Chapter 17: excuse?

After a while, Asher Reynolds entered in her office leisurely. Arielle Reynolds looked at him and greeted him warmly, "Older Brother." and asked him to take a seat.

Meanwhile, Asher Reynolds sauntered in and casually sank into the sofa, making himself completely at home. He reached for an apple from the fruit basket, the crisp sound of his bite echoing in the room.

Arielle Reynolds watched him, her eyebrows arching at his nonchalant attitude. With a teasing lilt in her voice, she asked, "Say, older brother, how come you’re so free to visit today?"

Asher Reynolds chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he replied, "It’s not me who is free, little sister. You’ve been so caught up in your busy life that you haven’t even come home for the past few days. Mom and dad were worried about you, and they asked me to come and check on you."

Arielle Reynolds nodded, her eyes flickering to the mountain of work on her table. With a sigh of resignation, she said, "Since you’ve checked on me, you can leave now. I am swamped."

Asher Reynolds glanced at the pile of documents on her table, his eyes reflecting understanding. He nodded, "Yeah, I will be leaving, but I came to ask you something else."

Arielle Reynolds raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on her lips, "So, was checking on me just an excuse?"

Asher Reynolds shook his head, his voice firm yet gentle, "No, of course not. I would have come even if I didn’t have something else too."

Arielle Reynolds leaned back in her chair, curiosity piqued, "What is it, brother? Spit it out already."

Asher Reynolds asked, his tone serious, "Are you participating in this year’s Martial Arts Competition?"

Arielle Reynolds replied confidently, "Of course, I will participate, but I think its date hasn’t been finalized yet."

Asher Reynolds chuckled, "Of course, it’s been finalized this morning. That’s why I came here to ask you."

Arielle Reynolds nodded, her expression thoughtful, "Oh, okay…" As she said so, she looked at him, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "Are you participating as well?"

Asher Reynolds gave her a proud look, his chest puffing out slightly, "Me? No, no, I am not participating in child’s play."

Arielle Reynolds was speechless when she heard him and said, her voice filled with disbelief, "The people participating in this competition are from the whole island, and even above your age, the one you’re calling child’s play."

Asher Reynolds shrugged nonchalantly, "So what if their age is more? Their level is far below me."

As he said this, he stood up, his movements graceful and confident. As he walked towards the door, he turned back, a smirk playing on his lips, "Besides, I will be out of the city at that time."

Arielle Reynolds merely looked at him and didn't say anything.

he stared at the door for a moment, her mind whirling with the implications of her brother’s words. Then, shaking her head, she turned back to her work, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she dove back into her tasks.

But even as she worked, her mind kept drifting back to the upcoming Martial Arts Competition. She had been training hard for it, pushing herself to her limits every day. The thought of her brother not participating was a surprise. He had always been the more athletic one, the one who thrived in the competitive environment of the martial arts world.

She remembered their childhood, how they used to spar in the backyard under the watchful eyes of their father. Asher had always been the better fighter, his movements fluid and precise. But Arielle was not one to back down from a challenge. She had worked hard, trained relentlessly, and slowly but surely, she had caught up.

Now, the thought of standing on the competition stage without her brother by her side felt strange.

Moments later, she asked Marcus to come to her office.

Marcus swiftly entered just a few minutes later, his demeanor eager and attentive. "What are your instructions, boss?"

Arielle met his gaze and said, "Help me register my name for the upcoming martial arts competition," she requested, her voice tinged with excitement. "It's happening next month, and I don't want to miss out."

Marcus, ever the meticulous one, looked at her with a questioning gaze, "Under which name do you want to enter the competition? Your name or King?"

Arielle paused, her eyes reflecting a pool of deep thought. After a moment that felt like an eternity, she finally said, "Arielle."

Marcus, wanting to ensure he got it right, asked again, "Arielle Reynolds?"

Arielle shook her head, a determined glint in her eyes, "No, just Arielle!”

Next day at Devil Organization:

Nikolas entered the office, his footsteps echoing softly in the quiet room. He noticed Kyler Young standing near the window, his silhouette framed against the light, his gaze lost in the distant sky. The moment was interrupted when Kyler Young heard the soft sound of the door closing. He turned around, his eyes meeting Nikolas’s.

Nikolas held some files in his hands and broke the silence by saying, "Boss, I have gathered all the information you asked for." His voice was steady, but the anticipation was palpable. As he spoke, he extended the file towards Kyler Young.

Kyler Young reached out, his fingers brushing against the cool surface of the file. He opened it, revealing pages filled with information about the Reynolds family. There was all the information about the Reynolds Family, along with their pictures. His eyes quickly scanned the pages, stopping at the section about the younger generation of the Reynolds family. His gaze lingered on the names: Elder Son: Asher Reynolds, Younger Daughter: Arielle Reynolds

A frown creased his forehead as he noticed that Arielle Reynolds’s picture was missing. He turned to look at Nikolas, his gaze questioning. Nikolas, who had been quietly observing, met his gaze.

When Nikolas noticed Kyler’s intense gaze, a shiver ran down his spine. He stammered, ‘Oh boss, don’t look at me like that. You’re scaring me.’

Kyler’s voice was calm but carried an edge, "Why is there no picture of Arielle Reynolds?"

Nikolas swallowed hard, "Boss, I have gathered all the information I could. But from all the resources available, I couldn’t find her picture. I even looked in the martial arts academy where she studied, but even there, no picture of her was available. When she was studying there, only a few people actually saw her, as she didn’t go there often and only on rare occasions. But I must say, she is very talented in martial arts. Her scores have always been top-notch, even though she wasn’t regular."

As Nikolas spoke, he could see Kyler’s eyes narrow, his mind clearly working through the information.

Kyler was silent for a moment, his gaze distant. He seemed to be lost in thought, wondering if the Arielle he knew was the same Arielle Reynolds from the Reynolds family.

Kyler Young sat back in his chair, his fingers drumming on the file. His gaze was distant, lost in thought. The room was silent, save for the soft ticking of the clock on the wall. Nikolas watched him, a knot of anxiety twisting in his stomach. He had seen that look on Kyler’s face before. It was the look of a man piecing together a puzzle, connecting dots in a complex web of information.

Finally, Kyler broke the silence. "Try to gather as much information as possible. If possible, try to find and contact those people who have seen her." As he said that, his gaze seemed to drift, lost in the memory of his first meeting with Arielle in Eldoria City that night. He wondered aloud if Arielle was somehow related to King, or if her presence there was just a play of fate.

Nikolas nodded at his orders, a determined glint in his eyes, "Got it, boss, and will pass you the information as soon as possible." As he said so, he turned around, his hand on the doorknob, when he heard Kyler Young’s voice, "Hold on."

The words hung in the air, causing Nikolas to freeze in his tracks. He turned around, his heart pounding as he waited for Kyler Young to continue.

Kyler Young seemed lost in thought, his gaze distant. Finally, he asked, "Are King and the Reynolds family related?"

Nikolas replied, his voice steady despite the uncertainty, "Boss, I never heard about their interactions, but as you know, most of King’s business partners are not known to people outside. And other than a very few faction leaders, almost no organization leader or common people dare to even trespass from their headquarters area."

Kyler Young mulled over it and said, "Alright, along with the Reynolds family, gather all the information about King as well."

Nikolas was taken aback, confusion clouding his features. He asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "Boss, why do you need their information as well?"

Kyler Young looked at him, his eyes piercing yet unreadable. He didn’t answer Nikolas’s question but rather said, his voice as cold as steel, "You have two days."