A dark room lit by dim light formed like crystals hung from the narrow ceiling. A round table with nine chairs. A few were taken. A few were empty.
Outside the rooms. Outside the building. In a car.
"That useless brat isn't coming again?" Yolinda straightened her attire as Paul lightly laughed, "You can't blame him, he's a superstar."
"No matter how busy his schedule is, the boss told us a month prior to our meeting. He had enough time to clear his superstar matters for this meeting. We all know how important this is."
"You really hate him, don't you?" Paul amused raised an eyebrow seeing the usual arrogant and elegant Yolinda visibly agitated. Usually, she just turned her lip in disgust without much emotion but now her eyes were burning.
"It's been a while since we've all assembled. Boss should be happy to see us too," Paul hummed as he looked out of the tinted window.
"He's going too easy on him. We had to fly out last second to this country too," Yolinda coldly stared at Paul, "Since you got to mess with that girl. How useless."
Paul only smiled and said nothing. He already got word that Yana survived. Paul had to give it to her for being tenacious enough to survive at least.
The car drove along a beautiful scenery until it was swallowed up by darkness.
"You both finally came?" a crisp female voice rang through the dark room.
All the people sitting around the table were half-covered by darkness. Their faces could not be seen but what could be seen was that alluring red dress of the female and her pale skin with her prominent collar bones.
"I apologise," Paul said as he sat down.
It seemed like he was directing it to everyone else in the room but actually he only said it to the person sitting on the chair opposite to him, the boss. Everyone knew that. The tension was high. Whenever the eight executives of Novom got together, heavier tension and pressure rained down than storm brewing and destroying countries.
"My," the female lightly laughed, "how shameless."
She was indirectly calling Paul out but Paul only smiled and said nothing because the boss spoke up, "Everyone's here except for Aiden."
At this, they looked at the empty chair. The boss's slow yet heavy voice as if he carried wisdom since ancient times vibrated deep inside everyone's bones, "Well, let's begin."
Wine glasses decorated the table and on cue, waiters came out to pour everyone a glass of red wine. Once the waiters left, a sly voice took care of the silence, "We're moving quite fast."
His tone was layered with insidious intentions.
Paul twirled the glass, took a sip before gulping it down, "Isn't that fine? It works anyways. No need to change."
"Did I suggest change? Bad's mine then," a hand tapped on the stone table and various gold rings decorated the fat fingers.
"Paul, you messed up yet the confidence to bliss over your mistakes is… impressive," the light female voice giggled a bit before she mocked him, "What's unimpressive is-"
"I'm taking well care of the country. You ought to keep an eye on yours. Pets can bite back and toys can break under clumsy fingers. Boss, we can continue at this pace," Paul stirred the topic away as he saw that the female was preparing to attack Paul back.
"I agree. We shall continue. Let's discuss the next plans."
"Thank you, boss," Paul smiled into the round. Things would only get busier from now on.
***
Faint sunlight hit Yana's face. Fuzzy, she slowly woke up. Next to her, tightly clinging to her was Luka's peaceful sleeping form. A slight smile formed on Yana's face as she was greeted by this warm sight that made her heart skip. Unknowingly.
Yana didn't move and stayed in Luka's arms. With her delicate fingers, she softly traced along his features. When he slept, he looked like an angel.
So vulnerable and obedient. Yana giggled and her heart felt only fuller. She moved closer and closer to Luka until she planted a light kiss on his forehead. Then she stretched herself and stared at the ceiling before she intertwined her fingers with Luka's. How great it would be if she woke up to Luka like this for the rest of their lives… the rest... of their… lives... thump… thump.
No! Instantly Yana shot up. What was she just thinking about? She got way too distracted by Luka lately, too close to him, too… desperate for the ordinary life again.
Yana took a deep breath in and out. In and out.
With each breath exhaled, the warm glint in Yana's eyes extinguished. With each breath inhaled, a coldness manifested itself in Yana. This was no time to be thinking about Luka.
Yana only wanted to use him. The blanket was thrown away from her body. Her feet steadily put on the ground and with a heave, she stood up, grabbed her phone and made a call in the living room.
Not even waiting for the other side to speak up, Yana harshly spit out, "Send someone over, I'll be going to the mission. Now."
"Yana, you should rest," Roy was perplexed at her attitude.
Yana's wound made itself apparent due to her harsh movements but she brushed it away, "No, we don't have time. Everything rests on us."
And… If Yana were to stay longer, Luka would really get to her. Her goal wasn't to live in ignorant bliss, her goal was to stop Novom and kill the head with her own hands.
Just like how her parents were killed. For revenge, for her the fate of the world and the sad truth, for her only selfishness.
Revenge, saving people, becoming a hero all of these were just lies. The only motive for Yana's goal was her own selfishness. To do something that was heroic in everyone's eyes, after all, who wouldn't want to play the hero if they had the chance?
"Ha..." lies, all lies.
Parents? Love? Yana didn't care about it. Saving other people? Who cared, as long as she survived?
All that Yana really wanted was to pay those back that dragged her into this shitty mess. If Roy back then didn't seek Yana out, sooner or later, Novom would've and Yana's fate was to be tortured and killed by them after they got what they wanted.
So?
Yana decided to beat them before they could get to her. This was all. Everything else was just a major distraction and unnecessary. Yes, Yana lived for her own selfishness. In one way or another, hasn't she always been like this?
***
"Boss, why are you calling again? Please just-"
"Find Yana."
"Wha-? AGAIN? Put a dam- a nice leash around her or just let her go," damn it, Bao was just having such a good dream. Now he had to deal with this crap for the third time! THIRD! Well, they said all good things were three.
"Also, investigate her properly. I want to know everything. From her disappearance almost 6 years ago to now. Everything, don't leave a single thing out."
"Boss?" Bao didn't understand why Luka wanted to do this.
"Understood," yet Luka's chilling voice told Bao he didn't need to understand at all.
All he needed to do was to follow the orders and find that slippery eel of that damned woman again.