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Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Facing The Devil II
Liam quietly parked Lilith’s car in its rightful place inside the private underground garage. The smooth purr of the engine faded as he shut it off, leaving the thick silence to settle around him. His hand lingered on the steering wheel for a moment longer than necessary.
This was the hard part.
There was no escaping her sharp eyes.
Sighing to himself, Liam stepped out of the car. He made his way toward the private elevator that led straight into Lilith’s penthouse. As the metal doors slid open with a soft chime, he braced himself, running a hand through his hair.
Time to face the music.
He walked into her place without knocking—he was the only one allowed to do that—and immediately caught sight of her.
Lilith sat at her private bar counter, not drinking for once. Instead, books, maps, and scattered papers covered the polished surface around her. A fountain pen glided smoothly over a sheet of parchment as she wrote, her posture relaxed yet somehow alert, every inch of her oozing power even in casual stillness.
Her golden-blonde hair was pulled into a loose, elegant tail over one shoulder, and her sharp, feline-like eyes were focused on her work.
Her right arm was still hung in a black silk sling around her neck, a reminder of the gunshot wound she had taken during their last bloody clash with the Crimson Hand. The wound clearly hadn’t healed properly yet, but she wrote steadily with her left hand, surprisingly skilled even with her non-dominant side.
She didn’t even turn when she heard the elevator and the door open. She didn’t need to.
Only Liam ever came in like he owned the place.
Liam approached her slowly, hands in his pockets, casually glancing at the scattered papers. From where he stood, he could see neatly written lines filled with sharp, threatening words.
"What are you writing?" Liam asked, his deep voice cutting through the quiet.
Without pausing, Lilith responded coolly, "A letter to the Crimson Hand."
Liam raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "You’re writing to them? What for?"
Lilith finally looked up, her sharp eyes locking onto his with a calm that somehow felt more dangerous than any amount of rage.
"I’m warning them," she said flatly. "If they keep poking around my territory, I’ll start slaughtering anyone who so much as steps over the line."
Her tone was casual, almost bored, as if she were talking about the weather. Yet Liam could feel the weight behind those words.
It wasn’t an empty threat.
Both sides had suffered heavy losses during their last battle. Starting another full-scale war before either recovered would be reckless, even for Lilith. So this—this letter—was her version of mercy.
A thin, dangerous smile played at the corner of her lips. "Consider it a professional courtesy," she added softly, returning her attention back to the letter.
Liam smirked. Only Lilith would call a death threat a ’courtesy.’
Without warning, Lilith spun her leather chair around to face him, her sharp eyes gleaming mischievously under the soft lights.
"Stop messing around and give me back my car keys, Liam," she said, tilting her head slightly.
Liam chuckled lightly, scratching the back of his head. He pulled the sleek key fob from his pocket and casually tossed it toward her.
It sailed through the air—aimed just a little too far to her right.
Lilith, restricted by the sling on her right arm, reached for it with her left hand but couldn’t catch it in time. The key hit the floor with a soft clatter, skidding a few inches away.
Both of them stared at it for a second.
Liam immediately raised both hands with wide, innocent eyes.
"That was a mistake!" he said quickly, suppressing a laugh.
Lilith slowly turned her gaze up at him, her smile stretching wider but turning distinctly more dangerous.
A mistake?
She just watched a video where he threw a dart blindfolded and hit an apple dead center—and he wanted her to believe he couldn’t toss a key properly?
"You’re mocking me, Liam," she said smoothly, her voice low and almost playful, but carrying a razor edge beneath it.
Her smile never faltered.
Sighing exaggeratedly, Lilith bent down to retrieve the keys herself. But before she could sit back up, Liam crouched down with her, his hand reaching out to gently grab her uninjured wrist, stopping her movement.
Lilith blinked, caught off guard for the first time in a long while.
Liam’s expression had shifted—his usual teasing gone, replaced by a rare seriousness. His deep blue eyes bore into hers.
"Are you aware," he murmured under his breath, his voice barely louder than a whisper, "that we’re being watched?"
Lilith’s entire body stilled.
In an instant, all traces of humor vanished from her beautiful face, her golden eyes sharpening like blades.
Her instincts flared to life as she subtly scanned the corners of the room, her mind already racing, calculating possibilities.
Someone was watching them?
Liam kept his grip firm on Lilith’s wrist for a few seconds longer before he slowly let go, standing up fluidly. Lilith rose with him, her sharp golden eyes narrowing in silent question.
"What do you mean, watched?" she asked calmly, her voice a low murmur, though she knew full well no one could hear them inside her penthouse.
Liam slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned casually against the edge of her bar. "Across from your penthouse," he said smoothly. "Top floor. There’s a guy with binoculars, been watching us for a while now."
Lilith straightened, adjusting the sling on her injured shoulder without taking her gaze off him.
"Are they still looking?" she asked.
Liam’s head tilted slightly as he seemed to focus for a moment, his eyes glinting. Then he nodded once. "Yeah. Still there. Relax though—he can’t hear us from that distance."
Lilith exhaled slowly, allowing herself a brief moment of thought. Her mind raced, calculating moves and consequences at lightning speed.
But then something else tugged at her, something that made her frown more deeply. She narrowed her eyes at Liam, stepping closer with a slow, predatory grace.
"How the fuck did you see something that far away?" she demanded bluntly, her voice dripping with suspicion.
Liam cleared his throat lightly, his mouth twitching with a hint of a smile.
"Good eyesight," he said, shrugging as if it were nothing.
Lilith rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t fall out.
"Bitch!" she hissed under her breath, a regular curse slipping from her perfectly shaped lips. She knew he was lying.
There was no way a normal person could spot a hidden watcher across skyscrapers and streets—let alone see him watching with binoculars.
But Liam wasn’t normal.
She already knew that much.
Still, she wasn’t done questioning him.
"What else did you see, eagle eyes?" she said dryly, crossing her arms loosely in front of her chest.
Liam smirked faintly. "The guy’s wearing a vest with a vulture logo on the chest."
Lilith’s playful facade dropped immediately. Her eyes sharpened with cold intensity, her mind snapping to full alert.
The Vultures.
A small, hidden organization that specialized in surveillance and "silent investigations." Their methods were a mystery. Their existence was practically a rumor among even the most dangerous circles. But the one thing everyone knew?
They never missed.
If they started an investigation, they finished it.
And now they were watching her.
Lilith furrowed her brows for two heavy reasons.
First, she understood why they might be here—probably because of her stunt at the council meeting, where she boldly claimed she was in a relationship with Liam in front of all the major gangs and syndicates.
She hadn’t even thought twice about it at the time. It was a power play, a bold move to force the others into hesitation.
But now... now there were consequences.
The second reason Lilith frowned even deeper was much simpler—yet far more unsettling.
How the fuck did Liam see that man’s crest from here? First the binoculars now the vulture logo.
The logo was small, barely visible even with high-powered binoculars. Yet Liam described it as if he was standing right next to the guy.
Lilith’s gaze lingered on him, sharp and searching.
He said nothing else. He didn’t explain, didn’t elaborate. He just sat beside, casually leaning back, watching her with those deep blue eyes filled with silent amusement.
It was maddening.
And strangely... thrilling.
Lilith’s mind raced again. If the Vultures were watching, then every move they made had to fit the narrative she’d sold at the meeting—that she and Liam were lovers.
If they acted suspicious, if they acted wrong, the Vultures would pick it apart piece by piece.
There was only one solution.
Play the part.
Her decision was instant.
Without saying another word, Lilith moved closer, a sly smirk curving her lips. Liam’s body tensed subtly, sensing the shift in her.
"What are you doing?" he asked cautiously, as she closed the distance between them.
Instead of answering, Lilith gracefully sat down on his lap, one leg elegantly crossed over the other as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Liam froze.
His hands hovered awkwardly in the air, unsure where to put them.
Lilith leaned in slightly, her silky blonde hair brushing against his cheek. Her free hand rose slowly to his chest.
She began unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt with delicate, careful movements.
The exposed skin revealed the smooth, toned muscles beneath, and for just a second, Lilith allowed her fingers to linger there, feeling the heat of him beneath her touch.
"You need to act along," she whispered into his ear, her voice low and breathy. "Or else we’ll both be in a lot of trouble."
Liam finally caught on to her plan, understanding fully now.
The Vultures needed to believe they were an item—deeply connected, physically close.
No awkward distance.
No hesitation.
Lilith leaned back just a little, her golden eyes locking onto his, challenging him.
Follow my lead, they said without words.
Then, with a smooth, slow motion, she reached for his collar, her fingers curling around it.
She tugged him toward her.
And without any more warning—
She pressed her lips against his.
It was a kiss that started slow but deliberate, her soft lips molding against his with a heat that sent a sharp jolt down Liam’s spine.
Lilith didn’t hesitate.
She kissed him like she meant it, like they weren’t being watched, like there was no one else in the world.
And Liam?
After the initial shock, he stopped hesitating too.
His hands finally found her waist, resting gently but firmly, grounding her against him.
His mouth moved with hers, deepening the kiss just enough to make it real.
