Chapter 5 Temptation's Embrace

"Boss, I've stumbled upon something troubling regarding Mr. Johnson from the Strategy Department. It appears he's been accessing sensitive files without authorization," he handed over the document, his voice filled with concern.

"Bring him here," he ordered, his hand casually reaching for two baseball bats resting nearby.

Mr. Johnson entered promptly, his briefcase in hand, and faced his boss with a tremble. Without hesitation, their boss signaled for him to be immediately confronted.

The towering figure, his eyes ablaze with fierce determination, orchestrated the brutal confrontation with chilling precision, instilling a palpable sense of fear and unwavering obedience in his subordinates as they executed his orders with ruthless efficiency.

Approaching, he seized Mr. Johnson's hair with force.

"How dare you betray me?! Are you not afraid? Remember this day, for today marks your funeral," he said, a cold chuckle escaping his lips.

"Why, are you already frightened? I haven't even begun. What if I recruit others to join in, to make the game more thrilling? Mm. Geln? Aurora? Include them!" he laughed uproariously, shoving the two women forward.

Taken aback, Mr. Johnson attempted to plead, promising not to implicate his family in the mess he had created.

"If only you hadn't done that, they wouldn't have died. We have no choice; my partner signaled to me. The devil!"

"Very well, proceed!"

The boss reclined in his chair, a sinister smile playing on his lips as he watched the brutal scene unfold before him, his eyes gleaming with a chilling satisfaction at the sight of carnage and chaos.

"Do it with more vigor! There, to the left."

"That's splendid. I trust you've learned the consequences of crossing me. Consider this a gentle reminder of what awaits those who dare defy my authority."

He promptly approached his turntable and played "The Dark Symphony."

As the music filled the room, Mr. Johnson immediately began to plead, begging not to be killed and offering to do whatever was asked of him. Even if it meant becoming a servant, he would accept it.

"You offer to be my slave? That doesn't sound quite right. You should offer yourself to me, correct?"

"Y-yes, please!"

He would go to great lengths to save himself from a cold, unmarked grave.

__

Lilith found herself captivated by the pulsating music and the energetic crowd on the dance floor.

Impressed, she observed as they danced with abandon, seemingly unfazed by the intimate contact and the sensory overload around them.

"Now that looks like fun. What a bunch of pests," she muttered to herself.

She made her way to a VIP room owned by the Lorenzo family, where she unexpectedly encountered the familiar face from the recent event. Though taken aback, she decided to enter, choosing a seat near the edge and making an effort not to draw attention to herself.

"How are you?" he suddenly inquired.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Lilith replied, curious about his sudden interest.

"Just wondering. So, what brings you here?" he asked, his gaze lingering on her.

"I was invited by Lorenzo."

"Ah, I see."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Lorenzo's associates, a tall figure and a shorter companion, accompanied by a burly man who appeared to be a bodybuilder, all seemingly in their prime.

One of the men leaned in to whisper something in Mr. Inferno's ear, prompting a visible reaction from him.

"What are they saying that I shouldn't hear?" he mused to himself.

"Lith," Kai's voice suddenly crackled through Lilith's concealed earpiece, a chip they had planted to keep track of her whereabouts.

"Yes?"

"I overheard their conversation; they mentioned that someone from Lorenzo's camp had died, enraging him. The name they mentioned was Johnson," Kai informed her.

"It's strange. There seems to be more to his death than meets the eye. I checked his background; he seemed decent and loyal to Mr. Inferno, who's here now."

Before entering, Lilith had installed a spy cam to eavesdrop on their conversation even in her absence; she pretended to drop her lipstick, discreetly tucking it under the couch.

"Be careful, Lilith," Kai cautioned, knowing she couldn't afford to raise suspicion.

"Excuse me. Do you know when Lorenzo will arrive?"

The conversation paused as Mr. Inferno responded.

"I'm sorry, but he won't be able to make it; he's tied up with something important."

"What a waste of time; I came all this way for nothing. I'll just head out."

"Shall we escort you?" the shorter man offered.

"No, it's fine. I'll manage. Goodbye!"

"Rejected by both of them? You guys crack me up," one of their companions remarked from a distance.

___

"Vixen. Let's go home." she said while waiting, immediately hiding as she saw Lorenzo and his men entering the bar.

"We're almost there,"

"I thought he wouldn't be able to make it." Lilith said to her self.

"Lith! Let's go," he said, quickly getting on board.

Her companions were busy as they had discovered many things.

"Look, Lorenzo has many distributors; he even victimized the President. He doesn't realize he's dealing with illegal people."

"It's really pitiful for people like him, they don't think. He could have hired an attorney for himself to be sure of the decisions he's making," Kai complained.

"You really don't know yet. There's a possibility he already has an attorney. But unfortunately, Lorenzo's attorney is also in cahoots with him, making it easy for him to evade the law," Zenith clarified.

"Oh really? That's just so wrong."

"Enough chit-chat. Get on it; find out what Lorenzo's been up to at that spot. And here, there's something else. He sent someone to deliver this; figure out what it is," Fox instructed.

With time ticking away, Kai had no choice but to hustle; there was no room for games anymore.