"Are you sure with this, Mr. Leo Luciano? This is practically negligence to me as a doctor---"
"Just do it." Leo crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned back on his chair as the doctor froze in his seat, adjusting, as if he's uncomfortable with the solution he's suggesting. In order to carry out in the party without having to worry something, he had to drug Zella Albert to sleep.
"We have complications if I let him sleep for the entire afternoon, Leo. You don't mind that at all, right?"
What's there to care, anyway? Leo wouldn't be that much anxious about her. She's not a Calvorite citizen. Zella is even a death convict, so Leo wouldn't bother saving her life twice. He only did it once, just because Randall brought him and she's innocent upon welcoming death too early.
"You know her, and who she is, doctor. She's a death convict, a Telamur citizen who escaped the borders, a lawbreaker. I just saved her life back then because I wasn't the one who run her over. If I did, I would just leave him out in the road." This is the real Leo. A ruthless man, cruel and dark, who killed every rebel out of their mercy, not even letting them beg for their life.
"I'm aware of that. Still, Leo, she's innocent. She may not know it now, but she'll eventually find out someday."
Leo wished it wouldn't be sooner. If the time's right, the time should be right.
"Just inject her medicine, and make sure she doesn't wake up until noon. I wanted her sleeping until noon tomorrow." The doctor bowed his head down. Leo returned the gesture, stood up from his seat, and walked out of the door.
…
"Good job." He closed the door, and smiled at the doctor. They're all on suits now. The Cassanos checked their watches, their pistols intact inside their coats, and they're an hour before the show started. Leo tapped the doctor's shoulders.
"We're going now. Make sure she slept the whole night while we're away."
The doctor nodded, and the Cassanos buttoned their coats, went to the staircase and disappeared from sight.
Leo pressed a button on his smart watch and the limousine beeped inside the mansion. Randall was the first one to ride inside, followed by the four of them. Off they set to the Calvorite Hall in a matter of minutes.
Leo checked the wire inside his watch.
Randall tapped in some buttons and played some music at the stereo. Vincent, Etienne and Jon Cho all have come silent as they relaxed on the song.
"I wish the party has a lot of drinks," Etienne mumbled.
…
The banquet wasn't that different from the party held inside the Calvorite Hall. It's all the same, nothing has changed. Leo wore his dark mask, and the masquerade at the middle of the dance floor had already begun. The Cassanos spread wide.
Etienne joined in the small huddle of the circle, in which Leo concluded as his high school classmates. Jon Cho surprised a lonely woman on the table and chattered with her. Randall shook his hands with the businessmen, and Vincent was surrounded by a bunch of girls.
All of them have their own business when it comes to party. Leo liked to be alone, it isn't because he's an introvert, but he's someone who doesn't want to start a conversation and should be the one to end it, too. Leo retrieved a wine glass from the tray and drank the rich champagne on it.
As he was enjoying the taste, a woman came by, turning to him. They met each other's eyes.
"Oh! I recognized you right away. I'm Hailey Tyran, Jeremy's sister." Leo was a bit taken aback by the sudden introduction of the woman with a blonde hair. She isn't the same color as Jeremy. Probably she had a different father than him. Leo placed down the wineglass, smiling at her hand reaching out, and didn't shake it.
A courtesy and respect was that he should shake it. But Leo tended to break that rule overtime. He never wanted to play pretend with some people he didn't like in the first place.
Hailey withdrew her hand, shyly looking down, and grasped the purse tightly.
Leo had a knack to humiliate everyone with just a simple look. He must be an expert.
"Hailey Tyran? Yeah, I've heard you. Jeremy set me up on you on different blind dates. So it's no use if you introduced your name to me again." Leo tried so different methods to shake Hailey away from him, and now that he faked his marriage, it would be easy. Unless… Zella isn't a death convict.
Leo couldn't offer the information publicly. He won't let Zella Albert get caught abruptly. She might take her life if Leo failed to protect her.
"You never showed up, Leo. I don't even know how to contact you. You ignored me too much. Jeremy won't even give me your phone number." Leo got annoyed with clingy women. He never wanted to settle in a relationship when a woman was similar to a leech, always attached to you like she never have a life.
This sister of Jeremy Tyran was one of them.
"That's because I don't like you and I'm not interested on blind dates. So could you please…"
Before Hailey could even react, Jeremy Tyran came up behind his sister, laughing in accord. Leo turned to the other side, rolling his eyes. Good thing he's on a mask and everyone here didn't seem to notice his frustrated reaction.
"Look who's here! Leo, my man!" Jeremy sought to have a hug first before initiating a conversation. Part of what Leo didn't want upon socializing with people. That's why the Cassanos have gone surprised to act as a lovely husband in front of Zella Albert.
Leo gave Jeremy only a tap on the back, and go on with the conversation.
"I see you have just met my sister, right?" Hailey wasn't in the mood to be gleeful of the conversation. She just got busted by no other than Leo Luciano, one of the richest men in Calvorite, and the CEO of Luciano Corp. Hailey crossed her arms over her chest, and turned to his brother.
She probed, "I don't want to get set up with a rude man again, Mr. Jeremy Tyran. Go find me another man that isn't like Leo, please."
Jeremy got surprised with his sister's remark, widening his eyes. Hailey fleeted a look to Leo, and stomped her heels away. Jeremy tried to catch up with his sister, but it didn't work out. He furrowed his eyebrows, asking, "Why did you do that to my sister?"
"I don't want her, that's all."
"But she's vital to your plan." What kind of plan is Jeremy talking about?
"I don't need another member, Jeremy, I thought we agreed on this."
"You need Hailey, Leo. She's one of those people who know how to read minds. Be careful on who you stepped onto. Not everything will go your way," Jeremy warned. Leo didn't back down from his stare, picking up the champagne glass, and watched as it whirled inside the glass.
"I'm reminding you of a meeting after the party. To my office, the rest of the Cassanos should come, too."