Signed in Blood: The Price of Secrets

PT~7 Summon

Two Days Later

Ronan had barely spoken to anyone in the past forty-eight hours—except Adrian, of course. Caleb, still in the dark, had been avoiding him altogether. His work, once impeccable, was now riddled with errors. Lilith noticed, but she had her own battles to fight. She didn't have the patience to scold him.

She had retreated into herself again—her familiar shell of isolation, quiet fury, and arrogance. Work became her sole focus, her lifeline. Yet, something gnawed at her. She had been calling her father more often, as if seeking answers, but Lilith asking for help? Never. That would mean surrendering to her own vulnerability, something her pride would never allow.

For a brief moment, she had begun to open up to Leo, but now she had withdrawn once more. Everything was unraveling.

Noah's POV

"Hello, Nicolai?"

I sat in a near-empty café, the bitter scent of coffee lingering in the air as I spoke in hushed tones into my phone.

"Can we talk? Where are you?"

There was a pause before Nicolai's voice came through, barely above a whisper. "Yeah, Noah. Hold on. I'll call you back from the other line." Then, the call cut off.

I sighed, picked up my order, and started walking back toward the office, balancing multiple cups in my hands. My phone buzzed again. Nicolai. This time, I veered off course, heading toward a small park nearby before answering.

"Hey, Noah. I was on the office line earlier. I'm outside now. What's going on?" His voice carried a note of concern—rare, considering I almost never called unless it was serious.

"Ronan," I muttered.

There was a pause. Then, "What about him?" His tone turned restless.

"He told Lilith everything. And she... she's connected to the professor who handled the case." I glanced around, making sure no one else was close enough to listen.

Nicolai exhaled sharply. "Noah, don't worry about it. If Ronan did that, he must have a reason. He'll be fine." His voice was unsettlingly indifferent.

I clenched my jaw. "I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about Lilith. She was finally starting to act normal, and now? Ronan has cornered her. We all know she won't risk dragging her family into a politically entangled case. She cares about them too much—even more than she cares about me or Caleb."

My mind drifted back to the memories—of our early days at the firm, of long hours spent learning under Lilith, of a time when things weren't this complicated.

Nicolai hesitated before saying, "She's strong. You probably think I don't know her well enough to say that, but trust me, I see her potential. As for the case... it's a dangerous game. And Ronan? He's desperate. He'll do whatever it takes to pull her into this mess."

My stomach twisted.

"This whole thing is chaos. Caleb and Ronan's relationship is in shambles. Lilith is shutting herself off again. And Ronan? I'm sure he's already plotting his next move, something to force her involvement. If she snaps, if she decides to strike back... Ronan is finished. She could tear this entire company apart if she wanted to."

Nicolai sighed. "Let it play out, Noah. We can't change what's already set in motion. I have to go."

"But how did he even get her informat—"

"It's under control. Take care." The line went dead.

I sat there, hands wrapped around cups of coffee, smirking.