Chapter 1549: Start the Party III

The taunt ignited the assassin’s fury. She snapped her gun up and fired several shots in rapid succession. Lory had already read the movement. A translucent barrier flared into existence, bullets striking it with dull, useless impacts.

In the same breath, Lory surged forward.

A dagger appeared in her hand, summoned from the ring at her finger, and she drove in for the assassin’s chest. The speed was overwhelming. The blade bit into the assassin’s shoulder instead, tearing flesh as she twisted just enough to avoid a fatal blow.

With a sharp cry, the assassin clamped onto Lory’s wrist, stopping the dagger from plunging deeper. She lashed out desperately, trying to force distance with a savage kick.

Lory met it head-on.

Her knee remained locked against the assassin’s leg, grinding bone against bone, denying even the smallest retreat. Lory leaned into the contact, reading the tension in her opponent’s muscles, then twisted sharply at the waist.

The motion was precise, economical, and trained. She stole the assassin’s balance and converted it into forward momentum, driving her full weight through her shoulder.

The sink took the impact with a brittle scream.

Porcelain split beneath the force, fractures racing outward like lightning trapped in ceramic. The basin sagged, pipes groaning in protest as the assassin’s back slammed into it.

The air between them vanished, replaced by the harsh scrape of breath and the heat of bodies locked too close for distance weapons.

Hands clashed.

The assassin struck first, fast and vicious, elbows, palms, short blows meant to break ribs and crush the throat. Lory met each one head-on. She deflected a strike with her forearm, trapped a wrist, twisted until tendons screamed, then drove her other hand into the assassin’s collarbone. The impact reverberated up her arm. Still, the assassin slipped free with unnatural smoothness.

Then—nothing. The air where the assassin stood went empty. Her presence vanished, erased as if she had never been there. The assassin has activated her gift. ℯℓ.

Lory clicked her tongue, "What a cheap trick," she sneered, eyes narrowing as she turned slowly, senses sharpening.

The first unseen blow grazed past her shoulder. Lory pivoted instantly, letting the strike cut only air. She raised her hand as her fingers spread. Suddenly, the shattered pipes answered.

Water erupted violently from the broken plumbing, bursting outward in pressurized arcs that slammed into the walls, the ceiling, the floor. The bathroom filled with a roaring spray, droplets hanging thick in the air, soaking every surface.

And there—

The water clung to an outline, gradually forming a human shape that emerged in empty space, the assassin’s form betrayed by rivulets streaming down invisible limbs.

Lory’s lips curved into a cold, knowing smile.

"There you are~" Her palm clenched into a fist, and in an instant, the temperature plunged to subzero.

The temperature plunged in a single breath, plunging far below freezing. The water hanging in the air seized mid-motion, sound dying as liquid became crystal.

Frost raced outward in violent patterns, crawling across the assassin’s body, locking joints, sealing limbs, and creeping over skin and cloth alike. Her breath crystallized in her lungs, her scream trapped before it could escape.

The spray solidified into jagged shards of ice, encasing her completely.

She stood frozen in place with her eyes wide, and her mouth half-open in horror as her body transformed into a lifeless ice statue amid the ruined bathroom.

Lory stared at the ice statue, then a sharp crack echoed above, and a small chunk of ice broke loose from the frozen ceiling and fell and struck the statue.

The next thing happened, the assassin shattered in piecess. Ice and flesh exploded outward in a brittle, violent collapse, fragments scattering across the floor in a chaotic spray. What remained slid uselessly across the tiles, nothing more than frozen debris.

Lory watched the remains without expression. Slowly, she closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, forcing the surge of emotion and adrenaline back down. She tried to steady her pulse when the door creaked open. Lory’s eyes snapped open.

A male catering staff member stood frozen in the doorway, it’s the same one from behind the cupcake counter. Shock flickered across his face as he took in the devastation. Then his gaze shifted to Lory.

The shock vanished and was replaced by something dark and lethal in his eyes. Without question, Lory knew immediately who and what the man’s identity was.

A cold sneer bloomed beneath her pleasant expression. "Oh, hello—come on in~" Lory’s smile deepened as she raised her dagger, poised and ready.

_____________________________________

Zhao Li Xin checked his watch, his fingers lingering against the cool metal longer than necessary. The minute hand had advanced far past what he deemed acceptable. Lory should have been back by now.

A faint crease formed between his brows.

He turned away from the garden, his steps calm but purposeful as he headed toward the villa’s interior. The music, the laughter, the clinking of glasses irked him so much, and without Lory by his side, it feel unbearable.

All of a sudden, someone collided with him. "Oh—!"

A young woman staggered back, a crystal glass tilting sharply in her grip. Red wine spilled in a vivid arc, splashing across the front of Zhao Li Xin’s shirt, staining the pristine fabric in dark, spreading blooms.

"I’m so-so sorry!" she gasped, eyes wide with alarm. "I really wasn’t watching where I was going."

Zhao Li Xin lowered his gaze to the red stain on his clothes, his expression cold and placid, then he lifted his dark, cold eyes back to the woman’s face. "It’s fine," he said coolly.

But the woman shook her head at once, stepping closer. "No, it’s not. Please, I insist on helping. I’m a cousin of the Worthington family—there are spare rooms inside. You should change before it sets."

"No." The refusal was immediate, devoid of hesitation or courtesy.

For a heartbeat, she looked taken aback. Then she recovered quickly, her smile returning, this time softer, more earnest. "Please, it won’t take long. I’d feel terrible if I didn’t make this right. You’re an honored guest of my aunt. If she found out about this, I’d be in serious trouble." She looked up at Zhao Li Xin with a pleading expression, carefully crafted and just a little too perfect.

Zhao Li Xin narrowed his eyes as alarms rang in his head, suspicion snapping fully into place. He had seen this far too many times in the past, the same words, the same act, only a different place and time. How could he not recognize it?

Under his scrutiny, the young woman’s cheeks flushed; could it be that the man was interested in her? She lowered her head shyly, lashes fluttering, as if embarrassed by his attention.

Zhao Li Xin "..."

The girl lifted her head again, as if gathering courage. Her fingers twisted lightly at the hem of her dress, a small, nervous gesture meant to appear unconscious.

When she looked up at Zhao Li Xin, her eyes were bright, almost shimmering, framed by lowered lashes that painted her as a shy, innocent maiden.

"I... I really don’t know what I’d do if you refused," she said softly. "I’ve never embarrassed myself like this before."

While she performed, he calmly calculated his next moves. Questions surfaced one after another—what was this woman planning? Had someone sent her, or was she acting alone? Which assassin group did she belong to, or did she answer to no one at all?

Zhao Li Xin had many questions. Unfortunately, Lory’s safety took priority over everything else. Until he was certain she was safe, he could not focus on anything else.

Before he could respond, his phone vibrated sharply in his hand. He took his phone to check the message, and immediately he recognized the sender, and it said: I’m good. Don’t worry about me, honey.

The tension coiled in his chest loosened slightly. Just slightly. His jaw eased, the sharp edge in his gaze softening for a fleeting moment, an expression no one but her ever earned.

When he looked back at the woman, any trace of softness was gone.

"Fine. Show me the way," Zhao Li Xin said.

His tone was cool and commanding, the manner of a noble addressing a lowly servant. There was no warmth in his voice, no courtesy in his posture, only quiet authority.

The woman felt the blood in her veins turn cold.

For the first time, she truly looked at him, and what she saw made her breath hitch. His eyes were dark, hollow, like staring straight into the depths of an abyss. There was nothing there to grasp onto. No emotion. No hesitation. Only an unsettling emptiness that swallowed light itself.

She swallowed unconsciously. "O—Okay. Follow me, please," she said, forcing a smile that barely held together.

Zhao Li Xin did not respond. He clasped his hands behind his back and followed her in silence, his steps unhurried as they moved through the hall and climbed toward the second floor.

The woman drew a shaky breath. His presence pressed against her back like a looming shadow—silent, immense, and heavy. She couldn’t explain it, only that the air felt thinner with every step, as if the corridor itself were holding its breath.

At first, she had thought him breathtakingly handsome, just like a man who came out of the painting. That’s why he thought it wasn’t bad to try to seduce him, and if something led to another, she wouldn’t mind, even...hopeful.

But that thought had curdled into dread, so sharp she nearly cursed herself for it. This man was not the attentive, gentle, sweet figure she had seen before at his wife’s side.

No—what followed her now was something else entirely, something predatory and dangerous, like being stalked by a ferocious beast.

Cold sweat slid down her spine. Her fingers clenched the railing until it bit into her skin. She did not dare look back. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was actually terrified right now, but she didn’t want to show it. She cannot!

Unfortunately for her, just like a beast, Zhao Li Xin could smell fear radiating from the woman. He lowered his gaze as the corner of his lips slowly raised into a sinister smile.