Bruno didn’t move an inch. He simply met Aaron’s furious glare with a cold, silent stare that stretched for several agonizing seconds.
"I’m going to kill you," Aaron hissed, his breath hitching. "Just like you killed Ari. So... are you going to just sit there until I’m done?"
Bruno remained perfectly still, his voice unbothered. "I didn't kill your fiancée. I’ve told you that a dozen times. Don't do something you’ll regret later."
"Regret?" Aaron sneered. "I highly doubt it."
"What if I prove to you that I didn't kill her?"
"I can't believe a single word you say, so don't even try," Aaron snapped, his grip tightening on the weapon. "Everything was crystal clear."
"Even after the autopsy report confirmed she died of an illness, you’re still insisting I’m the killer?"
"That report was a forged lie! I found out later, so don't try to use it as an excuse."
"Did Konar tell you that?" Bruno’s lips curved into a bitter, dark smile. "He’s really putting quite an effort into destroying his own child, isn't he?"
"Don't you dare bring up my father!"
"Aaron, put the gun down," Bruno said, his tone shifting into something heavier. "It seems you’ve forgotten that I am your uncle."
"Shame on me if I ever consider a monster like you my uncle! You’re just a murderous bastard. Even Yohan... you’re the one who caused his death!"
The mention of Yohan snapped something inside Bruno. With a sudden burst of rage, he lunged forward, pushing Aaron back. Aaron stumbled but kept his balance, keeping the weapon raised and leveled at Bruno’s chest.
"The gun is aimed right at your head, so don't you dare resist!" Aaron yelled.
Bruno took a deep, shaky breath, then deliberately stepped closer to Aaron, lowering his voice into a quiet murmur. "Pull the trigger then. Why wait? I’m going to die eventually... so the timing doesn't matter to me. It’s just a shame to die by the hand of someone I actually cherished."
"You’re just trying to trick me!" Aaron shouted, his voice cracking. "If you actually cherished me, you wouldn't have dared to approach my girl! What was your connection to her anyway? Why her out of all people? Did you want to ruin me that badly?! I saw you with her multiple times... Once, I even heard you telling her to leave me and throw me away! I remember it perfectly! You’re just a villain trying to steal another man's fiancée. Just how low can you sink?!"
Bruno let out a sudden, breathless laugh—perhaps at the sheer absurdity of what he was hearing. But just as quickly, his face hardened into deadly seriousness. "You are delusional."
Aaron stepped even closer, pressing the barrel forward, placing every ounce of his hatred into his words: "I will kill you... Yes, I will. For Yohan and for Ari, and I don't give a damn what happens to me after."
Aaron braced his arms, aiming straight at Bruno’s chest. This time, there was no hesitation in his eyes. He was completely serious.
Bruno didn't try to defend himself. Nothing mattered anymore... even the hope of ever finding Yohan had slipped away. He decided to simply surrender to his fate.
A faint, ghostly smile touched Bruno’s lips as he whispered, "You always used to point a gun at me... and I always used to raise my hands in surrender."
Aaron’s eyes widened.
Suddenly, a rush of memories flooded his mind.
Yes...
When I was a child, I used to look up at my uncle as a terrifying, towering figure. I would point my toy plastic gun at him, shouting that I was the cop who finally caught the bad guy... the criminal Bruno.
Before Aaron could process the thought, the heavy door slammed open. Jake and Clarity burst into the room. Shocked by the scene, Jake instinctively lunged at Aaron to disarm him just as Aaron pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The deafening roar of the gunshot echoed violently through the entire building.
But where did the bullet land?
Jake had managed to shove Aaron aside right as the trigger was pulled. Yet, a gasp cut through the ringing silence.
"The Boss is hit!" Clarity cried out in horror.
Bruno stumbled back several steps, his hand clutching his side. Clarity rushed forward, desperately catching him before he could collapse to the floor.
Jake threw a lethal, vicious glare at Aaron before throwing his full weight onto him, pinning him ruthlessly to the ground. He drew his small pocketknife, flipping the blade open, fully intending to plunge it into Aaron’s throat.
"Stop!" Bruno’s booming voice roared through the room, cut short by a heavy cough. "Don't you dare touch him in front of me...!"
"Why are you stopping me?!" Jake screamed, his boot pressing down hard onto Aaron’s chest. "Don't you see what he just did to you?!"
"Get your foot off him... I said, Jake... if you touch him, I’ll end you myself."
Aaron lay on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling in utter shock, completely detached from the chaos around him. Did I really just shoot him? Yes... I just shot the person who was once the dearest soul to my heart.
Clarity gently guided Bruno down onto the sofa, his hands trembling as he checked the wound. "You’re bleeding out fast! We need to get you to a hospital!"
The bullet had torn through the space between his arm and his chest.
Jake reluctantly pulled his foot away from Aaron, who slowly and painfully pushed himself up from the floor.
"I’ll kill you later," Jake hissed at Aaron, his voice dripping with pure malice.
Bruno, struggling to draw enough breath to speak, pulled his mobile phone from his pocket. With trembling fingers, he dialed a number and waited for Eve to pick up.
"Hello, Uncle?" Eve’s voice came through.
Without answering, Bruno forced the phone into Clarity’s hand. "Tell her... send her best medic... and all the supplies..." He trailed off, groaning in agonizing pain.
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Clarity gripped the phone tightly. It was his very first time holding such a device, but there was no time for awe. He pressed it to his ear, his voice tight with anxiety. "Send your best medic, along with every necessary tool and medical supply you have."
"Best medic? What’s wrong?" Eve’s voice panicked. "Uncle Bruno? Wait... who is speaking?!"
"Please, just hurry and send the medic to the gang's headquarters. There is... someone with a gunshot wound."
Clarity abruptly ended the call, staring at the device in confusion.
Was that voice... really Eve?
It was definitely her. No doubt about it. I heard it clearly.
'Uncle Bruno.'
She called him Uncle. But... are Eve and the Boss on good terms? Aren't they supposed to be enemies? Is she secretly working with him?
Lost in his chaotic thoughts, Clarity blurted out, " shouldn't we just take him to a hospital?"
Jake marched over to a cabinet, pulling out a first-aid kit. "We can't. If Konar finds out where the Boss is, he’ll send an assassin to finish him off in his sleep."
"We can take him to a hospital and guard the room!" Clarity argued.
"Clarity!" Jake snapped, his patience wearing thin as he aggressively ripped open the first-aid kit. "We can't do that! He is strictly banned from entering any institution run by that bastard Konar. Can't you see the Boss got shot even while hiding inside his own headquarters?!"
Clarity stepped in, pushing Jake’s hands aside with a sharp sigh. "Try to calm down for a second."
"How can I?!" Jake yelled. "The Boss is bleeding out, and this piece of trash is still standing here, and I’m not even allowed to touch him!"
"I know... but think about it," Clarity murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Is the Boss really that weak? Weak enough to just let himself get shot by someone like Aaron? The Boss definitely knew what he was doing."
"This is madness! He hasn't acted this reckless in years," Jake muttered.
Clarity took a thick piece of medical gauze, folding it tightly several times. He pressed it hard against Bruno’s bleeding wound, grabbing Jake’s hand and forcing him to hold it down. "Apply pressure here. Try to stop the bleeding."
For now, that was the absolute most they could do.
Clarity then turned around, his gaze locking onto Aaron, who was sitting paralyzed on the floor, staring into the void. Clarity walked over, standing directly over him.
Aaron slowly raised his head, meeting Clarity’s eyes.
Clarity stared down at him in heavy, suffocating silence for several seconds.
Perhaps Aaron expected Clarity to scold him. After all, they had agreed to uncover the truth together, and Aaron had completely betrayed that promise. But Clarity’s gaze wasn't just disappointed—it was sharper and colder than Aaron had ever seen it.
Slowly, Clarity reached out, smearing some of Bruno’s fresh blood across Aaron’s forehead. "It’s thrilling to kill a human being... isn't it?"
Clarity then crouched down, bringing his face dangerously close to Aaron’s, whispering in a chilling tone, "Let me tell you the actual truth. The Boss had absolutely nothing to do with your fiancée’s death... and I have the evidence to prove it."
Aaron’s eyes widened in sheer horror. A single tear, trapped in his eyes for hours, finally spilled down his cheek. "What... what evidence?" he choked out, his voice raw.
Clarity stood back up, turning his back on him. "I’ll show you later. For now, you better pray the Boss survives... otherwise, you would have murdered him for a lie."
Jake watched the exchange from the sofa, utterly stunned. Since when did this kid become so terrifying? he thought to himself.
Two medics burst into the room, their faces pale. One of them rushed to the sofa, whispering in a panicked voice, "How on earth did the Boss get injured like this?!"
Jake stepped back, giving the medics space to work. He then marched over to Aaron, grabbing him violently by his collar and ripping him off the floor. He dragged him toward the door and shoved him out into the hallway, screaming, "Are you going to get the hell out of here or what?!"
Aaron struggled to stand, his knees shaking so violently he had to clutch the doorknob just to keep from falling. His legs felt completely paralyzed.
"Go back to your father and your grandfather!" Jake roared, his chest heaving. "Go tell them about your grand achievement! I don't know why the Boss keeps protecting you, but I know one thing for certain... if anything happens to the Boss, your life ends by my hands!"
Aaron turned the handle and stumbled out into the corridor, only to find himself surrounded by dozens of glaring gang members who had gathered outside the door.
Clarity stepped out right behind him, raising his voice to the crowd. "Let him pass. Leave him alone and let him exit the building safely. It’s the Boss's direct order."
Deep within the shadows of the building, one of the gang members slipped into an empty room, locking the door tightly behind him. He nervously pulled a mobile phone from his pocket, quickly dialed a number, and brought it to his ear.
"I have critical news, sir..." he whispered frantically. "The Boss has been shot. He is currently in critical condition."
On the other end of the line, a slow, sinister grin spread across Konar’s face. He stood up from his desk, his voice laced with dark delight. "You’re saying he’s hit?! What magnificent news... Who shot him?"
"It was your son, sir. Aaron."
Konar’s eyes widened in sudden shock. "How did that happen?! Is Aaron still there?! I’ll send the capital guards immediately—"
"No need, sir. Aaron was allowed to leave safely by the Boss's own orders. Now, sir... I must go before I’m caught. I’m hanging up."
Konar threw the phone onto his desk and marched over to the heavy office curtains, ripping them open. Bright sunlight flooded the room. He took a deep, exhilarated breath, spreading his arms wide as he shouted to the empty room, "This is my lucky day!"
He grabbed a crystal water glass from the table and smashed it onto the floor, bursting into a loud, maniacal laugh.
From a political standpoint, Konar was the Overseer of the Capital—the largest city in the nation. He was an overseer whom many believed held no real power. Every major decision regarding the capital was still heavily controlled by the Supreme Ruler, who stubbornly refused to grant Konar full authority.
Among his sons, the Supreme Ruler would eventually choose his successor. For now, they were merely overseers of the country's various territories. This was the way the nation had been ruled for centuries.
Somewhere far away... inside a grand palace:
A young boy, Yohan, ran forward with frantic steps, gripping Aaron’s hand tightly. Tears streamed down Yohan’s small face as he sobbed, "Aaron... do something... Father is going to die!"
Aaron’s eyes snapped open. He sat up with a violent gasp, his heart hammering against his ribs. What was that? A dream?
He blinked against the bright light, looking around in confusion.
Where was he?
He had drifted off to sleep on a bench in Clock Park.
A small crowd of people had gathered a few feet away, whispering among themselves with worried glances. A young child stepped closer, looking at him with wide, concerned eyes. "Mister... your head is bleeding."
Aaron raised a trembling hand to his forehead, his mind completely blank.
"It's your forehead," the child added point-blank.
The chilling memory flashed violently before Aaron’s eyes—the moment Clarity had coldly smeared Bruno’s warm blood across his skin.
Aaron bolted from the bench, sprinting away from the park without a destination in mind. He ran blindly, trying to escape the horrific reality of what he had done, ignored the bewildered stares of the pedestrians who looked at the blood on his face.
He instinctively headed toward his sister’s institution, slipping through the side gate unnoticed. He sprinted straight into the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
Horrified, he quickly looked down, twisting the faucet open. He began frantically splashing water onto his face, trying to scrub the blood from his forehead. But no matter how hard he rubbed, the phantom stain wouldn't fade. He kept washing, lost in a desperate, endless cycle.
Aaron finally stepped into Eve’s private office. His hair was soaking wet, and his clothes were damp and disheveled. The office was dimly lit, the heavy curtains drawn tight against the setting sun.
Before he could react, a sudden force shoved him hard against the wall.
He raised his eyes, focusing through his blurred vision. It was Eve.
Eve lunged at him, throwing a desperate flurry of weak punches against his chest and head. She wasn't strong enough to hurt him, but her blows were fueled by a volatile mix of pure helplessness and rage.
Aaron quickly grabbed her wrists, freezing her in place.
Eve lifted her head. Her face was completely flushed, her eyes terribly swollen from hours of crying. She was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Let go of me!" Eve screamed through her tears. "I’m going to kill you!"
"Eve, please!" Aaron whispered, his voice trembling.
Eve broke away, stepping back as tears streamed down her cheeks. "What have you done, you absolute monster?! You actually tried to kill Uncle! I told you a thousand times that he is innocent!"
The office door quietly creaked open, and Clarity stepped inside, his presence calm and silent.
Eve snapped her mouth shut, quickly wiping her tears away as she stared at him in surprise.
Clarity walked straight past them toward the windows, pulling the heavy curtains open. "The office is much clearer now," he said quietly.
He then turned, stepping toward Eve and Aaron. He placed a small, solid wooden box onto the desk with a heavy thud.
"And now..." Clarity said, his voice echoing in the quiet room. "Let’s make the truth clear as well. Aaron, here is the evidence I talked about. The proof that completely validates the Boss’s innocence."