There was one problem Dominion faced, aside from the lack of leads: they had no identification on Mole Guy. Even when Gin confirmed that the person retrieving the body was a cousin, little was known about him.

They could only work with data pulled through the police officers on Dominion’s payroll.

In other words, these people were still a mystery.

But not anymore.

***

[Name: Romeo Marcel

Age: 38

Background: Grew up an orphan and joined a gang at the age of ten.]

[Name: Klein Gonzalez

Background: A member of a small gang in the Southwest. Started as a foot soldier and runner for the gang’s drug operation until the gang disbanded.]

[Name: Martin Juan

Background: No record until he joined the White Serpent Brotherhood. Left the Brotherhood long ago due to an internal conflict involving the previous don.]

***

Ashley and Lucian read through the details on the trio, who had been identified as the people behind Ashley’s abduction and the execution of the Knight’s Gang. All three had once lived in the same orphanage, which was clearly nothing more than a front for child trafficking.

The couple sat in the dining room, eating lunch while the laptop remained open between them.

"So Carrotman’s name is Klein," she muttered, earning a glance from him. "Boo, if you ever run into that guy, stay away from him. Fight everyone else, just not him."

Lucian’s brow rose. "Why?"

"He’s a total nutcase!" she said. "He might end up putting his hands on you just to feel you out."

"Did he do that to you?"

"What? No!" Her nose scrunched as she shoved another spoonful into her mouth. "But he did say he’d fallen in love with me. That psycho — I still shiver whenever I think about his little proposal."

Lucian quietly ate his meal, his eyes on her, before giving a slow nod. He glanced at Klein’s profile — Carrotman — and committed the face to memory. He now had even more reason to go after him.

Ashley swallowed and turned back to the screen. "And it looks like they’ve known each other since they were young."

Aside from sharing the same orphanage, the three men had each passed through different gangs. Klein, in particular, had moved from one gang to another. According to the profile, he never stayed long anywhere — except for the very first gang he joined, which had been the longest stint of his life.

When that gang was eventually dismantled by a determined prosecutor, Klein drifted. He hopped from one group to the next, and what was curious was that every gang he joined either collapsed or got caught not long afterward.

An interesting pattern.

As for the late Romeo Marcel — Mole Guy — he had stayed with one gang until he carved out a significant position within it. Then, out of nowhere, he decided he wanted out.

Of course, leaving wasn’t that simple.

So in the end, he wiped the gang out entirely. Nothing more was heard from him after that, though he remained high on Interpol’s wanted list.

Then there was the third man, Martin.

"You really never saw this person?" Lucian asked, pointing to the third profile.

Ashley shook her head. "I know there were a lot of men on board, but he wasn’t anywhere near where I was. I came face-to-face with Carrotman and then that stern-looking guy. But I was sedated for part of it, so I think Rus is probably telling the truth."

The profile Omen had put together was something she trusted.

"At least we have their faces now," she said. "That’s more than we had with just a sketch."

"Also..." she trailed off, licking her lips as she stared at the screen deep in thought. "I may not be able to verify all of this, but it does seem like the White Serpent Brotherhood has something to do with this."

Lucian nodded, glancing at her plate. "Done?"

"Mhm."

Before Ashley could say more, he reached over, picked up her empty plate, and rose from his seat. She let out a quiet laugh as she watched him walk into the kitchen and set the plates in the sink. He came back with a pitcher of water and a plate of fruit slices.

"I wonder, though," she hummed, cupping her cheeks as she looked at him. She waited while he sat back down, placed a small saucer in front of her, and arranged a few fruit slices on it.

"It just feels off," she said. "I’m not surprised the White Serpents are linked to this — considering they once infiltrated Dominion territory and had the nerve to drug you — but it’s..." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Strange," he finished, and she nodded. Lucian picked up a grape and held it out to her lips, waiting.

"Lucian," she mumbled as she chewed, swallowing before continuing. "You asked me what I want to do with them. If I had to make the call, Dominion shouldn’t burn that bridge. Not yet."

He raised a brow. "Why?"

"Because no matter how I look at it, I can’t make sense of it," she said. "I don’t think the White Serpent has anything to gain from this."

The White Serpents were greedy, sure — but they weren’t stupid enough to wage war against Dominion. These incidents felt less like strategy and more like someone poking a bear. They couldn’t afford a direct fight with Dominion.

Lucian was here with her right now, but she knew.

He had already been thinking about what to tell Gustav once he finally answered the phone.

"I’m curious too," he said, lifting the fork toward her with another piece of grape.

Ashley pouted slightly but ate it anyway. "I’m going to meet my abductors — so don’t worry about stepping out if you need to get to the office and keep Gustav from unraveling."

"Gustav doesn’t unravel like that."

"Hehe." She giggled, and he smiled, feeding her as if he had all the time in the world.

As he did, his phone lit up again. Their eyes drifted to it before she looked back at him.

"You should answer it now," she said, giving him a wink. "Let me know if we’re going to war with the White Serpent."

Lucian exhaled quietly and picked up his phone, but not before spearing another piece of fruit with the fork and holding it out to her.

"Gustav," he said. "I called in sick."

"Master," Gustav said, slightly breathless. "You need to come in."

Lucian arched a brow and glanced at Ashley, who was watching him curiously.

"Is this about the lead?" he asked. "The profiles I sent should’ve already told you I know about the White Serpent connection."

"Yes!" Gustav said, his urgency making Lucian’s brows draw together. "But that’s exactly the point, Master."

"Gustav, what’s going on?"

Gustav swallowed before exhaling. "The boss of the White Serpent... is here."

The moment Lucian heard that, he looked at Ashley. She tilted her head slightly, catching the way his already sharp features had gone completely still.

Then his voice cut through the quiet.

"I’ll be there."