Ashley hummed happily in the backseat, gleeful as they drove home. Her company — Red, Rum, and Vodka — was quiet. Especially Red and Vodka.

As for Rum, his attention was fixed on the woman beside him. His eyes were narrowed suspiciously, tongue running along his inner cheek. To anyone who didn’t know better, it might have looked like he was checking her out.

But no. Rum was staring at Ashley for an entirely different reason.

"Ah!" Ashley perked up and turned to him. "By the way, those four will be discharged soon. Can you take care of them?"

"Huh?" Rum scrunched up his nose. "Hey, are you crazy?"

"No."

"No, no. Tell me the truth." Rum scooted a little closer. "Tell me. You hate us, don’t you?"

Ashley blinked. "Not really..?"

"Then why are you doing this to us?"

"..."

"I don’t know if you’re very smart or dumb as a rock, but... you’re seriously going to take those four in?" he asked in disbelief.

"Lucian approved of it," she said. "And I don’t think they’re really bad people."

Even when those four had abducted her, aside from some harsh words, they hadn’t actually hurt her. As far as being held hostage went, those four had been the nicest.

On top of that, she also believed they hadn’t wanted to take the mission at all. She had caught them talking while she pretended to be asleep, after all.

Rum leaned back and huffed in defeat. "Sure, the Master approved of it. But you’re seriously going to ask us to take care of them? Not the kind of ’take care’ where we silence them — but actual, literal, tender loving care."

"Mhm. Literal tender loving care," she nodded, humming cheerfully. "Is that a problem?"

"Is that a problem — yes, it is a problem," Rum clicked his tongue and turned to the front, looking for backup from the other two. Red kept his eyes on the road. Vodka stared out his window.

"Hello? A little help here?" Rum waved sarcastically. Nothing. He turned back to her. "Look. Our dearest, most respected Madam."

"...Okay?" Ashley raised her brows and nodded slowly.

"I’m saying this because I genuinely don’t want to disappoint you," he said carefully. "But those guys and us? We’re not going to get along."

"Because they abducted me and actually pulled it off?"

"Exactly." Rum nodded without a shred of shame. "It’s insulting."

"Hmm..." Ashley tilted her head. "But isn’t that actually a good thing for you?"

"How is that a good thing for me?"

"How many times has someone abducted me — or Lucian, or Primo — and succeeded, right in the heart of Dominion?" she asked, and he didn’t answer. "It’s the first time, isn’t it? Sure, it might sting a little. But isn’t this a good opportunity to learn from people like them?"

"..."

"Learning from a former enemy isn’t so bad," she said with a smile. "I’m not asking you to forget what happened. I’m asking you to remember it... and learn from it."

With that, she reached out and patted Rum’s shoulder lightly. "Be nice."

Having said her piece, Ashley went back to humming and glanced toward the front. The two up there were still oddly quiet, but she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she smiled to herself and turned to look out the window, her grin stretching until her eyes crinkled.

Today is a good day, she thought. I wonder if Lucian managed to get something out of his meeting with Silvestre.

She thought about it for a second, then let it go.

For sure, he did. He’s Lucian De Luca, after all.

*****

[Black Dragon Corporation]

"Master, are we really going to cooperate with the White Serpent?" Gustav stood near Lucian’s desk. "Even if Silvestre was convincing, I don’t trust them. This could just be their way of buying time since they realized we were closing in."

Lukas, standing in the far corner, snorted. "Gustav, do you really think they’d go so far as to bluff us?"

"They are the White Serpent," Gustav said calmly. "They are capable of far more."

"But they’re dealing with us," Lukas reminded him. "They wouldn’t send that man just to bluff. Whatever his rank in the White Serpent, it’s clearly high — possibly on the same level as ours within their organization."

As had been noted before, rank within the White Serpent was easy to read by the size of their tattoos. The larger the snake, the more significant the member. And even though Silvestre had come in a suit, the snake peeking out from his wrist, neck, and ankle told them it was a sizable one.

Lukas turned to Lucian, seated behind the desk. "Master, I believe a temporary alliance is the right move."

Gustav clicked his tongue faintly but didn’t argue. He turned to Lucian as well.

"Master," he called, but Lucian was staring at the figurine on his desk, physically present and mentally somewhere else entirely.

Gustav lowered his head and tried again. "Master?"

Lucian blinked, focus returning to his eyes. He lifted his gaze as though he hadn’t been somewhere far away.

"Master, are you alright?" Gustav asked. "You were... zoning out."

"Is something the matter?" Lukas added, unaccustomed to seeing this.

Lucian was known for a particular habit, appearing distracted while catching everything. Even when he seemed focused elsewhere, he was always half-listening. Everyone had long since gotten used to it.

But this was the first time he had zoned out completely. Even in his attempt to hide it, Gustav and Lukas could tell.

"Gustav, did you send someone to follow Silvestre?" Lucian asked.

"Yes," Gustav answered promptly. "I had our men tail him to find out where he’s staying."

"He’ll leave the country and return to his boss to report," Lucian said. "Pull our men back."

Gustav furrowed his brows while Lukas frowned.

"But, Master," Lukas stepped forward. "That man has gotten close to you twice already. We can’t let him think he can come and go as he pleases."

"Pull our men back," Lucian repeated, offering no explanation. He checked his wristwatch and pushed himself to his feet.

He looked at them both, a look that made clear his orders were not to be questioned. "And all communications with him are to be directed to me."

With that, he was already walking away. As he passed them, he said,

"Gustav, drive me home." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Uh —" Gustav blinked and nodded, exchanging a confused look with Lukas. Lukas returned it with a frown, but said nothing. Even he had no idea what was going on in their boss’s head.

So Gustav simply fell into step behind Lucian.

What neither of them caught was the dangerous, murderous glint that flickered through Lucian’s eyes the moment his back was turned.

Lucian was angry.

And whatever had made him that way... only Lucian knew.