Victor entered a spacious room centered on a large round table. The table was now filled with five people and had become fully occupied when Victor joined the group.His gaze was forward, as it always was. His calm demeanor made the four people there stifle their annoyance, while the one person sitting straight across from him seemed to be smiling.Victor was like that, and it didn't seem like it could be changed, which is probably how his gaze at Victor would look if expressed in words."Did you have a nice trip, Victor?" The man who had just asked was Johnny Smithf, the leader of the infamous New Orleans underground organization, Little Boy.Victor looked at him and said, "I got a new collection, and it was fun."Victor's casual reply provoked a snide response from the long black-haired woman with hedge bangs at the other corner of the table. "So much fun that you can't stop your wanton desires, huh?"Her name was Eve. A 22-year-old woman who was the only female executive at L
It's late now. It didn't feel like Violet had spent the whole day with Victor. This was something she never expected. Now they were in a restaurant, of course, enjoying dinner after a long day of walking around and eating snacks. Violet needed to keep her body properly nourished; eating too many snacks wouldn't be good for her. That's what Victor said. "Order now," Victor said as the menu book was handed to them. Violet smiled happily and looked over the menu. Oh my... her heart sank. The food looked so good, Violet couldn't choose because she wanted it all. She had already eaten a lot of snacks, but when she saw the menu, the worms in her stomach churned violently as if she hadn't eaten in two days. Violet bit her lower lip. At Melrose, she would definitely not be allowed to eat more than three main courses according to the house rules. "Choose quickly." Victor's voice distracted her. Violet glanced at Victor from behind her menu book. "Choose whatever you want." "Really?" "Ye
"Victor...," Violet called softly. Victor was focused on driving without taking his eyes off her, but she must have been listening. So, Violet chose to continue. "Did you take offense to what I just said?" As usual, it took Violet a long time to wait for Victor's answer. The man must have been considering whether he should answer or not. Violet had a hundred percent bet that he wouldn't answer her question. "No." But unexpectedly, Victor answered her, even without asking which words Violet was referring to. That meant he understood what Violet was asking. "Do you know which saying I'm referring to?" "I remember a child's sad story when I heard what you said, and that's why I seemed offended. But I really don't care." Violet pressed her mouth shut again, reluctant to respond. Somehow she didn't want to believe what Victor was saying. Should she find the answer herself? Yes... she should. Since that unfounded anxiety had been put to rest today, tomorrow would be Violet's first ste
Verlaine. The name had been very much on Victor's mind for the past five years. If you ask Victor if he knows him, the answer is, of course: very well.Long before today, Victor and Verlaine were bound by a sweet and kind relationship. Brother and sister? That's what people called it. Although there was nothing to legally connect the two, and the relationship was just a title. Unexpectedly, it became something Victor could consider real after all this time shutting himself off from the world.Victor liked Verlaine, he was a sweet and sometimes spoiled little brother. Verlaine also liked Victor, the cool older brother who always looked cool in his eyes. It was all wonderful when they were children, yes... that fun-filled world was not the world they would live in forever.When they grow up, the mind starts to move and logic starts to do its job. How...? How did that happen?How could that other person be her brother? How could he, the young master, be as subservient as his men?Ve
"Shut up!" Victor snapped, making several people turn their attention away. Victor's voice was so loud that it rivaled the music that was playing in the place. Even Verlaine was surprised when Victor snapped at him, as if it was the first time he had ever heard Victor speak so loudly.Verlaine looked around. He and Victor were starting to become the center of attention, himself laughing discordantly. "We're just playing. Enjoy your time."Whichever angle you look at it from, it's not a happy look on that face, is it? Victor was even reluctant to take his gaze off Verlaine. Again, it was a source of amusement for him. Verlaine laughed in satisfaction, he turned the tables.Wasn't this the face Victor used to make when Verlaine shouted in annoyance? Victor remains calm, not saying a word even though he knows in front of him, Verlaine is holding back his tears and continues to scream.Verlaine looked back at Victor. The man was calmer after the attention people were giving him made h
That night, there was something that could not fall asleep. Trying repeatedly to close his eyes, but ending up looking at the ceiling of the room he was in. His cold eyes once again glanced at the presence of a girl who was peacefully undisturbed in front of him, that serene face that was able to make him sink back into memories of only her. Victor had no intention of being nostalgic. But when he saw Violet's face once more, his head replayed the scene from three years ago. It's the part where he first sees Violet in the middle of a field of yellow flowers on the cool Vermont plains. Three years ago, Victor Leighton traveled to a small town in the state of Vermont. The place was Woodstock, a small town known for its preserved natural beauty. If you're asking why one of the executives from New Orleans' most notorious mafia group would travel to such a remote and beautiful place, the answer isn't to plan an early retirement or a life plan after he retires from the dark world that rai
Sure enough, Matthias was cornered. The old man in his 60s was silent, not knowing what to answer even though his mouth was already mumbling words that ended up being held back again. Seeing Matthias’ guilty, embarrassed, and cornered face made Victor laugh again. The man puckered the corners of his thin lips, forming a smile that antagonists usually had on screen. “Well, well...." he ended his tense topic, “I’m making things tense, when you’re trying so hard to support your little family.” Victor’s eyes went out the window, the room directly facing the flower field allowed him to see the beautiful figure that had stolen his attention when he walked into this place earlier. “I heard you had a son,” Victor said, starting the conversation with another topic. Matthias followed Victor’s gaze to his sunflower field. The old man sighed heavily. “Yes... I used to have one, but he died when he was only five years old. Now my only child is a young girl who will soon graduate from middle s
“Are you all right, sir?” Violet asked, leaving Victor a little surprised and confused. Victor thought the entire universe knew he was fine, he’d just touched some rose leaves and been yelled at like he’d stolen them. Violet tugged on Victor’s hand, turning it over in her wide palm. “Ah, you should be careful. This is a rose field, didn’t you know?” Violet asked again. Victor was silent, but he really didn’t understand Violet’s train of thought. Roses are the most famous type of flower in the world, the shape is relatively the same even though the types are distinguished only by color, as well as the characteristic thorny stalks of course make people easily identify it. Even if it’s a layman who doesn’t understand flowers. The same goes for Victor. He certainly knew what flowers he was touching. But Violet acted as if Victor had just touched a thorny flower that only grew on the ground in front of his house, which Victor probably didn’t know was poisonous or not. “I know,” Victor