"You should have minded your own business," Leonardo whispered to him, his voice echoing through the darkness surrounding him. "I don't tolerate interference."
Austin's pulse beat faster with fear and confusion. He tried to push against Leonardo's grip, to shake himself free, but his limbs felt heavy, unresponsive.He was suffocating, his very life slipping away, sinking into a thick fog, drowning in a nightmare he couldn't wake from.Somewhere in the back of his consciousness, he clung to Vanessa's image—her voice, her laughter, the warmth she had shown him. It was that thought, fleeting but desperate, that kept him fighting against the pull of unconsciousness.
Just then, a voice broke through the void. Vanessa's voice. "Leonardo, please stop!" she cried, her tone filled with urgency and fear. "This isn't necessary. You're hurting him. Please… let him go."
Leonardo's gaze shifted to her, considering, his grip loosening slightly. Austin gasped from his burning lungs, dragging in precious air. He was too dazed to process what was happening, his thoughts disjointed and chaotic.
"Always defending the weak," Leonardo murmured, his tone laced with disdain as he studied Vanessa, anger still flashing in his eyes. "Why is he worth your defense?"
"Let him go!" Vanessa shouted.
Leonardo turned to look at him with pity; after a moment of tension, he released his grip. Austin crumpled to the floor, gasping and coughing, his body trembling as oxygen rushed back into his burning lungs. The world snapped back into focus. The restaurant's lights and sounds returned, his vision clearing as the twisted reality unraveled around him.
Vanessa was at his side in an instant, kneeling beside him, her hands hovering over him as though afraid to touch him. "Austin," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"
Austin couldn't reply; his throat was raw, and he was still struggling to make sense of what had just happened. He could feel her hands on his shoulder, warm and steadying, but his mind remained fogged with fear and confusion clouding his thoughts, leaving him vulnerable.
Leonardo stood above them, his expression cold and unreadable. "You've done your worst," Vanessa said sharply, turning her gaze to him with anger.
Leonardo studied her for a long moment before giving a faint, almost mocking smile.
"Actions have consequences, Vanessa." He said simply.
Vanessa turned back to Austin, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't want this to happen. I never meant for you to be dragged into this."
Austin stared at her, his mind whirling with questions, but his voice failed him. Before he could muster a reply, Vanessa pulled away, standing to her feet. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, a mixture of guilt and sorrow in her expression, torn between staying or following Leonardo. But then, steeling herself, she turned and walked out with Leonardo.
Austin remained on the floor, his breaths shallow and uneven. Whatever had just happened, it was far beyond anything he could comprehend. The woman he thought he was beginning to understand was enshrouded in mysteries he wasn't sure he wanted to unravel.
At a quiet coffee shop, Austin sat alone, his fingers nervously stirring his cup absentmindedly, his mind looping through the events of last night. He couldn't shake the look Vanessa had given him, the worry and sadness in her eyes, the tension radiating from her as she spoke to him, and then the disastrous sudden arrival of Leonardo that had intruded on their moment and his mysterious threat. "Why on earth was she involved with someone like that?" he thought.The memory left a bitter taste and confusion; questions burned within him, pushing him to dig deeper into the mysteries that seemed to surround her.
The bell above the coffee shop door rang, snapping Austin from his thoughts. As Leonardo walked in, Austin's heart sank as anxiety gripped him. His pulse began to beat heavily, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Leonardo was dressed in a crisp black shirt and trousers, the collar unbuttoned just enough to reveal a glinting silver chain that held a mysterious, glittering stone at its center.The air of confidence and authority surrounding him.
"Why is this weirdo here?" Austin began to think, the weight of Leonardo's presence making him feel vulnerable in some way; this made Austin so annoyed that he felt like getting up and leaving, but something rooted him to stay seated.
As Leonardo scanned the room like a predator, he locked his eyes on Austin and smirked. Without invitation, he crossed the room, his polished leather black dress shoes gleaming under the lights as he moved. He slid into the seat across from Austin; he was calm, and his gaze was heavy and unblinking. This was no ordinary man; what could he possibly want from Austin, and why is his gaze so piercing?
Austin spoke, trying to keep his voice steady. "Why are you here?"
"I wanted to see you, Austin. After all, it seems you've developed quite an interest in Vanessa." Leonardo replied, his lips curled into a faint smile, as though he found amusement in the situation.
Austin stared back at him; his head was boiling, and he clenched his jaw and clenched his fist under the table.
"And what's it to you? I don't think that's any of your business," he replied, straightening his shoulders, not to express fear at all.
Leonardo's face suddenly changed into a serious expression.
"You are naive," he said, each word deliberate, slicing through the air. "And everything that involves Vanessa is my business. You see, our lives are... tangled in things far beyond your comprehension, things that can destroy you."
He leaned forward, his eyes piercing down at Austin.
"I'm telling you, my friend," he said before he paused.
"Whatever ideas you have about her are really dangerously naive."