His Devious Rule

The plan was ready. But will Wright agree to put his life in danger?

So Bernard decided to hide it from Wright.

Bernard sent Wright to the cruise vacation and announced the press conference. Nobody will believe the hard disk could be stolen from him as it was impossible to cross him. So he had to choose a person.

Everyone in the secretariat stayed with family except two. Anya Owen and Kyle Reynolds. He pretended like he chose the most trustable and loyal members for his work. He gave the hard disk to Anya Owen, believing Kyle Reynolds loves Anya and he wouldn't leak the hard disk location to anybody and put her in danger.

He planned to steal the hard disk and kidnap Anya Owen. Then send her to a different country and act as she stole and escaped. She was a single mother, from a humble background so he had no fear.

However things didn't go as planned, His nephew and son didn't kidnap Anya Owen. He held no grudge against Anya so he wanted to make sure she was shifted to a safe location quickly. So he had to wait till morning and rushed to her place.

Well, looking at her house torn down, he realized Kyle Reynolds leaked the location to Harper's men. His suspicions got stronger due to the attacks on the car Anya was in.

Nevertheless, Anya still reached Alvin's hands and they knew each other from his university.

Alvin was a hell of adamant to protect Anya, without sending her to a different country or sending her with Bernard. Alvin was smart to guess Bernard will make her a criminal.

Anya also threatened Bernard that she would reveal about Alvin and Linus's involvement. Bernard couldn't afford it.

Without telling him, Alvin helped Anya and saved the ministers by bringing the ship back to the country. Although Harper smeared Anya's name in the media, she was the real hero who put everything back to place.

In the end, all Bernard's plans were ruined. He got no recognition but only trouble.

——————

Linus was a bit calm hearing his father didn't want an unscrupulous man to take the position. However, he didn't like that he planned to blame the stolen hard disk on Anya and name her a traitor. He looked at Alvin who was very calm. He guessed Alvin was aware of it a long time ago. Hence he silently sulked.

A jury member questioned Anya, "Officer Owen, how did Alvin Matthews help you regarding the ship rescue?"

Anya stood up as she responded, "Chief, I got to know about ministers' vacation from Alvin Matthews. When he wasn't allowing me to leave the mansion, I asked his help and he made all the necessary arrangements I needed."

She refrained from saying all positive aspects of Alvin's actions as it could appear as she was highlighting it. That could put both of them in trouble.

Jason hid his smile. He knew the game Anya was playing. She was purposefully not speaking for Alvin and making the jury ask about him. It had greater effects.

Jason announced as he passed the laptop to other jury members, "All the data against Harper Johnson is safe."

Anya signaled at the brothers to sit as she questioned Bernard. "Who gave you the bloody right to decide with my life?"

"Aren't single women and single mothers allowed to live peacefully? Our lives aren't free for you to sacrifice and use however you want just because you are President of the country."

A pin-drop silence enveloped the hall. Bernard had nothing to say. He was dumb-headed to think Anya Owen will understand he was doing it for the country.

Well, why should she sacrifice her life for the country?

Anya slowly breathed to cool down. She faced Chief Justice and spoke, "Every proof, everyone's words points to one person, Harper Johnson. His crimes aren't just what was on the hard disk, it keeps increasing."

She placed a file on the jury's desk as she added, "This file contains the details of Harper Johnson's attack on President Collins in a cafe."

"Secretary Stewart," Anya called and Harper's secretary stood up. "Do you have anything to say?"

Harper glared at his secretary's head. But Stewart wasn't fazed, "Everything pointing at Harper Johnson is true. I gave the orders on his behalf of him. The flowers sent to Officer Owen were by us. We got to know from Kyle Reynolds that she is unguarded against kids. Our men tore down her house but we didn't get the hard disk. We even reached her house in the morning to kidnap her but President Collins was there before us. Yulia Harris is our informant who always kept us up to date and gave us the car details Officer Owen was in. So he ordered to kidnap her but our men got caught. We tried to kill her at the Port but she escaped. He even tried to escape the country but…"

'Pooh…'

Harper hammered his fist on his secretary's back. He was expecting his secretary to stop from his first statement but his secretary went on and on, revealing everything. In the end, Harper realized it wasn't Casper who leaked his location but his secretary Stewart who revealed their escape plan to the cops.

Harper's guess was right. Anya had asked Captain David to meet Stewart and scare him with his family. His family was under police protection so Stewart worked for the cops and sent their location to Captain David as soon as he got the chance.

The cop pulled Harper away while Harper tried to attack Stewart. "You f**king bastard, I will kill you…"

Anya signaled Stewart to sit and relax, seeing him struggling to respire while his face had turned bright red by the strike. "Do you need a doctor?"

Stewart shook his head trying to compose himself and bear the pain.

Anya nodded as she stood straight. The cop took screaming Harper out, leaving the hall back to silence.

Bernard and his Secretary Ricardo Baker were looking at Yulia Harris in shock. They couldn't believe she was working for Harper and leaking the information to Harper. Bernard discerned how Harper got to know about the hard disk.

Anya finally brought up her mission, "The last spy I was trying hard to find. The spy who was smoothly trading the confidential information and President's activities was none other than Secretary Yulia Harris."

She had included Secretary Ricardo Baker in the summons court so that it wouldn't alert Yulia who might try to escape.

Yulia, who had thought her cover wasn't blown, quivered on the chair hearing her name from Stewart. Her eyes were wide in fear and the cold beads of sweat formed in no time. She suffocated herself thinking of all the consequences.

Anya went to the woman, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her to the front. "Mrs. Harris, do you object to what I said?"

Yulia stuttered, "I-I d-don't k-know w-what y-you a-are talking about." The punishment for fooling the president was severe.

Anya turned to Kyle who was still standing, "Kyle Reynolds, who did you leak about the location of the hard disk?"

Kyle responded promptly, "Mrs. Yulia Harris."

"I didn't. I didn't do anything. He is lying." Yulia cried, still not accepting her deed.

Anya snickered. She fetched a pen drive and connected it to the laptop. She clicked on the play and everyone watched the projecting screen.

It was a video of Yulia trying to convince Kyle. "Kyle, Anya is nowhere to be found. If you don't want to be punished and imprisoned forever, you better blame everything on Anya."

"Anya didn't do anything. I won't blame her."

"She might be dead. You can escape blaming her."

"I am not doing it…"

Arguments continued but Anya muted the volume.

Yulia fell on her knees and wailed. Anya sensed the eyes of Jason and shrugged, "I broke into President Quarters." She hoped Alvin wouldn't be fool enough to say he went with her.

Bernard: "..."

"You really did that!?" A jury member laughed at her boldness.

Anya grabbed two thick files and placed them on the jury panel, "Yulia Harris has 2 billion worth properties, expensive things scattered in her family, relatives, and friends. All the houses are being raided by the department."

She picked another file and placed it in front of Jason, "Thus I conclude my…" She paused with the thought of 'last,' "... mission today." There was no happiness in her tone. She had to complete her resignation process.

Jason looked at her steely gray eyes which hid the heaviness her voice revealed. He took the file and he went through it once before submitting it to the Chief Justice.

Anya stepped back three steps and stood at ease with her hands locked behind her back, waiting for the final verdict.

A few minutes of silence followed.

The Chief Justice had expected the summons court to take up all day and follow up with the session court. He didn't expect Officer Owen to be so efficient, better than her previous missions.

He first concluded the stolen hard disk. "Kyle Reynolds will be terminated from his job. He isn't eligible for any administration job. You are being released with a warning. Submit your apology to Officer Owen."

Kyle was relieved he wasn't punished more than that. He looked at the up straight lissom figure. The result was just as he expected, "Thank you, Lord Chief Justice."

Chief Justice signed the termination of Kyle before looking at Alvin and Linus. "It is clear that President Collins instructed his son and nephew to steal the hard disk with a lie. However, stealing is an illegal act."

Bernard's back stiffened, Anya's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. One didn't want the two to pay for his actions and another wasn't prepared to hear anything against them.

It was true Alvin troubled her, stopped her, controlled her but his intention was to protect her. If one has to punish him, it was her, not the law. Her fingers crossed without her realization.