"Ryan and Valentina."
Ivan stood up, turning to the others.
"Those damn fuckers," Shantel muttered. "Who do they want out of the picture?"
The attackers glanced guiltily at Callistus. Mia quickly caught on and turned to Ivan.
"They want him dead," she said quietly. "They want him gone so you'd have no choice but to—"
"Marry her to save their company," Ivan finished, anger in his eyes.
"We've already said CloudWave and Chase Auctions can't have any contact," Star reminded her brother. "This isn't contact—this is an assassination attempt."
Ivan clenched his fist. "If they're willing to go this far, they won't stop."
Everyone turned toward the attackers, who were then released with a warning.
"Tell Ryan and Valentina that in a month, we'll meet at the warehouse. They should be prepared," Ivan said, gun pointed at their heads before letting them go.
The attackers, still injured, ran off, preferring escape over death.
"We need to involve the authorities," Star said once the attackers were gone and everyone was back inside. "But first, we have to make sure they don't try anything else."
As the group began discussing plans, Callistus tried to get involved, but no one paid much attention to him. Seeing this, Ivan quickly pulled him into the laundry room.
"I know you want to help, Cal," Ivan said gently. "But they're targeting you now, and I can't risk anything happening to you. Not after all these years of looking for you."
"What about you?" Callistus asked, his voice a mix of frustration and concern. "If something happens to you, what do I do?"
"Nothing will happen to me," Ivan reassured him, pulling him into a hug. "I promise."
"You better come back in one piece," Callistus sighed.
—
The week went on as usual. By Monday and Tuesday, everyone gathered at the house to discuss the plan. Although Callistus wasn't directly involved, he still understood the details.
They reviewed the warehouse blueprint, revealing its large size with crates of valuable things that weren't sold in previous auctions.
"You really decided to meet there?" Mia looked at Ivan, arms crossed. "The amount of shit we will destroy is going to be unimaginable."
"The things have already been moved and stored somewhere else," Ivan said. "Let's just hope nothing happens before the meeting."
Everyone left, preparing for the showdown at the warehouse. Callistus took Ivan's hand and pressed it to his cheek.
"I never should have found you," Callistus sighed. "Now, I've dragged you into trouble."
"It'll be fine, Cal," Ivan reassured him softly, looking into his eyes. "CloudWave started this whole thing anyway. I never planned to help them."
Callistus glanced up, curious.
"It started before I even knew you…"
—
"Ivan! Star! Get over here!" our father called from outside.
We were about 11 years old then, and we ran out to see what he wanted. Another family stood with our parents, and we noticed a boy around our age hiding behind his parents.
"These are our new neighbors. Say hello," our mother said.
Star and I waved to the boy, curious.
"Go say hi, Ryan," the boy's parents urged.
Ryan stepped forward, waving shyly. After that, the Chase and Boogi families became neighbors.
We were just kids, and our parents had big dreams for us — doctors, lawyers, and more.
"They'll grow up healthy and strong," my mother said.
"They'll be something big, I know it," Ryan's father added.
"When they grow up, I think they'll be inseparable," my father replied. "If help is ever needed, they'll turn to each other first."
I remember them joking about that, and Ryan's father saying, "If we ever need help, we could connect our families' names, what do you think?"
My father laughed and agreed, thinking it was just a joke. But as Chase Auctions grew, the Boogi family actually called, asking me to marry Ryan's cousin to save their company.
—
"Damn, what the fuck," Callistus muttered as he headed upstairs to their bedroom. "He opened a vape company, right?"
Ivan nodded, following behind. "Yeah. He didn't think anything else would sell well enough. I don't know what happened to his parents either—we all just lost contact."
"Creepy backstory," Callistus said, pushing the bedroom door open.
Ivan stayed close behind him. Suddenly, he slipped his hand around Callistus' waist, sliding it down to his bottom. Callistus jumped a little, a shiver running down his spine as Ivan rested his head on his shoulder.
"What time is it?" Ivan asked.
Callistus glanced at the clock on the wall. "Ten."
"It's still early," Ivan murmured, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Want a drink? We've got a little left… might as well finish it off."
Callistus nodded, thinking a small drink wouldn't hurt. It could help him sleep faster.
They kept laughing at each other's jokes as Ivan poured the drinks. The "small drink" quickly turned into a few too many, leaving Callistus drunk.
"You think you can still handle more?" Ivan teased.
Callistus' eyes were half-closed, his face flushed. "I wanna go to bed already."
"You sure?" Ivan asked, his voice low, hinting at something else. "Do you think you can make it through the night?"
"What do you mean?" Callistus slurred, confused. "I always make it."
—
"Motherfucker!" Callistus shouted through the house. "You said there was only a little left!"
Ivan laughed as Callistus tried to push him away from the tight embrace in bed, but Ivan held on tighter, refusing to let go.
"So, your back doesn't hurt as much as the first time?" Ivan teased, his eyes fixed on Callistus.
Callistus stayed silent for a moment before starting to squirm, trying to free himself from Ivan's grip.
"Let me go!" he yelled, only to stop as the marks Ivan left on his skin began to sting.
The morning light was just creeping in, the sun barely rising over the horizon, and soon enough, they both drifted back to sleep.
"Three more weeks," Ivan said. "Three more weeks, and you'll be safe after that."
"Aren't you worried about yourself?" Callistus asked, his eyes fixed on Ivan. "You're the one going into battle with him."
"True, but he's coming after you," Ivan replied, sitting next to Callistus at the dining table. "If anything happens to you, I'll have nothing left. Do you understand?"
Callistus sighed and nodded. "Yes."
Ivan chuckled, leaning closer. "That's my baby," he teased, giving Callistus a playful smack on his bottom as he stood up to head to his office. Callistus yelped, his face flushing with surprise and embarrassment.
—
As the days flew by at the office, rumours spread about Callistus and Ivan. The two of them ignored the gossip, staying focused on what mattered. Meanwhile, the others continued to gather at Ivan and Callistus' house, preparing for the meeting. Three weeks turned into two, and soon, only one remained.
Everyone was on edge, nervous about what lay ahead. Callistus did his best to calm them down, though he was scared himself.
—
"What do you mean Callistus went missing?" Mia shouted, her voice echoing through the office. A worker had just given her the news, looking just as worried.