Goodbye Forever (Happy New Year!!!)

"Hello?"

"..."

No one answered on the other end of the phone.

Just as Maureen was frowning and about to hang up, her gaze fell on a man standing at the restaurant entrance. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and a neat black suit.

Lake walked over, and a hotel attendant thoughtfully brought him a chair.

"Are you following me?"

"No."

Lake first nodded at Natasha in greeting before saying to Maureen, "Half an hour ago, I was asleep at home when I received a phone call."

Maureen said nothing.

Lake smiled. "The person on the phone said one thing to me: 'Do you want to know the whole truth?' To be honest, I did. So I came here. Now, Maureen, tell me why."

There had been a much simpler and more direct way.

Why use such a stupid method?

She had already had half a year to learn what kind of person I was. Asking me directly would have been far better than this stupid method. At the very least, asking directly wouldn't have cost anyone their life.

Natasha spoke from the side. "Edwin..."

Lake looked at Natasha, narrowed his eyes, and interrupted her outright. "Natasha Romanov, I'm right, aren't I?"

Natasha frowned.

This person knows about us?

With that thought, Natasha immediately looked at Maureen.

Seeing this, Lake smiled. "Don't misunderstand. I know nothing about you. But my friend looked into you for me."

"That killer—the Black King!"

"I prefer to call him the Righteous Lawkeeper."

"Heh!"

Natasha let out a mocking laugh. "If you knew that the so-called Righteous Lawkeeper had taken the lives of twelve innocent people in the three years since appearing in the killer world, would you still think he was righteous?"

Lake said, "There are always beasts the law can't punish, especially those who make the laws."

It wasn't strange for S.H.I.E.L.D. to know about the Black King.

After all, during these two assassination attempts, the Black King had acted openly and without the slightest attempt to conceal himself.

After saying this, Lake laughed and looked at Natasha. "Isn't what you're doing this time the same? The law can't do a thing to you."

Look at that.

Scheming against someone and trying to destroy them socially—what kind of crime was that? It was enough to ruin a person's entire life, leaving them unable to live or die in peace.

But Natasha didn't care. In her eyes, this was merely a mission. Besides, perhaps they even believed that recruiting Lake this way was for his own good.

It was no different from what Lake had said before.

Their mouths were full of justice and morality, while behind the scenes they were thieves and lechers!

After saying that, Lake turned his gaze to Maureen and took a deep breath. "Then, Maureen, give me an answer."

Maureen looked straight at Lake. "Do you really need one?"

Lake nodded.

"Why?"

"Because the story is almost at its end. An ending that leaves a mystery unresolved isn't a good ending."

"..."

His murderous intent had already risen. No one could stop him.

Lake wanted to say that, since they had once been in love, he should let it go.

But...

His true feelings wouldn't allow it.

If Maureen had only been an accomplice, Lake could have convinced himself to let it go. But the words Maureen had just spoken to Natasha had been heard clearly by his double, who was sitting not far away.

This whole thing... had been orchestrated by Maureen.

So Lake couldn't convince himself.

Maureen laughed. "If I told you we wanted to recruit you, would you agree?"

Lake shrugged. "You can try."

Even if that had been impossible too, things wouldn't have reached this point. He wouldn't have lost his life.

What would people say if this got out?

Romance? The kind that costs you your life? If you're interested, find Lake Edwin. He'll give you that kind of love.

Jesus Christ.

What did I ever do to deserve this?

Maureen shook her head and looked at Lake. "What if I told you I already tried, and you rejected me very clearly?"

Lake came back to himself. "That isn't a good reason. Since I rejected you, you should know that I wouldn't choose to join for any other reason."

Maureen nodded, indicating that she agreed with Lake, but still said, "But we had to try. Your abilities are being wasted at the NYPD."

Natasha also said, "I've read your records, and I know you very well. You graduated with excellent grades at sixteen. After graduating, you joined the navy directly. Six months later, you joined the Marine Corps. During your time in the Marines, you took part in three overseas combat missions, receiving outstanding evaluations every time. After returning from the third, you were promoted to lieutenant in the navy by special dispensation. You then joined the SEALs as a commander. During your time there, you participated in five overseas operations. At twenty-two, you suddenly left the military and applied to study art at Yale University. You graduated early after only two years and then joined the NYPD. You're thirty now. Can you tell me why you suddenly left the military?"

Lake gave a dry laugh and looked at Natasha. "It seems you don't know much about my records after all."

Natasha frowned.

Incomplete?

That was impossible. S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't make mistakes like that.

Lake said, "Then do you know that I'm an orphan?"

Natasha nodded.

Lake continued, "When I joined the military, I was only interested in the opportunity to attend college afterward without taking an entrance exam or paying tuition. So don't say you know me very well. You have no idea what kind of person I am."

That was the reason he had joined the military back then.

It was also why, despite earning a certain general's appreciation, Lake had resolutely left the military.

He had only wanted to attend college for free. Once he had accomplished that goal, why stay in the military?

Besides...

Who said he had already left the military?

Heh!

Natasha's brows drew tightly together.

That reason...

Natasha found it completely absurd. Yet, looking at the expression on Lake's face, she felt something she couldn't quite explain. This man was telling the truth. He had joined the military just to attend college.

...Natasha no longer knew what she should say or think.

Lake stopped paying attention to Natasha. He glanced at the watch on his wrist, then said to Maureen, "Maureen, do you remember what I was thinking the first time I saw you?"

Maureen frowned. "Does talking about that now serve any purpose?"

"Maybe..."

"Maybe whenever every story reaches its end, people can't help remembering how it all began."

Lake's gaze seemed to linger nostalgically on Maureen's face as he said, "Back then, you made me feel as if I had received an Easter Egg that day. What about you?"

Maureen's face was expressionless. "It was merely business."

"Merely business?"

"Yes!"

"Understood. Thank you."

Lake stood up. The nostalgia in his eyes faded, returning first to normal before becoming as placid as ever. He looked at Maureen and said, "Goodbye... no. Goodbye forever, Maureen Hand."

After saying that,

Lake turned around.

Natasha, who was sitting opposite Maureen, seemed to sense something. Her pupils contracted sharply, and she sprang up, lunging toward Maureen.

But!

Bang!

A bullet fired from two thousand meters away crossed the distance in an instant and pierced through the restaurant window. Then, at the exact moment Natasha lunged toward Maureen, it slammed into...

Pfft!

Lake, who had turned around, slowly closed his eyes.

Then...

He walked away without the slightest trace of reluctance.

Happy New Year, everyone! Happy New Year to one and all!!!!!!