[New Gehran]
Haji was already at his limit, and heading down, he needed Scarlet’s help. One of his arms rested over her shoulder, every step a limp. After what felt like forever, they finally reached the ground floor.
As he and Scarlet made their way to where Jarvis’s body lay—which coincidentally had landed re ters from Gene’s—Haji’s brows knitted together. He narrowed his eyes as Jarvis’s front slowly ca into full view.
"Huh?" A sound slipped out of him.
"What?" Scarlet asked, glancing at him before shifting her gaze to Jarvis. "Huh, what?"
Haji didn’t answer as he simply stared.
Jarvis had fallen on his back, blood already seeping beneath his body. His eyes remained open, and his body was almost perfectly intact—aside from the twisted knee that bent unnaturally, his foot facing backward.
When he fell, Haji had still seen Jarvis breathing, clinging desperately to life. But he knew that was nothing more than stubbornness. There was no way he could survive that fall.
"That’s overkill," Scarlet remarked beside him. "If you shot him in the head, you didn’t need to shove him out the window and nearly die with him."
"Do you really think I’m that stupid?"
She arched a brow. "You’re saying you’re not?"
"Hey."
"Didn’t you tackle him?"
"I tackled him, yes, but..." Haji snapped his attention back to Jarvis, eyes locking onto the hole between his brows. "I didn’t shoot him in the head. Or rather, he didn’t have that hole when he fell."
"Huh..." Scarlet’s brows crinkled. "That’s... that’s strange."
But it didn’t alarm her imdiately.
Why?
Because it could an many things. Jarvis didn’t seem like the kind of boss people follow out of loyalty. More like the kind they secretly despised. It wouldn’t be surprising if a rcenary saw him fall and decided to get even by finishing him off.
The idea of it being an accidental shot never crossed their minds—not with that angle.
Soone had approached Jarvis and put a bullet in his head.
"Probably while we were heading down," Scarlet guessed. "Or while we were still stuck inside the building."
Haji’s jaw clenched slightly, rembering that earlier, during his confrontation with Jarvis, soone had shot Jarvis’s pistol. That was why Jarvis lost his grip on it.
But before he could think deeper, a loud voice rang out.
"Haha!"
Both of them turned toward the sound and spotted a truck approaching. Billionaire was behind the wheel, his head sticking out of the window.
"I guess they’re done," Haji muttered, relaxing slightly as the truck screeched to a stop and Billionaire jumped out.
The man nearly skipped his way toward them, but when he got closer, his steps skidded to a halt, eyes locking onto the body before them.
"...That’s—"
The rest of his words choked in his throat.
For a mont, Billionaire couldn’t look away from the man who once instilled fear in everyone he ca face-to-face with. If he were being honest, the governor himself didn’t scare him. But Jarvis?
That was a different story.
But now, Jarvis was...
"Hah." Billionaire let out a heavy breath, stepping back as he snapped his gaze to Haji. "Let’s... let’s get out of here."
He moved in to help, taking over supporting Haji as he was far better suited for the job. But the mont Haji’s arm left Scarlet’s shoulder, Billionaire turned to her with a frown.
He shot Haji a glare and hissed quietly as they walked away. "You womanizer. When did you even have ti to flirt during a mission? No wonder you got caught."
"What are you talking about?" Haji scrunched his nose. "She’s not a local."
"Huh?"
Both n paused and glanced back at Scarlet, who was following behind them. She raised one brow at the two of them.
"What are you staring at?"
They studied the distant look on her face before their gazes dropped to her oversized granny dress. Only then did Haji truly register her outfit. He knew she’d had to change, but the clothing gave Scarlet a strangely different air.
"Maybe I’m just weird," Billionaire muttered, looking away before Scarlet could threaten to scoop their eyes out. Then he glanced at Haji again, eyes narrowed. "Is she your girl?"
"Huh?"
"If not, then she’s my type."
Haji studied Billionaire’s side profile as they limped toward the truck. "Good luck with that," he said lightly. "You’d have a better chance of curing cancer than getting her to agree to a date."
"Watch ."
Haji shook his head. "By the way, where’s she?"
"Who?"
"Lola."
"Ah." Billionaire thought for a mont, then shrugged. "Doing her thing."
Haji grimaced. He could already imagine it—harassing surrendered rcenaries, showing off her tricks to the rebels, or just staring into nothingness because she missed her husband.
And he was right.
When he and Scarlet climbed into the truck and Billionaire drove off, they found Lola riding a kid’s bike—with training wheels—while everyone else was busy rounding up the rcenaries. Those who were tied were forced to watch her while singing a children’s song like a choir.
Haji’s face twitched.
Cling... cling...
Lola rang the bike bell absentmindedly, stopping when she noticed the truck. She perked up as Billionaire jumped out, followed by Scarlet. Haji remained inside, leaning against the window.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Isn’t it obvious? I’m biking," Lola replied, eyes on Haji. "And I’m getting really good at it, too."
Haji’s expression twisted before she spoke again.
"What about Jarvis?" she asked. "Did you deal with him?"
Scarlet and Billionaire paused, then turned toward Haji. It was better if the latter delivered the news.
"Mhm." Haji smiled faintly. "He’s been dealt with."
The singing rcenaries fell silent, eyes widening. Their complexions pale as they almost couldn’t believe what they heard.
Lola’s smile widened in satisfaction.
"Good!" she nodded. "That ans Ravah is under the Order now."
"Huh?" Billionaire frowned. "You an New Gehran? Halvik and Ashkar are still standing."
"I know." Lola blinked. "But my hubby handled that already."
She bead, thumbs up, eyes sparkling. "Halvik surrendered. And Ashkar... let’s just say neither of them put up a fight."
Silence fell instantly in the area, giving the night breeze ti to echo. Rebels, rcenaries, Billionaire, and Haji all stared at her in disbelief. Scarlet, on the other hand, rely chuckled.
"I expected nothing less from him," she muttered, only to freeze as she felt a sudden murderous intent coming from a direction. Turning toward its source, her gaze landed on Lola.
But Lola wasn’t glaring.
She was smiling until her eyes squinted.
Scarlet sighed and shook her head.
She’s going to hate forever, isn’t she?
But a mont later, the rebels erupted into cheers, nearly lifting Lola off the ground in celebration.
The night was far from over, and battles still raged elsewhere. Yet no one would believe it if they heard the truth.
That Ravah, the lawless and once untouchable territory... had fallen overnight.
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