Pat swung the front door open, took one look at the visitor, and froze. His jaw nearly hit the floor mat.
"You're Jacob Kennedy."
"That would be me." Jacob smiled, shifting a heavy bouquet of white roses in his grip. "I'm looking for Felix Venner."
"Why? How do you know Felix Venner?" Pat raised an eyebrow.
"He and his friends saved my life," Jacob replied.
"I'm right here," Felix said. Beside him were Kip and Nova.
Jacob's smile softened. He held out the roses. "These are for you. I can't thank you enough."
Felix's cheeks flushed pink. "I… I didn't realize you were the ruler of Technate. Pat, could you—?"
Pat nodded and took the flowers.
Jacob chuckled. "How would you all feel about seeing the parliament building? I can give you a tour."
Nova said, "Yes! We would love to go."
Jacob smiled. "Awesome. Follow me."
"Pat." Jared's voice cut in. Pat turned. "You're supposed to be at the church. Mass starts in five minutes."
"Right, morning service..." Pat let out a hollow sigh. "Why does the universe test me exclusively when celebrities show up?" Grudgingly, he followed Jared down the hallway.
Felix and his friends followed Jacob and his security guards out to a sleek black limousine, its polished body gleaming under the warm sun. Slipping into the limousine, they sank into the cool, plush comfort of the purple leather seats.
They helped themselves to the chilled drinks in the mini-fridge as the car glided down the street. Soon, the limousine stopped in front of the parliament building. They hopped out, following Jacob through the grand entrance to a comfortable common room lined with deep love seats.
Jacob kicked back comfortably beside his guard, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Go ahead—ask me anything you want."
Felix scratched his chin and asked, "Why did you bomb Dynasty Tower?"
Nova nearly choked on her breath, grabbing his sleeve. "Felix, shut your mouth! You are talking to a head of state!"
Jacob smiled faintly. "Curiosity is fine. Lolita was plotting to bomb Opal City. The tower was destroyed to prevent devastation to our city."
Felix's jaw dropped open. "How do you know this?"
"Inside the tower is where the scientists work. They were planning a nuclear bomb. I planned the attack to happen at night, so nobody was inside the building when the explosion occurred. The fighter jet that shot the missile at the mountain came from Intermarium. Her second attempt at assassinating me. Beforehand, one of her planes had dropped a bomb on a church. She planned the bombing of the church because she thought that I lived there. Lolita wants to borrow more money from me. I'm not going to fund her lavish lifestyle, because I'm not her sugar daddy."
Kip said, "How do you know she isn't using the funds for her people?"
"She spent the money on upgrades for her castle. I thought the money was going towards road construction, not for pink paint for the castle bricks."
Nova's eyes widened. "Good grief... how are you even holding up after that car accident?"
Jacob rubbed his brow. "I had a minor concussion. Some bruising on my face. But other than that, I'm fine."
The vice ruler entered the room. "Jacob, you're needed for a meeting."
Jacob rose smoothly from his seat. "Duty calls. My driver will make sure you all get home safely."