SSS-Class Profession: The Path to Mastery

Evelyn disappeared into her office without a word, phone already pressed to her ear. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving the rest of us in the living room with nothing but speculation and nervous energy.

Camille paced back and forth, her wild nature barely contained. "Ghana. Ghana. Why Ghana? What's even in Ghana besides—"

"Samuel Osei," Alexis cut in, her arms still crossed. "The leader who sided with Rey during the UN meeting."

"Right, right." Camille waved her hand. "But is he helping the World President or is he just… unaware?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," Sienna said gently, though I could see the worry in her eyes as she glanced at me. "Rey, do you trust this Samuel person?"

I thought about it. Samuel Osei was… complicated. Friendly, yes. Supportive during the UN meeting, absolutely. But he was also shrewd. The kind of man who laughed loudly at his own jokes and clapped people on the back while calculating three moves ahead. A rich uncle who didn't care what the family thought because he already had the power.

"I trust him enough," I said finally. "He's an ally. Whether he stays one depends on what we're about to tell him."

Minutes dragged by. Five. Ten. Fifteen. Camille had moved from pacing to sitting on the arm of the couch, bouncing her leg. Sienna kept glancing toward Evelyn's office door. Even Alexis, normally so composed, had that slight tension in her jaw that meant she was running through contingencies in her head.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the office door opened.

Evelyn stepped out, phone in hand, her expression unreadable behind the blindfold. She walked straight to me and held it out.

"He's on the line."

I took the phone, bringing it to my ear. "Samuel."

"Reynard Vale!" His voice boomed through the speaker, warm and vibrant like we were old friends meeting at a party. "My friend! How long has it been? Too long, too long!"

"It's been a while," I agreed, keeping my tone measured but not cold. Samuel was an ally, and burning that bridge wouldn't help anyone.

"I've been watching you, you know!" He laughed—that big, genuine laugh that filled a room even through a phone line. "Brazil! My God, Brazil! You and President Santos, working together to get her support. I nearly choked on my drink when I saw the news. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

"It was… necessary," I said carefully.

"Necessary!" He clapped—I could actually hear him clapping on the other end. "That's what I've always admired about you, Reynard. You do what needs to be done. No hesitation. The ecological crisis, the political maneuvering—masterful! And that coalition of yours, still growing strong I see. You're making waves, my friend. Big waves."

"Samuel—"

"And don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been building connections. South America, parts of Europe, even some whispers from Asia. Even if you aren't directly involved, you're creating something real. Something that could actually challenge the system." His tone shifted slightly, still friendly but with an edge of seriousness underneath. "That takes courage. And intelligence. Both of which you have in spades."

I waited for him to finish, knowing that cutting Samuel off mid-thought was a waste of energy. He'd get to the point eventually, but only after he'd said his piece.

"But I have to ask," he continued, his voice dropping into something more curious, "what brings you to call me today? Surely not just to catch up, though I would love that. Are you planning something new? Another move against our mysterious World President perhaps?"

There it was. The opening.

I leaned forward slightly, my voice serious. "Samuel, I need to warn you about something."

The shift in my tone must have registered because his jovial energy dimmed just a fraction. "Warn me? Well now, that sounds ominous. Go on."

I took a breath. "I have reason to believe the World President is in Ghana."

Silence.

Complete, total silence.

It stretched long enough that I almost wondered if the call had dropped. But no—I could still hear the faint background noise on his end. He was just… processing.

I stood and moved toward the couch, sitting down slowly as I waited for his response. Sienna shifted to make room for me, her hand finding mine and squeezing gently.

Finally, Samuel spoke. His voice had lost all its warmth. "Are you sure?"

"I am."

Another pause, shorter this time. "How sure? Where did this information come from?"

"A reliable source," I said, not willing to give up Alessandro's name even to an ally. "Someone who would know."

Samuel let out a long breath, and I could almost picture him sitting back in whatever expensive chair he occupied, running a hand over his face. "Ghana. My Ghana." His voice was quieter now, thoughtful. "If what you're saying is true, Reynard… that changes everything."

"I know."

"Do you have any specifics? A city? A building?"

"No. Just the country."

"Hmm." He was silent again, but I could practically hear the gears turning. Samuel was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. "I'll need to run an investigation. Quietly. Carefully. If the World President really is here and gets spooked…" He trailed off, but the implication was clear.

"I understand."

"This is… significant information, my friend." His tone had shifted again, back to something warmer but still serious. "Thank you. Truly. If this is accurate, you may have just handed me the key to something much larger than either of us expected."

"Just keep me posted," I said. "And be careful."

"Always am," he replied, and I could hear the slight smile in his voice. "I'll be in touch soon. And Reynard?"

"Yeah?"

"You've done good work. Whatever happens next, know that."

The line went dead.

I lowered the phone, staring at the blank screen for a moment before handing it back to Evelyn, who had been standing nearby the entire time.

"Well?" Camille asked immediately. "What did he say?"

"He's going to investigate," I said, leaning back against the couch. "Quietly. He'll let us know what he finds."

Alexis frowned. "Do you trust him to actually do it?"

"I do," I said, and I meant it. Samuel was scheming, yes, but he wasn't stupid enough to ignore a threat like this. If the World President was in his country, he'd want to know. And if he found them, he'd have leverage. "He's a good ally. This is exactly the kind of thing he'd jump on."

"And if he betrays you?" Alexis pressed.

I exhaled slowly. "Then we deal with it. But I don't think he will. Not on something like this."

Sienna squeezed my hand again. "You did the right thing, Rey. Warning him."

I nodded, though part of me was still running through contingencies. Samuel could betray us. He could use this information for his own gain. He could even be working with the World President already, though that seemed unlikely given his support during the UN meeting.

But for now, I'd done my part. I'd passed along the information to someone who could act on it. Someone who had the resources and the reach to investigate properly.

And honestly? I was relieved.

I couldn't imagine having to go to Ghana myself. Not after Brazil. Not after a month of constant maneuvering, negotiation, and exhaustion. The thought of getting on another plane, diving into another political minefield, navigating another web of alliances and enemies—it made my bones ache just thinking about it.

And Evelyn…

I glanced over at her. She'd moved to sit on the other end of the couch, her blindfold still in place, but her posture had relaxed slightly. She looked exhausted. More than exhausted. She looked like she might collapse if she had to do anything more strenuous than breathe.

We'd been running nonstop for weeks. Both of us. And while I knew the fight against the World President was far from over, right now, in this moment, I felt a small sense of relief.

Samuel would handle Ghana. I'd done what I needed to do.

"Rey?" Sienna's voice pulled me back. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I said, offering her a small smile. "Just… tired."

"You should rest," Alexis said, her doctor instincts kicking in. "Both of you. You've been pushing yourselves too hard."

"She's right," Camille added, though her teasing tone had returned. "You look like death, and Evelyn looks worse."

"Thanks," Evelyn muttered from her end of the couch, though there was no real bite to it.

Before I could respond, Evelyn shifted, slowly leaning over until her head rested on my lap. She didn't say anything, didn't ask permission—just settled there like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I blinked, surprised for a moment, before relaxing. My hand moved almost on instinct, running gently through her blonde hair. She let out a soft breath, and within seconds, I could tell she'd fallen asleep.

Camille grinned. "Well, that's adorable."

"Shut up," I said, but there was no heat behind it.

Sienna smiled warmly. "She needs it. You both do."

Alexis just nodded, her expression softening. "Don't move. Let her sleep."

I had no intention of moving. My hand continued its slow, gentle motion through Evelyn's hair, and I felt some of the tension in my own shoulders start to ease.

We'd done enough for today. Enough for this week. Maybe even enough for this month.

Samuel would investigate Ghana. The World President's location was no longer a complete mystery. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn't immediately being pulled into the next crisis.

We deserved this break.

Both of us did.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​