"I don’t know about the two of you, but it seems... the Church wants the Secret Society abolished."
Another moment of silence fell over the cabin, the window hinges creaking in the wind. Henrik didn’t even need to say it; they already knew. They weren’t stupid enough not to follow where the clues led.
Not long ago, the question of who would benefit the most if a fight broke out between the Bellemonte and the Order had crossed Lola’s and Atlas’s minds.
Today, it seemed that the question had a clearer answer.
"Damn!" Lola hissed as she threw herself back into the chair, her expression filled with disbelief. "This feels like watching someone play chess on their own."
"This is yet to be confirmed," Atlas chimed in before they set everything in stone. "We can’t disregard the possibility that this is another setup. Just like how the Bellemontes were almost framed as a scapegoat, this could be another one."
"You think?" Henrik cocked his head. "I think this entire conspiracy may be orchestrated by those people from the High Divine Circle."
He leaned forward, clarifying in simpler terms. "If you waged war against me — as much as I hate to admit it — I’d die. That’s for sure."
Much to his irritation, Lola and Atlas simply nodded. They didn’t even try to comfort him.
"Tsk." He clicked his tongue but didn’t dwell on it. "And in wars, the winning side would surely loot everything we have. Obviously, that would cause an imbalance of power, forcing the other two to act. They already don’t like you, so that’s just a bonus."
He shrugged. "All I’m saying is, the outcome of a fight between the Order and my House is obvious. On the other hand, a war between the Order and those two forces could vary."
"However," he continued, "what’s certain is that, regardless of the victor, both sides would suffer heavy losses."
"You’re saying the Church might join at the last minute and take us all down in one sweep?" Lola asked, only to hear Henrik make a dinging sound.
"Ding! Ding! You got it!" He raised a finger. "That’s why I said everything I said. No matter which angle I look at it, the outcome always leads me to that conclusion."
Of course, Henrik hadn’t wanted to entertain the idea at first. But he couldn’t keep ignoring or denying it.
"This isn’t just about the Secret Society," he said. "It’s about my life, your lives, our families... our people. It’s the countless lives that would be lost in such a meaningless fight that makes me angry."
Another silence settled between them as Henrik leaned closer, eyes fixed on Atlas.
"But above all, what confuses me most is... you," he hummed, drawing both Atlas’s and Lola’s attention. "As I said, the project my beloved wife funded was shut down by the High Divine Circle. That alone proves that bitch is involved. Otherwise, the council would’ve confronted me as the head of the Bellemonte family."
"But they didn’t. Instead, they shut it down on the exact same day your name was declared head of the Zorken family," he added. "I found that interesting — not just this, but every little detail."
He paused, brows raised. "It feels like... the High Divine Circle saw this coming."
Lola arched a brow, her gaze sliding to the corner where her husband sat.
Again, she remembered Slater’s words about Atlas’s concern not long ago.
[Someone was trying to kill Atlas — in the first timeline and this one.]
Could it be... them?
Lola tore her gaze from Atlas, her brows tightening. Her mind drifted back to Ravah, to Vito, and then to Yuri.
Did Yuri end up discovering the Church’s involvement?
Hang on...
If Yuri was in that place — or if Vito was there — was it possible they were actually hiding?


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