After Leuther displayed his reasonable virtues in life, he went out from the ruckus with eyes that shone but lost their twinkle.
Darkness engulfed every space as the sound of a shattered glass entered his ears stepping on it. He felt dizzy as the stench of rotten garbage drifted in the air. The dead leaves violently whirled around the desolate road as speeding cars honked to nothingness.
Leuther was contemplating to give Ythan a call, when he saw him across the road, tinkering his watch inside the car. He smiled as he walked to meet him.
Hearing Leuther's footsteps fastened with all types of deception, Ythan immediately rolled the windows down, still focused on his new toy.
"My, my, look who's waiting for me. Did I melt your cold heart already? If that's the case," Leuther stood beside the car and rested his arms on the window. He leaned closer to Ythan at finger's length, "we can set our marriage on an earlier date."
Ythan heard no single word. He was preoccupied with his watch blinking a few times. The red dot had now turned blue and became stationary. He remembered an article in the manual and concluded that the little kitten had fallen into slumber.
"Mr. Harris, can you also teach me with your fluent Italian accent? I love to add it in my roster of languages," Leuther chuckled and praised Mr. Harris' exceptional talent of being a perfect disguise a dozen times.
Mr. Harris smiled through the rearview mirror.
'Ythan, Ythan, Ythan, you surely found one hell of a butler and companion.'
"Why did you ask for my help?" Ythan's voice was indifferent. His consciousness now awakened with the image of a kitten licking its paws.
Leuther saw the familiar device on Ythan's wrist. Although it was still under the beta stage, his fraternal twin, Renzo, was able to convince the company's board members to fund millions for this project.
"We're not yet married, but you're already keeping a mistress? Who dares to steal you from me?" Leuther raised his eyebrow.
Ythan's stoic face turned to Leuther.
"You can stop the act right now. You know I'm not interested in your little games."
"Well, that's sad." Leuther pouted.
Known as the man whose determination is as hard as a rock, Leuther fixed his spine and shivered as the moist wind dampened his skin. He rubbed his hands and placed his face on the cusp of his fingers. A cold vapor blew out from his mouth as he exhaled deeply.
The bodyguard was about to take off his suit to shield the gentleman from the cold when Leuther's gaze stabbed him.
Leuther hugged himself.
"Ythan, I feel cold. You should at least let me in," Leuther's exquisite voice of seduction increased everyone's body temperature. Sad to say, it had done nothing to the young master.
Ythan pulled out a box wrapped with a black and white ribbon from the car's compartment. He opened it and tossed the piece of garbage to his childhood friend.
"You can use that while standing there."
As soon as his hands caught it, Leuther could not help but giggle.
The glossy pink jacket was the gift he bought for Ythan, upon hearing the news of their engagement from their parents months ago.
He remembered how he laughed so hard, as his mind pictured Ythan stomping on the neon dancefloor, swaying to the beat of Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk while wearing the jacket when he bought it.
"I never thought you could be this sentimental. The man who never accepted gifts indeed kept mine." Leuther chuckled.
"It was left at the car since our engagement. It's good that you reminded me." Ythan smirked.
"Don't be like that. Look! I'm wearing the earring you gave me!" Leuther flashed the earrings as he made unkind mental comparisons.
"It's from my father, not mine."
"..."
'That's it! I'm done with you!' Leuther was trying to suppress the throbbing flames in his heart, but Ythan's arrogance fuelled it to become a wildfire.
"You are indeed a bastard, Ythan!" Leuther kicked the wheels of the car as the peak of his patience slapped him.
He turned his body to leave when he heard Ythan's demanding voice.
"You didn't answer my question."
Leuther sighed helplessly and picked up his phone. He tapped with his fingers a few times before he put the phone back in his pocket and left.
Ythan did not wait for his phone to vibrate. As soon as he received Leuther's message, he read it immediately.
From: Leuther
Message: The assassin is knowledgeable about all types of poisons. Your Black Markus which has an unknown antidote is perfect for my liking. Now that we're even, you can erase that little debt of yours.
Ythan grinned in satisfaction.
'Leuther, you really are downright pretentious to the core.'
He was putting the phone back in his pocket when it vibrated once again.
From: Leuther
Message: See you at school :*
The veins on Ythan's forehead constricted. Several possibilities of what could go wrong in his plans flashed like lightning in his mind.
'Don't you ever try to mess with me, Leuther.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leuther entered the car and slumped his back on the seat. He propped up his head with his hand, and allowed time to pass by as he looked at the ambiguous images through the window.
Leuther started to eat death threats for breakfasts not a long time ago. Although they tasted bitter, his appetite grew accustomed to them. From assassins to gunmen — name them all — they were always on a hot pursuit to claim his elusive head. Using the pool of resources he amassed, materials and connections-wise, he successfully pulverized them at the young age of seventeen.
Scheming was the name of Leuther's game. From politicians to mafia leaders — he lured them into his territory using all kinds of tricks. He bribed and controlled them with money, blood, and false promises, but never his body. Though these prominent identities were after his tight passage, dreaming that one day, they could feel the excitement of deflowering a virgin young man worthy of his status and appeal, Leuther thrived not to go beyond that extent.
With the right tactics and strategies, Leuther could bewitch anyone he targetted — he could make a straight ruler bend on his will. No one could resist his exotic charm — he could pull and push everyone into the edge of excitement, shackling them under his mercy. Once one was captured by his hex, it was almost impossible to get out; and if one could manage to do so, the bounty on Leuther's head increased a million folds.
He could blame no one but himself in this predicament. He did all of this to protect his father and his father's company. He knew that their company was his father's blood, and he would do anything to save it, no matter what the cost was. Believing that he could make his father happy, he dared not to mention all the stratagems he successfully pulled off to save their company from the brink of destruction. He played with fire behind his father's back.
But beneath this dangerous beauty, the man who wore a hundred masks also yearned to be the dove that pops out from the magic hat — created to fly and to be free.
"Thank you, Carlson." Leuther smiled at his bodyguard as he got out from the car and entered the mansion.
He felt the dryness prickling his tongue which forced his feet to swivel in the kitchen. He took his glasses off and pinched the top of his nose as his world turn into a blur.
"Erzi [1], are you all right?" Leuther flinched, and a hazy man appeared at the kitchen bar. He hurriedly wore his glasses.
Like a mirage, Leuther saw the most important person in his life. The man was reading a newspaper when he peeked to look at Leuther on his spectacles.
At the sight of his father, Leuther's stomach and heart churned. His feet rooted to the ground, and his facial muscles paralyzed.
"Erzi? What's wrong?" Mr. Weng Collins closed the newspaper and stood with his brows tightened.
'Baba. Baba came back.' [2]
Hearing his father's voice for the second time, his feet were freed from the chains binding them. He dashed towards him, and his arms encircled the man he loved the most.
"Baba! When did you come back? Why didn't you tell me?" Leuther's voice cracked as he struggled to hold back his tears.
"Why would I? I know that you became a busy man since I was gone." Mr. Weng returned his son's embrace and gently stroke his back.
He pulled his son from his chest and stared directly at his eyes.
"I'm sorry if I left you and your brother. There were just things that required my direct attention. You're smart to know that, Erzi."
As his father's eyes tugged his soul, the lens that captured his father's apology brightened. He knew that he should bellow the words long imprisoned from his heart since he left them, but Leuther couldn't. His father was too precious to be hurt —he was the only man who loved him.
"I know, baba." Leuther pursed his lips.
Mr. Weng sighed and roamed his eyes around the big villa.
"Where's your brother?"
"I already told you last time. He transferred to his small quarters at the company a month after you left," Leuther answered.
Mr. Weng let out another sigh and retreated to the kitchen bar. He motioned for Leuther to sit beside him.
"Let's talk then."
Leuther followed and took a seat.
"About what?"
"Marriage. Your marriage in particular." Mr. Weng's misty-eyes stirred Leuther's emotions.
"Erzi, if you don't want it, then tell me. Baba will think of another way."
Leuther shook his head.
"There's no other way. We both knew that the Hopkins Corporation is our only saving grace."
Mr. Weng closed his eyes and sighed for the third time.
"If only Martyn has a daughter."
Leuther fidgeted. His father's words agitated his emotions to a greater extent.
"If only..." Leuther's eyes darted from side to side as he barely heard his own voice.
"Take a good rest. Baba will take the lead from now on. You did a good job." Mr. Weng patted his son's head with a smile.
"How about Renzo?"
"Let him be. I'll think of another plan to deal with him."
Leuther nodded.
Mr. Weng and Leuther dragged their feet out, scuffing their shoes on the floor with their every step.
As soon as Leuther closed his bedroom door, his eyelids became heavy. His senses turned dull, and the crushing weight of his muscles and bones almost drew his lifeforce out. He swayed from side to side as he hurled his own body to the bed and hanged his hands limply on the edges.
Deep in Leuther's mind, he was exhausted — drained from all the dramas happening in his supposed to be a normal teenage life.