Noah's secret place.
"Be careful, Noah," Landon said. Then the call got cut off, leaving a sudden silence.
"It seems like you're going into a fight," Zell said, leaning back on the sofa with a dry laugh. "So, do we need to join you or what?"
"Please let me help," Lilian said softly, her eyes wide with concern as she looked at Noah.
"No, there's no need," Noah said, his voice firm but calm. He stood up, pocketing his phone. "This is Joker Roulette's problem. We will handle it ourselves. Just focus on what I asked you." He met Zell's gaze.
Zell shrugged, a lazy grin returning. "You're the boss," he said, raising his hands slightly.
"If that's what you want," Lilian said, but her expression was sad, her shoulders slumping a little.
Noah nodded, his attention shifting. "Asher, tell Liam about this," he said.
"Alright," Asher said, immediately pulling out his phone and starting to write a message. His fingers flew over the screen. He glanced up briefly. "I didn't expect you to be willing to share this information with Liam, though."
"We're on the same side," Noah said simply, a slight edge in his tone. "At least for now. Of course, I will help him."
"If you say so," Asher said, hitting send. "Message delivered."
"And let's pick an interesting place to wait for them," Noah said, a familiar, mischievous smile playing on his lips.
---
On the other side of the city, Joker Roulette hideout. Liam and Ridley had been deep in discussion about Owen when the door burst open.
"Boss!" Milo said urgently as he entered the meeting room, holding his phone. His usually composed face was tight.
"Asher messaged me that Noah just found out that around fifty members of Serpent's Slaughter were seen around the pier!" Milo reported, his voice sharp in the quiet room.
"Is that true!?" Ridley roared, immediately standing up so fast his chair scraped loudly on the floor. His fists clenched at his sides.
"There's no way Asher is lying about something like this," Milo stated firmly, adjusting his glasses.
"Fifty, huh?" Liam said, his voice low and measured. He leaned back slightly in his chair, steepling his fingers. "That's a lot more than I anticipated." A flicker of intense focus crossed his eyes.
"What are we going to do, boss?" Milo asked, stepping closer to the table. "If we don't handle this right, things can get ugly pretty quickly."
"Call Gregory," Liam ordered, rising smoothly. "Tell him the situation and I will meet with Narcisa myself. They're starting to take us seriously," he added, a cold certainty in his tone, "and we need all the help we can get." He started moving towards the door.
"What about Willow?" Ridley asked suddenly, his brow furrowed. He looked around the room as if expecting her to appear. "She unusually hasn't shown her face here for a while now. Shouldn't we...?"
"She won't come," Liam stated flatly, pausing at the door. His expression was unreadable.
Ridley blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, boss?" he asked, taking a step forward. "Is she hurt? On a mission?"
"This isn't the time," Liam said. "To cut everything short, she met me yesterday and decided to resign from our group."
"What?!" Ridley exclaimed, genuine shock washing over his face. He stared at Liam, then at Milo, as if seeking confirmation it was a bad joke. "Resign? Willow?"
"That's not so surprising, though," Milo said calmly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His analytical mind was already working. "We are waging a war with a big and dangerous group," he continued, looking directly at Ridley. "And we never asked for her opinion to begin with. I'm not surprised if she feels like her life is in danger here."
"You knew she left already?" Ridley asked Milo, his voice tight with disbelief.
"Not really," Milo admitted. "This is the first time I've heard the confirmation, but her recent absence... her avoidance... her actions were kind of giving me the idea she was distancing herself."
"But... resigning doesn't mean she won't get hunted, right?" Ridley protested, frustration bubbling up. He gestured helplessly. "I don't think that crazy Serpent's Slaughter group will care if she's still a part of us or not! Doesn't that mean it's safer to stay with us? Strength in numbers?"
"Not necessarily," Milo countered. His gaze shifted to Liam. "She did this because there's a safer alternative, right, boss?"
Liam gave a single, curt nod. "A few days ago, a member of Iron Maiden met her and offered her a place," he said, his tone devoid of judgment. "As one of the Big Three, they're strong enough to protect her from Serpent's Slaughter. They offered her sanctuary."
"Clearly, they're more capable than us," Milo said, a touch of resignation in his voice. "Unfortunately. Their resources and power eclipse ours significantly. For someone seeking immediate safety from a threat like Serpent's Slaughter... it's a logical choice."
Ridley opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked down at the table, conflict warring on his face. Disappointment, confusion, a flicker of hurt.
"That was... but..." He trailed off, unable to articulate the tangled feelings.
"That's enough," Liam stated firmly, cutting through the tension. His gaze swept over both men. "We have more urgent things to take care of. Fifty enemies are at our doorstep. Willow's path is her own now." He turned back to the door.
Ridley sighed heavily, the fight draining out of him. He wasn't satisfied, the news about Willow a raw wound layered onto his grief for Owen. But he couldn't argue with Liam, not now, with the threat looming.
He forced himself to focus on the immediate danger.
"You're right, boss," he said, the familiar fire of vengeance rekindling in his eyes. "I shouldn't lose focus now. This is what I've been looking for. Vengeance." He met Liam's gaze, his voice hardening. "They will pay for Owen's death."
Liam nodded, a silent acknowledgment passing between them.
"Stick together until I come back," he ordered.
And then the boss of Joker Roulette left the room, closing the door softly behind him.
---