Governor Thomas slammed his hand hard onto the mahogany desk, his deep voice shaking the room. "If you ever show me that pathetic, defeated face again, or if you ever force me to listen to that disgusting, whining voice... I will change my mind instantly! I am warning you one last time: Bruno is my flesh and blood as well. Do not push me to the point where I choose to align myself entirely with him!"
"Align yourself with him?!" Konar spat back, his voice trembling with disbelief. "Have you completely forgotten what he did to you?! He is nothing but a wretched traitor, exactly like his mother! Weren't you the one who brutally exiled him from this palace?! What on earth has changed now?!"
"I despise cowardice," Thomas murmured, his eyes narrowing into cold slits as he stared down his son. "And I admire true courage, even when it comes from my bitterest enemy. That is who I am. So I suggest you fix your flawed character immediately. Consider this your final warning... Konar."
"Wait," Konar muttered, his expression tightening. "What exactly do you mean by acting cowardly? Haven't I simply been following your direct orders?"
"Do you take me for a fool, Konar?" Thomas countered coldly. "You sent someone to assassinate Bruno... to the point where he was severely wounded."
"I didn't send anyone!" Konar declared in a strict, firm tone. "If I had done it, I would have told you. But I only found out about the ambush after it had already occurred."
"If you didn't do it, then who on earth is responsible?" Thomas demanded.
"I truly have no idea," Konar replied. "But he is a gangster, after all. He certainly has no shortage of enemies. But tell me, Father... will you really do this?"
Konar stepped closer to his father, his eyes burning with resentment as he continued, "Are you going to hold me accountable for every single minor detail that concerns Bruno? If you are so terrified or worried about his health, then why don't you just bring him back to the palace?!"
"Who said I was worried?" Thomas scoffed. "But I refuse to let him die in such a pathetic, disgraceful manner."
"Death..." Konar muttered, a dark glint in his eyes. "We will all die eventually. None of us know the time, the place, or the manner that will take us, but we will all meet the same end. And speaking of death! Even I refuse to die in a disgraceful way. Bruno's persistent, intolerable antics, and the absolute freedom he enjoys despite being exiled from the ruling family... it infuriates me. It suffocates me to the point of death. So, help me, Father, so that I do not die in such a suffocating manner."
Thomas frowned. "And why on earth would you die from something like that?"
"Didn't my mother?" Konar countered sharply. "Didn't she die from sheer grief and despair? I am not trying to dig up ancient history, Father. All I am asking of you is to let me compete with Bruno on equal terms. If he has his own men and his own gang, then let me have my own men. I won't call them a gang; they will emerge directly from our laws, working under our strict authority and command."
Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking to establish a new military force alongside the Capital Guard?"
"Exactly," Konar smiled, his eyes gleaming. "That is precisely what I mean, and I want to be the one solely and completely responsible for them."
Thomas turned, slowly taking a seat back in his grand leather chair. "Let me think about it."
Konar took a step backward, a slow, incredibly cunning grin spreading across his lips.
Two days passed.
Clarity was still working diligently under Eve at the medical institute. He had never forgotten his promise to return to the gang, but he hadn't raised the topic with Eve yet, choosing to delay it due to the current chaotic circumstances.
Meanwhile, the Boss remained secured at the gang's headquarters, his physical condition slowly starting to improve.
Jake had fully returned to his duties as a commander. It was an incredibly taxing endeavor; the absolute chaos left behind by Apollo’s brief reign was almost too much to handle. Because of this, Jake was constantly stressed, shouting at his subordinates far more often than usual.
Sinking onto the sofa in his private quarters, Jake let out a long, exhausted sigh, muttering, "That absolute bastard..."
Daniel stepped quietly into the room through the open door, looking around before offering a soft, warm smile.
Noticing his presence, Jake immediately bolted upright from the sofa, his eyes wide with surprise. "Daniel! You're here!"
Jake rushed forward, pulling Daniel into a tight, fierce embrace. Daniel laughed enthusiastically, hugging him back. "I’m so happy to see you back where you belong, Jake!"
"I’m incredibly happy to see you back too," Jake said, pulling away with a bright smile. "How did you get here? I thought you had been transferred to another sector."
"I was never transferred," Daniel shook his head. "I was locked away in the cells below."
Jake’s expression instantly flared with anger. "Locked away?! That wretched bastard Apollo... he kept you imprisoned right here in our own cells?!"
Daniel nodded silently. "The Boss ordered my immediate release the moment he found out what happened. He even met with me personally and apologized." Daniel smiled warmly at the memory. "It was truly amazing. It was my very first time seeing him in person, and he seemed incredibly kind."
"He... seemed kind?!" Jake repeated, dumbfounded.
Jake instantly recalled Clarity’s completely terrified, trembling reaction when he had first laid eyes on the Boss. A gentle smile crossed Jake's face as he murmured, "You really are entirely different from him."
"Do you mean Clarity?" Daniel asked.
"Yes..." Jake chuckled. "Spot-on guess."
"It seems you cherish and care for him immensely," Daniel noted, his eyes shining with curiosity. "That makes me really want to meet him."
"You will see him very soon," Jake reassured him, patting his shoulder. "But for now, you need to rest. And I give you my word... you will see Apollo locked in the exact same cell he threw you in. I will make sure he tastes every ounce of the pain and agony he inflicted on you."
Daniel shook his head gently. "The cells weren't actually that bad, Jake. Everyone down there knew how terrible Apollo was, so they took good care of me. For someone who used to be a slave to another... those cells felt like heaven."
"No cell can ever be heaven," Jake said softly, his tone turning serious. "Once you experience true freedom, only then will you understand what is beautiful." He gave Daniel a firm pat on the shoulder. "From this very moment, you are my official personal aide."
As evening fell, a heavy, suffocating silence settled over Eve’s heart. She sat alone in her office, her glowing phone screen filled with endless notifications of missed calls from her mother. For the past two days, her mother had been sending frantic messages, desperately asking about Aaron’s whereabouts and well-being.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Staring blankly at the screen, Eve whispered softly, "A mother’s intuition... she is so incredibly worried."
She tapped her fingers lightly against the desk, muttering to the empty room, "Where on earth are you... Aaron?"
Feeling too restless to stay seated, Eve stood up and left her office, her hurried steps echoing down the long, dimly lit corridors, her face heavily clouded with anxiety.
In the adjacent corridor...
Elavin watched her retreating figure, turning to his colleague. "Is the Director alright?"
Clarity, who was busy organizing a stack of medical files into a wooden cabinet, glanced over. "Why? Does she look like she’s in a bad state?"
"Yes," Elavin nodded. "She just walked past a moment ago, looking incredibly angry and stressed."
"Can you actually read facial expressions that easily?" Clarity asked, curious.
Elavin smiled proudly. "Isn't it obvious? I’m exceptionally good at it."
Clarity paused, looking at him intently. "Then try to read what I am feeling right now."
Elavin focused his gaze on Clarity's face, studying him for a few silent seconds. "Your expression says that you are tired... just incredibly tired."
"Just tired?" Clarity sighed. "You're boring... To be honest, I’ve always found it difficult to decipher people's expressions. I don't feel what someone else is feeling unless they explicitly tell me, which is why some people think I am completely indifferent to others." Clarity’s voice trailed off as he thought of his mother, whose severe illness he had tragically failed to notice until it was almost too late.
"But isn't that how it is?" Elavin said softly. "When you truly care about someone, you must pay attention to them constantly. You have to read their expressions... they might be exhausted, sick, or in immense pain, yet they choose not to tell you. If you don't pay attention to those details... then you really are indifferent."
Clarity stared at the floor, the words striking a painful chord. "So... you're saying I am a thoughtless and indifferent person." He shook his head slowly. "Thank you... Indifferent, then. I suppose that's just another terrible trait to add to my list. It seems my list of flaws is growing quite long..."
Before Elavin could reply, both of them noticed Eve standing a few paces away. She looked directly at Clarity, her voice tight. "Clarity, come with me to my office."
The two of them walked down the corridor with slow, quiet steps. Suddenly, Eve came to a halt, and Clarity stopped beside her.
Taking a deep, trembling breath, Eve turned to face him. "Clarity... help me find Aaron."
"Why?" Clarity frowned. "Has he disappeared?"
"Maybe..." Eve whispered, her eyes turning glassy. "He hasn't returned to the palace... and he isn't with his friends. I’ve searched every single hotel in the Capital, and there is absolutely no sign of him."
"Does he have any other place he usually goes to?"
"If he did, I would have checked it already," Eve muttered, her strength leaving her as she sank onto a nearby wooden bench. "I am the one responsible for this... all of it."
"How are you responsible?" Clarity countered, his tone turning serious. "You weren't the one who pulled the trigger on the Boss, nor were you the one who kept him blind to the truth."
Tears finally spilled over Eve’s eyelashes, her voice rising in defensive panic. "Then you're saying you are the one responsible?!"
"Me?!" Clarity scoffed, throwings his hands up. "What is this... am I suddenly responsible for every single catastrophe that occurs on this earth?! A troublemaker, a deceptive spy, and now... I have to take responsibility for Aaron? Do I seriously look that terrible?!"
Eve quickly wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "We are all responsible for what happened... I should have considered his feelings. The reality that the girl he cherished and loved with all his heart... was merely exploiting him for her own agenda, planning to destroy his own father. It isn't easy, Clarity... He must be hurting so much right now."
"There you go again," Clarity said, his voice dropping into a stern, unyielding tone. "You are looking at this from a completely narrow perspective, which is exactly why you keep making mistakes. Aaron committed a massive, unforgivable crime by shooting the Boss, and he didn't do it blindly—he did it with the clear intent to murder! Revealing the truth to him wasn't a mistake; it was an absolute necessity, and it was his right to know. The actual mistake was how you treated him after he found out. I brought the evidence to the office and specifically explained everything in front of you because I believed you would stand by his side and help him process the truth. But you only cared about one perspective—the Boss’s side. You treated him with utter coldness, and then you just walked out and left him—"
Clarity abruptly cut himself off. Eve was now completely sobbing, her head buried in her hands as loud, ragged gasps escaped her chest.
In the quiet corridor, several passing staff members and medics began to stop, whispering and forming a small, disapproving crowd around them.
Panic instantly flooded Clarity’s chest. "Eve... stop crying. Alright, fine! You're not the one at fault... I am. I’m the bad guy here."
The surrounding nurses and employees threw deep, furious glares at Clarity, muttering under their breath.
It was, without a doubt, a highly embarrassing situation.
Walking down a narrow, quiet alleyway, Clarity muttered under his breath, "Being around you... consistently lands me in the most humiliating situations."
Eve, who was walking a few paces behind him, glanced up. "So, do you hate being around me?"
"It's not that," Clarity sighed, adjusting his collar. "It's just... embarrassing things seem to happen entirely on their own."
The moment the words left his mouth, Clarity's foot slipped on a patch of loose gravel. He lost his balance, crashing heavily onto the dirt path.
He quickly scrambled back onto his feet, brushing the thick dust and dirt from his clothes and hair, glaring at Eve. She stood there, her eyes wide with amusement as she desperately tried to suppress a laugh.
"Look at this!" Clarity yelled, gesturing to his ruined outfit. "This is exactly what I’m talking about!"
Eve smiled, shaking her head. "I told you walking was a terrible idea. We should have just taken the car."
"I’m meeting Jake here," Clarity grumbled. "We agreed on this spot. I’m going to ask him to help us, just like we planned."
"And do you honestly think he will agree?" Eve asked, skeptical.
"He will," Clarity smirked, tapping his breast pocket. "Because we have the winning card."
They both looked up, staring at the massive, glowing sign hanging proudly over the bustling building before them:
"THE CAPITAL MARKET"
A few seconds later, Jake stepped out of the heavy glass doors. A wide, enthusiastic grin was plastered across his face as he walked toward Clarity, but the smile vanished instantly the moment his eyes landed on Eve standing right beside him.
Clarity looked at the massive commercial building. "Why did you want to meet here? Did you need to buy something?"
Jake crossed his arms, throwing a proud, boastful glance toward Eve. "I had highly important business to conduct here. As you know... this entire facility belongs to us."
Eve rolled her eyes, muttering to herself, "He actually thinks he’s getting under my skin."
She cleared her throat, stepping forward to face Jake with a calm, remarkably poised demeanor.
"I would like to sincerely apologize for what my brother did," Eve said softly. "Commander Jake... I know you despise me completely because of the grave crime he committed. But I am begging for your assistance in finding my brother... as terrible and criminal as he is."
"And pathetic," Jake added coldly.
The tension between them instantly flared, their gazes locking in a silent, venomous battle of wills.
Clarity quickly stepped between them, trying to diffuse the explosive atmosphere. "Jake will absolutely help us. He promised me he would lend a hand whenever I needed it."
"But I didn't think you would come to me for a reason like this," Jake snapped, looking at Clarity. "I told you to meet me here privately and personally... not to bring her along."
Eve remained silent, swallowing her pride with a tight jaw.
"Jake... why are you speaking to her like that?" Clarity scolded him gently. "Please, just do it for my sake... here, look at this."
Clarity reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it to Jake.
Written on the parchment was an official, high-priority mandate to "Locate Aaron," stamped with the unmistakable, elegant signature of the Boss.
Jake stared at the document in utter disbelief. Clarity leaned closer, whispering, "It is a direct order from the Boss, as you can see."
"This really is his signature..." Jake muttered, sighing heavily. "Well... my hands are tied, then."
Eve stepped closer to Clarity, whispering under her breath, "It's exactly as you said... he only obeys Bruno's direct commands."
Jake raised his hand, playfully clapping Clarity on the shoulder. "I don't know what you two are whispering about, but I will help her for two reasons only: the Boss's order, and your request, Clarity."
"It doesn't matter what the reason is," Eve replied coldly. "What matters is that you will help."
Jake glared at her, his jaw tightening. "You really are insufferable."
Eve remained quiet, suppressing her rising anger with immense effort. If she hadn't desperately needed his help to find her brother, she would have unleashed a torrent of insults at him. But for now, she had to swallow her pride.
"Follow me," Jake sighed, turning on his heel. "I’ll show you where he is."
Both Clarity and Eve yelled in unison, "You know where he is?!"
Jake looked back over his shoulder, a faint, mocking smirk on his face. "Of course I do. I’ve been keeping a constant, watchful eye on him."
Eve’s eyes widened with sudden panic. "Don't tell me you tried to hurt him!"
"I haven't," Jake chuckled darkly. "But I might in the future."
"You wouldn't dare!" Eve snapped.
Clarity stepped in again. "Where is he, Jake?"
"In a private residence," Jake replied, his expression turning serious as they walked. "After looking into it... it turns out to be the house of the late Ari."