Chapter 553: It was worth it

“Hmm…”

Rum lay flat in the middle of his new apartment. There were plenty of other places where he could rest, but so far, the cool floor had been the most comfortable.

“I’m so freaking bored…” he muttered with a deep frown.

He could already imagine the others having fun without him. They weren’t even replying to his messages. What the hell was keeping them so busy?

Didn’t they miss him?

Rum puffed out his cheeks, imagining them drinking together somewhere.

If only he knew that, at that very moment, Gin and Warriyo were confronting the equally confrontational Omen while Red watched from the sidelines. As for the others, they were quietly fulfilling their roles while praying that their colleagues wouldn’t die from their own stupidity.

Then again, that was Rum’s exact definition of fun.

“Ugh…” He rolled across the floor, stopping when he landed on his stomach.

His eyes snapped toward the door, narrowing at it.

“Screw it!”

He jumped to his feet.

Without another moment of hesitation, Rum marched over and pulled the door open. Nikki, who happened to be passing by, jolted at the sudden movement.

She turned sharply toward him. “Were you spying on me?”

“Wow. What a magical coincidence,” he muttered, watching her face twist in irritation.

“Stop bothering me.” Nikki resumed walking. “I swear to God, Rum, if you bother me tonight, I might end up pointing a gun at you. I’m not in the mood.”

Rum leaned against the doorframe, following her with his gaze.

“Nikki,” he called, but she didn’t stop. “Come on. Aren’t you bored?”

Nikki paused and looked back at him. “No. I’m tired.”

“Nonsense!”

Her mouth opened, but she decided against responding. She clicked her tongue and shook her head.

There was no point arguing with a fool.

When Nikki reached her apartment, she stopped in front of the door. She was about to enter her passcode when she glanced over her shoulder.

Rum was tiptoeing toward her.

The second she caught him, he froze. He didn’t move an inch—not even breathing—as though that would somehow make him invisible.

“If I call the cops, you’ll end up in jail,” she pointed out. “This is harassment, Rum.”

Rum straightened and scratched the back of his head.

“You… would call the cops?” he asked innocently. “And then what? Get us both arrested?”

Nikki’s expression went blank.

“You report me for harassment, and I’ll report you for bribery, extortion, murder…” Rum continued listing crimes, seemingly unaware of how his words sounded.

But it was the reality for all of them.

They avoided the authorities as much as possible because every single one of them had committed a crime or two.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Threaten you? Me? No!” He laughed. “All I’m saying is, don’t bring up the cops. Neither of us wants that.”

He beamed at her as though it were the smartest argument he had ever made.

“Besides, if you call them, I might have to kill you before you start singing like a canary—haha!” he added with a light laugh. “After all, you’ve already proven you’ll jump ship whenever it’s convenient for you. I might as well silence you before you drag everyone down.”

Rum laughed as though it were a joke, but they both knew he meant every word. To him, it was simply business. Nothing personal.

Nikki inhaled deeply and shook her head.

“Idiot.” She clicked her tongue and pushed open her door. Before stepping inside, she cast him a judgmental look. “What a disappointment. I still can’t believe your boss chose you, of all people, to spy on me.”

With that, she walked inside and slammed the door behind her.

She had already been in a foul mood, and now she had to deal with this.

Even if Tinie had been a traitor, she still preferred having him as a neighbor. Rum was simply too annoying.

Nikki tossed her briefcase onto the couch before dropping beside it. She loosened the waistband of her skirt, finally giving herself room to breathe.

Several empty glasses and a bottle of wine sat on the table. She reached for the bottle and poured herself a drink. The first sip soothed her nerves as she leaned back against the couch.

After taking another sip, one of her brows arched.

Her gaze slid toward the briefcase beside her.

Ignoring Rum’s persistent knocking and shouting from the hallway, Nikki pulled the briefcase closer. She set her glass down and took out the folder inside.

She leaned back once more, resting the folder on her lap.

When she opened it, she found information that could prove crucial to Lucian.

Several photographs were tucked inside. The first was a stolen shot of Tinie sitting alone on a park bench.

She moved it aside and examined the next one.

This time, Tinie was walking away from the bench. There was nothing unusual about the scene—except for the folded newspaper he had carried there and left behind.

The next photograph showed a different man sitting on the same bench. He reached for the newspaper and picked it up.

Then he left.

The sequence made one thing clear: there had been no conversation and no meeting. It was an exchange carefully designed to require no direct contact.

Nikki hadn’t constantly watched Tinie before his death. However, she had noticed subtle changes in his behavior. Too many strange incidents had stirred her curiosity. Because of that, she had paid someone outside Dominion to follow him.

Unfortunately, too many things had happened since then, and the person she hired had attempted to squeeze more money out of her. She had only received the photographs today.

Hence, her foul mood.

“Still, it was worth it,” she whispered, keeping her eyes on the stranger sitting on the bench. “The question is, what kind of exchange was this?”

Nikki didn’t need to wonder who the man was.

Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the inked scales on the back of his hand. The photograph didn’t show the entire tattoo, but she already recognized the design.

The White Serpent Brotherhood.