Chapter 66: THE UMBRA LEGION

Tasha was basking in the warmth of her friends' admiration, she held a wine glass in one hand, her legs were crossed confidently as she lounged on the soft velvet couch of the private suite they had rented for the night. The room buzzed with music, clinks of wine glasses, and animated chatter. Laughter echoed off the marble walls as the girls celebrated. Their voices were high and giddy with champagne and gossip.

"Girl, you are something else," Brina chuckled, almost spilling her drink as she nudged Tasha playfully. "Whoever sent trolls to fuel that media scandal deserves a standing ovation. They had Rory trending in less than three hours. You should've seen the comments, gosh…it was savage!" She said dramatically. 

Tasha smirked, a glint of satisfaction evident in her eyes. She tilted her head slightly, letting her long black curls fall to one side. "You know, it was just a little nudge. I mean, I didn’t say she was pregnant for another man. I just gave them an additional family, twin boys. She hasn't given birth to a boy after all."

She had no idea that Rory and Victor had found out the through about the boys.

The girls burst into another round of laughter.

Compliments flew at her like confetti. She was the star of the night, basking in the glory of her well-executed plan. She took another sip from her glass, her confidence brimming.

Then her phone beeped. She glanced down casually, fully expecting another congratulatory message or maybe a post update. But the moment her eyes scanned the text, the blood drained from her face. The room faded into silence, not because it actually had but because her mind suddenly drowned out the noise.

"What is it?" Rita asked, leaning closer. "Tasha?"

But Tasha didn't answer.

She stared at the message. It was just one sentence, but it was plain, cold, and bone-chilling.

And as she read it, her smile froze. Her fingers, still curled around her glass, began to tremble slightly. The blood drained from her face.

"Withdraw your fight against Rory. Or everything you love will burn. – The Umbra Legion"

The wine glass slipped from her grip and shattered on the floor. Gasps followed, but she didn’t notice. She was frozen, her mouth agape and her mind racing.

Nadine touched her shoulder. "Tasha? Babe, what’s wrong?"

Still, she said nothing.

After a few seconds, she blinked and stood abruptly, reaching for her purse with an urgency that confused everyone. She didn’t say a word. She walked out of the suite like a woman being hunted.

The girls followed after her, and they stopped her and leaned closer, trying to peer at her phone, which was still lit up in her hand. "Did someone send you something?"

Still no answer. She merely stood and stared at them

"Tash?" Nadine called again, now slightly worried. "Talk to us, you’re scaring us."

Her fingers slowly placed the phone down on her purse, but she couldn’t speak. Her mouth was dry, and her throat was constricted. It was as if the message had reached into her chest and squeezed her heart with icy fingers.

Everyone she loved? How did they know? Who were they?

"I need to go," she mumbled.

"Wait, babe, what happened?" Alina grabbed her wrist.

"I said I need to go."

"Tasha!" Nadine’s voice had risen. "What the hell is going on?"

But she was already moving, ignoring the protests and confusion behind her. She pushed through the crowd and stormed out of the lounge. Her high heels clacked against the marble floors like gunshots in a cathedral.

Her heart didn't stop racing, not even when she burst through the door of her family’s mansion twenty minutes later. She didn’t even bother greeting the guards or the house staff who tried to speak to her. She went straight to her father’s study.

Mr. Langston was there, as always, with a scotch in one hand and his glasses halfway down his nose, scanning through files. The fireplace crackled behind him, casting shadows across the polished oak floor. When he looked up and saw her barging in, his brows furrowed.

"Tasha," he said slowly, "Is everything alright?"

"Dad…" she hesitated, then stepped closer, her voice trembling, "I need to ask you something. And please just answer me honestly."

His eyes narrowed. He placed the glass down. "What is it?"

"What do you know about the Umbra Legion?"

His entire body stilled. It was instant like someone had frozen time itself. He slowly set his pen down, eyes narrowing.

"Where did you hear that name?" he asked, his voice becoming low and calm.

Tasha shifted on her feet. Her fingers clenched the strap of her handbag tighter.

"I heard it from a friend," she lied quickly. "She said someone threatened her and mentioned that name."

Mr. Langston's jaw tightened. He rose slowly from his chair, walked to the fireplace, and stared into the flames for a long time.

"They’re not people you should ever cross," he said at last. "You shouldn’t even say their name out loud. Not unless you’re looking to get buried in silence."

She stared at him in shock. "But who are they?" she asked.

He hesitated. "I don't know much about them. They are mysterious, only a very few know that they exist. They are a secret organization, extremely powerful. Hidden in the shadows of European high society. Their reach is unimaginable. Even the Queen fears them. I’ve only heard whispers, and I only know they exist because of my service to the Queen."

Tasha's eyes widened. "That means they’re real? They exist?"

He nodded slowly. " 

"They’re a myth to most, but I know they’re real because I’ve heard murmurs through the royal channels. I’ve worked for the Queen for years, and even she fears them." He turned around, his expression grim. "They’re called the Umbra Legion because they exist in the shadows. No one knows their faces or where they meet. But when they decide you’re a problem,  you vanish quietly and permanently. And if they’ve sent a warning to someone, it means something. You don’t ignore a message from them."

There was a pause. Her father studied her, then asked, "Is your friend really the one who received the message, Tasha?"

She shifted on her feet, and her voice became low. "Yes."

He narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you haven’t gotten yourself involved in something you shouldn’t have?"

She didn’t answer.

Tasha's throat was tight. She wanted to ask more, but something about the way he spoke told her she had reached the edge of what he would say.

Then a thought hit her. It was a horrible, cold thought.

Then she asked the question she had been dreading. "Is Rory a part of them?"

Her father’s face drained of colour.

"What?" he asked, almost whispering. The man blinked, visibly shaken. "What made you ask that?"

"Nothing, I mean, no, it’s not for me!" she added quickly, panic in her voice. "It’s for the same friend who said she was threatened. She wanted to know if Rory might be involved."

He stepped toward her, and his eyes were burning now.

"Are you involved with that girl in any way?"

"No!" she said instantly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I don’t even talk to her like that."

He stared at her for a long time. His lips thinned.

"Good," he said finally. "Then keep it that way. And if you value your life, don’t ever try to fight her. Do you understand me, Natasha?"

She nodded slowly.

He came closer to her. Placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen to me, and listen well. I don’t know if Rory is a member of that organisation. But I do remember that I had warned you years ago to never cross her. If you have done something to provoke that lady, fix it now before it’s too late."

Tasha nodded, and her eyes became misty. She left his presence in silence. As she sat in her room, she re-read the message. The chill it sent through her the first time returned with full force. She couldn’t sleep that night. Her mind swam in uncertainty and fear.