Chapter 332: Chapter 332 Arm Wrestle

Liam pushed himself up from his seat, his legs moving on instinct as his eyes locked onto the group that had just entered. His gaze swept over the girls briefly, but it stopped the moment it landed on Ann. She was standing slightly behind the others, her posture stiff, her arms hanging awkwardly at her sides. Something in her expression instantly set him on edge.

He walked forward, his tone steady but edged with concern. “What’s wrong with her?”

Ann didn’t immediately respond. Her eyes flickered away, refusing to meet his. It wasn’t the kind of nervousness that came from being embarrassed or tired—this was something deeper. She looked rattled, her breathing uneven, like she was still coming down from something.

Before Ann could open her mouth, Lilith slid smoothly between them, looping her arm casually around Liam’s neck, pulling herself into his space as if to control the conversation. “On the way back,” she said with an easy tone, “Vanessa drove like a maniac. Ann was sitting in the front with her, so she got a little shaken up.”

Her explanation sounded casual, but Liam’s eyes narrowed.

Kelly, who had been watching from the side, stepped forward and rested a hand on Vanessa’s shoulder, her touch light but her words blunt. “You should really learn to drive safely.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened at the accusation. She glanced from Kelly to Lilith, then at Ann, her lips parting in disbelief. “Unbelievable,” she muttered under her breath, barely loud enough to hear.

Liam turned his gaze on her, his expression unreadable but carrying that subtle weight of silent blame. He didn’t need to say a word—Vanessa could feel the judgment in his eyes.

“I-I-I…” she started, but her voice caught in her throat. She couldn’t tell him the truth. Couldn’t tell him that Ann’s shaken state had nothing to do with reckless driving and everything to do with Stormzy’s gun pressing against her head. They all knew Liam’s reaction would be explosive if he heard that, and none of them were ready for that storm.

Vanessa’s eyes darted toward Ann in a silent plea, but Ann avoided her gaze entirely. Ann’s voice was quiet, trembling slightly when she finally spoke. “It was… very rough driving.” Her tone carried that lingering fear, her words shaky enough to make it believable to anyone who didn’t know better.

Vanessa’s tongue darted out to wet her lips. Inside, she was grinning, savoring the moment. This was only a taste—her revenge would be much sweeter later. She didn’t care if they were all ganging up to blame her; in her mind, it was just the beginning.

Liam’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing to challenge the lie. Instead, he stepped forward, pulling Lilith along with him. She tried to resist, slowing her steps, but his grip around the arm she had looped around his neck was firm. Too firm.

From across the room, Dickson let out a small laugh, his eyes flicking from the scene to the two kids sitting by him. He was feeding them absentmindedly between bites of his own chips, but seeing his cousin in such a controlled position clearly amused him.

When Liam reached Ann, he didn’t hesitate. His hands came up, cupping her cheeks gently, his thumbs brushing across her skin as if grounding her. He studied her face for a moment before pulling her into his arms. Ann didn’t resist. Her arms slowly came up, and she held onto him, her breathing steadying slightly against his chest.

He knew. He wasn’t stupid. Whatever had rattled her wasn’t the result of bad driving. Something had happened—something dangerous—and they weren’t telling him. But right now, he was too drained to push for the truth.

After a moment, he finally let her go and stepped back, releasing Lilith’s arm in the process. She retreated a few steps and looked down at her forearm. The skin was flushed red, the faint outline of his fingers clearly visible. He hadn’t just been holding her—he’d been squeezing hard enough to make a point.

Her eyes lifted to his back, a slow smirk almost forming before vanishing under the weight of her irritation.

“What the fuck are you looking at?” she snapped suddenly, catching movement from the corner of her eye.

Dickson didn’t flinch or look away. He popped another chip into his mouth with deliberate slowness, his gaze fixed on her in open mockery. He chewed, swallowed, and kept staring, as if daring her to make something of it.

Kelly stepped forward slowly, her eyes fixed on Liam. “You know you’ve been sleeping for three days, right?” she said, her tone calm but carrying a hint of worry. “We were starting to think you weren’t gonna wake up.”

Liam gave her a small smile, brushing it off. “I just needed the rest,” he replied. His gaze shifted across the room, scanning their faces one by one. “Seo Yeon told me what you all were up to while I was out.”

The girls exchanged a quick glance before Lilith finally gave a slight nod. Kelly followed with a short confirmation. “We’ve got a lead on the Crimson Hand’s whereabouts,” Kelly said, stepping closer so Liam could hear her clearly.

Liam leaned back slightly, one eyebrow raising. “Go on.”

Kelly folded her arms. “I struck a deal with a guy named Stormzy. Tomorrow morning, he’s taking us to the place where he gets the serum he’s been selling.”

Liam’s eyes moved toward the two kids sitting near Dickson, quietly nibbling on chips. “And what about them?” he asked, tilting his head.

Kelly’s lips curved into a faint smirk. “Someone decided to play mother and bring them along,” she said softly, her eyes flicking toward Lilith for just a second.

Lilith didn’t even look her way. She was crouched down, checking the girl’s breathing, ignoring the jab.

“And their parents?” Liam pressed.

Kelly’s smirk faded. “Dead,” she said simply.

Liam’s expression softened instantly. “Oh.” He looked back at the boy and girl, his shoulders lowering slightly. He didn’t say more, but his eyes stayed on them for a long moment, something in him clearly unsettled.

Ann, still in his embrace, tilted her head up at him. Her voice was low, almost hesitant. “Liam…”

He looked down at her, his deep blue eyes meeting hers. “Yeah?”

“You said… something in your father’s office gave Lilith and Lana their powers, right?”

Liam hesitated, then nodded once. “Yeah. Why?”

Ann’s gaze didn’t waver. “I want it too.”

Before Liam could even react, Kelly stepped closer, her voice firm. “So do I.”

Liam blinked at both of them, clearly caught off guard. “You both want powers?” His tone wasn’t mocking—it was genuine surprise.

Ann’s hand tightened lightly against his side. “I want to be able to defend myself like Lilith… and Vanessa,” she said softly, her voice still carrying traces of the shaken-up tone from earlier.

Kelly nodded in agreement. “Same. I’m tired of being the one who’s just backup.”

Liam stared at them for a long moment, as if weighing the request. The idea clearly didn’t sit well with him. “You have no idea what you’re asking for,” he said finally.

Ann didn’t look away. “I know enough. And I’m not gonna just stand there next time something happens.”

Kelly’s gaze was steady too. “If we’re in this war, we should be able to fight on the same level as the rest.”

Liam exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. He glanced over at Lilith, who had turned her head slightly but wasn’t meeting his eyes. Vanessa, leaning against the far wall, said nothing—her expression unreadable.

“I’ll think about it,” Liam said at last, his tone cutting off any further argument.

Lilith suddenly stood up from beside the kids, her heels clicking against the floor as she turned on her target. Without warning, she grabbed Dickson by the back of his shirt collar.

“Oi—hey! I’m feeding them!” Dickson complained, still holding a half-full plate as she yanked him away from the chairs. “Do you mind? This is a delicate process! They like their chips in a specific order!”

Lilith ignored him completely, dragging him across the room toward the main table. The boy gave a muffled giggle, the girl just blinked in quiet amusement as Dickson’s protests grew louder.

“Seriously, Lilith, there’s a thing called manners. Ever heard of it?” he said, planting his heels against the floor like he was resisting an arrest.

She didn’t even slow down. A few seconds later, she slammed him down into a chair on one side of the table.

“There,” she said flatly.

Dickson straightened his shirt with exaggerated dignity. “You could’ve just asked you know. Civilised people use words.”

Lilith stepped to the other end of the table, planting her elbow down hard on the surface. She stretched out her hand toward him. “Arm wrestling,” she said.

Dickson stared at her like she’d just challenged him to a duel with lightsabers. “Arm wrestling? That’s what this was about?” He glanced around at the others. “You dragged me away from feeding two innocent children… for this?”

“Stop stalling,” she replied, her eyes narrowing.

A grin slowly spread across Dickson’s face. “Oh, I get it now. Liam handled you easily, didn’t he? And now you’re looking for someone to take it out on.”

Lilith’s eyes narrowed even more.

The air between them grew tense, but the corner of Dickson’s mouth stayed curled up in that cocky smirk.

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