Megan snorted. "Sounds noble. But there's no money to maintain that pride. Since he said he'll only provide the house, he should provide food too."
Linda nodded in agreement. "That sounds reasonable enough."
Megan sighed and leaned back. "Why do I feel like living with you?"
Linda raised a brow. "You want him to tear you apart too?"
"Good point."
They both went quiet for a moment. For the first time that day, the tension reduced a little.
Then Linda's phone buzzed.
She looked down and opened the message. "Very difficult to get, but I've secured one for you."
Linda smiled in satisfaction and quickly typed back, leaving Megan wondering why she was smiling at her phone. Just as she was about to ask, Linda suddenly stood up.
"See you tomorrow, Megan."
"Where are you going?" Megan rose with her, worried about her freedom. Although she isn't popular, what if something happens to her? She has no one to care about her except herself.
Linda chuckled and took her bag. "Don't worry, it's Laurence. He's helping me with something."
Megan finally calmed down but was still worried. "Why should we trust him?"
Linda looked at the glass wall in a daze. "Because we have the same goals."
"Ohh." She nodded. "I'll finish my food. Linda, be careful, please..... We can't trust him like that. What if he's on Mr Jerk or our enemies' side?"
"Don't worry, Megan. I'll be fine." Linda's heart softened, especially when she said our enemies. Megan has no enemies, but she took Linda's enemy as her own.
Coming out of the restaurant, she saw an old black model car parked not too far away. The car honked the moment she stepped out. She nodded and walked toward it.
She had discussed a lot with him during their first conversation. She opened the front door and entered. "You really got it?"
"Of course," he said, bringing out a red card. "Only the recognised elite can get it. I had to hack someone's identity to get this fake one." Then he stretched it toward Linda. " But don't worry, no one knows where the real owner kept her own"
Linda collected the red card and looked at it seriously. Royce Bar VVIP Member was written on it in dark ink. "Thank you."
"My pleasure. I've known you'd want your revenge. But you should be fast with it, it will be discovered soon."
Linda nodded and put it inside her small bag. "Whose identity is this?"
Laurence leaned back and tapped the steering wheel lightly. " If you check the other side of the card, you will see her name.... Lizzo"
"Lizzo…" he repeated. "She's a very cold and distant lady. No one knows what her real face looks like. She always hides it behind a seductive black lace veil. Even when she drinks, even when she talks, the lace is always on her face, like she was born with it."
Linda listened quietly.
"She wears only black," Laurence continued. "Black dress, black heels, sometimes black gloves. She walks in like a shadow and leaves like smoke. Nobody dares offend her, not even the regular mafia guests."
Linda lowered her gaze and brought out the red card again, gripping it. Rodah is a member of this circle, and she doesn't want to cut the tree, she wants to uproot it... she wants to prevent the water, sun, air and soil that make it grow.
"Her identity is unknown," he added. "I've been investigating her for years. Found nothing, no records of her name anywhere, no traceable background. That's why the identity works perfectly for you."
He looked at her and smiled slightly. "I chose her for you because of your killer aura. You both give the same feeling, that calm face, dangerous inside."
Linda sighed softly. "So this is why you agreed to help me immediately."
Laurence raised a brow. "Of course. Since both of us want revenge, we might as well work together."
Linda nodded slowly. Then she turned to him. "Who is she to you?"
Laurence froze for a second. "How do you even know she's something to me?"
Linda rolled her eyes and checked the time on her wristwatch, almost 9 p.m. She should be in bed resting.
He chuckled and shook his head. "You are just like her. So sharp." He exhaled. "Her sudden disappearance bothers me a lot. She didn't vanish like someone who travelled, she vanished like someone erased."
His jaw tightened. "Don't worry. I'll send you the information you need about that place — who is a friend or foe. I'll guide you, and I'll be there when you arrive. I want to study everyone's expression. Something bad must have happened to her."
Linda frowned slightly. "Is the bar that dangerous?"
Laurence laughed quietly. "It's not the bar. It's the people who use it. Mafia leaders, underground dealers, political sons, spoiled heirs — that kind of place."
He paused. "The owner of Royce Bar is a close friend of the mafia big boss."
"Who?" Linda asked. She suddenly found it interesting. No wonder Rodah was able to destroy her completely. The setup around her life and her mother's life was too smooth for an ordinary person.
She didn't believe her mother would just wake up one day and divorce her father, then move far away and never come back, like it was a deal signed with her life as the price.
Laurence's fingers tightened on the steering wheel. "You've met him," he said slowly. "But he's not as angelic as he appears."
Linda's eyes narrowed. "Hmm."
Laurence looked straight at her. "It's Aaron Lane."
Linda stared through the front window in a daze. She had guessed from his tattoo — he wasn't a simple person. Who knew he was a dragon with a lot of fire inside him?
"He's currently ruling the underworld. Try as much as possible to avoid him. He can't be fooled, and he knows too much. He may know what happened to her, or know you aren't the real Lizzo. He won't care, but you will be watched by his people to make sure you're not a spy or a murderer. Still, as long as he doesn't know about you, you will be able to destroy and expose your sister's dirty deed in just one month."
"Noted. I'll start going tomorrow night."
Laurence nodded in relief. "Good. The earlier, the better…" He paused. "Linda…"
Linda shifted her gaze from the busy street and looked at him, raising a brow.
"Do you know you're about to step into the dark side of the world? Can your mental health handle it?"