Sitting inside his office, he lit a stick and drew smoke into his mouth. Henry frowned when remembered that another man touched his property.

            Fuck! What was he thinking? The boy was just a pawn.

            Henry blew the smoke from his mouth. He sat there contemplating until there was no more tobacco to burn. Eventually, he stubbed the stick on the ashtray then he stood up and left the study.

            Miguel wiped the steam covered mirror inside the bathroom. When his reflection finally appeared on the glass, he was horrified by his image.  

            He quickly looked away, and walked out of the bathroom.

            Other people would have a blush in their cheeks when they get embarrassed, but not Miguel. Under an such situation, it was his ears that would give him away. They would turn into a bothersome crimson.

And who was to blame for his predicament?

It was none other than Mr. Kingsley.  The man was a big bully. He could still remember how the big guy made fun of him less than thirty minutes ago.

Miguel’s eyes narrowed into slits.

The impassive man actually told him that he stank as though a dog has rubbed on him!

Ooohhh. The nerve! Miguel thought.

            Tch!  He sneered.  

Miguel dropped unceremoniously on the bed after blow drying his hair. He punched the mattress a couple of times and muttered, “Who stinks like a dog?  Mr. Kingsley stinks!”

It was not like Mr. Kingsley smelled any better. He reeked of tobacco, mint, and a rich perfume.  The combination was not good at all. It was unpleasant.  It was too overwhelming for Miguel’s sensitive nose. It was so overpowering that Miguel would be brought to his knees whenever he got a whiff of the man’s scent. It was just –

“Argh!” Miguel squeezed a pillow in his frustration.

             “Party B shall not be involved in a relationship with another person for the period of two years or until the divorce had been finalized. Blah! Blah! Ugh! I know that!” Miguel muttered against the bed sheets.

He did not forget about the contract.

            If there was one thing that Miguel excelled at, it would be his ability to memorize words. He only had to read once, and the whole contract would be stored inside his head.

            Also, he was raised by his papa to maintain a word of honor. It was something that they took seriously. They would never make promises carelessly. This was the pride of their family. Even if other people looked down on them for their poor financial status, they always kept their promises.

“De Luca’s always keep their word. This is your family’s honor.” His papa used to tell him growing up. He always had a faraway gaze whenever he spoke of their family’s traditions.

So, there was no way that he was in another relationship. He may be in a fake marriage, but he knew his priorities.

He came to U country to earn money, so that his papa would live a comfortable life in retirement. This resolve became even stronger when his father was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

“Romantic relationship? Can I eat that? Will it fill my tummy? No. In these days, people have to learn to be practical.”  ¯\_(⌣̯̀⌣́)_/¯  Miguel spoke to the fluffy white pillow.

One by one, he laid the pillows around him until it became kind of a nest. In a way it reminded him of his childhood. His papa would tuck him in during those nights after he was bullied in school.

He may seem childish, but after the traumatic event that night, who could blame him.  He just needed some comfort.  I’ll be back to myself tomorrow.

Miguel yawned.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, the light from the ceiling flickered on.

He quickly hid under the blankets groaning in pain. The light had caused his head to ache.

Soft footsteps thudded towards his direction. Then he felt the bed sink from the other person’s weight.

“Sit down.” A deep voice spoke above him.

“No!” Miguel refused to see a face that would cause him a nightmare tonight. He had enough monsters to forget. He still had fears from the heist a few days ago, and he was still processing the assault that happened this evening.

Henry glared at the figure covered by the blanket. Such defiance was something that he did not tolerate. He hated it when people did not quickly act on his orders.

The room was filled with a tense silence as the billionaire glared at his disobedient spouse.

A few minutes under the thick blanket, Miguel started to sweat. Somehow, he could sense a fierce energy beside him.

 Dios, Espiritu, Santo. Miguel prayed for protection for the next thing that might happen to him.

When he finally pulled the blanket away from his face, he saw Mr. Kingsley’s right-hand hover above him.

He is going to strangle me? Miguel’s big brown eyes became larger as panicked. He quickly threw the blanket over his face again but Mr. Kingsley was faster.

Miguel closed his eyes. His face was contorted in pain as he waited for something to happen. He gasped and pulled away when a cold object touched his forehead.  Still with his eyes closed, he touched the cold thing.

When it registered in his mind, he finally opened his eyes in surprise.

Mr. Kingsley was slightly leaning above him. His right hand held a cold pack, while his left hand was braced against the headboard.

Henry placed the ice pack on the boy’s hand when he saw him finally open his eyes.

“Take a pain reliever for that bump today. Take another pill if you still have a hangover tomorrow.” With that he left the bedroom.

Miguel sat down and looked to his right. On the bedside table was a tray with water and two green gel capsules.

He got up from the bed and walked back to the bathroom to stand in front of the mirror. The bump on his forehead had turned blue. He did not notice it before. He lifted his hand and gave it a tentative touch with his index finger.

“Hiss!”

It was tender and painful.

He walked back, picked one capsule, and flushed it with the glass of water.

The exhaustion from the day’s events and the pain reliever caused him to fall asleep quickly.

            That night, Miguel dreamt of a strange dream.

In his dream, his small frame was dwarfed by a giant dragon with green eyes. From the dragon’s mouth came out a puff of smoke that smelled a strange mix of carbon, mint, and a unique scent.

            Miguel coughed. He did not expect the dragon to blow the smoke to his direction.

When the smoke cleared, a slick forked tongue slithered from the green-eyed dragon’s mouth.

The tongue left a trail of saliva on Miguel’s neck. It continued to slither on his lips. The warm wet tongue squelched as it licked one of his sensitive ears.

Something was ignited within him, an unbearable heat he had never felt before.

            Miguel’s toes curled from the sensation. A sensual moan escaped from his throat.

            When Miguel woke up in the morning, he noticed a sticky feeling in the crotch of his pajamas.

            “Gaah!” Miguel screamed.  

He could not believe it. He actually had a wet dream!

Late in the afternoon, Victor entered the office with a winning smile. He walked to the sofa and leaned back comfortably on the black leather seat.

 “Guess the good news.” Victor’s lips were curled up in a devilish smile as he turned to Henry.

Henry raised a well-maintained thick eyebrow. “Just spill it.”

“You’re no fun, Scott.” Victor sneered.

“Don’t call me that.” Henry growled.

“Like it or not, you are one of them.” Victor stated as a matter of fact.

Henry scoffed. As far as he was concerned, he was no longer connected with them since he was 15 years old.

“Anyhow, the good news is that I already have all the shares. So, feel free to start smashing them.” Victor stretched on the sofa as though he just had a tiring day.

“I should reward you with dinner then.” Henry leaned back on his leather chair, and then stood up.

“Ah, no need. I’m coming home with you.” Victor smirked.

            Henry frowned.

“Your wife is cooking.” A devilish smile formed on Victor’s face.

             Henry’s hand was clenched into a fist. How did that boy manage to form a connection with this lunatic?

 

Omake