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Chapter 180: Chapter 180 Morning Visitors
Morning broke over the city, but peace was the last thing that came with the rising sun.
Chaos spread like wildfire as news ripped through the streets. Phones rang off the hook in newsrooms, government offices, and civilian homes. Headlines flashed across every channel. Reporters stood at crime scenes and outside precincts, their voices echoing the same unbelievable narrative.
The cousin of the police chief—Sam Michelle—had been brutally murdered inside the precinct.
Not in a dark alley. Not during a chase. Not in a trap.
Inside the most secure law enforcement building in the city.
But what rattled everyone more was how it happened. The killer had walked in like a shadow, took out multiple officers without killing them, slit Sam’s throat with surgical precision, and left without a trace. Eight more officers were found tied up on the rooftop—bound and gagged like criminals.
It was a humiliation. An insult. A challenge.
And the city wasn’t done reeling from that when another bombshell dropped: the infamous Boss of the Crimson Hand gang had been attacked the same night.
His most trusted assistant was dead—killed instantly with a single shot to the head. Boss himself had been shot in the eye, left to die. But he didn’t die.
No one could believe it. The bullet had somehow missed the most critical parts of his brain. The doctors called it a miracle. They had no better explanation.
People whispered in awe and fear.
One man had done all this.
They were calling him a ghost. A demon. A myth.
But his name had started spreading among certain circles—criminals, officers, even politicians.
Nightcrawler.
—
In the heart of the city, far above the noise, Lilith slowly opened her eyes. Golden morning light poured into her lavish bedroom, highlighting the silk sheets that clung to her flawless form. She stretched, her toned arms arching above her head, the thin straps of her nightgown slipping slightly off her shoulders.
She yawned softly, stepping off the bed, barefoot on the cold marble floor. Her golden-blonde hair fell over her back as she walked lazily toward the living room in nothing but that dangerously thin nightgown, her body a perfect silhouette of power and seduction.
But the moment she entered the sitting room, she stopped.
Liam was there—sitting with his elbows on his knees, looking at the TV, but not watching it.
His sharp blue eyes turned toward her. The look he gave her wasn’t lustful or playful—it was sharp, focused, and carried a single message.
Trouble.
Lilith frowned. "What?"
Liam leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. "Didn’t you shoot Boss in the head yesterday?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I did. Straight in the eyes. There’s no surviving that."
Liam slowly shook his head. "He survived."
Her expression froze. "What?"
He nodded. "The bullet missed the vital parts of his brain. Doctors are calling it a miracle. He’s alive"
Lilith blinked, her jaw slightly slack. For a second, she said nothing. Then she clenched her fists and turned her back, pacing once before slamming her palm against the wall.
"Fuck."
The tension in the room thickened instantly. She had given everything in that shot—precision, timing, stealth. And he lived? That bastard?
Liam watched her closely. "He’ll throw everything at you now. If he was giving a hundred percent before, now it’ll be a hundred and ten. He won’t stop until you’re dead."
Lilith’s back was still to him as she stared out the wide windows at the city below.
Did she fear him?
No.
Not anymore.
Her fingers twitched slightly, and a thin layer of frost crept across the metal lamp on the nearby table. She had power now. Real power. Not just her mind or her gang—but something far deeper and more primal. She could freeze a man alive with a touch.
She shrugged her shoulders slowly, her voice sharp and calm. "No big deal. He survived the first time... then I’ll kill him again."
Liam smirked. "I like that."
She turned to look at him just as he stood and closed the distance between them in two steps. Without warning, he dragged her into his arms, scooping her clean off her feet.
She gasped in surprise and landed on his lap as he dropped into the couch with her wrapped up in his arms. Her body molded perfectly to his, her nightgown doing little to hide the warmth of her skin against him.
She looked up at him, a lazy smile playing on her lips. "You keep doing that, I might mistakenly freeze you to death."
Liam chuckled. "Empty threat."
She arched a brow. "Wanna test that?"
"I’d rather test something else."
She smirked again, leaning in as if about to kiss him—but just then—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sharp sound echoed through the penthouse, cutting through the moment.
They both froze.
Liam’s eyes narrowed as he looked toward the door.
"You expecting someone?" he asked.
Lilith shook her head slowly. "No."
Silence fell for a second.
Another knock followed. Slower this time. Heavier.
Knock... Knock...
Liam still had his arm draped around Lilith’s waist, her body nestled snugly against his. She didn’t move away. Instead, she tilted her head slightly toward the door and said coolly, "Open."
The tall, heavy door to the penthouse slowly creaked open, and two men stepped inside.
Chief Josh Michelle and Detective Ryan Carson.
Both wore suits. Ryan’s collar was crisp, his posture straight, while Josh looked slightly more strained, his shirt wrinkled and dark bags under his eyes betraying a sleepless night. Liam didn’t flinch. Outside, he kept calm—blank face, still breathing. But inside, he was already asking himself the only important question:
Why the hell are they here?
There was no way they had figured it out, right?
That he was the Nightcrawler?
Detective Ryan scanned the room quickly—the open space, the expensive furniture, the view of the skyline. But his gaze locked quickly onto the two figures lying on the lounge chair. Liam Carter—relaxed, shirtless. And next to him, resting against his chest with silk flowing over her skin, was Lilith. Ice in her blood and fire in her stare.
Ryan froze slightly. He had heard rumors. From the women at the precinct. About how stunning Liam looked, how magnetic he was in person. But nothing could have prepared him for the reality. The guy looked like a walking fantasy, an apex male specimen with features that didn’t seem entirely fair.
And then the woman in his arms?
Breathtaking. Lilith wasn’t just beautiful—she was intimidatingly gorgeous. Dangerous in a way Ryan couldn’t define.
Lilith’s lips curved slightly, her gaze fixed on the two visitors. "What can we do for you, Detective?"
Ryan shot a glance at Josh, nodding. It was his mess. He should be the one to speak.
Josh cleared his throat, his hand twitching nervously at his side. "Ms. Lilith," he began, trying to keep his voice firm, "you understand that we still have... reasons to believe that Liam Carter may be connected to the individual known as the Nightcrawler."
The atmosphere in the room shifted.
Lilith’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes darkened immediately—sharp and unforgiving as they locked on Josh. She didn’t raise her voice, but the chill in her tone made the air feel ten degrees colder.
"You already arrested him on false accusations," she said slowly, as if speaking to a child. "You had no proof then. And what’s this?" She scoffed. "Another fishing expedition?"
Josh blinked. A small drop of sweat rolled down his temple. He had never seen this woman before today. But the way she looked at him made his stomach twist. Her confidence, her presence, even the casual way she touched Liam—it all screamed danger. There was something wrong here. Something he couldn’t name.
Lilith gently ran her fingers along Liam’s arm, the one still wrapped around her waist. He didn’t move. Didn’t speak. His face unreadable.
"Why are you here, really?" she asked.
Ryan stepped forward this time. His tone was more measured, but his eyes were calculating. "I shot the Nightcrawler in the right thigh last night," he said simply. "I just wanted to see if your boyfriend had a fresh bullet wound in the same place."
Lilith stilled.
A brief pause hung between all of them.
Then Liam raised an eyebrow, just slightly. Internally, he was laughing. So that was it. That was the entire reason for their surprise visit. A bullet wound. That’s all they had. Not enough for a warrant, not even enough to force him into an interrogation. They were fishing.
Lilith glanced at Liam, then looked back at Ryan.
She finally understood.
The whole show. The tension. The dramatic entry. All because Ryan had landed a shot the night before and wanted confirmation.
"You’re wasting your time," she said casually. "And mine."
Josh opened his mouth to argue, but Lilith cut him off without even raising her voice.
"You want to see if he has a bullet wound?" she asked, almost mockingly. "Why not ask for a strip search next? I’m sure that’ll go well for you."
Ryan tensed slightly but held his ground. Josh, on the other hand, took a step back. It was clear he hadn’t expected this kind of heat.
Liam still said nothing. He let Lilith do the talking. She was doing it well.
"We appreciate your concern," Lilith continued smoothly. "But unless you have a warrant, you have no business barging into my home asking to check my man for gunshot wounds."
****
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