In the lavishly decorated dining room, Jonas elegantly cut into the steak before him.
Sitting across from him was Miss Yucas, who had removed her disguise after returning to the Peacekeeping Forces.
To keep Jonas from noticing anything amiss, Yucas deliberately changed several habits she had adopted while in disguise. Looking at the man before her, she asked:
"I assume you didn't invite me here simply to have lunch with me, Mr. Jonas."
Her tone was rather cold. Jonas merely smiled at her words before replying:
"Of course not. As I said over the call, my main reason for inviting you here was to apologize."
Using her aboard the cruise ship last time, then immediately forcing her offline afterward, had indeed been rather underhanded. Jonas had no excuse for it. An apology was not an entirely convincing pretext, but given their unspoken understanding, it would just about do.
"I don't think you have anything to apologize for, Mr. Jonas. Didn't you successfully drive away the rioters attacking the Chamber of Commerce during the last Cruise Ship Incident? In that respect, the Peacekeeping Forces should be thanking you."
Yucas spoke icily, with a hint of sarcasm. Clearly, she still resented what Jonas had done last time.
He had driven away the rioters, but barely anyone aboard the cruise ship had survived. Although Alt Corporation had also suffered, who could say whether that was merely a ploy to divert suspicion by making itself a victim?
What the young woman did not know was that the Peacekeeping Forces really had thanked Jonas for that very reason, and had even used her as a bargaining chip to secure certain benefits.
Jonas did not get angry at her words. Instead, he went along with them.
"Since you aren't angry, Miss Yucas, I can rest easy."