Chapter 43: The Last of Augustus XIII (The Trump Card)

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A/N: This is the last part of the Augustus arc and my ninth update in a row! Enjoy reading!

A/N: This is the last part of the Augustus arc and my ninth update in a row! Enjoy reading!

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LORELEI

EVERYTHING WENT according to our plan. Or to borrow Augustus' own words, according to our "layout."

I wanna savor this moment. The look on Augustus' face was too priceless. A moment ago, he was on the verge of his triumph. A second later, he fell into the pit of loss. I bet Loki would want to see the editor-in-chief's reaction.

I can't read his mind, but the stare that he gave me was already telling. Paulit-ulit siguro niyang tinatanong ang kanyang sarili: "How the hell did this happen?"

Well, it all began during my conversation with Alistair outside our classroom. Around that time, I was still thinking kung dapat ko bang sabihin kay Loki ang totoo o hayaan si Augustus na ang magsabi. Either way kasi, malalaman pa rin ni Loki ang katotohanan. That was a tough choice for me.

Thankfully, my childhood friend was there to offer an alternative. I don't want to take the whole credit for myself. After all, our plan was initially Alistair's idea.

"Lorelei, I don't know if you'll agree with me, but we need to play according to Augustus' layout."

"So you think that I should tell Loki what I saw in the notebook?" tanong ko.

"Not exactly." Alistair shook his head. "Remember what Augustus wants? Gusto niyang magkagulo sina Loki at Luthor. Gusto niyang ma-distract tayo sa imbestigasyon. That's the reason why he's willing to talk to Loki about his brother's alleged connection to Moriarty."

"Am I gonna tell him anything or not?" tanong ko. That's the million peso question.

"You don't need to tell Loki the truth," Alistair told me. He stared at me for a few seconds. "You just need to make it look like you told him the truth. Gets?"

It took me a few seconds to process what he had just said. I had too much on my mind already. Hindi ko na alam kung ano'ng unang iisipin ko. "To make that happen, we need to play a charade."

Alistair nodded. "Augustus' layout reveals na may ine-expect siyang specific na reaction mula sa atin. He anticipates na kapag nalaman ni Loki ang tungkol sa laman ng notebook, magkakaroon ng gulo. Kailangan nating ipakita sa kanya ang ine-expect niyang reaction. We need to give him what he wants."

"Won't he suspect na baka nag-a-act lang tayo?" tanong ko. Augustus was smart after all. He managed to counter our moves. "Given the way he outsmarted us at every turn, hindi ba siya nag-e-expect na may gagawin tayong ganito?"

"Because of his winning streak, Augustus has become overconfident." Alistair looked away and slipped his hands inside his pockets. "He knew that by tomorrow morning, we would all be in a state of panic and chaos. As long as everything is going exactly as he predicted, he won't suspect anything. Kaya nga kailangan nating gawing realistic ang reaction natin. We need to be genuine."

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