Chapter 178: For Bianca—Leave No Roots Behind
South Side. Red-light district base.
William's office.
It was already night.
After having lunch with Bianca earlier, the two had spent the entire afternoon in her apartment.
How much energy they'd burned… didn't need to be said.
But after everything that had happened today, Bianca felt… different.
Even William couldn't help but find it interesting.
Still, compared to someone like him, she stood no chance.
In the end, she'd been left so exhausted she couldn't even lift a finger.
After stepping out to buy her dinner and bringing it back, William didn't stay long.
He left her apartment and returned to the base.
Partly because he had business with Sophia—
but mainly because Bianca still had work the next day.
If he stayed any longer, she probably wouldn't be able to make it to the hospital.
---
"My lord."
Sophia entered the office and knelt respectfully.
---
Recently, she had executed every task William gave her flawlessly.
She had also done well in balancing and restraining the Russian woman's influence.
Not that the Russian woman dared to have any ambitions now.
William wasn't like Kevin or Veronica—easy to deceive with cooked numbers.
She understood that clearly.
Honestly, in the entire story, the only one with true self-awareness was her.
Still—
self-awareness didn't mean trust.
Human nature wasn't something William would gamble on.
"Sophia… do you desire power?"
William stood by the window, looking out at the street.
Clouds were gathering in the sky.
Summer seemed to be fading—
a storm brewing.
"If it is your will… then I will wield that power."
Her answer carried no sense of self.
And that was exactly why William liked it.
It was only natural.
He had pulled her out of over twenty years of darkness.
To her, he was salvation.
To some, she might seem like she had no identity of her own.
But only someone who had lived through her suffering would understand—
how precious that light truly was.
Enough to give everything in return.
A sudden rumble of thunder echoed.
Moments later, rain poured down in sheets.
Pedestrians on the street cursed as they scrambled for shelter.
Standing by the window, William happened to catch sight of the South Side restaurant nearby—
Fiona stood at the entrance in her work uniform, staring at the sky with clear irritation.
The rain was hurting business.
"Sophia, I need you to do something for me."
William spoke calmly, his gaze still fixed outside.
"As you command, my lord."
She bowed her head, completely obedient.
"Come here. To ensure you complete this task properly… I will grant you the power of a vampire."
Sophia paused for a moment—
then stepped forward and knelt before him once more.
William placed a hand on her head—
and activated his ability, transferring a portion of the vampire virus into her.
In an instant, Sophia changed.
The caution and fragility born from years of blindness vanished.
In its place—
something cold. Something inhuman.
Her skin lost its warmth, turning pale.
Her movements became sharper, more precise.
Her once lively green eyes now glowed faintly in the dark—
a pale, eerie light replacing their former vitality.
But one thing remained unchanged—
the devotion in her gaze toward William.
"After nightfall, I want you to go to this address… and eliminate this family of three. Any problem with that?"
William handed her a photo.
It was Daisy's family.
Sophia took the photo, glanced at the address on the back—
then looked at the faces again.
When Sophia saw the photo, her gaze lingered for a brief moment on the child.
She paused.
But she didn't question it.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't object.
In her understanding, William was absolute—like a god.
If he decreed that these three should die, then their deaths must be justified.
She never doubted the correctness of his orders.
---
Faith was a terrifying thing.
It could make a person ignore morality—
and believe, without hesitation, that everything they did was righteous.
Whether it truly was or not… no longer mattered.
Strictly speaking, in the human world, there was no such thing as absolute right or wrong.
"Right" and "wrong" belonged to the weak.
The strong only cared about victory and defeat.
Cruel—
but real.
"I will carry out your will, my lord."
With that, Sophia prepared to leave.
"Wait," William said calmly.
"Once you're done, come back immediately. Vampires can't withstand sunlight."
He had no intention of letting her turn to ash under the sun.
"Yes, my lord."
Sophia nodded.
For a fleeting moment, a trace of warmth surfaced within her—
like a daughter sensing the care of a distant, stern father.
Then she turned and left the office.
Daisy's family was already as good as dead.
This wasn't an overreaction on William's part.
He simply didn't like trouble.
For insignificant people like them, the cleanest solution was to erase the problem entirely—
better than letting them drag Bianca into a lawsuit later.
And after meeting them earlier that day,
he was certain of one thing—
they were exactly the kind of people he despised.
As for the child…
There was no clean answer.
Sometimes, endings like this didn't need justification.
___
Elsewhere, in the Gallagher house—
Lip lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Truthfully, he'd only been acting tough.
Now that real responsibility loomed over him—
he felt suffocated.
Gone was the confidence he'd shown while arguing with Fiona.
What remained was anxiety… and unease.
"Fuck…"
He shifted irritably.
Just then, Ian walked in.
The moment he opened the door, he heard Lip cursing.
"What, you trying to fuck someone? That new Black girlfriend of yours?" Ian teased casually.
He already knew about Lip and Sniqua.
"Nothing," Lip muttered.
In front of Ian, he refused to show weakness.
After all—
he was supposed to be the older brother.
That deep-rooted pride—
was exactly what had caused Lip to rise… and fall… time and time again.
Then his eyes caught something in Ian's hand.
"What the hell is that?"
Lip snatched the pamphlet.
"Fuck, Lip! That's an admissions brochure!"
Ian didn't even try to hide it.
"West Point? Ian—you've only finished tenth grade!"
Lip frowned, clearly displeased.
It wasn't really concern about Ian's safety.
Deep down, it was something else—
the fact that Ian was making a decision without consulting him.
To Lip—
that felt like disrespect.