M A R I A N O
"Boss, you're awfully kind these days," Hal noticed, and he kicked one of the beaten-up bodies aside. We're in an abandoned building somewhere on the outskirts, away from public attention. This is where we usually do the dirty part of the operation. We have other locations, but this is the nearest to my mansion. Not that near, because it will take three hours of travel by land, but Hal drives fast. We can reach home in an hour.
I wiped the drops of blood that splattered on my cheek and straightened up my suit, only to frown when I noticed a small stain of red on my white shirt. "I need to change." I removed the stained shirt from my body and saw Hal throw me a clean one, which I caught smoothly. "What do you mean by kind? I just blew their brains out." I referred to the five bodies drowning in their own blood.
Hal sighed and changed his shirt too. His was bloodier because he made sure to beat up his target well before shooting them. "This is the reason why they target you, you know. These arrogant assholes don't know better," Hal remarked coldly, and he shot the one near him when he heard a gurgled groan.
When the news spread that I started to act low-key by disposing of my targets quickly, I seemed to give them the impression that I had become weak. "Where did they get the idea that I'm losing my touch? I just don't want to go home reeking of blood. Arden has become sensitive lately, and I don't want to subject him to several minutes of puking his guts out." I gestured to my men to clean everything up while I heard a small scoff from Hal.
"Okay, Boss," Hal said simply, and it caught my attention.
With a raised brow, I turned to him. "I'm serious, Hal. Seeing Arden pale and in pain does not sit well with me," I replied defensively, slightly irritated that Hal does not take my words as they are.
Hal blinked and nodded. "I got it, Boss." Hal turned his back on me and ordered his men to clean up the bloody floor.
With gritted teeth, I took three strides and stood beside Hal. "I'm serious. I'm just worried about Arden. Don't you see him? He's smaller than me and his frame. How can a loud voice come out of his small stature? And when he gets angry, I actually feel fear. Maybe a little." I remembered the day when we ran out of Arden's matcha cake.
He was in a very good mood that morning. All giggly and with shining eyes, he was holding the flowers I picked for him. He was glowing with a permanent smile on his face, humming so softly as I held my hand while we descended the stairs and into the kitchen. It must be because of the pregnancy; that's why he looks ethereal, and happiness is beaming off of him.
"Someone's on cloud nine today," I said with a smile, and I was graced with his giggles. I turned to him, and I witnessed how the edges of his eyes got smaller as he beamed at me. So beautiful! I almost said it out loud, but I managed to get a hold of myself. Shaking my head slightly, I smiled a little. Something must be wrong with me today.
"Of course! I was craving some matcha cake several hours ago, but I held myself back. You always nag me not to binge so much on sweets, especially during ungodly hours. Now, I am going to eat plenty," he said with a huff, giving me a challenging look.
"No complaint on my part, Arden. You can eat as much as you can but not to the point where you'll puke from overeating." It happened once, and he cried because his stomach hurt so bad from indigestion.
"That was one time, Mariano. You're never going to let me live it down, aren't you?" He quipped with an eye roll, and once we reached the kitchen, he bounced on his feet slightly and sat down. "Hal, where's my cake?"
Hal put down his coffee and went to the fridge. I can't believe that Arden managed to tame Hal. Hal is my personal bodyguard, and he's very lethal, but seeing Arden boss Hal around doesn't seem so bad. Hal only acts on my orders, but maybe Arden was able to tame this beast of a man.
I frowned a little when Hal gestured for me to come over. Still not getting it, Hal expelled a breath and mouthed, There is no more cake.
"Huh? There's no more cake?" I might have said that a little louder, and Arden snapped his head to look at me. His sparkly eyes turned dead, and his expression became blank. From my periphery, I saw Hal rubbing his face in frustration, and I wanted to smack my head too, but here we are. Me and my stupid mouth.
"No cake?" Arden asked in a low and neutral voice. He was not angry or irritated. I just cannot detect an ounce of emotion in his voice. I can't even read him. I was at a loss for what to do. "Huh." He stood up and made his way to the living room, leaving us in a blanket of cold silence.
"I'm on it, Boss," Hal said in a rush and ran to the garage. Of course, the responsibility of appeasing the pregnant carrier fell on me, and for the first time in my life, I felt nervous. Clearing my throat, I grabbed Arden's iced matcha latte from the fridge and slowly made my way to where he was.
Still sporting a blank expression, he was holding a remote, scanning through the channels aimlessly. From where I am, I can feel his irritation building up.
"Arden?"
"What?" he snapped, and his composed expression morphed into an upset one. His brows were furrowed, his eyes were filled with annoyance, and his jaw was clenched tight. "Go away and don't bother me," he hissed, pressing the remote buttons angrily.
With a deep sigh, I sat on the couch to his left, trying to think of ways to appease him. "I'm sorry, Arden. I did not expect that something like this would happen. Please, don't get mad."
He looked at me, but all I got was a glare. I was told by River that a pregnant carrier's mood swings should not be taken lightly. Out of concern for my safety, I leaned back slightly just in case Arden exploded and threw the remote in my face. "Hal is flying to your favorite cafe to buy your cake."
He stilled for a few seconds but continued to release his anger on the remote. Poor thing. Arden's grip on the thing was too tight. I feel like it's going to be crushed any time soon.
"Not only that, I hear that there's a new matcha product available. I saw it on their site just now. Wanna browse? Then we'll have Hal buy everything you want." That got his attention.
He turned to me slowly and bit his lower lip, a slight frown marring his forehead. He was still deciding whether to forgive me for my blunder earlier or just to forget everything because of the good news.
He chose the latter, because I saw Arden's beaming expression again. "Why didn't you start with that?" With a giggle, he brisked towards me and settled himself on my lap, then grabbed my phone. Automatically, I had him sit sideways so he could be comfortable. For some reason, the slight heaviness on my chest disappeared after seeing him smile again.
That's when I decided: I'll do my best to make him happy.
However, I was surprised when I returned to the mansion because Arden was nowhere in sight. By this time, he should be eating his snacks in the living room or sitting by the kitchen counter, sipping his matcha drink. I would then be met by his excited squeal and a tight hug, asking how my day went.
"Where's Arden?" I turned to the head butler, who took off my coat and my other belongings.
The butler sighed and shook his head. "I apologize, Master. He was here watching his favorite series a while ago, but when he heard the car engine, he got up in a panic and almost ran to his room upstairs."
"That's weird, Boss," Hal pointed out, and he went straight to the kitchen, grabbing himself a sandwich and a glass of iced coffee. "What did you do this time?"
"Wha--why am I at fault here?" I glanced at the butler, who just heaved a deep sigh and looked at me with disappointment. "What the fuck? Why is it me?" From what I can remember, I did nothing wrong. We did our usual routine, and Arden smiled at me before I left.
"Then why is Arden avoiding you?"
I scoffed and brushed my hair back. "He is not avoiding me. He's just tired. I'll check up on him later."
Hal shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, boss. Whatever you say."
I dismissed Hal's remarks, and my eyes landed on the second floor, right where Arden's room is. No, Arden is not avoiding me. Maybe it's just his mood swings.
Definitely not his mood swings. Three days have passed since then, and I could not even get a word out whenever I saw Arden. He would not meet my eyes. He would just nod his head when he saw me. And whenever I get close to his personal space, he will run away like a skittish kitten. We are living in the same house, but getting a hold of him was the hardest thing that has happened to me, and my frustration was gradually building up.
In addition, the elders are asking so many questions about my supposed lover. They are convinced that I am just making it up to delay the succession. If I don't present my lover to them in two weeks, they will have me marry the one they chose. Fucking geezers. If they are bored with their lives, then why don't they rest? Permanently.
I was on my way back to my office when I saw Arden holding a tray of his snacks on his way to his room, but when he saw me, he placed the tray on the landing, grabbed his drink, and ran outside. I want to chase him, but I have an important meeting in two hours. I have to say, his actions do not sit well with me. I need to get a hold of him, and it should be soon.
***
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