Chapter 841 Meeting the Fierce Lioness (1)


    Inside the room, Reba and Erik settled into an uneasy silence that gave way to sporadic conversation.


    They chatted about unimportant things, trying to ease the tension for their uing discussion with the Fierce Lioness.


    The room, with its grandeur and solemnity, seemed to amplify their unease, making each attempt at levity fall short of its mark.


    Time trickled by, measured only by the shifting light through the windows and the asional shuffle of their seats.


    "So, what happened when I left the city? You can now tell me why you wanted me to leave the city."


    Erik sighed. He could tell her. "I didn''t want you to get hurt," Erik said. That left Reba startled, but also happy.


    "What could have possibly put me in danger?" Reba asked.


    "The ckguards." Reba made a confused face. What did the ckguards had to do with all that?


    "What? Why would the ckguards have something to do with me?"


    Erik paused for a second, but it wasn''t hard to think about what to say. To be honest, he had a lot to say about the matter, but he kept it simple.


    "They are the ones who controlled the Crystal Cross Gang. Shade works for them, as the targets of our missions did. Well, they did until they got sick of it, and then who do you think the ckguards sent to take care of them?"


    "Us?"


    "Indeed."


    But Reba thought about something else. Erik could tell due to the visible change in her facial expression.


    "Wait. Are you saying that those experiments were made for the ckguards? Are you sure we are talking about the same people?"


    "I am," Erik said. Reba thought for a second. That exined why Erik wanted her to leave.


    If they were stirring the hos'' nest, and that nest was that of the biggest, deadliest hos around, there was nothing she could have done back there.


    In retrospect, she was d Erik sent her away. She wasn''t sure her mother could help her if she created troubles for the ckguards.


    "Do you have proof?" she asked. As much as she trusted Erik, it wasn''t like she could blindly trust his words.


    "Plenty. I also have witnesses."


    Reba looked at him with a shocked face. "If what you say is true, this is no small matter."


    Erik sighed.


    "That is why I told you your mother could be interested in helping me. If she is the one bringing the ckguards down, she will gain much more fame than she and the Band of Giants currently have. Thates with money, as well."


    "She could still kill you for your bounty. Mom is very greedy. She will probably want to get the bounty, too."


    The door swung open, and the Fierce Lioness entered. She moved with an authority that seemed to fill the space, her presence undeniably big.


    Long red hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing a face that was both striking by the tales of countless battles.


    Her brown eyes, sharp and prating, swept the room before settling on Erik with an intensity that felt almost tangible.


    Scars adorned her visible skin, each a badge of survival and triumph, including a prominent one that traced her jugr.


    To her, these weren''t ws to hide, but triumphs to show off.


    The Fierce Lioness''s gaze lingered on Erik, her expression hardening into a look of suspicion and scrutiny.


    She addressed Reba directly, her voice carrying a mix ofmand and curiosity.


    "Is the reason you''ve asked for this meeting to tell me you''re pregnant by that man?"


    Reba had a dumbfounded look. Erik almost burst outughing.


    She replied right away, but her cheeks turned red, showing she was embarrassed by that statement.


    She sat up, the awkwardness of the moment wrapping around her like a thick nket.


    "NO!" she said, her tone leaving no room for doubt.


    She gave Erik a look, hinting that they were up to something else.


    "There''s something really important we need to discuss with you," she said.


    Reba had an undeniably serious look on her face, but the Fierce Lioness wasn''t someone easily swayed by serious looks.


    Things happened all the time, and there were things that, albeit important for some, weren''t really that important.


    "Is this more important than the shareholder''s meeting?"


    Amanda looked at her daughter with a suspicious look that then wandered to Erik. Her eyes narrowed slightly, her suspicion not entirely abated, but her interest piqued.


    "Then what?"


    She motioned for them to go ahead and gracefully sat down, despite her tough reputation and murderous gaze.


    "I think I may answer that question," Erik said. He leaned forward, and Reba drew a deep breath.


    It was at that moment that Erik''s face started shifting and moving like water stirred by an unseen breeze.


    It started off subtle, but then it became clear. The Fierce Lioness paid close attention when the older man started to look like Erik Romano.


    His real face, that of a man in his prime, reced the carefully constructed facade, revealing his true identity under the watchful eyes of both women.


    Reba''s reaction was one of sheer shock; her mouth agape, eyes wide with disbelief. She did not know Erik possessed the ability to change his face.


    As far as she knew, Erik was an ''awakener'' and as such, he had two Brain Crystal Powers, but this disy of shapeshifting unveiled a third one he shouldn''t have had.


    It totally blew her mind when she found out. What Erik did shouldn''t even be possible.


    Amanda, the Fierce Lioness, maintained a serious, almost menacing demeanor as she witnessed the transformation.


    Her gaze hardened, focusing on Erik with an intensity that seemed to cut through the air.


    She was surprised as much as Reba, her daughter, was, but shock and confusions weren''t the first things she thought about.


    It was the fact Erik Romano was a bigger menace that she expected.


    Only a calcting coldness was in her eyes as she assessed the man who had just changed his face in front of her.


    The air in the room thickened with tension. "Do I have your attention now? "


    "You do. So, tell me, Erik Romano. Why are you here, in my daughter''spany, nheless?"


    Erik bowed down. He wasn''t too thrilled about it because he thought he might have a chance against her in a fight, but he did.


    "I''m searching for Shade."


    "Shade?" Amanda asked. "What do you know about him?" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    That, of course, was a weird question. Shouldn''t Shade have been a legend? In theory, the fierce lioness should have known nothing about him, and here she was, with an expression that said otherwise.


    "I know he is the leader of the continent''s underworld, but most importantly, I know he works for the ckguards."


    While hearing those words, a huge grin appeared on the fierce lioness''s face.