Chapter 265: Strip For Me, Baby
Relief.
"Is Gen back?" Ezra asked, breaking the quiet.
Armand uncrossed his arms and straightened, his tone even. "She\'s waiting for you in the library."
Ezra nodded, giving Ivo and Armand one last glance before heading toward the library. His mind was racing, coming up with plans and strategies. People were always trying to make him fight for things he wanted no part in. This time, he wouldn\'t indulge them.
He walked briskly, his steps echoing faintly down the halls as he approached the library.
The doors were slightly open, and as Ezra stepped inside, he found Gen instantly, casually browsing through the shelves. She looked up at the sound of his footsteps and instantly rushed toward him, her face lit with excitement.
"Ezra!" She gushed, practically bouncing on her feet. "You wouldn\'t believe the fun I had on that mission. It was wild! I never knew you could have so much fun without killing!" Her eyes sparkled with the thrill of adventure, but as she got closer, she noticed the look on Ezra\'s face. Her smile faltered.
"What\'s wrong?" She frowned, her mouth opening to ask another question, but something flickered in her eyes. A sharp awareness. She glanced around subtly before pressing her lips into a thin line, not speaking further. In the Old Museum, Yuri was always watching. Always listening.
Ezra kept a blank expression on his face as he leaned in slightly. "We need to go." He whispered urgently.
Gen didn\'t hesitate. She nodded, understanding immediately. She followed him without question as they quietly made their way back to the teleportation room.
Ezra reached out and held her by the arm, the familiar sensation of teleportation washing over them as they disappeared from Yuri\'s domain and reappeared in the entrance hall of their backup home.
The hall was spacious, cold, but secure. A hidden safehouse they\'d prepared for emergencies.
Gen took a brief moment to look around, her expression quickly shifting from curiosity to concern. "What\'s going on?" she asked, her voice a little more serious now.
Before Ezra could answer, the sound of approaching footsteps drew their attention. Olivia and Red walked into the entrance hall, their faces calm but their movements brisk. They ushered Ezra and Gen toward the large dining hall without pausing for any pleasantries.
"Come on." Olivia beckoned.
"Guys, what the heck is going on?" Gen asked again.
As they walked, Red explained, "There\'s been some suspicious activity near our home. It\'s too risky to stay there any longer."
Olivia added in her usual calm, collected tone, "It could be the Necromancer. We can\'t afford to be caught with our pants down."
They entered the dining hall, a grand room with a long table that could seat two dozen, but tonight, only five chairs were placed near the head of the table. Ezra took his seat at the head, and Olivia and Red sat to his left with Gen on his right.
Once they were seated, Olivia broke the silence, her gaze focused on Ezra. "What happened with the blood oath you made? We all felt it through the bond."
Ezra nodded, his fingers tapping the edge of the table as he collected his thoughts. "I met with Ivo and Armand." He explained. "There\'s a coup being planned against Yuri. They want to take her down."
Red narrowed her eyes, her posture stiffening. "And you\'re involved in this?"
Ezra shook his head. "I had no choice. I had to take the blood oath to protect us. But don\'t worry," he added quickly, seeing the concerned looks flash across their faces. "The oath was worded carefully. It only prevents me from protecting or aiding Yuri directly.
I\'m still free to do whatever I need to."
Olivia leaned back in her chair, her fingers steepled as she thought it over. "So, we\'re not bound to them. But you are, at least on the surface."
"Exactly." Ezra confirmed. "Which means we can still make our own plans."
Red frowned as she looked at him "Does that mean we\'re abandoning the Helena plan?
"No." Ezra answered. "It\'s time like this that we need more eyes and ears on our side."
"Okay." Red said, her voice sharp. "What\'s the plan, then?"
Ezra\'s eyes swept across the room, meeting their gaze. "The moment the coup begins, we\'re going into hiding. Whatever happens, whether it\'s Yuri\'s fall or Ivo\'s, it will cause chaos, and we don\'t want to be caught in the crossfire."
"Obviously." Gen said, still fidgeting slightly from the energy of her earlier mission. "But hiding won\'t fix our money problem."
Ezra smiled faintly, knowing this was where things would get interesting. "That\'s the other part of the plan. We\'re going to steal everything we can."
Gen\'s eyes lit up, while Red and Olivia both exchanged confused glances.
"Steal?" Olivia asked, curious. "What exactly are we stealing?"
Ezra leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Westside."
The room fell silent for a beat, as the others processed what he had said.
"No one\'s paying attention to Westside right now." Ezra continued, his voice growing more confident. "With the coup coming, everyone is focused on Yuri and her downfall. And with the Investigation Bureau already in our pocket, no one would be able to notice what we\'re doing until it\'s too late."
Red leaned back, her lips twisting into a thoughtful smile. "You\'re saying we strip Westside of all its vampire assets?"
"Exactly." Ezra confirmed. "We convert everything into cash as fast as we can without arousing suspicion and hopefully before the coup starts."
"Whatever the outcome of the coup, the entire city will be in chaos, and no one will have time to figure out who took what. By the time anyone even starts looking into it, we\'ll be long gone and sitting on a stockpile of cash."
Gen grinned, leaning forward with excitement. "I like it. No one cares about Westside anyway. Everyone\'s too busy with their power plays."
Olivia raised an eyebrow. "And what about our slush fund? Are we giving up on that?"
Ezra\'s expression darkened for a moment. "We still don\'t have it back, and there\'s no guarantee we ever will. This plan ensures we have the resources we need, in case it never returns to us."
Red nodded slowly, seeing the wisdom in the plan. "So, we strip Westside, take what we can, and disappear in the chaos when the coup starts."
Ezra nodded. "Exactly. This way, we don\'t have to get involved in the fighting, and we\'ll have enough money to keep us safe. Once things settle down, we can decide what to do next. If Itachi returns, we\'ll leave."
Olivia gave a small nod of approval. "It\'s a solid plan. Risky, but if we time it right, we can pull it off without attracting attention."
Gen\'s grin grew wider as she practically bounced in her seat. "I\'m in. Let\'s rob Westside blind."
Red crossed her arms, her eyes still narrowed in thought, but after a moment, she gave a sharp nod. "I\'ll admit, it\'s not a bad plan. But we\'ll have to move fast once things start falling apart."
"Of course." Ezra smiled, his confidence growing now that his coven was on board. "We\'ll be ready. When the time comes, we\'ll disappear, and no one will be the wiser."