Chapter 40: No Turning Back

The city streets burned with an unnatural glow as Liam and his team fled the Crimson Lotus, their shadows stretching long under the neon haze. Sirens wailed in the distance, but they weren't for him—not yet.

Seraphina led them through a maze of alleyways, her movements precise, her breath steady despite the adrenaline rushing through her veins. Nathan trailed behind, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. Catherine, grinning like a devil, wiped blood from her knuckles with the corner of her sleeve.

"We just declared war," Nathan muttered.

Liam's jaw clenched. "It was never going to be anything else."

---

The Obsidian Circle wouldn't let this slide.

Liam knew that.

He knew it the moment his fist connected with the enforcer's face. He knew it when they stormed out of the Crimson Lotus, and he knew it now as they reached the safe house hidden deep within the Hollow District.

The door was reinforced, the walls lined with security measures, but Liam still felt exposed.

Victor Drake's warning echoed in his mind: They're watching you.

As soon as they were inside, Seraphina locked the doors, fingers moving quickly over the security panel. "We need a plan," she said, turning to Liam.

Liam exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "We already have one."

Nathan scoffed. "Really? Because it looks like all we did was paint a giant target on your back."

Catherine chuckled. "He's had that target since birth."

She wasn't wrong.

Liam had always been marked—by blood, by legacy, by the quiet whispers of power that surrounded the Blackthorn name. But now, that mark had turned into something worse.

A death sentence.

---

Midnight came, bringing with it an unnatural stillness.

Liam sat at the edge of a worn leather chair, watching the security monitors. The streets outside were empty, but that meant nothing. The Obsidian Circle wouldn't come with flashing lights or loud threats.

They would come like ghosts.

Seraphina sat across from him, watching him carefully. "You're ready for this, aren't you?"

Liam met her gaze. "I was born ready."

Nathan leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Then what's the next move?"

Liam's fingers hovered over the screen, pulling up data Victor had sent before they left the casino. A list of names.

Influential people. Dirty politicians. Corrupt businessmen. All connected to the Circle.

"We take them down," Liam said, voice like steel. "One by one."

Catherine whistled. "Ambitious. I love it."

Nathan, less enthusiastic, rubbed his temples. "This is suicide."

Liam smirked. "Then let's make sure we go out in style."

---

The first name on the list was Lawrence Whitaker, a high-ranking financier with ties to illegal arms deals.

A man who funded wars from the comfort of his penthouse.

Seraphina hacked into his security system in under fifteen minutes. "He's home. Guarded, but nothing we can't handle."

Liam slipped on his gloves, adrenaline thrumming through his veins.

"Then let's pay him a visit."

---

The city lights flickered below as Liam and his team perched atop a nearby rooftop. The Whitaker residence was a fortress—glass walls, biometric locks, private security.

Seraphina whispered in Liam's earpiece. "Motion sensors disabled. You have ten minutes before backup protocols engage."

Liam exchanged a glance with Catherine and Nathan before giving a sharp nod.

They descended swiftly, gliding through the open window like shadows. Inside, the air smelled of wealth—imported cigars, aged whiskey, fresh leather.

Whitaker sat at his desk, oblivious to the storm creeping upon him.

Liam moved first, pressing the barrel of his silenced pistol against Whitaker's temple.

The man froze.

"You don't know what you're doing," Whitaker stammered.

Liam's eyes were cold. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

Catherine smirked. "We're just here to have a little chat."

Whitaker's pulse was visible at his throat. "The Circle will never let you win."

Liam leaned in. "Then I'll make sure they lose."

With a single nod to Seraphina, the monitors flickered, displaying financial records—proof of human trafficking, blackmail, blood money.

Nathan grinned. "Seems like you've been a very bad man, Lawrence."

Whitaker swallowed hard. "What… what do you want?"

Liam's voice was lethal. "Everything."

Whitaker didn't resist. He couldn't. Not when the shadows themselves had come for him.

As they left the penthouse, his empire crumbled. Bank accounts wiped. Secrets exposed. The first pillar of the Obsidian Circle had fallen.

And Liam Blackthorn was just getting started.

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