Chapter 686

The crimson wine swirled in the glass as Liam's slender fingers traced its rim.

The doorbell shattered the silence.

He rose to answer it. Annika stood outside, her face masked.

"Master Zero." Her voice was muffled.

Liam stepped aside to let her in.

She removed the mask, revealing swollen cheeks from recent cosmetic work.

"What happened to your face?" His brow furrowed.

Annika's eyes brightened. He'd noticed.

"Allergies." She lowered her head to hide her smile. "Thank you for your concern."

Liam turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"How's the organization?"

"Running smoothly." She followed him. "But the Dark Web is still hunting you. Won't you return? That Ethan Roscente—"

Her nails dug into her palms as she recalled seeing Liam wounded last time.

He stared into the ink-black night.

"Shadow shines brightly in other fields too."

Vivian Laurent was now a medical genius and design prodigy. Her empire spanned continents.

Yet this woman would never belong to him.

"Master?" Annika sensed the shift in his aura.

Liam swirled his wine glass.

"I have a mission for you."

"Name it." She straightened immediately.

"I'll design an operation to draw Shadow out."

Annika paled. "You want me to assist her?"

"No." He turned, ice glinting in his eyes. "I want you to critically injure her."

Her pupils constricted.

"Kill... kill Shadow?"

Liam chuckled. "You couldn't. Just wound her severely. I'll handle the rest."

Her pulse raced. His obsession with Shadow had warped into murderous intent.

He sipped his wine.

Direct action was too risky. If he failed, he could still maintain his facade as Vivian's closest friend.

His fingerprints had been all over that botched mission four years ago.

This time, he'd cage the nightingale for good.