CHAPTER 211: LIAM’S FRIENDS’ PROTECTION PLAN

Liam had just finished his meal when he made his way back to the study. As he entered the study, he was greeted by the Lucy and Daniel.

"Welcome back, Master," Lucy greeted softly.

"Sir," Daniel added with a polite nod, though his face showed a trace of fatigue.

He had the look of a man who’d spent the last few hours thinking very hard about things that defied logic.

Liam returned their greetings with a small nod and took his seat behind the desk.

"I assume you’re both ready," he said with a smile.

"Yes, sir," Daniel nodded. "Lucy and I have discussed extensively. We’ve already mapped out the framework for everything. But before we get to the part about your friends’ protection..." He paused and glanced briefly at Lucy, then back at Liam.

"We need to address your own security first."

"My own?" Liam tilted his head slightly, amused.

"Yes, sir," Daniel nodded. "We talked about expanding the perimeter security, upgrading the surveillance network, and bringing in a few additional personnel to cover the mansion and its immediate surroundings."

Liam caught the brief flicker of a smile on Lucy’s face before Daniel continued.

"But Lucy disagreed. Strongly," Daniel said, almost helplessly. "She insisted that you don’t need any additional protection — none at all. When I pressed her for an explanation, she told me that you’re the only one who can answer that question."

"So, I’m asking you now, sir. Why?" He sighed and set his tablet on the desk.

Liam gave a small smile, as he looked at Lucy, who stood there with the faintest hint of a knowing smile.

"You really told him that?"

"Yes, Master," Lucy said lightly. "It was the simplest answer."

Liam leaned back in his chair, his expression calm and unreadable.

"She’s right. I don’t need the extra protection," he said.

Daniel frowned slightly when he heard this.

"Forgive me, sir, but after everything that’s happened — Lucid, the drones, the attention you’re getting — it would be irresponsible not to reinforce security."

"Mason and Nick are enough," Liam said evenly. "They’re the best at what they do. And I trust them completely."

"That’s not the issue, sir," Daniel pressed gently. "You’re a global figure now. You can’t rely on just two men."

Liam gave a soft smile, appreciating Daniel’s genuine concern.

"I can handle my own protection, Daniel. More people means more complications, not improve the situation. And more exposure. The last thing I want is to turn this place into a fortress and draw even more attention."

Daniel stared at him for a moment, frustration and curiosity warring silently behind his calm expression. There was something unspoken in Liam’s tone—something that hinted at knowledge or capability far beyond what he was letting on.

"You’re hiding something," Daniel said softly, not as an accusation, but as an observation.

Liam only smiled, a quiet glint in his eyes that made the room feel heavier for a moment.

"Perhaps," he said simply.

Daniel sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. He knew when to stop pressing. Last night and morning had already upended everything he understood about the world.

He had seen a woman step out of thin air, spoken with an AI that could think, feel, and smile, and watched his employer casually disrupt every government on Earth. He was still catching up—and some part of him suspected he never truly would.

Lucy turned her gaze toward him, as if reading his thoughts.

"You’ll get used to it, Daniel," she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

Daniel gave a short laugh.

"I doubt it," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. "But I’ll do my best."

"Good," Lucy said, her tone turning professional again. "Because now, we can move to the primary matter—protecting Master’s friends."

Liam remained silent, observing with interest as the two began to divide responsibilities with professional ease.

Lucy projected a transparent interface in the air from her oalm, dozens of holographic threads stretching outward — each representing a name, a face, a data stream.

"My purview," she began, "is everything non-physical. The moment anyone searches for, tracks, or even mentions one of them, I’ll know. I’ll be monitoring:"

Her hands moved as the floating icons shifted into categories: social media mentions and behavioral patterns, deep web chatter, financial transactions involving their names, GPS anomalies — phones, vehicles, smart devices

"This forms the Threat Intelligence Grid," she said. "It runs in real-time, pulling information from over three hundred thousand open and closed data channels. If someone so much as thinks of tracing their connection to you, I’ll know before they act."

"Every friend will have what I call a guardian shell," She continued. "Their devices, communications, and online identities will pass through my encrypted servers. Any interference — phishing, data mining, impersonation — will activate a mimic AI that engages the attacker, wasting their time while tracing their signal. They’ll never know it’s not human."

"Efficient," Daniel murmured.

"There’s more," Lucy said. "Their financials will be hidden under anonymized trust funds — layered through Bellemere Family Office and JP Morgan custodial nodes. From a global perspective, they will appear financially independent. No paper trail connects them to Master."

She turned toward Liam then and added, "I will also manage behavioral prediction. If, say, Elise publicly posts about being at a concert, my algorithms will cross-check every local anomaly — crowd density, surveillance feeds, even security response times. If the probability of threat exceeds 2%, Daniel will receive an immediate alert."

"Preemptive defense," Liam gave a small nod.

"Precisely," Lucy said.

"My focus will be the tangible world — the human layer," Daniel added.

He drew a digital map from Lucy’s feed and began marking points across Los Angeles, New York, and other major cities.

"We’ll use a soft-cover program under Bellemere Holdings," he explained. "We’ll call it the Lifestyle Security Program. Officially, it’s a private membership benefit for close affiliates — exclusive homes, vehicles, concierge services. Unofficially, it’s an invisible fortress."

"Every friend will get quiet upgrades: smart home systems, biometric locks, AI surveillance connected to Lucy’s grid. Panic protocols that can seal doors, engage counter-intrusion fog, and signal us without anyone realizing."

"Subtle," Liam said.

"Yes and necessary," Daniel replied. "They’ll think it’s part of the package — a courtesy upgrade from your estate’s security partners."

He tapped again, and the map zoomed out.

"Travel, too. I’ll reach out to JP Morgan’s and extend their global private-client protection framework to include them. Anywhere they fly, they fall under corporate protection jurisdiction — effectively giving them soft diplomatic immunity. Anyone tries to interfere, we trigger inter-corporate escalation protocols."

Lucy nodded approvingly.

"I’ll also integrate them legally," Daniel added. "Each one will be quietly listed as a consultant or creative partner for Bellemere. That grants them access to our legal arm. Should a government, journalist, or agency attempt harassment or detention, they’ll trigger multi-national legal pushback within hours."

"Aggressive," Liam arched a brow.

"Protective," Daniel corrected. "And I’ll handle the public side too. If any of them are targeted through the media, Bellemere’s PR division will deploy counter-narratives instantly — multiple languages, multiple outlets. Disinformation won’t stick."

"Your methods are old-world, but effective," Lucy gave an approving smile.

"And yours are terrifyingly efficient," Daniel smirked.

They both turned their gaze toward Liam. He’d been silent the whole time, listening.

"I don’t need to micromanage either of you. My job is to make sure all the pieces align without drawing attention. No one must ever feel like they’re being protected," he said.

He stood, walking to the window where morning light washed across the city skyline.

"Their lives stay the same. They keep their freedom, their choices, their normalcy. The moment they feel controlled, this system collapses. So — they’ll think their security, their new homes, their privileges are simply gifts from me. Not shields."

"They’ll never know how close the walls really are," Daniel nodded slowly in understanding, as his cousin was also involved.

"Exactly," Liam said. "And to make this work, I’ll subtly guide them to places we control — residences, studios, offices — all owned through Bellemere’s shell entities. They’ll be neighbors without realizing they’re in the same fortress."

"That will optimize my surveillance network and minimize exposure radius," Lucy nodded slightly in agreement.

"Good," Liam said softly. "I want elegance, not paranoia. The best security is the kind that feels like peace."

The less "alien" he seems, the less likely they are to feel like collateral in his rise.

There was more to the security and protection plan of Liam’s friends, like Ghost Protocol, which would clone their digital lives into flawless AI replicas if their devices were ever compromised, erasing all traceable data.

The Watchtower Satellites that would be launched to monitor their surroundings in real time, learning routines and flagging any anomaly before danger could arise.

And through the Bellemere Access Tier, each friend would unknowingly carry a sleek "VIP" card — a hidden encrypted tracker, panic beacon, and instant emergency fund all in one.

There was also Daniel’s protection and the protection of the mansion’s staffs and the family office’s, and their families.

The meeting went on for another ten minutes as Daniel made final notes on his tablet and Lucy synced the last of her projections into his secure terminal.

When everything was finally set, Daniel closed his tablet and exhaled, a small but satisfied smile touching his face.

"That covers everything on my end," he said. "I’ll begin implementing the framework immediately. The first security nodes and corporate cover programs will go live by tonight."

"Good," Liam nodded approvingly. "Keep it discreet and controlled. No noise."

"Understood. One more thing before I go—The meeting time with the Gulf nations has been confirmed. They’re expecting you in two days time."

"Good. I will be flying there tomorrow with my friends," Liam gave a soft nod.

"I’ll handle things on my end," Daniel said.

"Thank you, Daniel," Liam said.

"Always a pleasure, sir," Daniel returned the nod with quiet respect.

Liam smiled, watching him leave.

The door shut softly behind him, and the room seemed to exhale.

Liam turned his gaze toward Lucy, who was still standing near the desk.

"The lunar launch vessel will be completed before the end of the day," she said.

"That’s incredible," Liam said sincerely.

"Thank you, Master," Lucy lowered her gaze, and her usual confidence softened into something almost shy.

Without thinking, Liam reached out and gently patted her head.

Her eyes widened for a moment, then softened, a warm smile blooming across her face.

"You know I like it when you do that," she murmured.

"I’m aware," Liam chuckled, shaking his head.

She closed her eyes briefly, enjoying the moment. Then she stepped back, her expression returning to its composed serenity.

"I’ll return to the Dimensional Space to finish the work," she said softly.

"Go ahead," Liam replied. "Let me know once it’s done."

Lucy nodded, her form shimmering faintly as the air around her rippled with light. In an instant, she was gone — dissolved back into the Dimensional Space.

The study was silent again.

Liam leaned back in his chair and exhaled softly, with a small smile on his face.