Addicted To The Genius Lady With A Thousand Faces

Chapter 771: Aelfric knew he couldn't spill the beans about what went down at Skytop Mansion. So, instead, he shot back with a question of his own, trying to sound casual. “Grandpa, have you heard anything from the Doomsday Base?" After Aelfric woke up, his main concern was how King would handle him. The room seemed to hold its breath as Trenton hesitated, then finally laid it out straight. "The very night they brought you back, King issued a statement. You've been expelled." Aelfric went stiff as a board. It was like someone had hit the pause button on him. Then his eyes shut tight, and his face drained of all color. All this mess traced back to the Peridot Consortium. Aelfric had heard all the rumors about its president being sbig shot, a real game-changer. He had been itching to meet this supposed powerhouse. But when he finally did? It was Clarissa, and she turned out to be a massive disappointment. Instead of the ally he'd been banking on, she turned out to be dead weight, sinking him faster than quicksand. Being the deputy chief instructor at the Doomsday Base had been his crown jewel, his claim to fame. It had been more important to him than running the Warren family business. He'd grown up under King's wing, trained for years, with his sights set on taking over King's spot someday.

And now? King's boot had stomped on that dream, crushing it to bits. King's decision to expel him was like having the ground ripped out from under him, leaving him flailing with no direction, no reason to keep pushing forward. The sky had fallen, and there was no way to catch it.

But if there was one thing Aelfric knew how to do, it was putting up a front. Even with his world collapsing around him, his face stayed calm, as if Trenton had just told him strivial news and not that his life's work was in shambles.

Latest updates at galThe room was filled with confusion. They traded looks, eyebrows raised, clearly puzzled by Aelfric's lack of reaction. Neil, never one to sit quietly, finally broke the awkward silence. "Aelfric, why would King of the Doomsday Base make such a harsh decision?" A slight frown crept onto Aelfric's face. His tone was icy when he responded, “Neil, the affairs of the Doomsday Base are none of your business. As an outsider, you should stay in your lane.” Neil nodded in agreement, but he wasn't done. "True, I'm not in a position to question Doomsday Base's decisions, but let's be real. Losing your deputy chief instructor title puts a serious dent in our partnership." Aelfric's eyes flew open, and he fixed Neil with a glare that could burn holes. "So what you're saying," he asked, "is that without my rank at Doomsday Base, I'm useless? That I'm not worth your tanymore?" "No, no, no! Absolutely not!" Neil's voice jumped up a few octaves, sounding almost desperate as he waved his hands. "Aelfric, even without your deputy chief instructor title at Doomsday Base, you're still the head of the Warren family. That's a big deal!" Aelfric's icy glare thawed just a little, and Neil, sensing the small victory, pressed on. “What I'm getting at is, without your title at Doomsday Base, our plan to take down Connor might hit a few more roadblocks than we expected. You've been out cold for the past few days, so you might not know yet, but things are changing among the top four families in Blebert. And lettell you, it's not looking good for us." "What kind of change?" Aelfric's voice was sharp.

"Everett's back,” Neil replied, his tone dropping as if the words themselves were heavy. "He's officially taken the reins of the Brock family. And get this—Everett's nothing like his old man. He's not showing any interest in teaming up against Connor." When Aelfric heard Everett's name, a storm of conflicting emotions flashed across his face. He remembered the kid from their youth. Like Aelfric, Everett had been sent abroad at a young age to study and train. But no one really knew what he'd been up to all these years.

One thing was sure, though. Even back in their childhood days, Everett had always been a cut above the rest. He was a child prodigy who made everyone else look like they were playing with crayons while he was painting masterpieces. It was no surprise that Everett would grow up to be a formidable, maybe even intimidating, figure. Now that Everett was back in Blebert, taking charge of the Brock family, the whole power dynamic among the city's top families was indeed bound to shift. Their three families' alliance was meant to strengthen their power and jointly oppose Connor. Aelfric's position at Doomsday Base had made him the natural leader, the glue holding everything together.

But now? That glue was starting to peel. Aelfric's dismissal from the Doomsday Base personable wasn't just a m persona blow but also a blow to the entire alliance. And with Everett stepping in, Aelfric's grip on the leadership was slipping.

He had always been the leader, the one calling the shots. The idea of m taking orders from someone else NO made his skin crawl. He couldn't stomach the thought of playing second fiddle in his own alliance.

With that unsettling realization, Aelfric turned to Neil, his face m unreadable. "Have you met Everett yet?"