The bald man smiled as he walked beside John, saying casually:
"Mr. John Wick, it's been a long time since you last graced our city."
John turned to look at him and started to speak:
"I need to talk to—"
Before he could finish, the bald man interrupted:
"I know. Ms. Alazwa is already waiting for you."
Soon, the two of them reached the hotel entrance and pushed open the doors. Inside was a small plaza, bustling with people holding champagne glasses, as if a grand party was in full swing.
"Mr. Wick, welcome to the Moroccan Continental Hotel. I hope it's to your taste."
The bald man led John Wick through the crowd and deeper into the hotel.
"This way, please. Ms. Alazwa never likes to be kept waiting."
Eventually, the bald man brought John to a room, then said:
"Good luck, Mr. Wick."
And then, with a pointed smile, he said again:
"Good luck."
With that, he stepped out, leaving John alone in the room.
The place was empty. John took a few steps forward. On a round table ahead, he spotted several framed photographs. He picked one up—it was of Sofia and her daughter, smiling together.
Just then, two Belgian Malinois appeared, snarling and baring their teeth at John, ready to strike at any moment.
From the shadows at the back of the room came the unmistakable click of a gun being chambered. A woman emerged, pistol in hand, aiming directly at John as she approached.
"I heard you like dogs, John."
John squinted at the figure moving toward him from the dark, unsure at first:
"Sofia?"
He gently placed the photo back on the table and raised both hands, showing he meant no harm.
Without hesitation, Sofia pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The bullet slammed into John's suit, sending him crashing to the floor with a grunt of pain.
"Sofia!" he gasped. "You can't kill the holder of your blood oath."
Still aiming the gun at him, she stepped closer and said coldly:
"I didn't kill you. I just shot you."
She glanced down and, seeing he wasn't wounded, added:
"Nice suit."
John gritted his teeth, inhaled sharply, then shook off his jacket. A flattened bullet clattered to the ground.
It was the latest custom-made bulletproof suit from the Continental. Even with that protection, taking a hit at close range still hurt like hell.
John looked up at her.
"It's good to see you."
Sofia clenched her jaw.
"I should've blown your head off the second you walked in."
She knew John's appearance meant trouble was on the way.
Lying on the floor, John muttered:
"I know."
He slowly sat up, then reached into the inner pocket of his suit.
Sofia tensed. "Don't."
But instead of a weapon, John pulled out the blood oath marker she had once given him.
She kept her gun trained on him but said:
"You've been excommunicado, John. That marker doesn't mean anything anymore."
John rose to his feet, holding the marker out to her.
"This is your blood."
"Your promise."
"When you needed help, I was there."
He repeated back to her the very words others had once said to him.
Sofia sighed, then finally lowered her weapon. Looking at him with resignation, she said:
"Sit."
At her command, the two dogs instantly sat.
John glanced at them, still holding the marker.
"I meant you, John," she said, rolling her eyes.
She turned and sat down on the couch. John followed, taking a seat.
"You do realize I'm part of the hotel management now, right?" she said. "I don't do field work anymore. I'm not going to walk out there and start shooting people in the head."
John raised a hand in reassurance.
"I'm not asking you to kill anyone. I just need one thing."
Sofia narrowed her eyes.
"What thing?"
She paused, as if suspecting what he meant but unwilling to say it.
John looked at her intently and said:
"The Dragon Pearl. The one you're holding."
Sofia didn't respond directly. Instead, she shifted the topic:
"When I agreed to run this hotel, I made a deal."
"A deal that means I follow the rules of the High Table."
"Letting you in here could already get me killed."
Then, her expression hardened.
"One mistake. One new enemy. That's all it takes for someone to go after my daughter."
"I know what you did to get her out."
"But I can't risk it again. I'm sorry."
John lowered his head, his voice quiet:
"Do you want to know where she is?"
Sofia stared at him.
"No. I never wanted to know."
"Because I don't trust myself not to go looking."
"A part of me wants to see her… and I kill that part of me every single day."
"Just to keep her safe."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"Sometimes, you have to kill what you love most."
"That's why I gave you the marker."
"That's why I'm here now. And why everything's a mess."
John looked down at the marker in his hand.
"Poetic justice…"
Sofia nodded.
"Yeah. Poetic justice."
After a pause, John finally said:
"Just give me the Dragon Pearl you're holding."
"I know you have one. Hand it over, and we're even."
"I'll disappear. None of this will touch you again."
With that, he placed the blood oath marker on the table and slid it toward her.
—End of chapter—
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