Chapter 49: Catch Me When I Fall

A long, imposing table stretched across the dimly lit room, where the Elders of the White Bird Organization sat in eerie silence. At the head of the table, occupying a throne-like chair, sat White Bird herself—a presence that weighed heavy in the air, suffocating yet mesmerizing.

If an outsider walked in, they might think they had stepped into a scene from a mafia film. But this was no fiction. This was power in its rawest form.

The board of directors of the White Phoenix Empire had shed their corporate identities, now fully embodying their Underworld personas—the Elders of White Bird Organization. Clad in masks that the criminal world feared and respected, they awaited their leader's command.

Across the table, Lan Wucheng—Red Raven—slid a thick file toward her.

"Boss, here is the intelligence you requested on Vermillion Dragon."

Lillie accepted it with a nod, passing it to Elliot without a second glance.

"Boss," Song Mokun—Silent Death—spoke next. "Our planted informants inside Vermillion Dragon's territory returned with news."

Lillie's fingers drummed against the table, an unspoken command for him to continue.

"They've uncovered a plot. Vermillion Dragon is attempting to 'acquire' a powerful corporation by coercing the board members—through bribes or blackmail—to surrender their shares."

"Which company?" Her voice was steady, yet razor-sharp.

"Hong Long."

BANG!

Lillie's palm slammed onto the wooden table, the sudden impact reverberating through the room. Though the Elders did not flinch, a chilling shiver crawled up their spines.

Their Boss—normally composed, calculating—was seething.

Her carmine eyes burned with an ominous glow, pupils dilating in fury. Her gloved fists trembled, nails digging into her palms, yet her expression remained unreadable.

___

Tranquil Villa was unusually quiet.

Ethan immediately sensed the shift the moment he stepped inside. The lights were on, the servants moved about as usual, yet something was… off.

They were too careful. Too silent.

Even the air felt heavy, thick with an unspoken tension.

His sharp gaze swept across the room before settling on Storm, standing stiffly in front of the home bar's door.

Strange.

The beast usually roamed the villa restlessly, easily bored. Yet now, he stood like an immovable sentry, ears perked, tail still—guarding the entrance.

Ethan's brows furrowed.

Lillie was back. That much he knew. But why wasn't Storm inside, keeping her company?

Unless…

She was in a very bad mood.

Storm's head lifted sharply, muscles tensing. A warning growl rumbled in his throat, low and deliberate.

Ethan stopped just short of the door.

So even Storm didn't dare enter?

Interesting.

A lesser man might've taken that as a cue to back off.

Ethan merely tilted his head, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Noted.

Without another word, he turned away, leaving Storm puzzled.

The beast blinked. Huh? Why isn't he insisting?

Storm had failed to realize—there was another entrance to the bar.

The second door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit room bathed in a golden glow. A soft classical melody hummed through the air, weaving into the scent of aged scotch and polished oak.

Ethan stepped inside, eyes adjusting to the low light.

And then, he saw her.

Lillie Bai lay sprawled on the couch, a half-empty glass dangling from her fingertips, her left arm draped over her eyes. Four empty bottles of scotch littered the ground, their presence an unspoken confession.

His jaw clenched.

She had barely recovered from a cold, and now she was already drowning herself in alcohol?

Annoyance flared, but it was quickly overshadowed by something else.

Concern.

With a quiet sigh, Ethan crouched beside her, studying her face. Her breathing was even, her body relaxed. She looked as if she were merely asleep—if not for the tension still lingering in the air around her.

Clicking his tongue, Ethan reached out, intending to pry the glass from her grasp—

But suddenly—

A blur of movement.

A flash of white.

Before he could react, Lillie seized his arm and flipped him onto the couch with startling speed.

In an instant, Ethan found himself pinned beneath her—

And a gun pressed against his forehead.

His breath hitched.

Not from fear.

But from the fact that Lillie Bai—drunk and utterly oblivious—was straddling him.

The silk of her nightwear brushed against his clothed skin, and damn, he felt everything.

His 'little brother' certainly did.

And it wasn't little right now.

Ethan forced himself to endure.

Shit.

The warmth of her body, the intoxicating scent of roses and lilies in her hair—it was all too much.

He barely registered the gun anymore. That wasn't the real danger here.

It was her.

His self-control was hanging by a thread.

"Ugh… L-Lillie…" His voice came out rough, almost breathless.

Lillie's red eyes flickered in recognition.

"Ethan."

The gun lowered.

But she didn't move away.

Instead, she… collapsed onto his chest.

Ethan's pulse thundered, his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist to steady her. She was so close. Too damn close.

Could she hear how fast his heart was beating?

He didn't care anymore.

His brain was muddled, caught in the haze of her warmth. He inhaled, and damn it, why did she smell so good?

Lillie, still drunk, nuzzled closer, breathing him in.

Ethan doesn't wear cologne.

So why did his natural scent make her feel so… intoxicated?

She never let her guard down around others.

Only him.

Why?

Why did Ethan Li make her feel so… safe?

Then.

She felt something.

A twitch.

Something hard.

And big.

Lillie shifted slightly—and let out a soft moan.

Ethan's world exploded.

His brain short-circuited, his blood roaring through his veins.

That sound.

That. Damn. Sound.

Like the most sinful music he had ever heard.

His fingers dug into the fabric of her dress, his breathing ragged. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to take her, to pull her even closer, to—

No.

Not like this.

"L-Lillie… y-you need to g-get off…" His voice was a wreck—deep, husky, dangerous.

Lillie shivered.

The way he said her name…

Why did it make her feel even more intoxicated?

Then Ethan leaned in, his breath hot against her ear, voice laced with barely restrained hunger.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Lillie."

Her pulse quickened.

His voice alone was enough to send shivers down her spine.

Lillie tilted her head, eyes half-lidded.

A small, teasing smirk curled at her lips.

"Then catch me… when I fall."