“I know why you're here, but I won't give it to you," Arya declared, her cold eyes burning with defiance.

The two men froze in shock.

It was becoming more and more likely that it was Arya who poisoned Cyrus.

That begged the question: what was Arya's endgame?

"Let's take her with us. We need to pay Bartley a visit," Gerard ordered coldly.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Bartley's house.

Bartley came out of the house when he heard a commotion on his doorstep. His jaw went slack with shock when he saw the cause of said commotion.

“What... what is this? What are you trying to do? What has my daughter done?" he demanded in a shaky voice, stumbling down the steps in his haste. In that moment, he was simply a father worried about the safety of his daughter.

"She has been accused of hiring assassins to kill someone and attempting to flee. According to the laws of Luna Island, killing her ten times over wouldn't be amiss," Xavier replied icily, his voice brimming with contempt.

Bartley's world crumbled like a house of cards. Xavier's presence was one thing, but with Gerard and Barth in the mix, Arya's innocence seemed as likely as finding ice in the Sahara.

"Is there some kind of misunderstanding?" he muttered, his voice barely audible.

“Hand over the Winter Wood, or your father will pay for your mistakes." Gerard punctuated his words with a swift kick to Arya's knee, sending her tumbling to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.

"No way, you have no right. My father hasn't done anything wrong!"

Arya's protest hung in the air, cut short as Gerard drew his weapon, aiming it at Bartley's forehead with a fierce look.

"Please don't hurt him."

Arya's face drained of color; she hadn't completely lost her moral compass to the point of sacrificing her own father.

A deep sorrow washed over Bartley “Arya, what else are you hiding from me? What game are you playing?"

Arya's expression hardened, her icy gaze briefly piercing Barth in the corner.

“Everyone, leave. I need to talk to him," she commanded, her eyes a labyrinth of emotions with a fleeting spark of warmth.

Xavier looked to Gerard, waiting for the green light. Gerard then glanced at Barth, who seemed lost in a fog of confusion.

“Let's give them some space," Gerard said curtly, ushering Xavier and Bartley away. "You have ten minutes. If you can't come to an agreement, you'll face the consequences.”

Since Lilah had entered the picture, Gerard's approach had become somewhat more lenient.

In days gone by, those who caused trouble didn't even get a chance to explain themselves.

The night air bit like a hungry wolf, and the moon cast its eerie glow over the scene.