In the backyard, Cohen swept the petals off the ground when he suddenly heard the sound of a bell. Someone was approaching the confessional.
Through the carved wooden partition, Cohen received a system notification. The person on the other side was a bronze-level prey.
A cold female voice came from the other side: "Father Cohen?"
"It's me," Cohen replied.
The door on the other side opened, and a figure leapt towards him. A warm body with a unique fragrance settled directly on his lap.
The confined space quickly became warmer.
Hiss!
Cohen swallowed hard as he clearly felt the woman's firm hips and thigh muscles.
Two slender arms were draped over his shoulders, close enough for their breaths to mingle.
He looked through her golden locks and recognized her face. White skin, deep-set eyes, and fiery red lips—her clear gaze unmistakably belonged to Fox from the Assassin Brotherhood, not Angelina Jolie as he briefly thought.
Cohen immediately understood that the Brotherhood had been keeping tabs on Wesley all along. But now, he wondered what this seductive goddess wanted—was she here to kill him or seduce him?
Fox let her right hand drift down to his chest, feeling around.
"What did you say to Wesley?" she asked.
A surge of anger erupted in Cohen, and his heartbeat quickened.
How dare she touch him like this? He was no stranger to women, but never had he been treated like this! If she was going to kill him, he'd resist with all his might; if she was trying to seduce him, he'd resist that as well!
"Who? Who is Wesley?" he feigned ignorance.
Fox's hand paused, finding its target, and pinched hard.
Hiss!
Cohen instantly snapped back to attention. "Ouch! What are you doing? This is a church! Get off me!"
He began pushing her away, but she resisted. The old wooden bench creaked as they struggled, until…
"Smack!"
Cohen suddenly slapped Fox's rear, freezing her in place.
"Playful, huh? If you act like this, God will be angry with me!" he said with a smirk.
"Click!"
A loaded pistol pressed to Cohen's forehead.
"Take your hand off my ass, and the other arm off my waist!" Fox ordered.
Cohen slowly raised his hands.
"I'll ask you again: What did you say to Wesley?" Fox demanded.
Cohen sighed and shrugged. "Calm down. We just talked about how Sloan betrayed the Brotherhood for money, killing innocent people. Then Carlos found out, and they made you train his son to kill him."
Fox froze, wide-eyed.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, stunned.
"Why don't you trust Carlos? He's been your colleague for years. Even if the Fate Loom never errs, why can't Sloan have his own motives?"
Carlos has evidence, hasn't he explained it to you?
Training a son to kill his father—does that sound like something a righteous organization would do? Sloan just wanted to eliminate witnesses!" Cohen explained, his voice firm.
Fox's mouth dropped open, her face filled with disbelief.
The man before her had accurately described the recent chaos within the Brotherhood, but he provided an entirely different explanation.
Emotionally, she should trust Sloan, trust the Brotherhood. But deep down, doubts were starting to surface.
Carlos's strange betrayal, Sloan's unreasonable orders, the killing of a father by his own son—all these thoughts swarmed in her mind.
Seeing her expression, Cohen knew this blow was heavy, but the truth was undeniable.
He pushed her hand with the gun away and gazed directly into her eyes. "Your name has already appeared. The names of the handyman, the butcher, the Russian… All of them have been revealed. The only one who remains clean is Wesley, who hasn't executed a mission yet!"
Fox's body trembled.
The beauty was distressed, and Cohen's unwavering, powerful resolve lowered its head.
"Fox, I have a way to help you forget your sorrow. Do you want to try?"
Fox's eyes widened. "What?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt her hands bound, and her body uncontrollably fell forward, landing against a solid chest. A breath, fresh and soothing, brushed against her neck.
"Ah~"
A sharp pain followed as something strange was injected into her body…
---
As night fell, in the backyard of the Emma Church, a round table was set for dinner.
Cohen and Fox sat close, eating and conversing in hushed tones.
"Sloan must atone for his actions, but those of you who are unaware don't need to bear that burden. Perhaps you've sinned, but this world needs you. What you must do is not pay for your sins, but redeem yourself. You must kill to find salvation!" Cohen spoke calmly.
Fox's eyes grew distant, her mind filled with contemplation.
David, lifting his bowl of porridge, glanced at both Fox and Cohen. Damn, does being handsome mean you can get away with everything?
"Tch, you're such a jerk. Yesterday, a woman sneaked into your bedroom. Don't think I didn't notice!"
"But if we kill Sloan, what happens to the Brotherhood?" Fox asked.
"The Brotherhood will continue, and you'll become its leader," Cohen answered.
Fox was stunned, then fell into deep thought, weighing the feasibility of the plan.
So far, Cohen had turned two women into vampires, both using Daywalker blood. They had reacted differently.
Nine Spider had transformed from a seductive poison mistress to a virtuous wife, while Fox seemed to have retained much of her own style—direct, decisive, and heroic.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
David opened the door and ushered in two people: Wesley and his father, Carlos.
As soon as they entered, Carlos cast a wary glance at Fox. Seeing she had no strong reaction, he finally scrutinized Cohen.
They all took a seat.
Carlos got straight to the point: "Father Cohen, how do you know so much about the Brotherhood's affairs?"
Cohen smiled. "Didn't Wesley tell you?"
Of course he did, but Carlos didn't believe it.
What "Knight of God"? How could that possibly be real?
Cohen sensed his thoughts and raised an eyebrow. "Carlos, do you not believe in God, or do you not believe I am God's knight?"
Carlos's thoughts screamed, I don't believe either!
Cohen read his mind and shook his head. You believe in the Fate Loom, yet you can't believe in God?
Think about your own name, Carlos, which means "Cross." And yet, you don't believe in Jesus or faith? Heretic!
Cohen smiled and explained: "The Brotherhood, because of the Fate Loom, serves as its assassins. And I am the combination of both. I am the police, the judge, the jury, and the executioner!"
Carlos raised an eyebrow, paused, and thought for a moment. "Father Cohen, do you see me as guilty?"
"Yes."
"What about Fox?"
"Yes."
"And Wesley?"
"No."
"What about yourself?"
Cohen smiled. "I should be guilty."
(End of Chapter)