Chapter 4

Third Person Point Of View:

“Is everything ready?” Lilian asked walking inside the office where Ian had been working. It being a while past midnight, she knew that she had a flight to catch in a few hours to go the States and she wanted everything to be ready. The games were coming very soon, they knew that time was ticking backwards, it was simply a matter of countdown.

“Yes, the base is already open and ready with the games and simulators prepared. The system is here with me, and you should be in your room before anyone sees or notices that you are missing” Ian said looking at Lilian who smiled and stood behind him, wrapping her arms around him from the back. She kissed his cheek and looked at the screen on what he was working. The system that they have re-created, an image of Valerie. They had planned on using the system Louis had created before, but seeing as Kiara told both Nikolay and Sebastian about it. They knew that they couldn’t use it anymore, the guards guarding that door were Sebastian and Nikolay’s most trusted men, both English and Russians. They were loyal, rich, and somewhat unbreakable, yet at least. Lilian was yet to know their weaknesses.

“The list of our contestants?” Lilian asked looking at the excel sheet which was in front of Ian. He nodded opening another file showing her each contestant’s name along with a vital sheet, Lilian was impressed as she stared at the well developed system her love had created, he may not love her back. But the woman was too deeply in love with the man and at times it wasn’t the best thing. Especially since she tended to want to ‘see’ him, which he knew could cost them trouble if anyone saw them.

“Contestants, their vitals, the ‘lifespans’ they had, their stamina. Everything would be seen here” Ian said and Lilian frowned as she tried processing what he said.

“Lifespan?” Ian smiled and nodded at Lilian looking at the screen which he had designed. He was proud of his accomplishment, it took him years to get everything ready, done, and perfect.

“Yes, they wouldn’t be dying out on their first try. We need to make the game different than the one created by Louis, and this is how it would be done” Lilian frowned at Ian’s words. The woman was on for revenge, she wanted them to suffer and die, not to pass the games with ‘lifespans’. She just wanted them to end, she didn’t want any delays, just a simple, one, two, three.

“Why would we give them chances? They’re supposed to die, Ian!” Lilian snapped and Ian smiled standing up. He wrapped his arms around her, the man had ideas of his own. He was patient for a long while for this, he waited for years, he cheated on his best friend, he prayed, and planned. He wasn’t going to act upon emotions, no, he refused to do so. He knew that Lilian was still a woman, she would be getting emotional in some points, no matter her patience, she wanted things to end as fast as it could. But Ian knew that this wasn’t how things were supposed to be.

“Lilian, love, we are going to get what we want and with results that would amaze the two of us. But these games are going to be the most famous out there, the whole world would be speaking of them. I would need you to be patient and to trust me, we’ve made it this far. We won’t be coming out with losses. However, if we let the people die on the first shot, we’ve already lost the audience” Ian said softly. His eyes meeting the woman’s, the two were so alike, yet so different. Lilian was one to want to get things done quickly. Ian wanted to enjoy them. He wanted to watch those who have hurt him suffer, he wanted to watch them cheat on one another like they forced him to cheat on his friend. He wanted to avenge his friend who lost his life in the hands of the Ivanov family, and he wanted to avenge Lilian for having lost her children to the Ivanov. Their allies, them, and everyone around them was going to suffer.

“You’re going to make this a public event?” Lilian asked, now intrigued by her lover’s suggestion. She didn’t know that he had his own plans. She was well aware that he had his own motives, she knew that he was in this for revenge, the two of them were. But she didn’t know that he had made plans.

“I already have everything ready, my beauty…” Ian said pulling away from Lilian to his laptop, opening a few tabs and showing her the posters he made. Some of them had a younger Kiara om them, the previous champion of the first Bloodlust Games. Lilian’s eyes softened for a second as she looked at her daughter. The woman watched her daughter struggle the first time she was in the games before, she watched the tears her daughter cried as she feared for her life every night. She was the one to comfort her daughter and now, she was putting her to be a candidate in the games.

The posters were also showing that the games were going to be take place in the States, most of their contestants were there and those who weren’t in New York would be going there to attend Nikolay and Kiara’s fifth anniversary gathering. Therefore, everything was so far going according to plan.

“Nice posters” Lilian said covering her sadness, she wasn’t going to back out now. She has made it this far, she wasn’t going to let a moment of emotion get to her now. Especially when she wasn’t alone in this, her decision would also harm Ian, the man had been working on this with her for years. They have put huge funds to make this work, withdrawing the money was hard enough as it was.

“Indeed they are, they’ll be everywhere when things are ready. Let us just take our contestants and we’ll start making everything public, for now I can’t do that as I don’t want anyone to catch sight of them. But you’ll see where they’ll be soon enough” Ian said turning to face Lilian who nodded with a heavy heart. He knew that the woman would be in pain if anything happened to her daughter. But what she didn’t know was that he had plans for that girl too, he just had to make sure that she passed every game. Only then would he be able to save her, that is of course, if she manages to pass the last task of the game.

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“Love, you need to go to your room now. Sebastian would be waking up soon and you’d need to be ready for your flight” Ian whispered to Lilian who was snuggled in his arms. He didn’t want to admit it, but over the years, he’s gotten so used to her being beside him that he stopped seeing himself without her. Yes, he knew that he didn’t love her and at times he just wanted her away from him. But he also knew that he was deeply attached to her and that his feelings for her had sprouted once more even though he promised himself that he wouldn’t be falling for her again.

“When will I see you again?” Lilian asked looking up at her lover, the two of them were laying on his office’s couch. The two of them undressed as they had decided to be active. Ian kissed Lilian’s temple. She looked at Ian who smiled at her, he was going to the States to host the games with her. Therefore, he wasn’t going to be away from her for long.

“Don’t worry my love, we’re going to be together soon enough. And these secret gatherings would just be in the past, we’ll be together in public together and we’ll stand in the face of everyone who has ever hurt us” Ian said gently and Lilian smiled kissing his jawline “now get up, love. You need to go back before anyone sees you”

“Alright” Lilian said softly. She got up from Ian’s arms and put her outfit on, Ian called the guards who were waiting for Lilian by the door. The men were hiding around to keep the woman safe, they were all loyal to Ian and Lilian. Sebastian thought that the men were all loyal to him, but what he didn’t know was that these men were simply waiting for the right time to take their boss’s revenge.

“I’ll see you soon, beautiful” Ian said wrapping his arms around her. Hugging her tightly, she wrapped her arms around him before she walked out of the office leaving the place knowing that they’ve entered a battle that would not stop until it was over.

“Mrs. Lilian?” Cassandra asked Lilian waiting for further instructions.

“Get my things ready, we leave in two hours”