Chapter 28: Hope To Receive Her Love

"Take him back and never show your faces to me again."

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

The gang members scrambled to lift their unconscious leader before disappearing into the night, their panic-stricken footsteps fading into the distance.

Lillie watched them go, her cold gaze unwavering until they were completely out of sight. The tension in the air slowly dissipated, though Ethan could still feel the lingering chill in her presence.

"Are you alright?" he asked, stepping beside her. His voice was calm, but there was a flicker of concern in his sharp eyes.

If this had been any other situation, he would have been the one protecting her. But with Lillie… she was no damsel in distress. She was the storm itself.

"I'm fine," she said coolly, exhaling as if releasing the last remnants of her frustration.

The audacity of that man—boldly claiming the name Tang Hejiu as if it meant something. As if he had the right.

Lillie's fingers curled slightly.

Tang Hejiu was no lowly street thug. He was one of the four legendary leaders of the Underworld, a man who had earned his reputation through sheer ruthlessness and cunning. To impersonate him…

That was suicide.

If the real Tang Hejiu heard of this, it wouldn't just be a beating. There would be blood.

In truth, Lillie had been merciful tonight.

The Underworld operated under a strict code: no one could claim a title that was not theirs. And for someone to pretend to be one of the Leaders? That was an offense punishable by death.

If anyone from the Underworld who followed the strict code had been here, that man would already be a corpse.

Ethan observed her quietly. He could tell she was deep in thought, but he chose not to press. Instead, he reached for her hand, his touch steady and warm.

"Let's go," he murmured.

Lillie blinked, momentarily surprised by the gesture. But she didn't pull away.

"I'll let Haruka know we're finding another place to watch the fireworks," Ethan added as he pulled out his phone.

She nodded, letting him lead the way.

Ethan didn't know the area well, but his instincts led him toward the hill overlooking the city. The path was quiet, away from the noise of the festival. As they climbed higher, the glow of lanterns faded behind them, replaced by the endless stretch of city lights below.

When they finally reached the top, the view was breathtaking.

The entire city unfolded beneath them, buildings illuminated like scattered stars against the dark horizon. A cool breeze drifted past, carrying the faint sounds of music and laughter from the festival below.

Lillie's gaze softened as she took it all in.

Ethan caught the briefest flicker of awe in her expression.

Satisfied, he led her to a flat patch of grass near the edge. Without a word, he slipped off his haori and spread it out on the ground.

Lillie arched a brow.

"Sit," he said simply.

After a brief hesitation, she gave a small nod of appreciation and lowered herself onto the fabric. Ethan followed, sitting close—perhaps a little too close—but she didn't protest.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The silence between them wasn't awkward. It was comfortable.

Lillie closed her eyes, letting the wind brush against her skin. The earlier tension had faded completely, replaced by quiet exhaustion.

Ethan, on the other hand, was far from relaxed.

His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.

When did she learn to fight like that?

Oh, right. She had been a black belt in school.

Why had she hated him so much back then?

What had he done to make her look at him with such cold disdain?

Most of all… he wanted to tell her the truth.

The letters.

Those love letters she used to receive in school.

They had been from him.

He had written every single one, pouring out feelings he had been too much of a coward to say aloud.

He had wanted her to notice him. To like him.

But when she had mistaken them for another boy's, he hadn't been able to correct her. He had watched, silent, as she fell in love with a phantom admirer.

And now, sitting beside her beneath the vast night sky, he still couldn't bring himself to say it.

For someone feared as the Devil of the Elite Society, the man who commanded entire industries with a single look—he was utterly helpless in front of her.

Still…

These past few weeks had been the happiest of his life.

She no longer looked at him with scorn.

She still spoke to him in that cool, unreadable tone, but there was no longer resentment behind it.

For now, that was enough.

Someday, he hoped she would love him.

But until then, just being by her side was more than enough.

Extra Scene: Haruka's Frustration

Haruka huffed as she balanced the plastic bag full of drinks in one hand and checked her phone with the other.

A new message from Ethan had just arrived.

[We've changed location.]

Her eyebrow twitched.

[Where are you?] she typed back.

A moment later, his reply came.

[Somewhere…]

"…Excuse me?"

Haruka stared at her screen, unamused.

"Somewhere…?"

This man…!

After running around the festival for Lillie-chan and that ice block of a fiancé, she even went out of her way to get them drinks—warm green tea and coffee, no less!—and now they were somewhere?!

Haruka inhaled deeply through her nose, resisting the urge to throw the plastic bag full of drinks into the nearest trash bin.

[You better not be doing anything indecent!] She rapidly typed.

Ethan's reply came instantly.

[No promises.]

"This bastard—!"

Several passersby turned to look at her as she clenched her phone, contemplating whether she should throw it—or him—into the nearest river.