For the first time in months, the entire roster of Team Angelus was gathered under one roof at Aurora's fortified safe house. The living room, usually a sterile environment for tactical planning and weapon cleaning, was currently filled with the warmth of shared history and the chaotic noise of seven distinct personalities colliding.
However, the atmosphere shifted drastically when Aurora finally recounted the events of the Grand Night Festival. She detailed the mysterious call, the crimson box, the blood-soaked shirt, and the chemical fire that had erased the evidence in seconds.
As her voice trailed off, a heavy, suffocating silence descenided upon the room. The laughter died. The worry in their eyes was palpable, like a physical weight.
Shayna, the group's pragmatist and financial anchor, let out a groan that sounded like it came from the depths of her soul. She slapped her forehead with her palm.
"Good God! What new disaster is this?" Shayna stood up, pacing frantically. "Aurora, I have told you a thousand times, and I am screaming it now: Stop poking the Black Rose! We cannot fight them! Do you understand the mathematics of this war? They have political power, billions of dollars, military-grade weapons, and an army of killers. And what do we have? We don't have a dime, a bullet, or a shield to match them! Sometimes I feel like we aren't 'Charlie's Angels'—we're just a bunch of Kindergarteners playing cops and robbers!"
Aurora narrowed her eyes, shooting Shayna a look that could cut glass.
"Don't give me that death stare, Aurora," Shayna snapped, adjusting a throw pillow aggressively. " The truth is bitter, isn't it? My salary and your police paycheck are the only things keeping the lights on in this house. Look at the rest of this 'elite' team! Kiara changes jobs every time the wind blows. Natasha's law practice is so dead it should be a morgue; she hasn't had a paying client in two years. Rhea is still in college drowning in tuition fees, and Myra? She's a 'Daddy's Girl' living in a fantasy world we can't expect anything practical from her!"
Shayna took a deep, shuddering breath, her voice trembling. "Look, I have a life too. I don't want to spend my nights wondering if a hitman is hiding in my closet because of this 'Mission: Destroy the Mafia' madness. It would be better if you all just quit. Focus on your careers. Build a life. I can't carry the burden of your safety forever!"
The room was silent for a heartbeat. Shayna's speech was serious, heartbreaking, and filled with genuine fear.
But instead of hanging their heads in shame, the girls looked at each other... and exploded into hysterical laughter.
Kiara literally rolled off the sofa, clutching her stomach, gasping for air. "Hahaha! Oh my God! Shayna! That performance! Bravo!"
Shayna's face turned a shade of beet red. Her genuine concern was being treated like a stand-up comedy routine. Furious, she grabbed a heavy cushion and hurled it at Kiara with Olympic force.
"You terrible women!" Shayna screamed. "Do you have no self-respect? I just insulted your entire existence, called you broke and useless, and you're laughing? You are all shameless!"
Kiara wiped a tear from her eye, still wheezing. She reached out and patted Natasha's shoulder. "Nice acting, dude! Seriously, you should take Myra's place in Hollywood. With a monologue like that, the Oscar is guaranteed!"
Shayna stammered, completely thrown off guard. "What... what rubbish is this? When did I lie? Everything I said was the absolute truth!"
Kiara grinned, leaning back. "I didn't say you lied about the facts, Shayna. I just said your acting was top-tier. The drama! The emotion!"
Shayna looked around the room, flustered. In her anger, she had inadvertently admitted that her "acting" was indeed rooted in her true feelings.
Aurora walked over, her expression softening. She placed a gentle hand on Shayna's shoulder. "Shayna, we know. We know that everything you just said was a lie to push us away. You aren't worried about the money. You're trying to scare us into quitting because you're terrified for us."
Shayna's anger dissolved instantly, replaced by fresh tears. "If you know that, then why won't you stop, Aurora? I'm an orphan. I never even saw my parents' faces. You girls... you are the only family I have in this wretched world. I'm not afraid for myself. I'm terrified of losing you. If something happens to any of you... I will die. I won't survive it."
She broke down sobbing. Seeing their rock, their tough protector, crumble into tears, the mockery vanished. The girls rushed toward her from every corner of the room, enveloping her in a massive, suffocating group hug.
After a few tender minutes, Natasha pulled back and pinched Shayna's wet cheek. "Oi, Drama Queen! Why are you so scared? Listen to me: even if the Black Rose kills us, we will come back as witches and ghosts just to haunt you. We will never leave you alone! You couldn't get rid of us if you tried."
Shayna smiled through her tears, sniffing. "Fine, fine. Enough with the Bollywood emotional drama. I'm convinced. You're all stubborn idiots."
"We had to be," Natasha laughed, wiping her eyes. "We could convince a corpse to sign a confession; you're still a living human, so you were easy!"
Shayna shot her a sharp look. "You can convince everyone except a judge, apparently. Apart from law, you seem to be good at everything else. Why don't you win just one or two cases and bring some honor to our name, Miss Natasha?"
Natasha made a face, flipping her hair. "Yes, yes. One day I will win a case. Just watch!"
Aurora chuckled, shaking her head. "You useless girl! At least dream big. You're dreaming of winning one case? In your dreams, you should at least be a Supreme Court Justice!"
Kiara clapped her hands, nodding sagely. "Aurora is right. Poor Natasha knows her limits so well that even her dreams are on a budget!"
Annoyed, Natasha shoved Riley, who was standing next to her. Riley stumbled and fell directly onto Kiara. Kiara was holding a hot mug of coffee, which splashed all over Rhea's pristine white T-shirt.
"Oh, shit!" Rhea shrieked, looking down at the brown stain spreading across her chest. "My favorite T-shirt! What am I going to wear to college now?"
The serious mood was completely shattered, and the room erupted into laughter again.