How Lilies turn Black Chapter 36 - The Rabble of West Peal (10)  

“Yes, the choice is now yours.”  

 

But you can’t recklessly turn your back on Goth.  

 

‘This incident… will be a turning point. The moment that decides whether the organization sides with the three factions or becomes their enemy…’  

 

If Theodoro doesn’t support Goth, the other three factions will eventually turn their backs on the Benedetti Family one by one.  

 

They’ve already been ostracized by Luciano for far too long. From their perspective, there’s no reason to maintain amicable relations with the Benedettis anymore.  

 

The real problem is what happens after all ties with the three factions are severed.  

 

The damage the organization would suffer then.  

 

Not just in Victoria, but across the entire continent—where the three factions have established their presence. If they abandon them, would it really be possible to expand their business and influence further?  

 

It wouldn’t be entirely impossible. Things would still function to some extent.  

 

‘But Theodoro couldn’t deny that they would inevitably hit a limit.’

 

“I won’t… say anything else… I’ll just ask two things. Even if this incident… turns the three factions against us, are you… okay with that?”  

“…”  

“And even if this place… ends up in ruins like this… are you okay with that?”  

 

Liliana forced her eyes open, fighting back her fear.  

 

And when she met Theodoro’s gaze, she saw his eyes churning like a stormy tide.  

 

‘See, you…’  

 

Admit it honestly. You hate it, too. For whatever reason… You must despise this filthy brothel, where women are bought and sold, enough to want to burn it all down.  

 

“Answer me… please.”  

 

The hand around her throat slowly loosened.  

 

But that didn’t mean the threat of death coiled around Liliana like a serpent had completely vanished.  

 

A trembling hand, unable to contain its emotions, slowly rose to her lips. Then it clenched, as if ready to crush whatever it held at any moment.  

 

“Ack—!”  

 

Now, Theodoro loomed close enough for his breath to brush her nose as he whispered chillingly,  

 

“You’re far too arrogant.”  

 

“…”  

 

“You don’t even realize how much that cuts you down.”  

 

The crushing grip, as if it would pierce her skin. The terror of death woven through his words. Hot tears that had welled in her eyes finally spilled over, streaming down her temples.  

 

Yet even then, the blue eyes locked onto Theodoro’s gleamed coldly.  

 

Why are you only scolding me?  

 

Why can’t you answer my questions, Theodoro?  

 

That just means you can’t deny what I’m saying.  

 

Isn’t that right?  

 

No more words were exchanged. Only the intensity of their locked gazes sustained the standoff—who would dare intervene now?  

 

Even Silvano, whose specialty was playing it cool, and Paul, arguably Theodoro’s closest friend, could only stand by helplessly.  

 

But the deadly silence between the two was shattered by an entirely unrelated third party.  

 

“Where is it?!”  

 

“Third-floor lounge…!”  

 

Unintentionally, it was three men and a woman who came flying down from the fourth floor of the club, their footsteps pounding like a stampede.  

 

At the clamor, Theodoro and Liliana instinctively turned their heads.  

 

But the group was in such a frantic rush that they didn’t even notice Liliana perilously perched on the railing or Theodoro pushing her toward the edge—they just raced past.  

 

“…Huh?”  

 

A crimson streak danced through the air like a ripple. Like a heat haze, the shimmering color grew fainter as it drifted away…  

 

Liliana, momentarily forgetting her predicament, followed the red with her eyes.  

 

A disheveled woman with fiery red hair sprinted down the third-floor hallway. Upon reaching the second door, she flung it open and shouted,  

 

“Sean…!”  

 

But despite her urgency, she hesitated at the threshold.  

 

Then, charging toward her from inside the room was a man—Sean O’Connor, his own blazing red hair unmistakable.  

 

“…!”  

 

The two embraced tightly, and in that moment, the puzzle pieces clicked in Liliana’s mind.  

 

“My life’s already a mess—it can’t get any worse.”  

 

The woman who had said those words while slipping her the syringe had hair impossible to miss anywhere.  

 

The color of red poppies—even if her face faded from memory, that vivid mane remained etched in Liliana’s mind.  

 

And much later, when she visited Sean O’Connor’s office, she’d seen a strangely familiar family photo.  

 

The nagging sense of déjà vu had lingered, but she’d never found the answer… until now.

 

Only now did she realize it was all a twisted twist of fate.  

 

“So… they’re siblings.”  

 

Liliana muttered the words under her breath. Whether he hadn’t heard her properly or not, Theodoro shifted his gaze from them back to her, raising an eyebrow.  

 

“What?”  

 

She hadn’t meant for him to hear. Startled, Liliana flinched and glanced at him warily.  

 

But it wasn’t something she needed to hide—in fact, it might be better if he knew. So she continued.  

 

“I didn’t know… they were siblings. That woman—she was the one who slipped me medicine when I was first brought here.”  

 

“…”  

 

“I just… thought she had no choice but to work here. But I had no idea she was Sean O’Connor’s sister.”  

 

She couldn’t help the bitter edge that crept into her voice by the last sentence.  

 

As she spoke, it struck her just how horrifying the inner workings of this organization truly were. She didn’t blame Antonio for taking over Goth’s territory.  

 

Goth’s side might resent it, but… well.  

 

Stealing and being stolen from was the law of the jungle.  

 

But this?  

 

After crushing Goth’s gang, Antonio forced their leader’s sister into a brothel. The more she thought about it, the more monstrous it became.  

 

‘…Disgusting.’

 

Antonio, of course. Herself, for ever getting involved with this organization. And the man standing before her, leading it all.  

 

Everything was so revolting that Liliana violently shoved away Theodoro’s arm, still threateningly close to her.  

 

“Move.”  

 

“…”  

 

Surprisingly, Theodoro stepped back without resistance. Liliana’s eyes widened—she hadn’t expected that—but her reaction was already irrelevant to him.  

 

His attention was fixed not on her, but on the siblings standing further away.  

 

‘What…?’  

 

Rubbing her throat and jaw where he’d gripped her, Liliana awkwardly pulled herself up from the railing.  

 

Then she turned to look where Theodoro’s gaze remained locked.  

 

The woman who had been crying in Sean’s arms had since pulled away and was now staring silently into the room.  

 

Before long, she began walking inside—and within seconds—  

 

BANG!

 

“Aaaagh!”  

 

“Enya! Wait!”  

 

Someone tumbled to the floor, followed by chaotic shouts and screams. A beat later, Sean rushed into the room after her.  

 

The commotion continued, but Enya’s furious voice cut through the noise.  

 

“I prayed every day. For you to die more miserably than anyone in this world. Do you have any idea how many times I begged for you to die like our mother did?!”  

 

“Enya, calm down!—Someone grab her!”  

 

“Remember?! Remember how our mother—the one you threw into this filthy hellhole—how she… how she died…!”  

 

Liliana’s hair stood on end. She glanced at Theodoro, half-hoping she’d misheard.  

 

‘Surely… not.’ 

 

But the wind carried no illusions—her ears were working just fine. 

 

And when she looked back at Theodoro, his eyes were as dark and stormy as when he’d first found her in this club.  

 

The fragments of the story came together through Antonio’s intermittent shouts.  

 

“Let’s get one thing straight—I didn’t kill her. That was just some freak with disgusting tastes—”  

 

“Shut up! If you hadn’t dragged Mom into this place—!”  

 

Another scuffle broke out. The sounds of grappling bodies, frantic shouts, and desperate attempts to pull them apart tangled into chaos.  

 

“Let go! Let go of me! What did we ever do to deserve this…?!”  

 

“Enya, please! Stop, okay?”  

 

“Antonio…! You’re not even human. I hope you burn in hell and suffer forever. Don’t you dare die peacefully. You hear me?!”  

 

With that final, venomous scream, she finally broke down sobbing. The raw, heart-wrenching cries began to fill Lora Club.  

 

Outside that sound, the rest of the space sank into a damp, heavy silence.  

 

No more protests. No more sounds of Antonio rolling on the floor.  

 

Finally, Liliana tore her attention from the room and faced Theodoro. Her legs trembled uncontrollably beneath her.  

 

“The organization… is running so well.”