"No, you are my angel." Liliana moved closer, her nails lightly grazing Lyra's face. Her voice was soft, full of affection. "Your eyes are so indifferent, devoid of desire. It's mesmerizing."
As she spoke, she kissed her on the cheek.
The touch was so intense that even Sorren, just a bystander, swallowed hard, feeling a spark ignite in his chest.
But Lyra stayed cold as ice. Her head leaned back, eyes slightly tilted, showing no emotion, like still water.
In those eyes, Liliana felt like she was just a piece of living flesh.
After a moment, Lyra exhaled, pushed her away. She made herself a cup of medicinal drink, and sat on the lounge couch.
"What does Blackheart want you to do?" asked Lyra.
Liliana flicked her long red hair. and sat on the couch's armrest. She hugged Lyra, nuzzling the top of her head. "Daddy said if you leave, no one will provide the 'core' for the treatment device."
"Don't worry about that. It will be delivered to the factory regularly."
"Daddy wants you to provide five years' worth of 'core' in one go."
Liliana waited for an answer, but Lyra leaned away. She pinched Liliana's chin and sneered, "The way Dragon Legion operates won't work with me. Tell Blackheart that Snakehead is watching this business of treatment devices closely. It's too lucrative, after all."
If Blackheart didn't want to do it, plenty of others would cooperate with her.
Liliana's expression changed. She had expected refusal but not a threat in return.
"Lyra, you're leaving Voidstar for a long time. Daddy won't let you go out of his control."
No one knew Blackheart better than Liliana did. In all of Voidstar, if he claimed to be the second most ruthless, no one would dare claim first. Having tasted the benefits, he would definitely hold on tight and never let go.
When Lyra first approached for cooperation, even Liliana wondered what she was after. Clearly, Snakehead was a better choice.
"Tell Blackheart there's no room for negotiation. If he doesn't agree, the cooperation is over."
Her decisions were final.
Liliana bit her red lips and suddenly said, "Then I'm sorry, darling."
With lightning speed, she drew a syringe and jabbed it into Lyra's neck.
A sedative!
Sorren wanted to rush over but was punched to the ground.
At that moment, chaotic footsteps came from outside. A bearded man wearing an eyepatch kicked through the glass door, followed by a group of armed men.
Seeing him, Sorren slowly buried his face into the ground and began to play dead.
Blackheart stormed in, clad in leather armor and camouflage pants. His heavy brown boots echoed through the room. His single eye glinted with a cold menace.
When he reached Lyra, he slapped her hard, yanking her hair with his thick fingers. "Little b*tch, you think you can cut off my money?!"
The shattered glass reflected Lyra's face. It was now swollen and bruised, with blood trickling from her nose and mouth.
"Cough... cough, cough..." She gasped heavily but stayed calm. "Without the 'cores' I provide, you'd still be a pathetic robber now. You can't keep this money flowing without me."
Creating elastic metal for high-tech devices like treatment units required more than just technology; it needed powerful psychokinesis to fuse different metals. Lyra provided all the elastic metal for the Dragon Legion's treatment units, making her indispensable to this lucrative business.
But Blackheart didn't care. "Once you're on my ship, you don't get to call the shots."
He forced her head back with a strong grip. "Either you stay in Voidstar and work, or I drag you back, make you serve me during the day, and work at night! Which one do you choose?"
His men cheered wildly.
"This young woman is really something, boss, you've got good taste!"
"Hahaha, yeah, just take her now!"
Liliana clenched her fists, anxiety showing in her eyes.
"Cough, cough..."
Lyra coughed a few times, then started laughing. "Blackheart, you're underestimating me, you know that?"
The sound of treads rolling over the loose floor interrupted them, followed by a series of bangs. Blinding headlights lit up the small clinic.
They were surrounded.
"Ah, sorry about that, Sis Marv, I'm late."
Snakehead's shiny bald head gleamed under the lights as he jumped down from a heavily armored tank. "Haha, the elastic metal you sent over was a bit tricky. My guys just figured it out, so here I am."
He carried a metal rod as thick as a leg, making a crunching sound as he walked on the broken glass.
Acting as if he just noticed Blackheart, Snakehead widened his eyes.
"Blackheart, you're here to talk about the elastic metal deal too? This isn't very business-like of you, is it? Too rough."
Blackheart couldn't play Snakehead's polite games. He grabbed the now-weak Lyra, gritting his teeth as he glared at her. "What's this supposed to mean?"
Lyra glanced at him sideways. "Take a guess."
"Go to hell!"
Just as Blackheart raised his fist, a metal rod suddenly thrust towards him. The force made him release Lyra and step back.
"Snakehead, what do you think you're doing?!"
Snakehead's metal weapon shifted in shape as he glared at Blackheart, his smile gone. "Trying to cut off my income, Blackheart? Are you looking for a war with me?"
He threw Blackheart's words right back at him.
Even Blackheart, slow to react, understood what was happening. He glared at Lyra like a wolf, "You sold the elastic metal to the guild as well? You've got some nerve, trying to play me!"
In his bully mindset, once he had control of the elastic metal business, it was his alone. Why should he let Baldy Snakehead get a piece of the pie?
Snakehead, who had been envious of this business, now found himself in on the action and was delighted. "Who doesn't like more money? Sis Marv had the sense to realize you're unreliable, so she found a stable partner."
The two Voidstar powerhouses faced off.
Lyra pulled out the needle, using her superpower to expel the sedative. She then brushed aside her hair, healing her wounds in the process.
"Snakehead, this young woman is full of tricks. Why don't we team up?" Blackheart wasn't giving up on monopolizing the technology.
Without hesitation, Snakehead waved his hand. "No way. If she dies, there's no profit."
"Doesn't matter if she dies. She has good stuff in her Space Button," Blackheart said nonchalantly. "That thing can withstand even Pyrodrake, don't you want it?"
Snakehead felt a twinge of greed. He did want that treasure a lot.
He glanced at Lyra, who occasionally coughed. She seemed indifferent to having her life in the hands of these two big shots.
Snakehead hesitated but then hoisted the metal rod. "Better not. Our guild prefers peaceful profit."
As a businessman, he knew the difference between a golden egg and the hen that lays it.
Blackheart was surprised that the greedy Snakehead refused. He cracked his knuckles. "So, you're determined to go against me?"
His men raised their weapons in response.