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Chapter 59: Chapter 59 Black Lotus’ Uniform
The moment Liam reached his house, he pushed open the car door and stepped out, gripping the suitcase tightly in his hand as the weight of it reminded him of the deal he had just made. Dickson, who had been driving, sighed before turning off the ignition and stepping out as well, stretching his arms lazily as if he hadn’t just been dragged into one of the most dangerous situations of his life.
Liam walked toward the door, but as he reached for the handle, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Dickson following him inside. His brows furrowed slightly, and he turned fully to face his best friend, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
"I thought you didn’t wanna be here when I opened the suitcase?"
Dickson, completely unfazed, simply nodded his head and shrugged.
"Of course, I don’t wanna be here." His voice was nonchalant, almost dismissive, as he continued. "I’m just grabbing my phone. I left it inside earlier. The second I get it, I’m outta here. No way I’m getting caught in your explosion."
Liam let out a small snort, shaking his head in amusement as he pushed open the door and stepped inside, not bothering to wait for Dickson. The air inside was cool, the familiar scent of his home bringing a strange sense of normalcy to what had been a completely insane day.
As soon as Dickson entered, Liam shut the door behind him, locking it with a casual flick of his wrist.
Dickson, who had barely made it three steps toward the couch, froze.
A sudden chill ran down his spine.
His gaze snapped toward Liam, who was already making his way toward the table, setting the suitcase down with the kind of excitement one might have when opening a treasure chest.
Something wasn’t right.
"Wait. Wait. WAIT—"
Dickson quickly snatched his phone off the couch and made a beeline for the door, his heart beating just a little faster than normal as he reached for the handle, ready to run the hell out of there.
Then he realized something horrifying.
The door wouldn’t budge.
Liam had locked it.
"Shit. Shit. SHIT!"
His breathing hitched as he spun around dramatically, his eyes widening in absolute horror.
Liam was already unlocking the suitcase.
The sound of a soft metallic click echoed through the room, and Dickson’s entire body seized with panic.
"STOP THIS, YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I CAN’T DIE WITH YOU!"
His voice was pure desperation.
But Liam?
Completely ignored him.
His fingers pressed against the edge of the suitcase, and with one final motion, he flipped it open.
Dickson’s life flashed before his eyes.
"NOOOOO!"
The cry ripped from his throat as he dramatically threw himself to the floor, covering his head with both hands as if bracing for impact.
"I HAVEN’T FINISHED THAT ALBUM! I CAN’T DIE LIKE THIS!"
For a second, silence.
No explosion.
No loud bang.
No blinding flash of light.
Just... silence.
Dickson slowly peeked through his fingers.
He was alive.
His body was intact.
The walls were still standing.
There was no fire.
There was no explosion.
There was nothing.
Realizing this, he lifted his head completely, looking around the room in mild confusion.
"Wait... I’m alive?"
His voice was soft, hesitant, disbelieving.
He blinked.
"I DIDN’T EXPLODE?"
Liam, who had been staring at him the entire time with an expression of sheer irritation, finally let out a long, exasperated sigh.
He shut the suitcase slightly, rubbing his temples before glaring at his best friend.
"You bitch-ass motherfucker." His voice was deadpan, filled with exhausted disbelief. "You thought you were gonna die, and the only thing you cared about was Flora Jenson? What the fuck?"
Dickson, still sitting on the floor, didn’t even hesitate. He raised a hand and pointed at Liam without an ounce of shame.
"YES."
Liam’s eye twitched.
Dickson ignored him, instead glancing around the room again, as if double-checking that he was, in fact, still breathing.
Then, he clapped his hands together once and let out a breath of pure relief.
"Holy shit. I survived."
Liam rolled his eyes.
"There weren’t any explosives, you idiot."
Finally, after dealing with Dickson’s dramatic breakdown, Liam turned his attention back to the suitcase.
And then—
His breath hitched.
For the first time since opening it, he actually looked inside.
And what he saw made his body go cold.
Neatly arranged within the suitcase was a black suit, perfectly folded, pressed with precision, the kind of fabric that screamed both elegance and danger. Beside it, a pair of black, shining shoes rested with military-level alignment, polished so flawlessly that Liam could practically see his reflection on the surface.
His fingers hovered over them for a second before his eyes moved to the next item—
A thin black cloth, designed to be tied around the eyes, sleek and lightweight, meant for concealment.
And then—
A black mask.
Beautifully crafted. Sharp edges, intricate details, a design that was both haunting and mesmerizing.
It was stunning.
And somehow... intimidating.
Finally, at the side of the suitcase, resting in its own carefully carved-out space—
A phone.
A single, unmarked cell phone.
Liam exhaled slowly.
The realization sank in.
This wasn’t just some random gift.
This was a uniform.
An identity.
And with it, came a role.
Something had just changed.
Liam knew it.
And whether that change was for better or worse, only time would tell.
---
The golden light of the setting sun spilled through the massive glass windows of the luxurious mansion, illuminating everything in its path with a warm, honey-like glow. The evening breeze drifted through the open balcony doors, carrying with it the distant sounds of birds chirping and the faint rustling of leaves. The atmosphere was one of tranquility, an almost surreal contrast to the world of bloodshed and violence that existed beneath the surface.
Lilith sat comfortably by the poolside, a crystal wine glass delicately held between her fingers, the deep red liquid swirling lightly as she tilted the glass ever so slightly. The golden rays of the sun kissed her flawless skin, highlighting the sharpness of her features, making her seem almost ethereal in the soft glow. Dressed in a sleek, form-fitting black dress that accentuated every curve of her body, she exuded an aura of effortless power, a woman who was both feared and revered in equal measure.
She took a slow sip of her wine, savoring the taste, before exhaling softly. Moments like these were rare. Peaceful, undisturbed, untouched by the chaos of the criminal underworld she ruled over.
Then—
The sound of approaching footsteps broke the stillness.
She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.
The steps were measured, unhurried, yet carried the weight of authority.
A man stopped just a few feet behind her, his hands casually tucked behind his back, his presence commanding but not imposing. He was tall, well-built, dressed in an expensive dark suit that spoke of wealth and power, but it was his posture, the way he carried himself, that gave away his status. He wasn’t just anybody. He was a high-ranking member of the Black Lotus, someone who could speak to Lilith as an equal—one of the very few who dared to do so.
His voice was smooth, laced with curiosity as he finally spoke.
"I heard you recruited a new member today."
Lilith, who had been lazily swirling her wine, did not even bother to turn around.
She simply made a noncommittal sound, a soft hum, one that neither confirmed nor denied the statement.
The man raised an eyebrow but continued.
"You’ve never recruited anyone so casually before." His voice was even, but there was an unmistakable edge of intrigue laced within it. "What makes this one different?"
Lilith’s fingers traced the rim of her wine glass, her eyes half-lidded as she stared at the surface of the pool, watching the way the water shimmered under the golden sunlight.
After a brief pause, she placed the glass down on the small table beside her and finally responded.
"I don’t know." Her voice was smooth, almost indifferent, but there was an underlying note of something else—something unexplainable. "I just feel like he’s different."
The man furrowed his brows slightly.
"You recruited someone just because you feel like he’s different?"
There was no mistaking the skepticism in his tone.
Lilith did not respond immediately. Instead, she leaned back against her lounge chair, her long legs elegantly crossed, a soft smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.
The man sighed.
There were times when he truly could not understand the decisions she made. Lilith was an enigma, unpredictable in ways that made her both frustrating and dangerous. But there was no denying that every decision she made, no matter how strange or impulsive it seemed, always led to something... interesting.
Shaking his head, he decided to push aside his curiosity for now.
Instead, his expression darkened as he shifted to a much more serious topic.
"We need to do something about the Crimson Hand soon." His voice was grim, carrying an unmistakable weight. "They’re getting out of control."
Lilith’s expression did not change, but her fingers stilled slightly on the stem of her wine glass.
The man continued.
"They just killed two of our men."
A small silence settled between them, the only sound being the faint rippling of the water in the pool.
Then—
Lilith’s brows furrowed ever so slightly. A small, almost imperceptible change in her expression, but one that spoke volumes.
Her voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable sharpness beneath the surface.
"Where?"
The man exhaled, his eyes narrowing slightly as he responded.
"In the district of Zaverith."
Lilith remained silent for a moment, as if rolling the name over in her mind, analyzing, calculating.
Then, with a slow exhale, she reached for her wine glass once more, her fingers wrapping around the delicate stem as she lifted it to her lips.
Without turning to face him, without so much as a flicker of hesitation, she gave her order.
"Deploy a team. Wipe out everyone there."
Her voice was cold. Absolute.
"Nobody messes with the Black Lotus under my watch."
The man was not surprised by the order. If anything, he had expected it. But hearing it come from her lips with such casual finality still sent a small shiver down his spine.
He nodded once, then turned on his heel, already pulling out his phone to relay the command.
As he walked away, Lilith closed her eyes, allowing herself to once again bask in the evening sunlight, as if nothing had just happened.
To her, this was routine.
Death was nothing more than a transaction.
And she was simply signing off another deal.
