Chapter 40: Suzy backstory [03]

Suzy went deeper into that final night. She didn’t look at the piles of cash around her feet anymore. Her eyes stayed fixed on the floor, her fingers squeezing the token tightly against her shirt.

"The bells in the inner circle had just finished striking midnight," Suzy said, "I was asleep in my room when a sudden crash shook the whole front section of the house. The the royal guards used raw magic to blast our door of house completely off its frame. The lower hall was filled with the sound of shouting men and the red glare of fire torches."

She took a slow breath her shoulder pressing a little tighter against my arm.

"I ran out into the hallway, completely terrified," she continued. "I looked down the main stairs and saw my father standing in the middle of the hall, holding his sword. My mother was right next to him, her hands glowing with her own defense magic. They were completely surrounded by ten royal knights wearing silver plates. My father looked up the stairs, saw me standing there, and yelled for us to run. That was the exact second the lead knight step forward, his blade flashing in the torchlight."

A small tremor ran through her fingers, but she kept going, forcing the words out one by one.

"Before I could even scream, Alan grabbed my wrist from behind," Suzy whispered. "His grip was so tight it left marks on my skin for a week. He didn’t let me look back at the hall. He dragged me down the narrow servant stairs at the back of the kitchen, threw open the door, and pulled me straight out into the dark alleyways behind the property. The sky above our house was already turning bright orange from the fire."

"We ran through the narrow lanes for twenty minutes, staying completely in the shadows to avoid the horse patrols," she said. "Alan knew every single blind spot in the city walls . He led me all the way to the outer southern gate, where a big trade wagon full of dry winter hay was parked near a livery stable. The driver was inside the tavern, and the street was completely quiet for a brief second."

She closed her hand over the silver token, her face turning very pale. "Alan climbed up the side of the wagon, pulled the canvas top back, and shoved me deep into the center of the dry straw," Suzy said, her voice cracking softly. "He piled the loose hay right over my head until I was completely covered and hidden from the road. Then, he looked, his face just inches from mine. He didn’t look scared at all. He just gave me that same playful smile from the training yard, reached down to pat my head, and told me to keep the numbers straight."

A single tear dropped from her eyes on her legs.

"That was the last time I ever saw his face," she said. "A second later, a squad of royal guards turned the corner of the lane on their horses, their armor clanking loudly. Alan didn’t try to hide. He leaped off the wagon, speak loudly to get their attention, and sprinted straight down the main highway in the opposite direction. I lay perfectly still inside that dark, hot straw for hours, listening to the horses gallop away after his voice, completely alone while the wagon slowly started to move out of the capital gates at dawn."

I kept my hand steady on her shoulder, letting the absolute weight of her survival settle into the quiet room.

"Alan completed his mission, manager. He drew the target away so you can make sure to live, he was such a great big brother."

"The wagon traveled for two full days before it finally stopped," Suzy continued, "When the driver finally pulled the canvas back to unload the cargo, I scrambled out into the weeds of a small farming village, miles away from the capital city. I had nothing but the clothes on my back and the little silver piece Alan gave me."

"The local village people were poor, but they took me in because I knew how to count," she said, looking right into my eyes. "I spent my first three years there working in the local grain barns, using my father’s math lessons to check their inventory and make sure the local traders weren’t scamming them. In the evenings, I practiced the quick footwork steps Alan taught me in the yard, using a plain stick to keep my speed up. I was weak, but I never stopped thinking about the Prince."

I leaned against the box next to her, listening closely to her words. "So you used the account books to build a path back?"

"Exactly," Suzy replied a serious look returning to her face. "I realized I could never beat the Prince with regular physical strength. He had an entire army and royal status. The only way to get close enough to kill him was to enter the Silver Crest Guild and climb the ladder from the very bottom. I spent the next seven years working eighteen hours a day, managing small shipping lines, handling bad contracts, and moving from one small branch to another until I finally became the director of the capital office."

She looked down at her father’s sword, her voice softening slightly. "But even when I reached the capital, the Prince’s security was too tight. His magic walls and high-level guards blocked everything. I was starting to lose hope of ever balancing the ledger for my family."

Then, she turned her head and looked straight at my face, a soft look showing in her face .

"And then, I met you in that riverbank forest, Barry," she said, "When I first saw a tiny blue snake writing text in the dirt, I just thought you were a strange, greedy little creature with no use. But as we kept moving, and I saw how you outsmarted the mercenaries, used that crazy magic and tricks, and literally ate his entire royal potion warehouse without a care... I saw a real hope in you. You were the only asset in the entire kingdom that the Prince’s system couldn’t predict, even though I don’t believe in you first.

She reached out, her fingers gently touching the jacket. "My entire plan from the start was to bring you right here to this royal vault so we could tear his business apart together. I used you, Barry. The truth is that i was planning to take revenge with using you, i am sorry berry. But... I didn’t expect to care about your safety this much."

I looked at her, a small human smile forming on my face as I adjusted my cuffs. "A good manager always finds the best tool for the job, Suzy. You didn’t use me; we just signed a highly profitable merger. And looking at the current inventory in this room, our profit margins are looking completely fantastic, so... You don’t have to blame yourself and if I were at your place i will also take revenge of my family ".

Suzy let out a real, beautiful laugh, her face turning a bit red as she finally pulled her hand back, her regular boss energy returning completely. "You really are a shameless partner, Barry. Let’s finish clearing out this vault before the guards upstairs figure out their boss is dead."