How Lilies turn Black Chapter 60 - Legal Illegality (1)

As expected, the previous conversation had merely been an introduction. 

 

Wayne leaned slightly forward and spoke in an even lower voice.

“But the ones maintaining an even closer cooperative relationship with Inter Press are the Demercy Mafia… specifically, the Corella Family.”

“Th-the Corella Family?”

Flustered, the words barely came out. 

 

The Corella Family? Who could’ve guessed they’d be mentioned here all of a sudden?

 

However, Wayne seemed to misinterpret Liliana’s bewilderment. He must’ve assumed it was a topic far removed from her life… 

 

With an awkward expression, he belatedly apologized.

“My apologies. So, the Corella Family is—”

He then added a brief explanation about the five major families of the Demercy Mafia. 

 

In reality, it was a story all too close to Liliana.

 

Before long, the conversation returned to its main point, and Wayne continued his explanation in a composed tone.

“The betting offices would secure broadcasting rights from Inter Press and pay commission fees. And Inter Press, in turn, would hand over a portion of those fees as tribute to each mafia family.”

“Each family? Why?”

“Because the betting offices operate under the jurisdiction of the mafia. Inter Press had to pay a share of the commissions collected in each district to the respective family overseeing that area.”

“Ah… I see.”

Liliana clicked her tongue at the absurd reality. She could already guess what kind of exploitation must have taken place without needing to ask further.

 

If they refused to pay tribute, keeping the company running—whether physically or politically—would’ve been impossible. Inter Press would never have dared to stand against such a massive organization like the mafia.

“This arrangement fell apart when Inter Press’s former chairman was imprisoned for embezzlement, and the leadership changed afterward. The current chairman, Jimmy McKenna, pushed for a shift. Instead of paying tribute to all five families, he partnered exclusively with the Corella Family and began paying tribute only to them.”

“…What?”

 

At this point, the Corella family was mentioned again. 

 

Who would have thought that Inter Press and Corella had plotted against the other families? This was a development I never could have imagined.

 

She furrowed her brows and asked, “What about the other families? They wouldn’t have just stood by.”

 

“Jimmy McKenna used his head. In exchange for paying tribute exclusively to the Corella family, he demanded protection.”

 

Protection? What kind of protection could have kept the other families from acting rashly? 

 

Lilia swallowed dryly as she waited for the next part.

 

“This is still under investigation, but it seems Inter Press is using Mayor Demercy as a political shield. The Corella family probably had a hand in it.”

 

“Ah… So, for example, Corella might have bribed Mayor Demercy to secure Jimmy McKenna’s protection… Something like that?”

 

“Yes, exactly. I’m not sure of the details, but that’s roughly the kind of negotiation that must have taken place.”

 

Lilia pressed Wayne as if she were a detective herself.

“Do the other families know about this? That Corella essentially betrayed them?”

 

“Hard to say. I don’t know for sure… But judging by how friendly relations still are, they probably don’t. If they did, something would’ve already happened, don’t you think?”

 

“Ah…”

 

So this Jimmy McKenna guy conspired with Corella to stab the other families in the back…

 

Lilia’s head spun as she listened to Wayne recount this audacious scheme. She fell silent and lowered her head. Her eyes, swirling with countless thoughts, were clouded with chaos.

 

‘But if we use this right…’

 

Who knows? This might turn into an opportunity—for her, and maybe even for Theodoro. 

 

A strange glimmer flickered in the midst of the turmoil.

 

Wayne watched Lilia, lost in thought, and let out a deflated chuckle.

“Didn’t expect you to find this so entertaining.”

 

💫

 

How could she turn the information obtained from Wayne into an opportunity?

For days after her meeting with Wayne, Liliana wrestled with this question. Once she had a plan, she requested a meeting with Theodoro to discuss Vincent.

 

However, it seemed Vincent was avoiding the meeting under various excuses—claiming he was swamped with work, among other things. 

 

Liliana stubbornly tried to secure even a private conversation with Theodoro, but that, too, was rejected.

 

Did he really think she wouldn’t notice he was avoiding her?

 

Unable to contain her anger, she stormed toward Theodoro’s office.

BANG!

The timid woman who had been chased out of the meeting days ago was nowhere to be seen. 

 

Liliana forcefully shoved the office door open.

 

“…!”

Theodoro, who had been half-reclining in his office chair, stopped spinning it mid-motion and raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

 

Without answering, Liliana stomped toward him, her footsteps heavy.

 

Fine. 

 

If she hadn’t seen a single hair of Vincent for days, she could accept that he was busy. But Vincent Del Piero was the one who was busy—not Theodoro Benedetti.

 

It made no sense for him to keep dodging her while still finding time to frequent De Lucia Bar.

 

“I don’t understand why you keep avoiding me.”

 

Theodoro stared at her with an exasperated expression. 

 

After a long pause, he rubbed his face with his palm, looking thoroughly annoyed.

“Don’t ask me for reasons, Liliana Moretti…”

 

“…”

 

“If you don’t want to raise suspicions, behave better. Do Paul and I really have to go through the trouble of digging into your background?”

 

Casually, he tossed one of the scattered files on his desk toward her. Liliana’s pupils trembled. She reached out with slender fingers and opened the file—

 

Inside was an unnervingly detailed collection of information.

And all of it was about her.

 

‘W-what is this…?’

 

The details of her parents’ lives. Where she grew up, with whom, and what kind of childhood she had. 

 

How she made a living after moving to Demer, and what her younger sister, Angelico Moretti, was doing now.

 

Even a quick glance was enough to see how thorough the background check was—so detailed it sent a chill down her spine.

 

Wait, then what about meeting Wayne?!

 

Her fingertips felt numb, as if the blood had drained from them. Suppressing any outward reaction, Lilia flipped through the pages one by one.

 

Only when she reached the last page did a wave of relief wash over her.

 

Ah… So they weren’t tailing me recently. They just dug into my past.

 

Had they been following her, what would have happened? 

 

The thought made her dizzy. Lilia shut her eyes tightly for a moment before finally speaking.

 

“S-still… you must know by now there’s nothing to suspect.”

 

Aside from meeting Wayne, there was no evidence she had been in contact with any other organizations. She forced herself to meet his gaze confidently, and surprisingly, Theodoro accepted it without resistance.

 

“That’s true. Nothing worth seeing.”

 

“…”

 

His calm reply left her speechless.

 

It took a few seconds for her rationality to return, but the moment it did, Lilia couldn’t hold back her frustration.

 

“Hold on.”

 

“…”

 

“Then meetings, private talks—all of that was possible from the start, wasn’t it? There was no reason to refuse even today—”

 

“I was about to do it soon.”

 

Theodoro muttered lazily, like a man utterly bored by everything. 

 

No matter how you looked at it, that wasn’t the attitude of someone who was about to do it soon. Her blood boiled.

 

She had endured it all. No matter how harshly he belittled her or tried to push her away, she had let it slide.

 

But the only reason she could tolerate it was that Theodoro at least seemed sincere when it came to business meetings. 

 

If even that had been a lie, she had no intention of staying silent like a fool any longer.

 

“Was that really all? That I seemed suspicious… Was that the only reason you kept avoiding me?”

 

“Liliana More—”

 

“You’ve been unusually sharp with me lately. Was that all in my head?”

 

The words spilled out in rapid succession, and for a moment, silence fell. 

 

Only then did Liliana realize she might have gone too far, pressing her lips together tightly.

 

But there was no taking back what had already been said.

 

Theodoro stared at her for a long moment before pushing his chair back. Then, with a jerk of his chin, he gestured to the empty space in front of his desk.

 

“Stand there.”

 

“…What?”

 

With an irritated sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“I said stand there.”

 

Hesitantly, she turned her back to the desk and stood. Suddenly, Theodoro straightened from his slouched position, rising to his full height.

 

A heavy shadow loomed over her in an instant. Her pulse spiked in fear as she took a step back—then another—but with each retreat, he advanced, matching her pace.

 

Before she knew it, the desk blocked any further escape.

 

“…Liliana Moretti.”

 

His voice, thick and dark like impenetrable shadows, filled her ears.