Location: Conference Room, Umbra Operations HQ.Dallas, Texas, USA
Time: 11:25 am
Lyra nodded.Without a word, she tapped her laptop, projecting a new visual breakdown onto the screen.
A side-by-side schematic appeared: The left column showed a traditional multi-jurisdictional payment route. The right displayed a sleek, anonymised crypto chain.
"Yes, Commander," she said smoothly."For the traditional route, we operate through fund entities based in Hong Kong and Switzerland, processing standard FX transactions.
For encrypted transactions, we utilize dark web protocols and blockchain anonymity layers. You would simply send the payment to a designated digital wallet,and leave the rest to us."
She paused briefly, then continued in her usual composed and thoughtful manner:"From any perspective, external observers would simply interpret Umbra's transaction as a standard cryptocurrency investment, fully aligned with common operational trajectories.If there are future risks of tax audits, we can assist in adjusting the payment timeline of previous orders, allowing this fiscal year and the next to be smoothly distributed across the accounting periods of the past two years."
Her voice remained polite but pointed, cutting straight to the core:"Forgive my directness, Commander, but based on my understanding of most PMC operations in the States, your company is likely entitled to Pentagon-supported tax channels and partial exemptions.
We will provide fully compliant and legitimate financial reports formatted to U.S. tax standards. Your accounting team would only need to submit the updates with a single click.
If the IRS requests further information, Either the WindChain team and I will provide full cooperation, ensuring Umbra remains entirely free of unnecessary audits or complications."
Before she even finished,Richard let out a low whistle of admiration:"Ms. Jar, your knowledge of American tax structures is… impressive, to say the least."
Lyra gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement, then turned her gaze back to Arthur,waiting, calm and certain, for his judgment.
Arthur Graves picked up a pen with his right hand, twirled it once between his fingers, then pressed it lightly into his palm.
He was thinking.If he went through the regular procurement process, he could still secure this deal, just with a painful amount of paperwork, time, and bureaucratic nonsense. But now she was offering cryptocurrency.Was that her real play?
Just to help him move funds without government oversight?A woman who seemed
tailor-made for him. A key forged in the East no one had ever held. The best-price, most advanced selection of antidotes and smart weapons on the market.
It was too smooth.Too perfect.He smirked, eyes narrowing slightly.He was a poker man. And he knew, it wasn't time to show his cards yet.
He raised his gaze, locked eyes with Lyra, and let his smile unfold, casual, confident, but with a trace of edge:"Smart thinking, darlin'. If you can really help me dodge the red tape, then sure,I'll go with crypto.But on one condition: I want you to handle it. Personally."
Lyra met his gaze with a composed smile, every bit the strategist cloaked in silk, her words precise and unhurried:"Of course, Commander."
"Then, as if it were an afterthought, she added, with the calm precision of someone laying down a winning hand:"And just so you know, if you choose to pay via cryptocurrency, we'll offer an additional 1.5% cash back on the smart weapons portion of the deal to any account by your choice."
She paused, then delivered the final line with grace and subtle impact:"Given the current scale of the order, that should save you about a million dollars. Are you satisfied with the rate, Sir?"
At her words, he let out a low chuckle, eyes gleaming like firelight. He was a gambler.Umbra's off-the-books revenue had long surpassed that of most legitimate corporations.
But Arthur Graves, he had never personally experienced a negotiation where a single exchange saved him over 1.5 million dollars.He didn't need a degree in economics to know what was happening.
Lyra, and the WindCore.
They were reeling him in, step by step, not with traps, but with precision. And this wasn't even the real move.This was just a appetizer. She hadn't even played her hand yet.
"1.5% cash back?" he echoed, voice dipped in disbelief and thrill. "This deal was already damn good…"He winked, grinning like a man who just hit the river card in his favor. "You really do know how to raise the stakes, sweetheart. Fine. Cryptocurrency it is,let's just hope I'm not letting you win too easily."
She nodded, unshaken, then turned to Fay without missing a beat."Please issue the invoices," Lyra said smoothly."One for WindSource: 500 full GYX-series kits and 300 ML07 units,apply the 5% discount I've accrued over the last three fiscal years."
She continued, fingers already gliding over the shared interface."The second and third invoices go to WindStorm:cover the UAV system package, including 200 complimentary recon dogs,60 combat wolves, and a full-series WindEye tracking support confirmation letter."
"The fourth,apply the 1.5% total cash back via WindChain's encrypted credit offset.I'll personally reconcile it when I return to Sydney Office."
Her tone remained composed, efficient."All four contracts are to be bundled together, 50% deposit up front, the remaining balance to be paid in three installments over the next twelve months.And please, have the full documentation uploaded to the shared drive within 24 hours."
Fay smiled and nodded. "Yes, Ms. Jar. I'll have it ready within 24 hours." Lyra returned the smile, nodding to both Fay and Mulan.
"Well then, if Commander Graves has no further objections, I believe we can conclude the meeting for today."
Arthur didn't respond immediately.He simply looked at her,as if watching a battlefield unfold, every move meticulously calculated. This wasn't a war, and yet it felt like one.
The woman sitting calmly across the room didn't raise her voice, didn't posture,but every word she spoke landed like a tactical command,sharp, deliberate, flawless.
She was like a precision-tuned weaponized finance system:measured, composed, utterly lethal. With each move, each offer, each line of logic,she had pulled him and his entire team onto the track she had laid out long before the meeting began.
He'd met calm women before.He'd faced powerful negotiators.But Lyra was something else entirely.She didn't dominate,she anchored.She didn't press,she absorbed. And with poise and irresistible terms, she slipped past his defenses with terrifying ease.
The worst part?He didn't want to resist.Somewhere deep in the corner of his mind,the part he usually ignored, He was enjoying it.His lips curled into a slow grin.His left hand absently traced over his knuckles,a gesture caught between calculation and surrender. "Impressive," he murmured, the voice low and gravel-rough. "Do you know what kind of woman I admire most, sweetheart?"
He paused, leaning slightly forward, eyes locked on hers, tone dropping into something darker, something warmer:"Women who know exactly what they want…and can beat me in my own game."
He finally turned toward the screen, his grin still lingering."Today's meeting was a success. Thank you, ladies. I look forward to working closely with all of you again,very soon."
Fay cheerfully waved goodbye to everyone, her tone as playful as ever.Mulan, on the other hand, simply cast a long, thoughtful glance at the screen.She lowered her eyes,said nothing more, and offered a small wave before closing the connection.
Of course, Lyra understood her message instantly,there was no need to conceal anything anymore. Let it be. Let it flow.She rose gracefully, smiling as she nodded to the men around the table.
"Thank you all. I look forward to a successful partnership with the Umbra Operations. Now, while we wait for the invoice and contract drafts to be finalized,which should take about 12 to 24 hours.
Since I'm already here at this headquarters… may I ask if someone would be kind enough to give me a little tour?"
Almost instantly, every man in the room stood up,eager, unmistakably hoping to be the one to show her around, to steal a few private minutes in her company.
But then they saw it. That hand.
Resting possessively along the back of her chair, subtle in gesture, but sharp as a blade in intent. The Boss's hand. This woman was not theirs to pursue.
Not even close.
Arthur stands from his seat with calm elegance,the kind of movement that carried both military discipline and a gentleman's ease. He extended his arm slightly toward her, voice low and smooth with just the right touch of charm.
"Well then, since you've expressed interest in a tour... Suppose I should give you the grand one myself. After all, Umbra HQ isn't exactly open to the public."