NOVPUB
Chapter 96: Chapter 96 The Higher Ups
Lilith’s eyes snapped open, her sharp feline-like gaze immediately darting to her phone resting on the nightstand. She picked it up and dialed the guards downstairs without a second thought. Her voice was sharp, cold.
"Did Liam return?"
A pause. Then a reply came through the receiver. "No, ma’am. He never came back."
Lilith’s expression darkened instantly. Her brows furrowed, her lips pressing into a hard line. Without another word, she hung up and got out of bed, the silk sheet sliding off her flawless skin.
She didn’t even bother with lights—the early morning glow poured through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. The moment she stepped into the living room, she poured herself a glass of whiskey from the bar. No ice. Just raw and bitter.
The television was still on, left playing through the night. She barely glanced at it until she caught something that made her freeze mid-sip.
"Breaking News: Another warehouse has been destroyed. Reports indicate a massive fire broke out around 1:30 AM. Multiple casualties confirmed. The cause is still under investigation."
Lilith slowly turned her head. Her golden-blonde hair shimmered under the light as her eyes narrowed.
The footage was chaotic—censored images of charred bodies being pulled out, sirens blaring, police tape fluttering in the wind. Flames still licked the broken structures as firefighters did their best to control the blaze.
"What the fuck was Liam doing during the night?" she muttered to herself, staring at the screen. "Where the fuck is he now? Is he dead?"
Her grip tightened on the glass until her knuckles turned white.
---
Meanwhile, back in Liam’s apartment, the sunlight peeked through the blinds as Liam slowly stirred. Despite going to bed extremely late, he woke up early—his body was too used to chaos to rest for long.
The first thing he felt was warmth against his chest. Opening his eyes, he saw Ann sleeping peacefully, curled up against him. Her head rose and fell gently with each breath. The softness of her against him almost made him forget about the guns, the blood, the flames.
His subtle movement stirred her awake. Her eyes fluttered open, and she found him staring at her.
"You’re staring," she mumbled sleepily, her voice still husky from slumber.
Liam chuckled, a soft grin forming on his face. "Who wouldn’t stare at a beautiful woman like you first thing in the morning?"
Ann’s cheeks warmed as she playfully pinched his arm. "Flirt."
Liam stood, the blanket falling off him. He rolled Ann slightly on the bed, making her squeal softly.
"What are you doing?" she asked, laughing and still trying to cling to her sleepy state.
Liam grinned, his hand pinning her waist to the mattress with ease.
She tried wriggling out of his grip but quickly realized it was useless. His strength far outmatched hers. Finally giving up, she huffed and stared back at him with playful defiance.
Their eyes locked, and something shifted. That familiar tension between them bubbled up again. Liam leaned in, brushing his lips against hers, but just as they touched, Ann turned her head.
"Too early," she whispered teasingly.
He only chuckled, unfazed. His lips found her flawless neck instead, pressing soft kisses that made her breath catch in her throat.
Ann gasped, trying to stifle the soft moan that escaped, her hand flying to her mouth. She hadn’t expected him to be so bold this early.
Then Liam’s hand slipped under her shirt, trailing along the smooth curve of her stomach. Her eyes widened.
"Liam..."
He just grinned, his fingers moving gently, his touch electric. Her heart was racing now, not just from embarrassment but from anticipation.
"You really are in the mood, huh?" she said, staring at him.
Instead of answering, Liam leaned in again, and this time, she didn’t turn away. Their lips met—softly at first, then with more passion. His hand slid higher, brushing the underside of her breast, and Ann’s eyes widened again. She had no doubt now. He really was in the mood.
Just as things began to heat up further, Liam’s phone suddenly buzzed.
He paused, groaning in frustration. "Who the hell is calling this early?"
Liam reached for his phone, frowning at the caller ID.
Lilith.
He swallowed hard. The buzz of the phone felt like a ticking bomb in his hand. Slowly, he reached out, but before he could pick up the call, he was suddenly shoved off balance.
"Hey—what the hell?" he groaned, tumbling right off the bed.
Ann had used the moment to her advantage. She dashed off the bed like a squirrel being released into the wild, hugging her pillow with a flushed face as she ran from the room. Liam hit the floor with a thud, groaning as his bare back kissed the cold ground. He turned his head and blinked.
She was gone.
He rubbed his side with a pained chuckle, "Damn brat..."
Then his phone buzzed again—this time, not a call but a message.
He looked down at the screen and sighed.
GET YOUR ASS HERE.
Liam read the message aloud and collapsed backward onto the floor like a defeated soldier, arms out, eyes staring at the ceiling. "I’m so dead."
---
An hour later, Liam stood in front of Lilith’s penthouse door, a duffle bag in his hand. He wasn’t sure what awaited him behind that sleek, black door. Death? Fury? Maybe both.
The elevator door dinged, and he stepped out, his boots echoing across the polished floor.
The large double doors were already open.
Lilith was seated on her favorite black velvet chair in the living room, legs crossed elegantly, a wine glass lazily held between her fingers. Her golden-blonde hair was tied in a messy bun, a few strands spilling down her face in a dangerously seductive way.
And she was wearing the same nightgown from the night before. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
Thin. Silky. Black.
It clung to every perfect curve like it had been painted on her body. There was still no bra underneath, and Liam could clearly see the soft swell of her breasts through the thin material. The slit on the side of the gown gave him a generous view of her thigh—long, smooth, and dangerous.
He nearly forgot how to breathe.
But the dreamy moment shattered when she slowly turned her head toward him. Her face, calm and cold, broke into a slow frown.
"Was that you?" she asked, her voice like silk over steel. She tilted her head toward the still-running news report on the TV behind her—scenes of a burning warehouse, police swarming the site.
Liam didn’t respond. He just gave her a small nod, already bracing himself.
Lilith’s frown deepened. Her wine glass clinked softly as she set it down.
And then—
She grinned.
It wasn’t just a smile. It was the kind of grin that sent a shiver down Liam’s spine, the kind of look a cat gives a mouse it had already caught.
"You handled all that... while I was sleeping?" she asked, standing up slowly.
Liam blinked. "Uh... yeah?"
She walked toward him—each step making the soft fabric of her gown shift and reveal more skin than it covered. Liam had to force himself not to look down. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes sparkled with something wild.
When she finally reached him, she didn’t slap him. She didn’t scold him.
She hugged him.
Wide arms open, full chest pressed against his, she wrapped herself around him tightly.
Liam froze in place.
Was this real?
Lilith... hugging him?
She leaned close, her breath warm against his neck. "You just saved me weeks of trouble, you know that?"
