Supervillain Idol System: My Sidekick Is A Yandere-Chapter 579: Not As It Seems (Part 4)

**Surveillance — Week 2, Day 1**

Director Graham did not sit behind the desk.

He sat across from it.

The chair beneath him was lower than he preferred. The angle forced him to look slightly upward when addressing the man opposite him. He did not enjoy that.

To his right sat a woman who kept her spine rigid and her arms folded tight across her midsection.

Madeline Graham.

She wore a tailored cream blazer over a muted blouse, jewelry chosen carefully—gold bracelet, modest necklace, diamond studs. Her hair had been styled with intention, curled and set to frame her face in a way that softened it.

Time had not been unkind to her.

But it had left marks.

Her cheeks sat slightly too smooth for her age. The skin near her eyes pulled tight when she blinked. Her forehead did not crease naturally when she frowned, though the corners of her mouth showed irritation easily enough.

And right now, she was frowning.

Opposite them sat a man well past fifty.

Grayed hair thinning across the crown. The remaining strands combed carefully to one side. Thin-framed glasses rested low on his nose.

His office reflected his success.

Dark mahogany desk polished to a mirror finish. Leather chairs. Shelves lined with hardbound legal volumes. Framed certificates mounted in neat rows behind him. A painting of a sailboat hung on the adjacent wall, subtle but expensive.

On the desk, a brass plaque read:

**Malcom Lervane**

**Divorce Lawyer**

Lervane held a stack of documents in his hands.

He tapped the bottom edge against the desk once. Twice.

Aligned them perfectly.

Then set them aside.

He folded his hands together and leaned forward slightly.

"Well then," he began.

His tone was professional.

"All your documents are in order. Financial disclosures, property listings, trust structures..." He paused, glancing down at a separate folder. "Except for one matter."

Madeline shifted in her seat.

Graham’s jaw tightened faintly.

"The asset distribution agreement," Lervane continued. "The mutual consent acknowledgment required to finalize division of marital property."

He looked between them.

"You’ve both reviewed it. Yet neither of you has signed."

His gaze settled on Graham first.

"May I ask why?"

Graham exhaled through his nose.

"It’s being unreasonable on her part," he said, voice controlled but firm. "First she wants to fight over custody of children that aren’t even biologically hers."

Madeline’s head snapped toward him.

"I raised those children too!" she shot back, hands dropping from her arms to grip the edge of her chair. "I was there for them much more than you were."

Her voice carried heat.

Graham turned toward her fully.

"Is that why you’re asking for so much money then?" he replied. "Your service fees?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"That’s not what this is about."

"Then what is it about?"

Lervane raised both hands.

"Please—please, both of you," he said quickly. "Let’s keep this civil, alright?"

He leaned back slightly, adjusting his glasses.

"Mrs. Graham—"

"Just call me Madeline, thank you."

She didn’t look at him when she said it.

Graham shut his eyes briefly and shook his head once.

Disappointment.

Restraint.

Lervane nodded.

"Very well. Madeline." He folded his hands again. "As I’ve explained before, the majority of Director Graham’s assets are not accessible to you."

Madeline’s lips pressed thin.

"They are held in trust," Lervane continued, voice steady. "Primarily in the names of his children. Two of whom will not gain access until they reach twenty-five and twenty-one, respectively."

Graham remained still.

Lervane went on.

"You cannot claim what is not legally his to distribute."

Madeline looked away.

"The best you may reasonably expect," Lervane said, "is one of the two vehicles, the dog, and the jewelry currently listed under joint marital purchase."

He tapped the document lightly.

"That is it."

He looked at Graham.

"And Director Graham has not requested child support payments from you. Which means neither side is being compelled to surrender liquid assets beyond agreed property."

Madeline’s jaw flexed.

"What about Casandra?" she asked suddenly.

Graham’s head turned back toward her.

"She should have access to hers," Madeline continued. "And as an adult, she’ll understand the need to—"

"Absolutely not." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Graham’s voice cut through the room.

He leaned forward now, both hands planted on his knees.

"You will not involve her in this, Madeline."

His eyes locked onto hers.

"Or so help me, I will sue you for more than what’s on this table and lobby to ensure you receive even less."

The threat was not theatrical.

Madeline stared back at him, mouth parting slightly before pressing into a thin line.

"You would drag this out further?" she asked, tone sour. "After everything?"

"If you try to use her," he replied evenly, "yes."

Her nails tapped once against the leather armrest.

tick~

Lervane cleared his throat.

"I would strongly advise against escalating matters involving adult children," he said carefully. "Particularly where trusts are involved."

Madeline leaned back in her chair.

Her posture shifted—less rigid, but no less resistant.

"This isn’t fair," she muttered.

Graham looked away.

Fair.

He almost laughed.

Instead, he adjusted the cuff of his sleeve.

Beneath the desk—

Pressed against the dark wood paneling near the inner support beam—

A small crawler unit remained flat and unobtrusive.

Its casing matched the shadow beneath the desk.

No lights active.

No sound.

Its lens angled upward just enough to capture their lower movements. Shoes shifting. Hands tightening. Subtle tremors.

Audio transmitted in compressed bursts back to the Citadel.

In a control room far removed from this polished office, feeds scrolled quietly across screens.

Every word recorded.

Back in the lawyer’s office—

Madeline leaned forward again.

"If you think I won’t fight for what I deserve—"

"You’re not fighting for yourself," Graham interrupted. "You’re fighting for leverage."

Her eyes flashed.

"And you’re hiding behind trusts and titles."

Lervane lifted his hands again.

"Enough."

The word held more weight this time.

Both of them stopped.

He looked from one to the other.

"This is not a battleground. It’s a negotiation."

He slid the unsigned document forward slightly.

"You have options. But none of them improve by making this personal."

Graham’s gaze remained fixed on Madeline.

Madeline looked down at the papers.

Neither reached for a pen.

And beneath them—

The crawler unit continued to listen.