Chapter 9: The Raven's Judgment  

The bar was empty. It was still too early for the rush, so I took the chance to approach from the side and call out for Chloe. As soon as she saw me, she ran in my direction.  

“Lili! Oh my God, are you okay? I sent you messages, but I got no reply.” I sighed, leaning against the counter.  

“Everything’s fine, but I don’t have my phone.” My friend sighed, running her hand through her short blonde hair.  

“You look so pale, girl. Did that witch do something, or that son of a…”  

“I’m okay, Chloe. Seriously. I’m just tired of this crazy routine.”  

Even though I felt a pang of guilt for not telling the whole truth to one of my best friends, I knew it was better that way. I was already drowning in problems; I didn’t want to drag Chloe into all of this.  

Not far off, I saw the manager walking through the room. He seemed desperate, searching for something, and I realized he might be looking for me. Urgency took over.  

“I have to go back, but I promise I’ll message you as soon as I get a new phone,” I said hurriedly and ran back to the VIP area.  

As soon as I parted the curtains separating the spaces, I came face-to-face with Harry, who glared at me furiously while grabbing my arm and dragging me into the room.  

“Can’t you even stay quiet and wait?” The insult in his words irritated me. I yanked my arm free with force, breaking his grip.  

“I didn’t ask for any of this!” I said through gritted teeth. Harry grabbed my arm again and pulled.  

“I don’t care. Whether you like it or not, you belong to the Boss, so behave before he loses patience with you.”  

I couldn’t stand that man.  

He released me, pushing me to the side and walking ahead. It might seem childish, but as soon as he was at a safe distance, I stuck my tongue out at him.  

I walked in silence, rubbing my arm, until I was suddenly pulled aside into a dark room in the VIP area. My mouth was covered, and my arms were immobilized in a strong embrace.  

I struggled, terrified at the possibility that a drunk customer might be behind this attack. My heart was racing; I knew I had to get out of that situation as quickly as possible. Then, something changed.  

A warm, fresh perfume enveloped me. The heat of the body pressed against my back, the sensation of fingers on my lips. The one holding me wasn’t hurting me; in fact, he was just restraining me.  

“Relax, little squirrel.” Cassian’s low voice sounded close to my ear. His warm breath, the subtle scent of alcohol brushing my skin. He released me, and I turned my face toward him. He was so close that our lips almost touched.  

“Sir, I’m sorry. I was already coming back.” Cassian simply placed his finger on my lips, signaling me to stay quiet. Then I heard some voices coming from the room next door.  

“That bastard is going to try to sabotage us,” a man said, his voice irritated. “How did he find out?”  

“It must be an informant. There’s no way he could know; we did everything right,” another replied.  

That’s when I realized the voices were coming from the meeting room where Cassian had received those men earlier.  

“Pay attention, Lilian.” Hearing him say my name made my heart leap in my chest. The fact that he still held me in his arms didn’t make the situation any easier. “Stay close, but out of sight. Understand?” I nodded in agreement, though I didn’t fully grasp what he meant.  

As soon as we entered the room, the guests stood up with warm smiles for Cassian. As he had instructed, I moved to a corner farther from the guests but close to Cassian and his men.  

The atmosphere was tense, heavy. Cassian’s presence was so intense that everyone was on edge with every move he made. My hands were sweating, the fear that things might spiral out of control, the memory of the previous night, the smell of blood.  

One of the guests raised his empty glass, signaling for me to serve everyone.  

I grabbed the bottle, holding it tightly, afraid my trembling hands might drop it, and walked toward them.  

“We want to transform our business, Boss. The Shadow, the level it’s reached in such a short time, is our inspiration,” the man sitting in front of Cassian said with an animated voice.  

I recognized that as one of the voices from earlier and glanced at Cassian, who remained serious and composed.  

“I know that, with your contribution and help, we could grow quickly.”  

Cassian stayed silent, watching closely as I filled his glass. One of the men began looking at me strangely. I quickly stepped back, returning to the corner, but the man kept staring.  

“Like what you see?” Cassian’s voice silenced everyone in the room. The man smirked, running his thumb over his lower lip.  

My blood froze in my veins. I lowered my head, wishing only to disappear.  

“Indeed, you have some very pretty whores here.” Everyone laughed, except Harry, who maintained a firm stance beside Cassian. He leaned in and whispered something in Cassian’s ear, who smiled darkly.  

“You know, Mika,” Cassian said, looking at his glass, swirling the amber liquid inside it. “I’m a man who tolerates many things, but I can’t turn a blind eye to someone trying to undermine my authority.”  

Without warning, Cassian threw his glass into the face of the man who had made the comment about me. The others stood up in shock as their companion was restrained and dragged out of the room, groaning in pain.  

Blood dripped onto the floor as the man tried to cover the cuts with his hands, screaming in agony.  

My stomach ached and churned, my heart pounding as Cassian slowly rose from his chair. He looked like a beast, with slow, precise steps, a cold and cruel gaze, a predatory stance, and the presence of a merciless killer.  

“It has come to my attention that you’re not honoring the terms we agreed upon.” Cassian’s tone was sharp, low, and left no room for wrong answers.  

I hugged my trembling body, desperate to get out of there as quickly as possible. I didn’t want to be part of this; I didn’t want to see what was about to happen.  

“When I took over, I made it clear that the sale of drugs in my clubs and any sexual exploitation would not be permitted.” Cassian reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun.  

“Boss, please. We didn’t mean to disrespect you.” The man threw himself to his knees on the floor, sweat pouring down his face, his skin turning pale.  

Beside him, the injured man collapsed, trembling. He was having a seizure, at risk of losing consciousness. My body moved on instinct, heading toward the man to provide the necessary aid, but I was stopped by Harry, who grabbed my arm and pulled me back.  

“That man will die if he doesn’t get help,” I said, indignant at the inhumane attitude of the man beside me.  

“So what?” The coldness with which Harry said that left me in shock. “We only need one alive.”  

I looked ahead, seeing Cassian pointing the gun at the head of the kneeling man.  

“You will give me the names of all the suppliers and who’s backing this crap.” Two men appeared and dragged the kneeling man away. Cassian’s attention then turned to the injured man, who was mumbling, already completely disconnected from reality. “Consider yourself retired.”  

A gunshot. My ears rang as the man’s body went completely still on the floor.