Chapter 156
"You have a problem with that?"
Reginald looked at her, his gaze deep. After a moment, he slowly shook his head. "No."
Lucinda raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Reginald suddenly let out a low chuckle. "Mainly, I'm worried she'll keep troubling you. The more favors she owes, the more exhausting it'll be for you."
Lucinda fell silent.
She glanced at Reginald. This man was usually so serious, yet he could say things like that so smoothly. "Mr. Lancaster, you're getting more silver-tongued by the day."
A faint smile flickered in Reginald's eyes. He didn't refute it. The tension between them unknowingly eased.
A moment later, Lucinda's smile faded as she returned to the matter at hand. "She's out, but she's not safe yet."
Reginald nodded.
He understood. Black Wolf Crew had been operating in Sylvanor for years. Their eyes were everywhere.
As long as his sister hadn't reached a secure area, she was still at risk.
"Keep stalling Zev." Lucinda's eyes turned cold. "Stall until she's completely out of here. Then we take the materials."
The two of them reached an agreement almost simultaneously.
Just then, the backstage door was kicked open violently. Zev stormed in, his face livid, like an enraged boar. Over a dozen panicked subordinates followed behind him.
"Damn it! Who did this?"
He kicked over a chair beside him. His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead.
The trip outside had nearly made him explode with rage.
Several data bases had been burned down. Years of accumulated assets—gone.
Worse yet, that most valuable girl had disappeared too!
At that thought, Zev's heart bled.
She was a golden goose! And now she'd flown away!
The atmosphere in the room instantly turned oppressive.
Zev whipped around to glare at Lucinda and Reginald, his eyes frighteningly dark. "Was it your people?"
No one answered.
Lucinda sat there, her expression indifferent, as if she hadn't heard a word. Reginald didn't even bother looking at him.
Zev's face darkened further. "I'll ask one more time! Whose people?"
Lucinda looked up, her voice flat. "What do you think?"
Zev nearly exploded on the spot.
Reginald's gaze turned icy. He spoke slowly. "Zev, accusations require evidence."
Zev glared at the two of them. After a moment, he suddenly laughed. "Won't say, huh? Fine."
He plopped back down on the sofa, crossing his legs. That disgusting smile returned to his face. "Since you won't talk, neither of you is getting those materials."
As his words fell, his gaze suddenly landed on Lucinda's face. He scanned her from head to toe, his eyes growing more brazen. "But… there's still room for negotiation."
Reginald's expression turned ice-cold.
Zev, oblivious to the danger, continued in a sinister tone. "Leader of the Origin Oath Crew, you're so beautiful. It'd be a waste for you to be fighting all the time. Why don't you come with me? My first eight mistresses are getting a little boring anyway."
"You can be my ninth. If you agree, forget the materials—you can have a share of the entire Black Wolf Crew."
The air went deathly silent. The surrounding subordinates all lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
The next second, an ice-cold voice rang out. "Zev."
Reginald slowly stood. His eyes churned with coldness. For the first time, clear anger appeared on his usually calm face. "You're asking to die."
Zev froze, then burst into laughter. "What? You like her too? Sorry, I called dibs first."
Reginald's gaze turned completely dark. The pressure radiating from him was suffocating.
He didn't even bother wasting more words. He raised his hand and made a light gesture.
The next second, a voice came through his earpiece. "Move out."
Gunfire suddenly erupted outside. Zev's smile froze instantly.
Then, dense gunfire swept through the entire base like a torrential downpour.
Countless screams rang out simultaneously.
Zev shot to his feet, his face full of terror. "What's happening?"
A subordinate stumbled in, his face pale as a sheet, his voice trembling. "Boss! We're in trouble! Dusk Reign Crew is here! They're everywhere!"
Zev's face changed drastically. He shook his head repeatedly. "Impossible!"
But before he could finish speaking, deafening battle cries erupted outside. Dusk Reign Crew's elite forces poured out in full force, surrounding the entire base layer by layer until it was airtight. The outer defenses collapsed almost instantly.
Black Wolf Crew members kept falling. The scene spiraled completely out of control.
Zev finally panicked.
At the same time, Lucinda had already risen to her feet.
Without hesitation, she kicked away a guard rushing toward her. Her movements were clean and efficient. The man didn't even have time to scream before he was sent flying.
Reginald moved as well.
His fist came down. A burly man crashed straight through a table.
The entire backstage turned into a battlefield.
Gunfire, roars, shattering glass—sounds rang out nonstop.
Black Wolf Crew members surged forward one after another, but they couldn't stop the two of them.
Lucinda moved with lightning speed, her slender figure weaving through the crowd. Every strike was precise and ruthless.
Reginald was like a true beast. Wherever he passed, no one could stand in his way.
Yet even so, he constantly kept track of Lucinda's position.
A Black Wolf Crew member raised his gun, aiming.
Reginald's gaze turned ice-cold. He kicked the man away. "Lucinda, behind you!"
Lucinda nodded without turning around. She snatched the gun with a backhand strike.
The opponent fell. The two worked together with a seamless coordination neither of them had even noticed.
Zev's eyes twitched wildly. He finally realized the situation had spiraled completely out of control.
If they kept fighting, he might actually die here tonight.
At that thought, his face twisted viciously. "Fine! If you won't let me live, then no one lives!"
As his words fell, he slammed a hidden button on the wall.
The next second, the entire base suddenly shook violently.
Heavy steel gates dropped from above. All exits were sealed simultaneously.
The faces of Dusk Reign Crew members changed instantly.
"No good! The exits are sealed!"
Before anyone could react, a mechanical grinding sound came from the floor.
Lucinda's eyes shrank. "No! Get back!"
But it was too late.
The entire floor suddenly split open on both sides. A massive black void appeared beneath everyone's feet. A sensation of weightlessness hit instantly. Countless people screamed.
The next second, everyone plummeted downward. Darkness surged in.
In that instant of falling, Reginald acted almost on instinct. He reached out and pulled Lucinda into his arms.
"Don't be afraid!"
His low voice sounded in her ear.
Then, they fell together into endless darkness.
Wind roared past. Lucinda clung tightly to Reginald's body. Just as she steadied her breathing, they hit the ground hard.
Fortunately, there seemed to be a cushioning layer below. Though the impact was significant, it wasn't fatal.
Almost the moment she landed, she rolled to disperse the force and stabilized herself on one knee.