Chapter 1554: Retaliation III

Unbeknownst to Lory and Zhao Li Xin, the blood-red flower quivered. Its petals shuddered once, then slowly unfurled wider, the veins of crimson pulsing faintly beneath the green outer layer.

From its heart, a thin green mist seeped into the air, nearly invisible, drifting outward in languid spirals. It carried no scent, no warning, slipping through the room like a silent breath.

Calista lifted her teacup. She took a slow sip, as though savoring the moment. At the corner of her lips, a faint smirk surfaced, calm, restrained, and faint.

Relief filled her chest as the poison began to spread and fill the room. Slowly but surely, she believed. No matter how strong or vigilant they were, they wouldn’t be able to escape it.

As expected, Lory’s smile faded shortly after. Her brows furrowed, a fine frown replacing the calmness that had previously radiated from her.

A strange heaviness crept through her body, seeping into her bones as she felt her strength draining away at an alarming rate, like water leaking from a broken vessel. Zhao Li Xin turned to look at Lory, and soon after, his brows furrowed from worry.

Lory’s knees suddenly buckled. The world suddenly tilted, her feet turning to jelly as she pitched forward, only to be caught at the last second.

"Wife!" Zhao Li Xin’s arm wrapped around her waist, his other hand bracing against the counter.

Lory’s eyes widened as she clutched at his sleeve, her breath shallow. "My power..." she whispered, disbelief shaking her voice. "Something is draining my power..."

Her body sagged against him as she felt the strength from her body gradually leaving her like air from a punctured balloon.

Zhao Li Xin tightened his hold, trying to steady her, but then his own legs betrayed him. A sudden weakness surged through his body, stealing the strength from his grip. He collapsed to the floor with Lory still in his arms, the impact make him feel dull, heavy.

Across the room, Calista set her teacup down with a soft clink.

She smiled. A slow, triumphant curve of her lips as she watched them struggle on the floor, exhausted yet stubbornly refusing to surrender.

"Huh, it works faster than I thought," she said lightly.

Lory lifted her head, staring at Calista in disbelief. "Yo—you?"

Calista tilted her head, feigning innocence. "I’m sorry. Just so you know—it’s nothing personal." After that, she pulled out her phone unhurriedly and made a brief call. "It’s done. Uh-huh. I’m sure."

Her gaze flicked back to Lory and Zhao Li Xin lying weakly on the floor, breathing hard, helpless. They are almost on the verge of collapsing, yet their eyes are still sharp with defiance.

Zhao Li Xin glared at her, fury and shock burning through his fading strength. "When...when did you... poison us?" His voice was heavy and hoarse, as if each word he let out exhausted the last breath he had.

Lory forced herself to look around. Only then did she see it, strange vines crawling along one side of the wall, thick and unnatural, crowned with blooming flowers streaked with red. "The flower...Since when?" she murmured, bewildered.

"It’s called the Blood-Veined Lily," Calista said brightly, almost cheerfully. She turned her gaze to Lory. "Don’t blame me. Someone wanted you to die painfully. She even helped me increase my power."

"Someone?" Lory looked at her incredolously "Who?"

Calista let out a secretive grin. "Someone who hates both of you very much."

She lifted her cup again, took another leisurely sip, then smacked her lips in satisfaction. "But thanks to her... I’ve become much stronger."

The silence that followed was broken by slow, deliberate footsteps coming from the front door. Soon after, three figures entered the villa at an easy pace as though they owned it.

Myra Worthington walked in first, waring white fur coat, her heels clicking softly against the floor, her expression composed yet gleaming with barely concealed satisfaction. Derek followed close behind, his lips already curved into a smug smile. Ceila trailed after them, her gaze sharp and curious, drinking in the scene before her.

Their eyes fell on Lory and Zhao Li Xin, who were sprawled on the floor.

Myra smiled with relief and joy. She watched for a moment, as if savoring every moment.

"So this is how it ends," she said, her voice trembling with thrill. "The truth is, I was worried the rumors about you two might be true. Who would’ve thought..."

Derek’s laughter followed, low and richly satisfied. "I told you, you worry too much." He folded his arms, gaze lingering on the figures at their feet. "No matter how strong someone is, they all have weaknesses. You just have to know where to look." His smile widened. "And once you find it... They all will fall like everyone else."

"Thanks to Calista, of course," Ceila stepped closer, her gaze sweeping over Lory and Zhao Li Xin with clear disinterest. There was no awe in her eyes, just boredom, tinged with disdain.

"So this is the couple that caused a big stir in the black market," she said flatly, her eyes raking over Lory, then Zhao Li Xin, with open contempt. "Hardly impressive, lying there like this."

Calista straightened, her earlier meekness gone, her posture confident now that backup had arrived. "The Blood-Veined Lily worked exactly as promised," she said calmly. "Their strength is nearly drained."

Myra smiled at her, approval shining in her eyes. "You did well, Calista. I knew investing in you would pay off."

Ceila crouched slightly, studying Zhao Li Xin with fascination rather than fear. "He’s still conscious," she observed. "Impressive."

Zhao Li Xin lifted his head with effort, his glare sharp enough to cut. "You seem... very pleased," he said coldly, breath uneven.

Myra met his gaze without flinching. "Why wouldn’t I be?" she replied. "You humiliated us. You burned our home. You ruined our name."

Derek leaned down, his smile widening. "This is justice," he said smugly. "Or at least... our version of it."

Lory forced herself upright just enough to meet their gazes, even as the poison clawed mercilessly through her veins. Her body trembled, but her eyes remained clear. When she spoke, her voice was weak—yet steady.

"So... those assassins were your subordinates."

Myra’s smile sharpened, twisting into something ugly. "They were," she said coldly. "And you killed them." Her composure finally cracked, fury bleeding through her words. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to train assassins? How expensive they are?"

Lory let out a breathy laugh that quickly dissolved into a cough. She wiped at her lips, her voice hoarse but unmistakably amused. "No," she said weakly. "Just my opinion, though... I think you wasted your money on them." A harsher fit of coughing followed, her shoulders trembling.

Myra’s face darkened. Even like this, even poisoned and barely standing, Lory was still mocking her. The arrogance of it scraped against Myra’s pride, raw and unforgivable.

She crouched in front of Lory, eyes blazing with naked bloodlust. "A funny girl, aren’t you?" she sneered. "Let’s see if you’re still joking when I slit your throat."

From within her fur-lined coat, Myra drew a dagger. The blade caught the light—cold, sharp, eager.

Zhao Li Xin tightened his hold on Lory, lowering his head to whisper in a pleading tone, "Lory..."

Myra’s brows shot up. "Lory?"

For a heartbeat, surprise froze her features—then her face lit up, delight blooming like a sudden flame. Her lips curved slowly, savoring the sound of the name. "So that’s your real name," she said softly, as if tasting it. "How... fortunate."

A sharp, cutting laugh slipped from Ceila’s lips. "Ha. Looks like we’ve stumbled onto something truly valuable." Her eyes gleamed with naked greed, already calculating. "Information like that doesn’t come cheap. We could trade it for far more than we planned." ℯ𝐥.

"I want a bigger cut." Calista’s voice cut in abruptly, firm and unapologetic.

Derek scoffed, turning toward her with a dismissive snort. "Don’t be ridiculous. It was my girlfriend who got us that information."

Calista’s gaze hardened. "And I’m the one who subdued them," she shot back. "Without me, you’d have nothing."

"Don’t forget why you asked us to help you," Ceila replied coolly, her eyes narrowing, sharp as a blade.

The air between them tightened, thick with tension and unspoken calculations.

From where she lay, Lory watched the exchange in silence. Even through the haze of poison, the truth arranged itself neatly in her mind. The Worthingtons were not a family.

No, they were a coalition, stitched together by mutual benefit and shared enemies. Two teams, working together for one commission. Derek and Myra formed one side. Ceila and Calista, the other.

It seems they just worked together recently, and the reason is because of her and Zhao Li Xin. The realization strangely amused her. Lory wasn’t sure whether she should feel concerned or flattered.

"ENOUGH!" Myra’s voice cut cleanly through the tension. "We’ll talk about that later!"

As everyone turned silent, Myra’s attention returned to Lory, her eyes cold and impatient, etched with unhidden excitement. "Let’s finish the job first."

She rose to her feet and lifted the dagger.

The blade gleamed under the light as Myra brought it up slowly, deliberately, savoring the moment. She took a step closer, the tip angling toward Lory’s throat.

There was no hesitation in her movement, only grim certainty, the practiced confidence of someone who believed victory was already hers.

"Don’t worry, it will be quick," Myra grinned viciously.

The corner of Lory’s lips curved into a strange, alarming smile. "I know~."