Liam had just finished his glass of wine, setting it down with a quiet clink against the polished countertop. He turned back towards the party, his sharp blue eyes scanning the room as he silently observed the people around him.
The luxurious gathering was still in full swing. Laughter, clinking glasses, and the low hum of conversations filled the air. The n in their sleek, tailored suits were engaged in quiet discussions, and the won in their expensive gowns moved gracefully between groups, their voices smooth as silk.
Liam could tell that many of these people weren’t just random gang mbers. They were important. Powerful.
He leaned slightly against the bar, watching everything unfold, until—
A woman approached him.
A very gorgeous woman.
Liam imdiately noticed her figure—tall, curvy, confident. She seed to be in her early thirties, but her beauty was striking enough to turn heads even in a room full of stunning people.
Her dress, a deep shade of red, hugged her fra perfectly, the silky fabric emphasizing her curves in all the right places. But the most distracting thing about her?
Her chest.
Liam, despite all his composure, found his gaze montarily caught there.
Goddamn.
Realizing where he was staring, he quickly cleared his throat, tearing his eyes away before he could embarrass himself further.
The woman, who had clearly noticed but didn’t seem to mind, simply smirked before taking the empty seat beside him.
She crossed her long legs, resting one arm on the bar as she signaled to the bartender.
"The usual," she said, her voice smooth and laced with confidence.
Liam glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
She wasn’t looking at him—at least, not directly. Instead, she turned her attention towards the party, watching the crowd with the sa calm interest he had earlier.
Then, after a mont of silence, she finally spoke again.
"So, what made you join?"
Liam blinked, turning his head slightly to look at her.
For a split second, his mind went blank.
He couldn’t just go around telling people the real reason he joined, obviously.
He needed an answer—a believable lie. Sothing that wasn’t too far from the truth but also didn’t reveal too much.
His fingers tapped lightly against the counter as he rubbed his chin in thought. Then, as if the perfect excuse had just clicked in his mind, he spoke.
"I needed protection."
The woman finally turned her head towards him, an amused glint in her dark brown eyes.
"Protection?" she echoed, tilting her head. "Protection from what?"
Liam leaned slightly forward, resting his elbows on the bar as he answered,
"Another gang."
Her brow arched slightly.
"I kind of got into so trouble with them," he continued, his voice calm, his expression unreadable. "And the only way to stay safe was to join one myself."
The woman stared at him for a mont, as if trying to read between the lines of what he was saying.
Then, to his mild surprise, she chuckled softly.
She lifted her drink, taking a slow sip before speaking again.
"Then you’ve definitely co to the right place," she said smoothly. "But..." She turned slightly towards him, her lips curving into a knowing smirk. "You can use this for more than just protection."
Liam raised a brow.
He didn’t say anything—just watched her, waiting for her to continue.
She placed her glass back down, running a finger along the rim as she spoke.
"The Black Lotus isn’t like other gangs," she said. "This isn’t just about fighting. This is a place where you’ll find influential people, powerful people. If you use your advantages well, you might just connect with the right ones."
Liam’s brows furrowed slightly.
Influential? Powerful?
This was starting to sound less like a gang and more like a secret organization for the rich and dangerous.
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes locking onto hers.
"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" he asked.
The woman smirked, her eyes gleaming as if she found his curiosity amusing.
"It’s actually quite simple—"
Before she could finish, Liam suddenly lifted his empty glass towards her, cutting her off.
"To future partnerships," he said smoothly, his lips twitching into a faint grin.
The woman blinked.
For a brief mont, she looked genuinely surprised. Then, after a beat, her smirk returned.
She lifted her glass, tapping it lightly against his before taking another sip.
After she swallowed, she placed the glass down and turned her gaze back to him, a curious expression crossing her face.
"How did you know?" she asked, tilting her head.
Liam arched a brow. "Know what?"
"That I’m an influential person," she clarified. "You made a toast to a future partnership before I even explained anything."
Liam leaned back slightly, his sharp eyes glinting as he studied the woman before him. A small smirk played at the corner of his lips as he finally answered her question.
"Easy"
"Your earrings," he started, his voice smooth, confident. "Cartier diamond studs—limited edition. Only five pairs were made. Worth about fifty grand each, if I rember correctly."
She arched a brow, intrigued.
Liam wasn’t done.
"Then there’s your dress," he continued, tilting his head slightly. "Handmade, silk blend, custom tailoring. Not off-the-rack. A piece like that doesn’t just scream wealth—it whispers it. Discreet luxury, ant for those who don’t need to flaunt. Easily costs around twenty-five thousand, give or take."
Her lips curled into an amused smile, but Liam barely gave her ti to respond before his gaze dropped to the final piece—the one that sealed everything.
"And then, of course, there’s your necklace," he said, his smirk widening ever so slightly.
At this, she instinctively touched the delicate piece of jewelry resting against her collarbone.
Liam chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"That one gave you away the mont I saw it," he murmured. "It was auctioned off just last week for $3.2 million. An extrely rare piece—erald-cut blue diamond, 18k gold setting, originally owned by European royalty. It was purchased by none other than..."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air for effect, before finishing,
"Ella Reece."
Ella’s eyes widened, just slightly. Then, after a brief mont of silence, she let out a low laugh.
"Well, well... Seems I underestimated you."
She leaned in slightly, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Yes, I’m that Ella."
Liam remained completely composed on the outside, his expression unreadable. He simply shrugged.
"You know your stuff."
Liam let out a small, dismissive hum. "I just happened to see it on the news the other day," he lied smoothly. "I have a pretty good mory for things like that."
Cool. Calm. Collected.
But inside?
He was fucking screaming.
$3.2 million for a necklace?
Not only that—he had just t the actual person who bought it.
His mind raced as he recalled the details of her biography. Ella Reece. A business tycoon. Owned multiple companies across the states. Single. No known family. Completely focused on her empire.
And yet, here she was, casually drinking at a secret underground gathering, wearing a multimillion-dollar necklace like it was nothing.
Liam exhaled slowly, pushing down the disbelief as he finally introduced himself.
"I’m Liam," he said. "Figured it was only fair since I know your na now."
Ella’s smile deepened, sothing unreadable flashing in her eyes.
Instead of answering, she casually reached for his phone, which was resting on the countertop.
Liam tensed for a second but didn’t stop her as she picked it up, typed sothing in, and set it back down.
Then, without another word, she stood up gracefully, taking her drink with her.
As she walked away, she subtly lifted her hand, making a small gesture over her shoulder.
"Call later."
Liam just sat there, frozen.
He blinked once. Twice.
...What?
His mind struggled to process what had just happened.
No way. No way can it be that easy.
He had just t one of the richest, most influential won in the country, and she had not only given him her number—but had also told him to call her.
Liam snapped out of it, imdiately picking up his phone.
He opened his contacts and checked.
Sure enough, her number was already saved.
Ella.
Liam exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. What the fuck.
Still sowhat in disbelief, he pulled up his search engine and typed in Ella Reece net worth.
His eyes skimd past the usual garbage—articles about her businesses, interviews, photos from high-profile events—until they landed on the number that made his stomach drop.
$250 million.
Liam’s hand hovered over the screen as he processed the information.
$250 million dollars.
And she was just a mber of Black Lotus?
His thoughts imdiately drifted to Lilith.
If soone like Ella was just a mber, then...
Just how rich was Lilith?
Liam gulped.
Curious, he quickly switched apps, opening his banking app to check his own balance.
A second later, the screen loaded, displaying his total funds.
$107.32.
Silence.
Liam stared at the numbers for a long, painful mont.
Then, without a word, he grabbed his glass of wine and downed it in one go.
"Fuck this."
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