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Gulping, you steel yourself and stare squarely into her still squinted eyes. Her azure ones return the favour in kind. Content smile still laces her visage.
"Jaq...!" You bark, with perhaps too much bite than intended. Oh, well
"Hmm?" She hums, leaning forward again, grinning... But still menacingly squinting.
"Jaq." You repeat, and straighten, cracking your shoulders as she remains steadfast. "You promised."
"Mistress Jaqueline is only teasing." Alex says from the sidelines, garnering the attention of both of you.
Looking you back in the eyes, Jaq's expression... sours, and her smile melts into a weak frown. "Yes, that's true. As I said, my business with her is finished. So should be yours. In her current position she can't offer you anything, unlike me. Soon I will be able to grant you anything you want, just you wait." She says begrudgingly, straightening in kind and absentmindedly fiddling with cuff of her- your lab coat. Evading your gaze, she adds. "Overseer will be returning shortly. Anything else?"
Still on edge, you close your eyes... You have to think, and her ridiculous games don't help the effort - just like her plan. It will only get you in trouble, meanwhile Alex's idea is way too timid. Sighing, you know what you have to talk about. You can't just let it pass.
Opening your eyes, you face Jaq again, this time looking just bored, if not slightly annoyed, judging by arms crossed at her chest.
"I don't think it's wise to get rid of Angelina. I will bring an unacceptable amount of heat down on us." You start, piquing Jaq's attention again. Albeit her gestures remain unchanged. "She trusts me, and probably wants to trust you too. I think we can use her to help us with the quota, or maybe even keep silent about our activities."
Frowning, Jaq look clearly unconvinced. Sinking further into her seat, she says sternly. "If we allow her in, she will eventually have a perfect blackmail material, meanwhile we won't be able to fight back. Once she knows something, we will have to worry about her forever. But she's a coward. Even if you trust her, what stops the authorities from questioning her, or even appealing to the dumb ideology she holds so dear? Ignoring the fact she definitely has ulterior motives, there is no way she's a reliable asset."
At a loss, you look at Alex, who seems hopeless as well.
Emboldened, the blonde continues with a huff, although this time more calmly. "She's using you, Aki, to further her own agenda. She hopes to sow doubt in our ranks in this most perilous of times. It's self evident, just think about it." She stops, letting the silence drive the point across. "Here is what I think you should do. If she truly trusts you, betray her. Break her heart and make her choose to go away. We might get in trouble, but it's still preferable to having her here. And don't worry about retaliation, she's too cowardly to stand for herself. Well, not when I'm involved." She smirks at the end, content with herself.
