Lionel clenched his jaw, a resigned look on his face as he looked at Leo, who nodded.
Looking at Noah, he swallowed his built-up saliva.
"We'll... work under you."
"Smart man," Noah replied.
With a light smirk, he continued. "Welcome to your new life."
"Let me tell you a fun fact about me," Noah said and paused.
"I hate betrayals more than anything. If I hear, see or catch any of you having such thoughts. You will wish that you died before I found out."
"Am I clear?"
Lionel's face paled, and Leo swallowed hard at the threat, both of them nodding.
"You are loud and clear," Lionel replied, his voice low with obedience.
The fear in his eyes was loud enough to show his understanding.
Noah's smirk remained, his cold eyes freezing them with a look that felt like they were held at gunpoint.
Well... they kind of were.
"Good. Remember that. I'm a fair man, but there's a line. Cross it, and you'll see what lies on the other side." He added, as his smirk turned into a calm smile.
Lionel and Leo exchanged a glance.
Both of them straightened up instinctively while nodding at Noah, knowing any sign of hesitation would be interpreted as a weakness or worse... disloyalty.
"Now," Noah continued, his tone casual as though he hadn't just been threatening them with death a minute ago.
"I'll have work lined up for you soon. Consider this your last chance to clean up your messes and clear out any loose ends."
"I will tell you the new rules later, anything that doesn't align with them ends."
Lionel nodded quickly, with a humble and obedient look. "Of course. We'll do as you say, boss."
Noah looked at him for a moment, nodding with satisfaction.
"Good."
With one last look, he turned around and said.
"Clean up this mess, also inform them about the new changes since they were... asleep."
"Make sure you notify the idiot in prison to keep his mouth shut, if he isn't dismissed within next week I will think of a way to get him out."
"I will also send Jackson to you during this week, so make sure you listen to my instructions as it will be rallied through him."
Lionel nodded, as he stared at Noah's back.
Noah turned around quickly as if remembering something.
"Here, take this. It belongs to you, as he handed Lionel the gun."
Lionel looked at Noah with shock, "Why is he giving me the gun? Is he that confident? or is he just naive?"
"Why are you taking so long for? Do you not want it?" Noah said with a curious look.
Lionel nodded and said, "Thanks, as he took the gun."
Noah then turned around and waved with the back of his hand.
Seeing Noah's exposed back, Lionel's urge to shoot him shot up as his eyes glanced at the pillow on the floor.
But his instincts told him not to do it, he felt that he would regret it if he had done that.
Noah's voice slowly echoed in his mind, as he remembered his earlier threat.
He sighed, as Noah disappeared from the hallway and out of the door.
Leo on his side looked at him with a shocked look and said. "Why did you not shoot him, or threaten him like he did to us."
"We had the upper hand!" He added with a louder tone.
Lionel shook his head.
"I felt fear looking at his exposed back... I couldn't do it, my long years in this industry honed my instincts."
"I know when I see... death." He added with a low tone, as he glanced at Leo.
He took one last look at the gun, his hands trembling at the sight.
"The clip was full," he muttered with a low tone.
He swallowed hard, his gaze unfocused as he replayed the moment when Noah turned his back to them, completely vulnerable, unguarded.
Lionel's hand clenched as he whispered to himself.
"I could've… no, I should've…"
Leo watched Lionel with a dark expression, his frustration building up.
"That's what I've been saying to you! He handed you the opportunity on a silver platter, and you just let him walk out."
"Why, Lionel? Do you want to be a subordinate? you just—" Leo's voice was rising, the desperation in his tone cutting through the silence.
A sudden realisation struck Lionel as Leo's voice slowly faded from his ears.
Turning to Leo, Lionel's eyes showed a hint of fear.
"You think it's that simple?" His voice was almost whisper amid the loud voice of Leo.
"He knew I wouldn't pull the trigger. He knew because he's the type of man who doesn't gamble. He knew that he checkmated us... We were never going to win."
Leo's brows raised in confusion. "But you had the upper hand, Lionel! His back was unguarded, he was unarmed—"
Lionel let out a dry laugh, cutting him off. "Unarmed? Do you really think he was unarmed?"
"You are really naive Leo. That man is a weapon himself!"
He held up the gun, looking down at it with a mix of disbelief and respect.
"He gave me a fully loaded gun, turned his back, and walked away. That wasn't confidence, Leo. That was him showing us just how little we matter."
Leo took a step back, his face paling as he absorbed Lionel's words.
"You're saying… he knew you wouldn't shoot him? That he didn't even consider us a threat even with a loaded gun?"
Lionel nodded slowly, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Exactly. This isn't some street thug we're dealing with, Leo. He's… a monster."
"Cold. A man like that doesn't make mistakes. Every action, every word—it's all part of a game we can never even dream of seeing."
Leo's shoulders slumped, as he understood Lionel's words.
"So, what now? Do we just do what he says? Become his… his lackeys?"
Lionel's face grew grim.
"We do what he says, yes. Because I don't know what he's capable of, and frankly, I really don't want to find out."
"He's like a sleeping whale, Leo."
"We're nothing but fish swimming around his waters, thinking we're safe because he hasn't snapped his jaws yet."