“Judging from the CCTV footage, the men who attacked them were a group of professionals,” Kai mumbled as he went through the footage that played on the screen of the tablet. 

 

   “Yes,”  Grey nodded, “I suspect that they were hired by one of our enemies to cover theirs tracks. They didn’t attack us directly which means this was carefully planned so they don’t reveal their identity.” 

 

   “How bad is the situation right now?” Kai asked, worried about how much has happened since he left. 

 

   “Not good. The situation turned for the worst when we actually thought that it was getting better.” Grey let out a deep sigh as he carefully cleaned his smudged glasses. “It all began with the ambush they planned on master Cassius that you ended up being caught up in,” he started to explain but stopped when he noticed the expression on Kai’s face. “I apologize,” he said when he realized he hit a sensitive nerve and put his glasses back on. 

 

   Years have passed since that tragic night when Kai and his friend got attacked. Grey wasn’t there to witness it but when the word got to him that his young master had to watch his friend die in his arms, his stone cold heart ached. It was all just a mixture of unfortunate events that led to a tragedy that no one could easily move on from. It was no surprise that the trauma still had a strong impact on Kai’s mentality that was scarred with grief and pain.

 

   Whenever he was reminded of that fateful night, all he could see was the fading light in Micah’s lifeless eyes. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Kai gestured for Grey to continue as he wasn't sure his voice wouldn’t shake if he tried to speak.

 

   “As I said, that incident was just a start. And it took almost five years to settle the situation.”

 

   “This whole time?” Kai’s eyes widened with the unexpected revelation. He had no idea that he wasn’t the only person who had to deal with the consequences of what happened there.

 

   “Basically,” Grey nodded and continued, “After you disappeared, a lot of major families wanted to use it as an excuse to attack our clan. Especially because it was such a scandal since the son of a very wealthy and influential family got murdered during a dispute that should’ve only stayed within our world. They thought they could use this and later your disappearance to their advantage and started to target master Cassius, trying to bring out his every weakness.”

 

   Kai’s heart clenched painfully at the thought of his brother who was left to fight against all those bastards who tried to use his pain against him while he was hiding away like a coward.

 

   “At first it was difficult to block all their attempts at tarnishing our reputation. To add to that, master Cassius spent all his energy on trying to find you, which was quite challenging to do while he still had to carry on with his duties as the leader. After he did, we managed to calm the situation down and around that time a rumor that you’re dead started to spread. Your brother had decided that it’s better to leave it that way so no one was tempted to look for you and try to use you against him.“

 

   “Wait so you knew the whole time where I was?” Kai frowned with unsettling feeling that he’s been discovered such a long time ago while he thought that he was too far away for anyone to find him.

 

   “Only master Cassius did. He’s never told anyone,” Grey replied. 

 

   “So how come you found me?”

 

   “Well…” Grey cleared his throat nervously, “It actually took some effort and I eventually had to hack the master's computer to find information about your whereabouts that he kept in a locked file,” he admitted, avoiding Kai’s eyes that widened in shock. 

 

   “No way. You did what?”

 

   “I am not proud of breaching his privacy like that, young master and right after we find him, I will accept any punishment.” As expected Grey’s consciousness suffered a major blow as he was loyal to the family no matter what and understood his duty like no one else. But it wasn’t surprising that he was willing to go to such lengths in order to save the family from even a greater catastrophe.

 

   “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Kai noted with no intention of blaming Grey.

 

   “Actually about three years later we thought the situation had settled completely. Master Cassius together with the leaders of some other major families formed an alliance and they all signed a peace treaty that would ensure that there would be no more war among the mafia clans.”

 

   “Then what went wrong? Shouldn’t they have my brother’s back?” A deep frown appeared on Kai’s face as he took all the information in. 

 

   “It turned out that there was a traitor among the group. And after the death of one of the leaders a whole new war broke out because there was a suspicion that he was murdered by one of the members of the alliance. The man who passed away was Victor Sullivan, a great ally of your late father who established his mafia clan in our city after he was forced to move from his own country where they were under attack for years.”

 

   The mention of his father sent shivers down Kai’s spine but he tried his best not to let it show. He figured that the man has already passed away but he could still feel his chilling presence lingering in the air whenever someone spoke his name.

 

   “How was my brother’s relationship with him?” He asked, trying to create some kind of picture about the Sullivan family. The name sounded familiar but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He was sure he must’ve met them when he was a child since they were close with his father but he already pushed out all his childhood memories that involved him. Or at least he tried to.

 

   “He tried his best to maintain it although they had different opinions about the way they led their business but they at least stayed out of each other’s way and kept it civil for your father’s sake. Once Mr. Sullivan passed away, his eldest daughter was supposed to take over, with master Cassius backing her up-“

 

   “We arrived at the docks, sir,” the driver announced and interrupted their conversation. 

 

   “Let’s continue later,” Grey decided, getting out of the car to make sure everything was going according to the plan.

 

   Kai took a look outside, observing their surroundings. The night was dark and the dock was quiet with only a few people around. There was no surprise since the island was quite small and it was highly improbable for tourists to come during the night. 

 

   As soon as they got on the boat a feeling of deep sorrow settled in Kai’s chest. It seemed like yesterday when he first set foot on this island and similar to now he had nothing but a few belongings, feeling as lost and confused as ever. Even though back then he was completely alone with no idea where his steps would lead, he still had that frightful hope that there is a better future waiting for him. While this time he had no idea where he was heading despite the fact that he had someone leading the way. 

 

   Kai’s eyes fell on Grey’s silhouette as he listened to the incomprehensible conversation he led with someone over the phone. He seemed to be discussing something regarding their arrival when he noticed Kai who was consciously observing his every movement. 

 

   It was strange to see a familiar face once again but Kai was glad that the first person from his past he got to see was Grey. After all, this person used to protect him with his life every single day since he came back from the boarding school and Kai was always looking up to him, admiring his sense of duty. He was the brotherly figure who had his back when his own brother avoided him or when they had yet another argument because they couldn’t see eye to eye. Kai didn’t even realize how much he missed him until they were reunited once again. 

 

   “May I ask why are you staring at me like that, young master?” Grey walked over to him when he finished his call, eyebrows lifted in question. 

 

   “Oh nothing,” Kai waved his hand nonchalantly, trying not to show his awkwardness.  “I was just thinking that it’s good to have you around again.”

 

   Grey just nodded, without realizing that a small smile was playing on his face. 

 

   “Are you feeling okay?” Kai asked, surprised by this unusual expression on his face. 

 

   “Of course I am, young master. I’ve never gotten sea sick in my life,” Grey replied, oblivious to what Kai was pointing out. 

 

   Kai just laughed and shook his head, deciding to leave it be. Instead he tried to figure out how to handle the situation at hand. Through the years he spent on the island he tried to play out this scenario in his head many times. But when it was actually happening, it didn’t feel real. 

 

   The train of his thoughts was cut off by Grey who waved his hand in front of his face. “Young master? Do you hear me, young master?”

 

   “Hm?” Kai looked up at him. 

 

   “Let’s go inside. It will take us two hours before we reach the mainland and you should get some sleep.” As always, Grey was there to make sure Kai is safe and his needs are fulfilled. 

 

   Nodding, Kai followed Grey, trying to calm down his racing mind as he hoped he would be able to enjoy a short nap before the whole circus would begin.

***

 

   Finally, Kai thought as he stepped onto a solid ground. As expected he didn’t get to fall asleep the whole time, thanks to the constant rocking movement of the boat and never ending noise he wasn’t used to. Suddenly he missed his soft bed at the beach house with the humming of the waves washing up on the shore as the only sound that would sing him to sleep. But there was no time to think about that because Kai had to focus on the task at hand- remembering who the hell is the man coming their way. 

 

   “Caelum!” The man called out cheerfully, as he waved his hand in the air, showing off his dimples in a wide grin.

 

   Grey probably noticed the confusion that was written all over Kai’s face and chuckled softly. “That’s master Atlas,” he explained in a low voice, while leaning to him.

 

   “Atlas?” Kai tilted his head, trying to recollect where he knew this guy from. “Wait. That Atlas??” His eyes widened in realization. 

 

   “Yes, young master. Your cousin.”

 

   Kai couldn’t believe his eyes. The teenage boy he usually saw in a school uniform or a tracksuit and who always threw a fit whenever his family came over for lunch because he wanted to play video games in his room was nowhere in sight. Instead a tall man wearing well fitting designer clothes that seemed to be carefully put together made his way towards them with long graceful steps.

 

   “His hair is pink,” Kai mumbled to Grey, trying to mask his puzzlement by the man’s appearance that would be fit for a celebrity.

 

   “Not for long, it changes all the time, young master,”  Grey managed to explain with amusement before the man in question stopped right in front of them.

 

   “Uncle Grey! You made it!” Atlas exclaimed with excitement and gave the bodyguard a big bear hug.

 

   Poor Grey, Kai thought, taking pity on the man who probably fought for his dear life while trying to remain in the young man’s arms without pushing him away. He also made a mental note to tease Grey about the uncle thing later. 

 

   “We almost made a bet with Ryan if you will succeed or not,” Atlas giggled sheepishly and pulled his sunglasses a bit lower on his nose to take a better look at the young man standing next to Grey. “Caelum!” 

 

   The moment his cousin spread his arms, Kai hurriedly took a step back and raised his hand. “NO hugs,” he said sternly, keeping his distance. 

 

   Atlas blinked in surprise but his smile soon widened and he leisurely shoved his hands into the pocket of his suit trousers. “The lost son found his way back home,” he stated, giving him a roguish smile that made Kai wonder whether this guy was truly on their side. He rather seemed like someone who was just waiting for the right moment to throw the whole family into a chaos while he could watch with a bag of popcorn.

 

   Kai shifted uncomfortably under his cousin’s eyes that were shamelessly studying him, frowning when he didn’t turn his eyes away even after Kai gave him a questioning look.

 

   “No offense, cuz, but I’m not the biggest fan of this whole castaway vibe,” Atlas gestured towards Kai who had no idea what he was pointing at as he looked at his clothes with confusion. 

 

    He wore the same outfit as usual that consisted of his favorite black loose trousers and a breezy shirt, keeping the first few buttons undone, revealing the sun kissed skin on his chest.  Ash bought the shirt for him on one of the markets, saying it fit the traditional clothing style of the local people and despite not being a fan of colorful clothing, Kai eventually grew to like the pattern that decorated the soft fabric.

 

           A sharp gasp escaped Atlas’ mouth when he spotted the sandals that topped the whole outfit and he dramatically staggered back, causing Kai to glower at him.

 

   “Don’t look at me like that! Even Grey has to admit that this should be considered a fashion crime,” Atlas noted and looked at Grey expectantly. 

 

   “Please leave me out if this,” Grey muttered under his breath and proceeded to carry their belongings to the car.

 

   “Although I do love your hair, Caelum! This length suits you!” Atlas shamelessly ran his hand through Kai’s hair, admiring the softness. “I would still cut it a bit shorter and you definitely need some styling, but you look quite handsome like this.” He kept mumbling to himself as he tried a few quick ways of styling Kai’s hair that reached his shoulders.

 

   “Who said you could cut my hair??” Kai almost jumped out from his skin when Atlas suddenly grabbed his face, examining it from every possible angle. “Grey!” He called out with desperation.  

 

   “Master Atlas, please. Take it easy. Young master has a long journey behind him and is surely tired, we need to get home as soon as possible,” Grey rationalized with the pink haired man who finally decided he’s content with what he’s seen and turned to him with a bright smile. 

 

   “Of course,” he replied with a dashing smile and beckoned Kai to follow him to the car.

 

   “Why is he here?” Kai asked Grey in a hushed tone, hoping his cousin who just got in the vehicle wouldn’t hear him.

 

   “Master Atlas actually volunteered to help us.”

 

   “With what?”

 

   “The mission.”

 

   “You sure he’ll be able to help?” Kai furrowed his eyebrows doubtfully.

 

             “He may not look like it but master Atlast is our main source of information in the business and he’s actually great at what he’s doing,” Grey tried to persuade Kai about the usefulness of this unhinged person.

 

   “Also don’t forget someone has to help you to fit in visually as well.”

   

   Kai jumped in surprise when his cousin who probably overheard their whole conversation rolled down the window, looking at him impishly from underneath his sunglasses. He had to hold himself from backing away from him as he was ready to run and catch another boat that could take him back to the island. 

 

   “Young master, please,” Grey appealed when he saw how Kai glanced back at the boat that took them from the island.

 

   “I hope you didn’t think we would introduce you as the new head of the family like this! I am sorry but if you look like this we could only announce you as the village chief,” Atlas complained and folded his arms when both Kai and Grey sat in the car across from him.

 

   “Alright. STOP.” Kai raised his hands and took a deep breath. He could feel the blood rushing to his head as if it was about to burst but he had to hold himself from giving this brat a piece of his mind.

 

   “Master Atlas, maybe we should slow down a bit. Young master didn’t have the chance to hear our whole plan yet,” Grey tried to calm the situation down.

 

   “Then what were you doing the whole time?? Looking at his holiday pictures?” Atlas' asked with a bewildered expression that made Kai’s blood boil. 

 

   He curled his hand into a fist, ready to punch him, but fought the urge since he didn’t want to cause trouble the first few minutes he was back. After all it seemed like they will need his help and he didn’t want to make enemies on his first day. 

 

   “You both should calm down. We still have a long way before we arrive at the Villarreal mansion, meaning we can go through the basics,” Grey offered, hoping to get both of the young men to cooperate.

 

   To his relief both of them obliged and silently nodded, both upset with the way this situation was turning out. 

   “So let me get this straight,” Kai rubbed his face in frustration once he heard them out about the big plan they came up with. “You want me to act as the new head of the family while we search for my brother?”

 

   “Yes,” Atlas nodded eagerly. “The situation since Cassius disappeared is a mess and they could take the fact that the clan is currently without a leader as an opportunity to cause trouble. They might want to try to take over and we can’t allow that!” 

 

   Kai shook his head over the way he worded his little speech but still admired the determination Atlas had to protect this family.

 

   “And why don’t you step in, Atlas?” Kai asked with genuine curiosity. 

 

   Atlas laughed and waved his hand. “Oh, silly. How could I? First of all I am not the direct heir of your father and second- I am soon to take over our part of the family business.”

 

   Kai stopped to think and tried to remember what his family was in charge of. As far as he remembered their family was always tightly connected to theirs, serving as some sort of business partners.

 

   “Hey, instead of trying to avoid it, shouldn’t you rather start thinking about how to make it work from your side? C’mon, cuz. Your big bro is who-knows-where and you are our only option to keep it all going until we find him!” For once, Atlas said something that made actual sense and even Kai had to admit that he was right, although he couldn’t get over how straightforwardly Atlas summed up the situation.

 

   Since he was already here, he couldn’t back away and he will have to learn how to cooperate with Atlas who was a crucial factor for their plan as the main source of intelligence.

 

   There’s no way back now, he thought as he further listened to their master plan. 

 

   “So after we finish with helping you look the part, we will also have to train you to act the right way,” Atlas explained and sipped from his iced coffee that he bought on his way to pick them up at the docks.

 

   “Since neither your father nor master Cassius ever led you towards taking over the family business, there are quite a few things you need to learn. Of course in the meantime, we will continue with your physical training as well,” Grey took the turn in explaining when he saw that Atlas was busy with something on his phone. 

 

   Kai once again nodded and thought for a second. 

 

   “Can we continue our previous conversation? You were filling me in on the current situation,” Kai reminded Grey who only nodded in agreement. 

 

   “Yes, young master.”

 

   “So the last thing you mentioned was the Vincent guy passing away and his daughter taking over?”

 

   “Yes,” Grey cleared his throat. “The new leader of the Sullivan family is the woman named Olivia. She’s someone who is well respected in her family and has admirable skills, yet she-“

 

   “Basically all the old geezers boycott her since she’s a lady,” Atlas who was apparently listening to their whole conversation rolled his eyes. “But let me tell you, she’s a total badass! I have a total weakness for women in suits but she really tops it all. Once she pointed a gun at me and I almost-“

 

   Grey cleared his throat, cutting off Atlas’ words who just grinned and turned his attention back to his phone. 

 

   “But my brother decided to support her anyway, right?” Kai recalled Grey’s words from before. 

 

   “Yes,” Grey confirmed. “He was also supportive of her decision to include her younger brother as another leader, which was also a bit unconventional choice.” 

 

   “Ohhh that dude!” Atlas’s eyes twinkled when his interest was piqued once again. “What was the name… Talay? Yeah! I met him a few times but it wasn’t the warmest encounter. Not even once,” he grimaced and shook his head as he probably recalled encountering the young master of the Sullivan family. 

 

   “Master Atlas,” Grey tried to reprimand him once again but this time he didn’t succeed since Atlas absolutely ignored him and kept talking. 

 

   “He sort of acted like an absolute douche, you know? I invited him for a drink since he’s one of the-'' he shot a glance at Grey and leaned closer to Kai to continue in a lowered tone “- younger members in this business. “ 

 

   Kai bit his lip to stop himself from laughing when he realized what Atlas was hinting at. Poor Grey was considered as one of the old geezers,  apparently. 

 

   “How old is he again?” Kai asked. 

 

   “He should be around your brother’s age so he might be nearing his thirties?” Atlas furrowed his eyebrows as he calculated something in his head. 

 

   “How old do you think I am??” Grey called out, clearly offended that he’s being considered too old. 

 

   “Ehhh… Like forty two?” Atlas tilted his head, unsure if he didn’t guess too low. 

 

   “I turned thirty six last month, Master Atlas,” Grey muttered through gritted teeth, causing Kai to giggle although he tried to mask it by coughing. That earned him a glare from Grey.

 

   “That was last month?? Damn! I had no idea! Why didn’t you say anything? We would have thrown you a birthday party with Cassius and Ryan,” Atlas pouted, ignoring the murderous stare he received from the bodyguard. 

 

   “Who’s this Ryan you keep mentioning?” Kai remembered he wanted to ask about this the first time he heard the name that sounded a bit familiar.

 

   “Oh that’s Cassius’ new bodyguard,” Atlas smiled widely. “He got hired a while after you left and even though he’s young, Cassius says he’s doing a great job.”

 

   “I thought you were his head bodyguard,” Kai turned to Grey in confusion. 

 

   Grey just shook his head.”I am just his secretary and I am in charge of training the new bodyguards.”

 

   “So you had to be in charge of his training, right? Is he really that good?”

 

   “Yes, young master. Otherwise I wouldn’t assign that position to him,” Grey confirmed. 

 

   “Anyways, let me continue about Talay!” Atlas, who was probably attention starved, cut off their conversation. “As I said, I wanted to get closer to him and invited him for a drink a couple of times but that asshole always managed to give me a cold shoulder,” he complained, picking at the strings hanging from his leather jacket. “Apparently he’s even worse now that he’s back. He’s all about work and he basically never goes out.”

 

   “Master Atlas, you should be more considerate of his situation,” Grey reprimanded him as his little gossip could start another war. 

 

   “What situation?” Kai tilted his head in question.

 

   “Well the rumor says that he disappeared last year. Shortly after his sister officially took over the family business.”

 

   Last year?

 

   Older sister?

 

   Family business…

 

   The puzzle pieces slowly started to fit in together.

 

   “What was his name again?” Kai asked the question that sent a burning sensation down his whole body, trying to keep his voice firm.

 

   “Talay, didn’t you hear me?” Atlas frowned. “But I told you he’s not worth making friends with. The man is a total lce Prince.” 

 

   Talay. 

 

   “Do you have a picture of him?” 

 

   But he wasn’t sure if he wanted to see it in case he would confirm his suspicions.

 

   “Sure. I managed to catch him in one of the mirror selfies I took at a gathering somewhen last year. I think I still had the long black hair back then,” grinning Atlas went through his phone and after a few seconds he handed it to Kai. “ He’s right behind me, but you have to zoom in a bit. Oh and don’t forget to follow me on instagram later.”

 

   “I don’t have-“ His breath caught in his throat when he zoomed in on the face in the picture. 

 

   There he was. 

 

   Lay.