“Liv, can’t you listen to me for once?” The dark haired man fumed as he watched his sister pacing around her office, her high heels clapped on the wooden floor in endless circles.
“What do you expect me to do, Talay?” She finally turned to look at her brother who sat on the couch that stood on the other side of the room. “This is an important meeting and you need to be there as the second leader of the family!” She was unyielding to her brother’s attempts to try to avoid accompanying her to the Villarreal mansion.
They were supposed to meet the new head of the Villarreal clan and Talay tried everything in his powers to try and persuade her into letting him off the hook.
“I’ve been doing everything you told me to! Every single order you gave me - I went and did it. So why can’t you leave me alone for once?” Talay still refused to back down. He didn’t see a point in coming to that useless meeting where he would have to face the younger brother of his old friend who is surely drunk on the newfound power he just gained after Cassius’ disappearance. He wasn’t interested in meeting that brat who he didn’t know was even alive until recently.
Just who they think they are? They’ve been keeping him hidden all this time as some kind of a secret weapon and now his sister was expected to blindly accept the invitation to join hands in search for Cassius.
“Look… I know how uncomfortable you are with this but-“
“Uncomfortable would be an understatement,” Talay cut off his sister’s words with a scowl. “That brat probably thinks we will crawl at his feet when he needs our help as if we were indebted to him!”
“But we are indebted to his family! Don’t you remember how Cassius supported us when all the other clans turned against us?” Olivia was desperately trying to reason with her stubborn brother.
Talay scoffed and lit a cigarette, taking a long drag hoping to calm down his chaotic mind. “There’s really no limit to the audacity of the Villarreal family,” he kept muttering under his breath. “What do we even know about this person? Is he actually the member of the family or is he just a random pawn they use to keep their position??”
“He is the biological son of Marcus Villarreal,” Olivia confirmed and poured herself a glass of whiskey to somehow numb her nerves. “He is Cassius’ half brother but his existence was kept secret because Marcus tried to keep him from the mafia clan. Originally the boy wasn’t even supposed to be involved in the family business.”
“So why is he suddenly sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong?” Talay’s dark eyes were piercing through the ashtray on the conference table in front of him. He just couldn’t make any sense of this.
“Because Cassius is gone, Talay!” Olivia snapped, her patience wearing thin. She downed the glass of whiskey and proceeded to pour herself another one.
“I wonder how he intends to find him,” Talay mumbled but decided to let go of the matter when he noticed how distressed his sister was. “Don’t you wanna slow down a bit? You’ll be wasted before we get there.”
“Don’t worry about me and make sure you behave yourself,” she retorted coldly and straightened out her suit jacket, adjusting her expensive jewelry to make sure she looks presentable enough.
Talay knew how much weight the role of the family leader put on Olivia’s shoulders and he should’ve been the one to try and make it easier for her. But the truth was that he couldn’t care less. He loathed being the one who had to stand by her side at all times, helping her to manage the family business.
“Why are you so cranky anyways? I let you go on that stupid trip, I thought you’d be grateful,” Olivia turned to her brother who was smoking his cigarette in silence and appeared to be deep in thought.
He lifted his gaze up at her but ended up looking away with an unreadable expression. He wasn’t in the mood to explain that his trip ended up being in vain because he wasn’t able to find what he was looking for. His chest tightened at the thought of the disappointment he was met with when he realized he came too late.
“Nevertheless…” She took a deep breath and finished her second glass. “It’s time to head out, Matt is already waiting for us downstairs.”
Talay grunted in response, not thrilled when Olivia mentioned her head bodyguard who is the reason he had to leave the island. He will never forgive the man for suddenly appearing out of nowhere in front of the beach house while Kai was at work, threatening to reveal his true identity if he didn’t come back home with him. The fact that he was sent under his sister’s orders didn’t matter to him, his anger was aimed at the shameless bodyguard who dared to order him around.
“Let’s get it over with,” Talay murmured as he put out his cigarette and followed his sister, trying to mentally prepare to face the new head of the Villarreal family.
“Just let me remind you that you should keep your mouth shut,” Olivia spoke as she looked outside the car window when they arrived at the Villarreal mansion.
“How sweet of you,” Talay chuckled bitterly. “Are you worried my charm would scare off the young master?”
“Talay,” she reprimanded her brother with a warning tone.
“Alright alright I’ll be good,” Lay assured his sister and got out of the car first to open the door for her. “Madam,” he bowed to her with a playful grin.
Olivia let out a deep sigh and rolled her eyes before she elegantly stepped out of the car.
“Grey,” she smiled at the man who came to welcome them.
Lay gave him a slight nod to greet him although he’s never liked this guy. He was a loyal dog who never left his master’s side although that’s the fact that made him wonder how it was possible that Cassius managed to disappear without a trace. But that wasn’t for him to debate since he refused to trouble his mind with unnecessary questions that didn’t even concern him.
“Madam,” Grey greeted Olivia with a bow and turned to do the same for Lay. “Sir, it’s good to see you again.”
“Likewise,” Lay tried to be as polite as possible so he wouldn’t embarrass his sister the moment they stepped on their ally’s territory.
“Please follow me into the office, young master is waiting for you,” Grey beckoned them to follow him as he walked into the house.
Trying to control his bitterness, Lay swallowed all the objections he had about the whole ‘young master’ thing and obediently went behind his sister together with their bodyguard Matt.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Grey asked them when they stopped in front of the door to Cassius’ office.
Lay couldn’t even remember the last time he set foot into this house that always felt so cold and unwelcoming. While his family owned several luxurious hotels in the city and used the whole top two floors of one of them as their headquarters, the Villarreal family lived in this old monstrosity of a mansion as if they were some kind of royalty.
“One for me please,” Olivia accepted with a civil smile on her lips, giving Lay an expectant look.
“I’ll have one as well,” Lay replied, trying to keep his tone from sounding too sour. “Thank you, Grey,” he added when his sister seemed displeased by his casual response.
“Of course,” Grey nodded. “Please go inside and I will be right back.” The man opened the door for them and headed somewhere down the hallway.
As Lay followed his sister into the office, he was surprised how much brighter the room seemed when the curtains that usually covered up the large windows were now spread, letting in the intense sunlight. His eyes immediately fell on the silhouette of the young man standing by one of the windows, his back facing them.
“Young master, the Sullivan siblings are here,” the bodyguard by his side announced, catching his attention.
Lay recognised him as Ryan, the head bodyguard of the family and he immediately started to wonder if there is a single soul in this family that he actually liked. An unpleasant sense of paranoia that the crazy man named Atlas would jump out of somewhere washed over him as he silently prayed that that wouldn’t be the case. The bothersome cousin of Cassius’ was the last person he wanted to see.
His sister cleared her throat, interrupting the flow of his thoughts and he quickly looked up at the man in front of them who finally turned to face them.
“I introduce you to Caelum Villarreal, the current head of the Villarreal clan,” Ryan introduced the young master with a firm voice as if he was announcing the new king.
But Lay didn’t have the opportunity to be irritated by the way the bodyguards behaved in this family because as soon as his eyes met with the familiar pair of pale blue orbs, he felt as if the floor beneath him disappeared.
“It’s nice to finally meet you.”
That voice.
That gentle voice Lay dreamed about every single night, causing him to wake up in sweat calling out the name that haunted him every waking moment since he left its owner behind.
But if the face he was seeing in front of him wouldn’t be burned deep into his mind, he would think that he’s meeting this stranger for the first time in his life.
The new leader of the family was dressed in a navy blue suit with a black button up shirt with several of the top buttons undone revealing his pale chest that was decorated with a pair of long necklaces. The color of the suit perfectly brought out his pale blue eyes that were finally perfectly visible now thanks to his hair being styled and not falling into his handsome face like before.
“The pleasure is mine,” Olivia took the initiative when she spotted her brother was just absentmindedly staring at the young master and stepped towards the man to shake hands with him. “I am sorry we are finally meeting under such circumstances.”
“It’s alright, Ms. Sullivan,” Kai shook her hand with a warm smile.
“Oh please, call me Olivia,” Lay’s sister chuckled, trying to ease the heavy atmosphere. “And this-“ she gestured towards the dark haired man who stood behind her, “- is my younger brother, Talay.”
“Nice to meet you, Talay,” Kai nodded, giving him the same smile that however didn’t reach his eyes that remained unreadable. There wasn’t even a hint that would suggest that he is already familiar with the second leader of the Sullivan family. His performance was so flawless that even Lay started to doubt whether this isn’t just some sick twist of fate and the young man just resembles his lover too closely.
Lay still didn’t manage to get a single sound out of his mouth as his words got stuck in his throat. He still couldn’t believe what was happening and he felt the sudden need to pinch his arm just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.
“Please excuse him, he’s been having a hard time recently,” Olivia hurriedly tried to excuse her brother’s odd behavior. “He is still recovering from when he was kidnapped little over a year ago and is having a hard time with meeting new people.”
Her brother didn’t even bother to be upset with the way Olivia talked about him as if he was a little kid as he was still deep in shock. He just blindly accepted Kai’s reached out hand in a hand shake that sent shivers down his spine. Only one person could awaken such a reaction in his body.
But Kai’s cold hand quickly slipped out of his grasp as he turned to his sister without any sign that would show that the physical touch woke a single emotion in him.
“Ah yes, Grey told me about the unfortunate incident,” he spoke trying to seem understanding, although deep down his stomach twisted with anger. “I am very sorry about what happened. I know very well how it feels to recover from such experience.”
So he is still recovering? Was he the one who was left behind in pieces? Was he the one who was left to question his whole being while desperately waiting each day for him to come back without falling apart?
But Kai was determined to play his role until the very last second. This was his little revenge against the man who tore his heart apart and he refused to show a single sign of weakness in front of him.
“It’s alright,” Olivia stepped in once again, accepting the fact that neither she nor Kai would be able to get Lay to speak. “It’s the risk we all live with in this business, I am sure you know what I mean.”
“Unfortunately,” Kai replied with a pitiful expression that was just another part of his sharade, but he still found a grain of sympathy when he thought back on his own experience. He was about to say something else but his attention was averted when Grey entered the room with a tray in his hands.
“Your coffee,” he announced as he carefully placed the three cups onto the conference table.
Kai gave him a thankful nod and gestured for the siblings to sit down at the seating area in his office that consisted of two spacious couches.
“Thank you, Grey,” Kai smiled at his secretary, leaving a bitter feeling in Lay’s mouth. There were times he would smile like that at him and now he pretended as if they’ve never met.
“May I ask you something?” Olivia spoke up after she took a sip from her coffee and waited for Kai’s consent before she asked, “Everyone believed you were dead… so how is it that you’re here?”
Lay winced upon hearing those words that brought unsettling images into his mind. He too believed that the younger son of the Villarreal family was killed when he was kidnapped since that was the rumor that spread around but he would’ve never believed that the man who was supposed to be dead ended up saving his life later when he himself found himself on the verge of death.
“My brother just tried to protect me,” Kai explained with a distant look in his eyes. “As you may know I was never involved in the family business and I rather watched from afar since my brother is the one who was preparing to lead our clan ever since he was little. After that attack took place, he got worried about my safety and so he decided to let that rumor spread in hopes to keep me from being a target,” Kai repeated the story that Grey taught him in case anyone was curious about the confusing circumstances of his existence in the family.
Olivia nodded, feeling pitiful over how unfortunate Kai’s upbringing must have been. She’s only heard stories from her father since Cassius refused to speak about his brother and she never dared to cross a line with him. Despite Cassius being almost ten years younger than her, she respected him like an equal. He earned her admiration not only by his ruthless demeanor but also by how flawlessly he managed his business and always stood his ground, not phased by the fact that his family history was quite controversial among the other clans.
“It’s understandable,” she noted and let out a deep sigh. “I’d like you to know that you have my full support and if you need any help with searching for your brother, we are ready to aid you at all times.”
“Thank you, Olivia.” Kai gave her a thankful smile. “Of course the Villarreal family will continue to support you and I will make sure the relationship between our families remains the same.”
“You talk just like your brother,” Olivia chuckled with a certain fondness written on her face. “And the resemblance is incredible,” she shook her head in admiration.
Although Kai was visibly younger than Cassius and his face still carried some sense of innocence, no one could deny the fact that they were related. Their eyes carried the same shade of pale blue, resembling their father although neither of the brothers inherited the hostility that was rooted deep inside them. Even their hair that they kept at shoulders length were in the same tone of light blonde that seemed almost white under the daylight. Kai looked like a different version of his older brother yet he also seemed to be his spitting image and Olivia couldn’t get enough of the peculiar sight.
“I haven’t heard that for a really long time,” Kai admitted and finally dared to look at Lay who sat by Olivia’s side with a distant expression. “You two also look alike,” he observed, checking if he gets to catch Lay’s attention. It was quite amusing for him how he managed to put the man in a trance with his marvelous performance but he was getting worried that his sister would notice that something was off.
“If it wasn’t for the age difference I am sure people would’ve thought we are twins,” Olivia joked, trying to light up the conversation because she felt as if something was hanging in the air, making the atmosphere tense.
“I would never guess that you are even a day apart,” Kai attempted to compliment her, reminding himself that he needs Olivia to warm up to him as soon as possible.
“Oh please,” she waved her hand dismissively. “Even your brother thought I am too old for him,” she laughed awkwardly but her intentions were to find out how much Kai knows about her relationship with Cassius.
“What do you mean?” Kai furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, proving that not everything was revealed to him.
“Ah well… back when Cassius was still in college, your father intended to arrange for us to get married in order to strengthen our relationship,” Olivia explained, taking pity on the young man in front of her. It seemed like he was well informed only when it came to the business area but he lacked information about the more personal matters.
Kai tried to cover up how taken aback he was by this newfound information and his eyes shot to Ryan who stood by the door. He caught a glimpse of the man shifting his weight, seemingly uncomfortable but when he noticed that his young master was watching him he quickly adjusted his posture and hid his expression behind an unreadable mask.
“Luckily we managed to persuade our parents against such old school measures and instead we remained friends,” Olivia said and took her opportunity to nudge Lay’s shoulder when she saw that Kai wasn’t looking. “Get your shit together,” she mumbled inaudibly with a threatening glare.
“Well I’d like to point out that my brother isn’t really a husband material,” Kai said jokingly but observed from the corner of his eye how Ryan would react. He caught him opening his mouth as if he wanted to object something but he quickly swallowed his words when their eyes met.
Something is definitely going on here, Kai thought to himself but he didn’t get the chance to test his theory any further because Lay finally spoke.
“And are you?”
“Talay,” Olivia nudged her brother once again, eyes pointing daggers at him.
“What?” Kai furrowed his eyebrows.
“Are you a husband material, Caelum?” Lay questioned with a mysterious glint in his eyes.
He’s back, Kai cursed in his head and tried to keep his composure as he replied, “No offense but I don’t think me and Olivia would be a good match.”
Olivia let out an awkward laugh, trying to figure out how to carefully dance out of this sticky situation, “My words exactly.”
“I never said you would be marrying my sister?” Lay smirked, his eyes indicating that he just started a new game he intended to win.
“And who do you suggest I should marry?” Kai didn’t hesitate to accept the challenge, refusing to lose his face in front of the shameless man. He stubbornly pushed away the sense of deja vu reminding him how they used to bicker back in the day.
Shrugging, Lay leisurely scanned the room with his eyes and he managed to catch a glimpse of the head bodyguard who observed their conversation in silence. The expression on his face was telling him that he was quite interested in what the two of them were discussing and so he decided to kick it up a notch.
“Is there really no one on your mind?” He asked audaciously and watched with curiosity as Ryan bore his eyes into his young master with hidden interest.
To his bewilderment, Kai’s eyes searched for his bodyguard instead of looking at him, making him wonder what this could mean. What was going on between the two of them? The possibility that Kai was just uncomfortable with discussing such matters in front of Ryan slipped Lay’s mind that was clouded with jealousy and instead he started to make assumptions.
“Talay, I think you’re crossing a line here,” Olivia reprimanded her brother when she sensed that the atmosphere was once again growing dangerously dense.
“I am just making conversation,” Lay defended himself and shot a displeased glance in Ryan’s direction.
“There’s no one in particular,” Kai finally decided to answer as he refused to be backed into a corner.
“Well that’s alright, Caelum,” Olivia hurriedly attempted to somehow put an end to this sensitive topic. “You are still very young, I am sure you will meet the one soon.”
“I am afraid my priorities are somewhere else at the moment,” Kai replied with a serious expression. “My main goal right now is to find my brother.”
“Of course,” Olivia nodded and took a deep breath. “I have some connections that could help us with finding any possible information about Cassius’ whereabouts.”
“I appreciate that,” Kai nodded and gestured towards Grey who stood behind Kai the whole time, witnessing it all unfold. “Please contact my secretary if you find anything.”
“Will do,” Olivia agreed, exchanging determined glances with Grey.
Finally, the conversation took a turn to the direction of the true purpose of this meeting, that being said, Lay was still upset with the way Kai managed to turn the course of the game to his advantage, making him seem like the one who was looking for trouble.
But this was just the start.
