A heavy silence enveloped the courtyard.
Under the moonlight, only Lilah's soft sighs broke the quiet.
Barth quickly left, casting one last, complex glance at Lilah that she vividly recalled.
Resentment, surprise, bewilderment, sorrow...
A sense of resignation washed over Lilah. She had never intended for things to turn out this way.
“Why are you still awake?" Gerard came over and sat next to her after just putting Jerrold to bed, the scent of milk lingering on his clothes.
Leaning against his shoulder, Lilah whispered, “Is it really over between me and Barth?"
Gerard paused to caress her hair and said, “We're just seeing how things unfold, Lilah. Barth was never one to passively accept things."
Lilah nodded in agreement. That was indeed true.
Yet, with the ongoing strife with Barth, she couldn't predict his next move.
"Why do people change? We never imagined it would come to this."
Lilah thought back to the straightforward, uncomplicated man Barth used to be. He was a changed man now.
"As long as we stay true to ourselves, that's what matters," Gerard comforted her as he drew her onto his lap, his tone soothing and tender.
Lilah chuckled softly.
The following morning, the three elderly men called a meeting for the senior leaders.
More than twenty individuals attended, with Lilah playing a crucial role.
"Cyrus, what are you getting at? Are you actually proposing that we pass the leadership to Lilah?" Bartley stood up abruptly after Cyrus finished speaking, his voice sharp and confrontational.
The rest of the deputy leaders quickly chimed in, causing a commotion in the spacious hall.
“Enough, everyone quiet down," Devonte demanded, his voice icy and authoritative, making everyone's skin crawl. “This issue has been resolved. The league leader's token is now in her possession. Any objections?"
His commanding presence silenced the crowd.
The deputy Leaders exchanged looks, and then all eyes turned to Barth, who was sitting quietly off to the side, appearing detached.
Yet he couldn't truly be detached, as this was not the plan they had agreed on the previous evening.
“Barth, what are your thoughts?" Bartley asked.
Everyone's attention focused on Barth.