How Lilies turn Black Chapter 46 - The Blood Bath (3)  

 

Vroom—

 

The car was enveloped in a quiet stillness, broken only by faint ambient noise.  

 

After driving for a while, the majestic suspension bridge—one of Demercy’s most iconic landmarks—gradually came into view. 

 

It seemed they had already left Theodoro’s jurisdiction, but where exactly were they headed?  

 

Liliana, trusting that Paul, who was behind the wheel, would guide them properly, decided to ask him another question.  

 

“Do you happen to know why Theodoro called for me?”  

 

“Hmm, unfortunately, I haven’t heard anything. I’m not sure myself.”  

 

She glanced at his profile, but it didn’t seem like he was lying.  

 

The faint narrowing of his eyes suggested he, too, was trying to decipher Theodoro’s intentions.  

 

Yet, no matter how much he racked his brain, he didn’t seem to come up with a clear answer.  

 

“This kind of situation has never happened before, so it’s hard to even make a guess.”  

 

“Ah…”  

 

“Still, there’s no need to worry.”  

 

“How can you be so sure?”  

 

At her question, Paul gave an ambiguous smile and averted his gaze.  

 

Did he not realize that brushing it off like this only made her unease grow? Liliana subtly furrowed her brows and pressed further.  

 

“Mr. Galliano?”  

 

“Well, uh…”  

 

“Yes?”  

 

“Um… Unlike before, these days, he doesn’t usually handle… such matters personally. Especially not in his private space.”  

 

Ah. So he’s really trying to say, in the most roundabout way possible, that he won’t kill her.  

Could she really trust those words?  

 

Who knew if her execution would be considered an ‘unusual matter’?  

 

Liliana sighed, still unable to fully grasp Theodoro’s nature… Paul, in what seemed like an attempt at reassurance, added a few more words.  

 

“By the way, do you know what kind of place you’re being taken to?”  

 

“He said it was his place.”  

 

“You could call it a hideout, really. Aside from him, I’m the only one who knows its location and has been there… You can take some pride in that. It definitely can’t be anything bad.”  

 

“…”

 

Liliana suddenly began to regret asking him about Theodoro’s intentions.  

 

Perhaps she shouldn’t have said anything. Now that she had even heard about the hideout, her vision spun dizzily.  

 

Theodoro would have lashed out at her if he were angry—there was no way he had called her for something good. 

 

Just what did he need to summon her to such a secretive place for?  

 

‘Surely it’s not… something sexual, right…?’  

 

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Liliana’s face turned pale. There had never been a single scandalous rumor about him with women, so she had assumed he simply didn’t indulge in such things.  

 

But what if the truth was that Theodoro enjoyed it so discreetly that she just hadn’t known?  

 

‘No. But then again… he detested Antonio’s club so much. What in the world is this?’  

 

Unfortunately, her wildly spiraling imagination had to come to an end there.  

 

“Miss Moretti, we’ve arrived.”  

 

Whether it was misfortune or relief, the car carrying them had finally stopped at its destination.  

 

“Ah, already…”  

 

Paul, looking concerned at Liliana’s stunned expression, even opened the passenger door for her and saw her off.  

 

“Don’t worry, and take care.”  

 

“…Huh? You’re not coming with me?”  

 

Forced out of the car, she turned back with a creaking stiffness to look at him.  

 

Even though Paul Galliano was Theodoro’s man, not hers, for some reason, it felt like her lifeline had been severed right before her eyes.  

 

But the situation was cruelly indifferent.  

 

“My orders were only to escort Miss Moretti here, nothing more.”  

 

Paul offered an awkward smile, clearly apologetic.  

 

In the end, it meant she would have to face Theodoro alone.  

 

“Phew…”  

 

Liliana withdrew her dazed gaze and slowly walked toward the hideout beyond the car.  

 

A desolate wind blew across the dim grassy riverside. The only thing standing there was a single container box.  

 

‘That’s the hideout…?’  

 

She had imagined a villa, but instead— Baffled, Liliana glanced back at Paul again, but he only gave her a composed, knowing smile.  

 

As she turned back toward the hideout, her heart began to pound uneasily.

 

Inside the dim gray container box, there was no sign of Theodoro—instead, it felt like unfamiliar men with guns were waiting for her.  

 

What was this? Where had things gone wrong?  

 

Was Paul the same as Theodoro? Or did he truly know nothing?  

 

She had reached the threshold, but she couldn’t muster the courage to open the door. Her eyes darted around stealthily, but there was nowhere to run.  

 

Beyond, the dark river water swayed, surrounded by dense thickets on all sides. Even if she sprinted that way, Paul would catch up in no time.  

 

If things went wrong, he might even shoot…  

 

“Miss Moretti? Theodoro is waiting for you.”  

 

“…!”  

 

The sudden, smooth voice made Lilia’s shoulders jerk up.  

 

Was he urging her to open the door, hesitating as she was? Or was he trying to prevent her from running before she even tried?  

 

Given the eerie thoughts running through her mind, it wasn’t unreasonable for her to assume the latter.  

 

‘No, stop. Get a grip. Why am I overthinking like this?’  

 

Even if she imagined the worst, she couldn’t perfectly predict or prevent what would happen.  

 

Suppressing the dark thoughts spiraling in her mind, Lilia finally reached for the doorknob—  

 

Clunk—!  

 

Before she could even touch it, the knob turned on its own.  

 

“Ack!”  

 

The iron door swung open instantly, grazing the tip of her nose. Lilia flinched and stumbled back.  

 

Then, a burly figure appeared through the gap.  

 

“Why are you dawdling out there?”  

 

A voice laced with clear annoyance cut through the air.  

 

“Th-Theodoro…?”  

 

Her heart was pounding wildly, yet his voice, posture, and gaze were all indifferent and eerily calm.  

 

“Ah…”  

 

“‘Ah’ what? Stop lingering and get inside.”  

 

With that, he turned his back and walked away.  

 

“Ah…?”  

 

In an instant, all the vivid imagination and tension she had built up felt utterly pointless.  

 

Lilia blinked blankly, staring at his retreating figure.  

 

Well, it seemed Paul wasn’t wrong.  

 

The atmosphere didn’t exactly scream imminent death, after all.

 

✨ 

 

The hideout Theodoro led her into was more like a living space than a typical hideout.  

 

Contrary to its bleak exterior, it wasn’t a desolate place at all. 

 

Equipped with a small bed, basic cooking utensils, a sofa, a bookshelf, and even a desk, it was nothing more than an ordinary, cozy home.  

 

But if there was one thing that set it apart—  

 

“Wow…”  

 

It was the breathtakingly mesmerizing view right before her eyes. What kind of home could boast such a sight?  

 

One wall of the container was peculiarly designed with a double-layered structure—an outer steel wall in gray and an inner glass pane.  

 

Right now, the outer wall seemed to have been pushed outward, revealing a wide glass window that offered a clear view of the riverside.  

 

Liliana had never seen such a beautiful sight in her life.  

 

The dazzling nightscape of a bustling metropolis. The overflowing neon signs and fluorescent lights. The fragments of light, shattered into pieces by the rippling waves of the river.  

 

It was the most radiant scenery, witnessed from the darkest of shadows.  

 

“It’s… so beautiful.”  

 

Mumbling in awe, she completely forgot about her current predicament. 

 

From the corner, Theodoro, who had been rummaging through something, shot her a disdainful look.  

 

“You done? Take a seat.”  

 

Snapping back to reality, Liliana hurried over to the sofa.  

 

Sitting quietly, she had nothing else to do. The owner of the place kept shuffling through drawers and bookshelves the entire time.  

 

‘What in the world is he looking for…?’  

 

As the silent wait dragged on, she turned her gaze back to the city lights reflected on the river.  

 

Then, his voice reached her from afar.  

 

“How far can you go?”  

 

“…Huh?”  

 

Confused by the cryptic question, Liliana turned to look at him. Theodoro, however, didn’t even glance her way, idly moving his hand with disinterest.  

 

‘…What’s this all of a sudden?’

 

Liliana’s eyes widen in shock. He’s roughly loosening his tie, of all things.  

 

No matter how she reacts, Theodoro undoes the constriction around his neck and carelessly tosses it onto a chair.  

 

And what followed next was nothing short of earth-shattering…  

 

This time, he began unbuttoning his shirt.  

 

‘Why… Why in front of me…?’

 

Liliana stiffly turned her head away, unable to bear the sight any longer. Her heart pounded violently, threatening to shake her entire body.  

 

The question he had thrown at her had long since faded from her mind. The scene she had just witnessed left her head blank, making her forget both the intent behind his words and any possible response.  

 

The only thing replaying endlessly in her mind was the beastly image of him twisting and pulling at his tie.  

 

Amidst it all, Theodoro pressed her once more for an answer.  

 

“How far are you prepared to go? How much can you handle? If you decided to step in here, you must’ve had some resolve.”

 

His voice, bordering on irritation, snapped her back to attention.  

 

‘How much can I handle?’ 

 

What kind of situation in this secretive space would require such resolve?  

 

And why, in the middle of saying that, did he suddenly go from loosening his tie to unbuttoning his shirt?  

 

The moment his question and his actions overlapped, realization struck Liliana like lightning.  

 

‘H-he means… I should take my clothes off…!’