "I don't know, Boss." "Do you think she was involved in our missing shipment?" Brian's face became even more serious. "I don't know." Willy stared at him. "For the first time, you don't know something?" Brian lowered his eyes. "Our investigation was focused on her father." He paused. "We never considered Alicia to be a serious threat." Willy's anger grew. "Have you all become so stupid?" Nobody answered. Willy walked around his desk. "Mooney family is our enemy." He pointed toward the television. "That means every member of that family should be investigated." He looked at Brian. "Every single one." Brian nodded. "Yes, Boss."

Willy turned toward Starc. "Find out everything about Alicia." "Yes, Boss." "I want to know where she goes, who she meets, what she owns, who protects her, and who she communicates with." Starc nodded. "Understood." Willy stared at the television one last time. The masked woman had disappeared from the screen, replaced by a news anchor discussing the investigation. Willy's expression darkened. "If that really was Alicia..." He paused. "...then we've been underestimating the wrong person." Brian remained silent. Willy walked back toward his desk. Then his expression suddenly changed. "You know what?" Both men looked at him. "Prepare my men."

Brian straightened. "For what, Boss?" "We will attack Lucia Goods in three days." The room became silent. Brian stared at him. "Lucia Goods?" Willy nodded. "Yes." "But if we attack the company directly, we could destroy the entire operation." "I know." Willy's voice was cold. "I don't care." He leaned forward. "We need those South American delivery rights. If we control Lucia Goods' distribution network, we can use it for our own shipments." Brian nodded slowly. "And if the company is destroyed?" "Then we destroy it." Willy's eyes hardened. "I want Alicia and her family to understand that we have underestimated them now they will see the real me."

Starc looked at him. "What about the Korean underground?" Willy stared at him. "They will deal with their own problems." He pointed toward the television. "One of their men is dead. Whoever killed him is their problem." Then he looked back at Brian. "Our problem is Alicia and Lucia Goods." Brian nodded. "Yes, Sir." Starc stepped forward. "Boss, you can inform your nephew to start tomorrow." Willy nodded. "Do it." Starc turned to leave. Brian followed. Both men immediately left the office. The door closed behind them. Willy remained alone. For several moments, he stared at the television. The image of the masked woman was still burned into his mind.

A woman who looked exactly like Alicia. A woman who had supposedly killed a member of the Korean underground. A woman whose identity remained unknown. Willy clenched his fists. He had spent so much time investigating Mark Mooney and Peter Mooney, he had forgotten something important. Enemies did not always come from the person standing in front of you. Sometimes they were standing beside him. Sometimes they were hidden in plain sight. And if that woman really was Alicia... Then the Mooney family was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined. What Willy didn't know was that this was exactly what Alicia and the rest of the Lions wanted him to believe. The first illusion had worked.