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"Audrey, I'm tired right now. I had a really long day and I can't deal with this," I sighed.
"Why? Did you kill someone else?"
I looked up at her slowly, trying to contain the frustration in my heart.Why can't you see that you're not ready for the truth?
"That night was an accident. The man attacked me first and in the process of defending myself, he died in the struggle," I took a deep breath and sat on the closest seat.
"Did you call the cops then?"
"As a matter of fact, I did." I countered.I called them to coordinate with Anton in handling the case and dealing with his body.
"Next question. What organization do you work for? Why does everyone, even the douchebag Jeremy and his father, address you as Boss?"
"It's just what they prefer to call me. They insist on it," I stated.
"Are you sure? Are you sure it's not because you're some criminal mastermind?"
This would make me chuckle if I wasn’t on the verge of losing it.I was getting sick and tired of her questioning when I wasn’t ready to tell her everything, so I blurted, "Then you're rather bold and stupid to be standing up to me this way if you truly think I'm a criminal mastermind." She inhaled sharply and stepped back in fear.
"D-Did you kill Josephine?"
"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.
"Did you or your organization cause the death of Josephine Lopez?" Her voice trembled as she spoke.
Her words struck a chord within me, an echo of the past that I had long tried to silence. The name Josephine resonated like a haunting refrain, a reminder of a time when my path had been entwined with another’s. Guilt settled upon me like a heavy cloak as I sank into a chair, the memory of Josephine’s fate a specter that haunted my thoughts. The sanctuary of mystudy suddenly felt suffocating, the air heavy with a past I could never escape. The room seemed to close in around us, the walls holding the weight of memories I had buried beneath layers of time and distance.
"Don't say that name, Audrey. I did nothing of the sort," I sprang up in anger. The memories of Josephine’s life and death for a long time had been a torrent that threatened to drown me. That is, until I found Audrey.
Before her, I had given up on the idea of love, or ever getting close and caring about someone else, because of the fear and guilt that weighed on my heart. I had passed the years sleeping with different women every night, hoping to avoid any real connection in the process. But on the night I saw Audrey at the bar in the club, the longing for an emotional connection resurged and through a series of circumstances, I had regained the love I thought was lost forever. The mansion, my refuge from the tides of crime and pain, was now tainted by the echoes of a past I had tried to bury.
"You're Mafia. You're Mafia. You're Mafia. Oh Gosh, how stupid I’ve been this whole time~" Audrey began muttering as her pupils dilated hysterically. The words were a reminder of the dark life I sought to escape when I was around her, at least until she was ready for the truth. Audrey’s voice persisted, each word carving a path through my defenses, unraveling the carefully constructed walls that I had erected around my heart.
And then, in a moment of anguish, the dam within me burst. “Stop!” The word tore from me, a raw cry that echoed through the room. “Just stop!”
Audrey’s gaze met mine, stunned surprise etched across her features. The silence that followed hung heavy between us, a chasm that seemed impossible to bridge. It was the first time I had ever raised my voice at her.
I sighed, my shoulders sagging beneath the weight of my own turmoil. “I’m sorry,” I murmured, my voice a mere whisper.
But then, as the tension seemed to reach its peak, a sudden deafening explosion rocked the building. The force of it sent us flying, our bodies propelled away from each other.
The air was thick with smoke and the acrid stench of destruction, a haze that blurred my senses and clouded my thoughts. Debris littered the once-still room, a testament to the violent force that had torn through the tranquility I had worked so hard to maintain. My ears rang with a deafening symphony of chaos, drowning out all but the urgent beat of my heart.
As dust settled and the world around us seemed to blur, my thoughts turned to Audrey. The words that had hung between us, the pain that had threatened to tear us apart—all of it was now eclipsed by the immediacy of danger. In the chaos of the moment, amidst the debris and confusion, Audrey’s safety became my singular focus. The past, the pain, the secrets—it all faded into insignificance as I rushed to her side, the primal instinct to protect the woman I loved overriding all else.
Audrey lay motionless on the floor, a sight that sent a surge of panic coursing through my veins. The world around me seemed to slow as I came to her side, my fingers trembling as I sought to assure myself that she was unharmed. Relief washed over me as I felt the rise and fall of her chest, her unconscious form a fragile testament to the fragility of life.
The realization struck me like a blow—an explosion, a deliberate act of violence that shattered the sanctuary I had crafted. The taste of danger lingered on my tongue as I regarded the disheveled room. The Ouroboric Web had been tossed into a corner of the room and a portion of it had been chipped away by the blast.
My gaze shifted to the bookshelf, a repository of knowledge and secrets alike since ancient times. I moved swiftlyto it and from its depths, I retrieved a gun, its weight familiar in my grasp. Ever since I had been crowned Boss of the organization, I hadn’t used it—except on two occasions, one, an accident, and the other, a necessity. The darkness I had unleashed with it over the years had eventually filled me with a deep repugnance for the object. When I held it, it reminded me of the man I once was and that was not who I wanted to be with my new family.
Besides, I usually never needed a gun myself. I never thought I would be using it again, but Audrey’s safety was paramount, her well-being a beacon that guided my every action.
“Audrey.” My voice was a gentle whisper, a plea to rouse her from her unconscious state but maintain silence. I had no idea where the enemy was or how many they were, so caution was important. Her eyelids fluttered, and her confused eyes met mine. “We need to move. Can you stand?”
She nodded slowly. With cautious movements, Audrey rose to her feet, her hand clutching mine with a strength born of determination. The sound of gunshots echoed in the distance, a grim reminder that danger lurked in every corner.
My grip on the gun tightened as I scanned our surroundings, every sense heightened in the face of the unknown. A figure materialized, an attacker poised for action, but before he could unleash his fury, I acted swiftly, the sharp crack of a gunshot ringing in my ears.
