Chapter 256

Liam’s gaze lingered on the black screen of Ryan’s phone for a second longer before lifting his head, calm but razor-sharp. His voice came low, steady.

"When was this recorded?"

Ryan didn’t flinch. He answered with a sincerity that didn’t sound rehearsed. "According to the report, the double murder happened just over nine days ago. Right around the time you were in Russia. I remember the timestamp clearly."

Lana, still standing in front of Liam like a guard dog with no leash, furrowed her brow. Her arms were folded across her chest, but her posture was defensive, fierce.

"If you know that," she said, voice hard, "then you also know this video is fake. You just admitted Liam couldn’t have been there."

Ryan gave a tired nod. "I know. I’ve gone over the travel logs, flight manifests, customs records. Everything lines up. He was on Russian soil the entire week. That video can’t be real."

"Then what the hell are we even doing here?" Lana snapped, her voice sharp and rising. "Why show up with cuffs and SWAT if you know it’s bullshit?"

Ryan’s jaw clenched slightly, and for a second, he looked almost ashamed. "Because it’s not up to me. I have orders, Lana. Chief Josh wants Liam in custody—now. And if I don’t follow those orders, they’ll send someone who won’t knock politely. Someone who’ll come through the roof with a sniper drone and blow this place sky high."

Liam said nothing, his expression unreadable.

But before anyone else could speak, the soft sound of a door creaking open drew all eyes to the hallway.

Lilith stepped into view.

She looked like a vision pulled straight from midnight—tall, barefoot, her silky black robe draping down her curves like a shadow that refused to break. Her golden-blonde hair was tousled from sleep, strands falling across her flawless face. But what stood out most was her eyes—half-lidded with the weight of lingering fatigue, but still sharp enough to cut.

She took a step forward, then another, her bare feet silent against the polished floor.

Her gaze locked onto Ryan.

"What’s going on?" she asked, voice low and slightly raspy.

Lana turned instantly, her tone heavy with frustration. "According to Detective Ryan here, Liam’s being arrested for murder. For a crime he didn’t commit. He’s being accused of being the Nightcrawler."

Lilith blinked slowly.

Then she raised a hand to her temple and rubbed it gently. Though her body had healed, her head still throbbed with the aftereffects. Her movements were slow, deliberate—yet the pressure in the room changed the moment she entered.

Her next words were quiet.

"You should leave."

Ryan hesitated. "Look, I understand this looks bad, but—"

Lilith’s eyes lifted. And they turned cold.

So cold that the room itself seemed to freeze around them.

She didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t move toward him. But her tone dropped into something low, final, and utterly terrifying.

"Leave."

Ryan’s spine stiffened. His instincts kicked in—every single one of them telling him this woman was not to be taken lightly.

Lilith took another step forward, brushing a hand through her hair and adjusting the robe on her shoulder.

"Take your SWAT team outside," she continued, slower now. "And get out of my house."

Ryan swallowed.

He had done his research. He knew who Lilith was—leader of the Black Lotus. And most importantly: politically untouchable. The kind of person you didn’t provoke unless you had a death wish or a death squad behind you.

He nodded once, slowly. "Understood."

He took one step back toward the door, but paused again. "But before I go," he said, glancing at Liam, "I need to say this: You need to get away. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere safe. People are coming for you, and they won’t stop with arrest. Someone’s trying to frame you—and they’ve already set the trap."

Lilith’s gaze shifted subtly, her brows narrowing just slightly. But her expression eased from lethal to analytical. She stepped in closer, this time with purpose.

"You’re not here to harm him," she said, studying his eyes carefully.

"No," Ryan answered without hesitation. "If I wanted to hurt him, I wouldn’t have walked through the front door alone."

Lilith nodded, ever so slightly. Her next question came softly.

"Then tell me—who do you think is behind this?"

Ryan sighed and looked toward the window, as if searching for the words before answering. "I don’t know the full story yet, but... I think it starts with Chief Josh."

Liam’s expression didn’t change, but Lana stepped in again, tense. "You think he’s the one pulling the strings?"

"I think," Ryan said carefully, "he’s being used. Earlier today, I saw him take a private call. He left the precinct in a hurry—no escorts, no logs, no comms. That’s not normal. And when he came back... he was different."

"Different how?" Lilith asked sharply.

Ryan met her gaze again. "Like someone had fed him a new reality. He was twitchy. Obsessed. Angry. He said Liam was the Nightcrawler. No doubt. Then he played me that video and told me to mobilize the arrest team."

"So someone handed him the video," Liam said. "Out of nowhere."

Ryan nodded. "Exactly. And it wasn’t processed by our tech division. It just... appeared. Clean. No watermarks. No metadata trail. Whoever made it is good. Scary good."

Lana let out a sharp breath. "So someone’s playing puppet-master with Josh."

"Yes," Ryan agreed. "And they’re making their move now. Whoever they are, they want Liam out of the picture."

"Why?" Lilith asked, stepping toward Liam slightly.

Ryan shook his head. "I don’t know. But someone powerful enough to twist the Chief’s arm in under an hour, fabricate a flawless video, and launch an arrest operation without official inquiry... that’s not just political. That’s calculated. It’s surgical."

The room fell silent for a long moment, the weight of it pressing against all of them.

Lilith finally spoke, her voice softer this time.

"Thank you for telling us."

Ryan gave a small nod and began walking toward the door. "This is the most I can do. After this, I report back. But I’ll delay the outer team as long as I can."

He opened the door—but before stepping through, he turned back to Liam.

"Whatever you decide next... be smart. They’re not done."

Then he slipped out, closing the door gently behind him.

Lana turned slowly to face Liam, her green eyes lingering on his face, trying to read the quiet storm behind those calm, deep-blue irises.

"Are you leaving?" she asked softly.

Liam chuckled under his breath and tilted his head slightly, as if the thought itself amused him. He leaned one elbow casually against the kitchen counter, his expression cool and unbothered.

"Leaving?" he repeated, the corner of his mouth curving into a smirk. "Nah. Never."

Lana raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "But Ryan just said—"

Liam cut her off smoothly, his tone shifting into something colder, more focused. His eyes moved past her and landed on Lilith, her fingers still rubbing at her temple.

"It’s the Crimson Hand, isn’t it?"

Lilith looked up at him slowly. For a brief second, her face betrayed nothing. But then she nodded once, her voice low and dry.

"Yes. They know you’re a thorn in their side. You’ve hit them too hard, exposed too much. This isn’t just about revenge... they’re trying to take you off the board completely."

Lana’s jaw tightened.

Lilith walked forward a few steps before pausing, her posture unsteady. "I’ll call in a few favors," she continued. "I know people in high places. We’ll get that video discredited. But it’ll take time. Until then..." she met Liam’s eyes, "...you need to be careful. No slip-ups. They’re watching everything."

Liam gave a slow nod, smiling as he approached her. He stopped just in front of her, lifting one hand and gently pressing the back of it to her forehead.

"You’re burning up," he muttered.

Lilith immediately swatted his hand away, scowling. "I’m fine. I just need some water."

"You sure?" Liam asked, smirking as he tilted his head.

"Don’t push it," Lilith warned, her tone dry.

Lana moved before he could tease her more. "I’ll get her water," she said, taking Lilith by the arm and guiding her gently toward the couch. Lilith didn’t resist. She walked with Lana in quiet fatigue, sitting down slowly with a controlled exhale.

Liam remained where he stood, his eyes narrowed slightly, thinking.

"How are you going to respond?" he asked finally. "They sent someone into your home, Lilith. That’s not just a message. That’s war."

Lilith leaned back against the couch and looked up at the ceiling. Her fingers laced together across her lap. The moment stretched long before she finally answered.

"For now..." she said slowly, "I stay quiet."

Liam blinked, clearly not expecting that answer. "What?"

She turned her head to him, her voice low, but firm. "Boss isn’t stupid. He planned this well. Too well. He knew I had a spy in his camp—someone feeding me intel about everything."

She paused, her jaw tightening slightly. "So he captured him. Twisted him. Turned him into that berserk, mindless beast... and then sent him straight to my front door."

Lana returned from the kitchen, handing a cold glass of water to Lilith, who took it and drank slowly before continuing.

"From the outside," she said between sips, "it looks like I was attacked by my own man. Like my informant snapped, went feral, and tried to kill me."

Liam’s face hardened. "So it paints you as weak. Vulnerable. Disorganized."

"Exactly," Lilith confirmed. "And if I retaliate now—if I strike back too loudly—it makes it look like I’m covering something up. That I lost control of one of my own. Boss set the trap, and he’s waiting for me to spring it."

Lana sat down beside her, brow furrowed. "So you’re just going to let it slide?"

Lilith smiled bitterly. "No. But I won’t hit him the way he expects."

Liam folded his arms, still processing it all. "So he takes your spy, makes him unrecognizable, and then sends him here to die... knowing you’d have no way to prove it wasn’t an inside job."

"Smart," Lana muttered, disgusted. "Cowardly, but smart."

Lilith nodded. "It buys him time. It also distracts us. While I’m fending off suspicion, while you’re being hunted, he gets to move forward with whatever comes.