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Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 122
122The weight of Bobby’s declaration settled over the restaurant, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Jane, still fuming, tilted her chin up, her expression a mixture of smug satisfaction and brewing vengeance.Dylan exhaled slowly, his patience wearing thin. He wasn’t one for pointless drama, but this? This was spiraling.“Bobby,” he said evenly, “you’re making a fool of yourself.”Bobby’s head snapped toward him, eyes burning. “Excuse me?”“You heard me.” Dylan leaned back slightly, as if unfazed by Bobby’s outburst. “You’re standing here, throwing threats like you have the power to actually do something. What exactly are you going to file a complaint about? That Jane got called out for her behavior?”Jane scoffed. “Oh, please. You think you’re so above it all, don’t you?” She stepped forward, closing the space between them. “Dylan, you sit there acting all high and mighty, but don’t pretend like you’re not part of this circus. You’ve been quiet all this time—why? Because
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123Olivia’s jaw clenched as Jane suddenly let out a shaky sob, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. The entire restaurant seemed to hold its breath as Jane’s voice quivered, a perfect mixture of heartbreak and outrage.“I can’t believe this,” Jane whispered, her fingers brushing over her reddened cheek as if the pain was unbearable. “I gave everything to this man. I clothed him, I fed him, I built him up when he was nothing! And now—now he has his girlfriend slap me?” Her voice cracked dramatically, and a gasp rippled through the crowd.A woman at a nearby table placed a hand over her chest, shaking her head in dismay. “Oh my God. He cheated on her?”Another patron, a man in a crisp business suit, turned toward his companion, his voice dripping with disdain. “Absolutely despicable. The woman devoted her life to him, and this is how he repays her?”Dylan’s brows furrowed. “What the hell are you talking about, Jane?” he demanded, his voice edged with frustration. “You and I both know
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 124
Just as the murmurs reached a fever pitch, the restaurant manager, a middle-aged man with graying hair and a crisp suit, stormed toward their table. Bobby’s eyes widened the moment he spotted him, and a sly grin spread across his face.“Tony!” Bobby called out, waving him over.Tony’s expression softened as he recognized Bobby, a friendly smile pulling at the corners of his lips. “Bobby! I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said warmly, clasping Bobby’s shoulder in a brief, friendly greeting.“Yeah, well, just came to enjoy a nice dinner,” Bobby replied, his voice dripping with feigned casualness. “But looks like we have a bit of a situation here, don’t we?”Tony’s gaze flickered around the room, taking in the tense atmosphere, the eyes of every patron glued to the unfolding drama. He raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on? It’s a bit… lively in here.”Bobby didn’t hesitate, stepping forward with an exaggerated sigh. “Tony, you won’t believe this. These two,” he said, pointing at Dylan a
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125Olivia let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head as she crossed her arms. “This is ridiculous. You’re just going to take his word for it? Without even asking us what happened?”Tony scoffed. “I don’t need to. I trust Bobby.”Dylan’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. “That’s convenient,” he muttered. “You’re siding with the guy whose father practically owns this place. Real fair, Tony.”Bobby smirked, stepping forward with an air of triumph. “Oh, come on, Dylan. It’s not my fault you’re out of your league here. Maybe next time, pick a place that actually welcomes people like you.”Olivia’s eyes blazed with fury. “People like us?” she repeated, incredulous. “What does that even mean?”Bobby feigned innocence, shrugging dramatically. “Oh, you know. People who don’t belong in places like this. People who can’t even afford a decent meal without scrounging for change.”A murmur ran through the watching crowd, and Olivia could feel the weight of their judgment pressing d
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126Bobby let out a bark of laughter, nudging Jane as if Dylan’s words were the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “Oh, this is rich. You really expect us to believe you have that kind of power?”Tony scoffed, arms still crossed over his chest. “Yeah, sure, Dylan. Let me guess—you’ve got a billionaire uncle who just happens to own half the city?”Dylan didn’t respond. He simply slipped his phone back into his pocket and leaned against the nearest chair, unbothered. Olivia, who had been seething moments ago, now studied him with cautious curiosity.The room filled with murmurs, the onlookers exchanging amused glances.“Man, this guy is delusional,” one patron muttered.Another chuckled. “Probably just bluffing to save face.”Even Jane, who had been playing the victim flawlessly a moment ago, relaxed, letting out a small, breathy laugh. “Dylan, sweetie, it’s okay to admit you lost. No need to embarrass yourself further.” She gave him a condescending smile, as if pitying his supposed desper
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 127
127Silence.Then—Bobby stiffened, his face burning with humiliation. “You—You can’t do that! My father—”“I don’t care,” Mr. Langford stated coldly. “You’re done here.”Gasps rippled through the crowd.“Did he just—?”“He actually kicked Bobby out?”“But Bobby’s dad practically owns half the city!”“I thought Dylan was the liar. What’s going on?”Bobby’s face turned red with disbelief. “You can’t do that!”Mr. Langford’s gaze was unyielding. “I can, and I just did. You’re banned. If I see you in here again, I’ll have you dragged out.”The restaurant buzzed with murmurs.Jane clung to Bobby’s arm, desperation creeping into her voice. “Wait, Mr. Langford, please! I—I didn’t know—”He didn’t even spare her a glance. “You can leave with him. I don’t tolerate liars.”Jane’s face twisted in horror as the whispers grew louder.“She was so smug a minute ago…”“Guess her crocodile tears didn’t work this time.”“I’d be mortified.”Bobby turned to Jane, expecting her to protest, but her hand s
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128The air outside the restaurant was thick with tension, but Dylan barely seemed to notice. He and Olivia strolled down the pavement, the streetlights casting a warm glow on the sidewalk.Olivia glanced over her shoulder, her brows slightly furrowed as she took in Bobby and Jane’s expressions—shock, confusion, maybe even fear.“You really have a way of making enemies,” she murmured, though this time, her tone held something new. Uncertainty. Because she had thought she knew Dylan—rich, sure, but not this. Not the kind of power that left people like Bobby and Jane speechless.Dylan smirked. “It’s a gift.”Behind them, Bobby finally seemed to snap out of his stunned silence. His face was still burning with humiliation, but now, beneath the rage, there was something else—doubt.“You think this is over?” he hissed, but his voice wasn’t as strong as before.Dylan didn’t even bother turning around. “You keep saying that, Bobby, but the funny thing is… it kinda feels over.”Olivia let out
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 129
129Olivia walked beside Dylan in silence, her mind still replaying the scene outside the restaurant. She had known Dylan for a while, but tonight had peeled back a layer she hadn’t expected. He wasn’t just some rich guy with charm and a sharp tongue—he was something else entirely.She stole a glance at him. He looked… relaxed. As if what had just happened was nothing more than an amusing inconvenience.“You’re enjoying this,” she muttered, half in disbelief.Dylan smirked. “Of course I am.” He slipped his hands into his pockets, looking utterly at ease. “Nothing’s more entertaining than watching someone like Bobby realize he’s not as important as he thinks.”Olivia shook her head, still processing. “Langford,” she murmured. “As in that Langford?”Dylan didn’t confirm nor deny it, but the way his lips twitched in amusement was answer enough.“Dylan.” Olivia stopped walking, turning fully to face him. “Who are you?”For a moment, he didn’t answer. Just studied her, as if debating how m
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221: The Future in Flame “I wouldn’t have told you if I wasn’t.” Dylan nodded. “Then let’s burn the world down.” He typed the command. A loading bar began to climb. Lilith stepped up beside him and pulled a drive from her coat—sleek, unlabeled, humming softly. “My code’s on here,” she said. “It’ll mimic the framework of Ignis Core perfectly. I’ve even embedded some of your old code from before you joined Ash. They’ll think it’s legit. Familiar. But once it activates… recursive detonation.” She handed it to him. He plugged it in. The system blinked. Code spilled across the screen—lines upon lines of luminous, perfect deception. Lilith crossed her arms as she watched. “We’ve got one shot at this.” Dylan didn’t look away from the screen. “Then we make it count.” The lights dimmed for a moment as the system initiated a shadow crawl—spreading the false Ignis Core like a virus in slow motion. Unseen. Waiting. When it was done, Dylan stood back, eyes cold. “Now we wait for them
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220 Another pause. Then the faint sound of typing. “You want a paper trail?” “I want everything. Timeline?” “Standard turnaround is three days—” “Yesterday,” she cut in coldly. “I want to know everything.” The line stayed quiet for another beat, then the voice softened just a little. “Got it. I’ll be in touch.” Jane hung up before he could say anything else. She stood still for a moment, the city buzzing around her, oblivious. The ache in her cheek was fading now. But something else was forming beneath it. A plan. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. She might not have been the mother Molly needed—but she was still the sharpest weapon in the room. And it was time to cut through the lies. **** “God, that hurt,” Jane muttered under her breath, wincing as she touched her cheek again. Jane exhaled slowly, tucking the phone into her coat. Her fingers were trembling slightly, but not from fear. Anticipation. She turned to herself, muttering quietly, “Let them play the her
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219 Jane was a good actress.Always had been.The tears never came when they were supposed to, and yet she could conjure them on command. A trembling voice, a haunted look, a furious, grieving mother storming into the middle of someone else’s crisis like she owned it—she wore the mask well. She always had.She could remember the first time she learned how useful a lie could be. She was ten, maybe eleven. Her father had forgotten to pick her up from piano class. Again. When she walked home alone, cold and soaked from the rain, her mother demanded to know why she hadn’t called.“I dropped the phone,” Jane had said. “It broke.”Not true. Not even close.But her mother had sighed, pulled her into a towel, and mumbled something about how her father never remembered the important things. That day, Jane realized that people didn’t want the truth. They wanted a version of it they could live with.Molly’s disappearance? Tragic, yes. Maddening, of course. But gut-wrenching?Not exactly.She fe
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218Her cheek was on fire.The skin throbbed beneath her fingertips, every heartbeat pumping more heat into the wound Lilith had left. Jane could feel the swelling already—tight and raw, as if a thousand needles were pricking her at once. Her ears rang from the sound of the slap, but louder still was the pounding of her own pride, screaming at her that she couldn’t—wouldn’t—let this end with her standing there, humiliated.No.Not like this.Not with Dylan between them, not with Lilith standing there looking like some righteous, self-important goddess. Not when her cheek was burning like it was trying to peel off her damn face.Jane’s eyes locked on Lilith—and without a second thought, without hesitation or grace, she struck.Her hand shot out fast and furious, an explosion of motion that cracked across Lilith’s face with a sickening sound. Her palm connected hard, and the impact shuddered down her arm like a jolt.Lilith’s head snapped to the side. Her hair, half-loose from the earli
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217Jane’s chest heaved, her breath coming fast and shallow. Her eyes burned—wild, furious, and unrelenting. She pointed a shaking finger at Dylan, voice trembling but loud enough to draw the attention of a passing couple across the street.“I left you, Dylan. You. Not Molly.”Her voice dropped, turning venomous and precise, like she was lashing each syllable across his face. “Both of you were the chains wrapped around my neck. You—some pathetic, broke, useless excuse of a man. A man with no future, no plan, no spine. Every day I spent in that house was like dying slowly. I did the right thing leaving. And guess what? I’m better for it. Stronger. Smarter. And soon, I’ll be a very rich woman. Not just locally. Not just nationally. Internationally. Bobby’s making it happen.”Dylan blinked, once, then twice. For a second he said nothing, just looked at her—really looked at her. At the expensive earrings, the glossy lipstick, the clothes tailored to perfection. All the glitter piled on to
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216 “I left Molly,” she whispered. “I left her behind. I thought she’d be better off without the mess I was making. I thought Dylan—God—he was supposed to protect her.” “I think he’s been trying,” Lisa said softly. “But he’s hiding something. Maybe a lot of things.” “And he brought Lilith into this,” Jane muttered. “Of course he did. Of course.” There was venom in her voice when she said Lilith’s name. Jane had met the woman twice—both times by accident, and both times left her with the distinct impression that Lilith was a wolf smiling in a fur coat. Jane’s breathing became shallow. She looked around her kitchen like she was searching for something to punch. The cabinets were too sturdy. The walls were too silent. “She’s just a little girl,” Jane said, her voice cracking. “She still calls bees ‘buzzies’ and thinks thunder means God’s bowling. How the hell could he keep this from me?” Lisa didn’t speak. “I’m going to find him,” Jane said suddenly, moving. Her voice was low and
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215Her hand slowly dropped from her cheek. “You’re talking about her like she’s a monster.”“She’s not,” Dylan said. “She’s human. But that doesn’t make her a mother.”A long silence stretched between them.Lilith said nothing, letting the space breathe, letting the weight of truth settle.Lisa looked at her, and for once, there was no bite in her voice. Just a raw kind of confusion. “Why didn’t you tell me?”Lilith looked back evenly. “Because you were too busy setting the stage.”Lisa’s lip trembled. “I didn’t know…”“No,” Dylan said, softer now. “You didn’t want to know.”He stepped past her then, toward the street, toward whatever came next. He was done with the confrontation. Done with the theater. There were more important things to do.Molly needed him.Lilith followed without a word, falling into step beside him.Lisa stood in the middle of the sidewalk, surrounded by the remnants of her own performance—watchers gone, the spotlight faded.She was alone now.And the weight of
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214 Infact it was her shady car buyers and Dylan mistook them as people there to try to kill him. “Who are they?” Lilith asked. Lisa didn’t answer. She turned back to Dylan instead. “Don’t play dumb. Don’t pretend you’re in danger. You’re not the victim here. You never have been.” “Then what’s the show for?” Lilith asked. “I told you,” Lisa snapped. “People deserve to know what kind of man he is.” “People already think they know,” Lilith said. “You’re just hammering it in. Why now? Why here? What’s happening that you don’t want anyone to see?” Lisa’s jaw clenched. She took another step back. But Dylan had already started mentally mapping the exit points. The alley to their right. The cafe entrance. The fire escape four buildings down. He wasn’t just seeing Lisa anymore—he was reading the whole board. This wasn’t random. And the moment he’d seen her, standing there with her coat too perfect, voice too loud, eyes too bright, he’d known. It was all wrong. It wasn’t grief or
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213“She finally divorced you,” Lisa said, the words slicing the air like glass. Her voice was calmer now, but only because she knew she’d drawn blood. “Finally. And thank God she did. Jane is building a life now—a future. Something you would have ruined if she’d stayed. You dragged her down long enough.”The words settled over the sidewalk like ash. A few onlookers had stopped, heads turning, phones subtly raised. The city had its own rhythm—cars hissing by on wet asphalt, neon lights flickering in windows—but all of it dimmed under Lisa’s voice.Dylan stood frozen for a beat too long. His hands curled into fists, not out of anger, but restraint. His heart pounded like a war drum behind his ribs. He wanted to yell, to peel back her lies in front of everyone, to lay out the complexities of what had really happened—what Jane had chosen to ignore, what she had run from long before any betrayal.But he knew how this would look.Lisa always knew how to hold a stage. How to paint herself i
