Dohyeon spotted Nova approaching from a distance even before Rivert did. "Nova!" he called out, his voice sharp as he moved toward the boy.
Thwack!
"Idiot! You're standing here looking around like a trembling rabbit while Rivert is practically breathing down my neck, demanding to know where you are! 'Where's Nova? Where's Nova?'" Dohyeon hissed. The hit was so firm that Nova felt like he'd shrunk from a human into a worm right there on the spot.
"Hyung..." Nova whimpered, rubbing his shoulder. "Why did you leave me alone in this crowd? And... how did Rivert see me already?" His eyes widened in genuine shock.
"Are you really surprised he spotted you?" Dohyeon asked, his tone softening slightly as he smoothed out the jacket where he had just struck Nova. Nova quickly averted his gaze, his expression a disoriented mess of guilt and nerves.
"I saw him the moment I stepped inside. It's not my fault... my eyes just went where he was standing," Nova argued, trying to defend himself. But internally, he winced. Why am I even explaining this?
Dohyeon's eyebrows shot up toward the ceiling, his face a mask of pure annoyance. "Of all the people in this massive ballroom, your eyes go straight to where Rivert and the Chairman are standing? Honestly, Nova, your gaze always lands exactly where it shouldn't—just like with that thug at the cafe."
"Hyunggggg!" Nova groaned. His ears were ringing from hearing that cafe story over and over again. Dohyeon never missed an opportunity to bring it up.
Dumb and dumber duo, Dohyeon thought, watching Nova's flustered reaction. He kept the thought to himself, but he couldn't help but feel they behaved more like a bickering married couple than anything else.
"Hyung, I'm going back. You can come later," Nova muttered, his feet itching to flee the suffocating opulence of the room. But a solid grip caught his arm.
"I'm coming too," Dohyeon said firmly.
As they began to walk—Dohyeon leading and Nova following closely behind—Nova tried to distract himself. "Hyung, did you meet your uncle?" He adjusted his hair, which kept falling over his eyes as he spoke.
"Where? Since I stepped into this event, it's been one surprise after another. We were so busy looking for a certain 'someone' that I didn't even get a chance to say hello to the guests."
"I'm sorry." The apology came with the speed of light.
"I'm not blaming you," Dohyeon sighed, a long breath escaping his lungs. They had barely taken four or five steps toward the exit when the air suddenly changed.
A few yards away, Rivert stood like a silent sentinel. His gaze cut through the distance, landing on Nova with a piercing intensity. How unfortunate, he thought. To be so close, yet worlds apart. Rivert's eyes spoke the words his lips couldn't utter. A faint smile stayed tucked beneath his teeth as he asked silently: 'Nova, how are you doing?'
Nova lowered his eyes, his heart swelling with an immeasurable weight of respect and love. Tears, bright as diamonds, threatened to surface, but he suppressed them. He knew if he showed his pain here, these wolves would strike directly at his heart.
I'm perfectly fine. What could possibly happen to me? Nova swallowed hard and returned Rivert's silent smile with his own. For a split second, the mission and the danger vanished. He wanted to leave it all behind and go somewhere far away with him.
Using only his fingers and a glance, Nova signaled toward Rivert's suit: "You look handsome today." Then, a smile as precious as gold touched his lips.
"You too," came the silent reply from Rivert's lips, a message meant only for Nova's heart, hidden from the prying eyes of the elite. The distance between them felt like a vast ocean, with Rivert on one shore and Nova on the other, sending letters across the waves through their eyes.
But the moment was fleeting. Dohyeon took Nova's hand and pulled him toward the exit. Nova's gaze remained anchored to Rivert, following him until his silhouette began to blur into the golden haze of the ballroom.
After Nova's departure, Rivert took a long, stabilizing breath. Now that his only weakness had slipped through the predators' net, focusing on the mission became significantly easier. However, the ballroom was proving to be far more treacherous than the simple charity event he had anticipated.
"Rivert!"
The voice came from behind. Following his secret meeting, the Chairman was back in the lounge, scanning the crowd for his loyal shadow. He had slipped effortlessly back into his jocular persona. Man is a creature that conceals his inner emotions so deeply that sometimes even he forgets who he truly is.
Clapping a hand on Rivert's shoulder, the Chairman spoke with his usual predator-like cunning masked by a smile. "Rivert! Where did you go? Do you have any idea how frightened I was without you? If someone had killed me and vanished, what would have become of me?"
(There is no one more wretched or dangerous in this entire party than you, Chairman,) Rivert thought. His expression remained stoney and professional; he allowed no flicker of emotion to betray the fact that his heart's only concern had been present here just moments ago.
"Chairman, sir? Have you brought someone along with you?"
It was Jihoon's voice. He wore a mask of surprise so perfectly that for a moment, even the Chairman believed Jihoon was genuinely oblivious.
Standing a short distance away was Ivan, leaning near the wall. His gaze was fixed on Rivert. (Oh, today is truly turning out to be explosive. I didn't know the Chairman's 'special person'—the one who will soon be ours—had also come.) There was a dark pleasure in Ivan's eyes, yet looking at Rivert filled him with the same visceral disgust he felt for the "dusty man."
Ivan slowly approached, coming to a halt beside Jihoon. "What are we discussing? I'd like to be included," he drawled.
Jihoon linked his arm through Ivan's, resting his head on Ivan's shoulder. "The Chairman has brought a special guest. I was just asking for an introduction."
Ivan scanned Rivert from top to bottom—a cold, calculated appraisal of an opponent he intended to bring to his knees. Suddenly, the chilling memory of the meeting at Delphinus Bay regarding the Blue Lily Project flashed across Rivert's mind.
Rivert showed no trace of fear. He was a man who did not fear death; he only feared the destruction of those close to him. He didn't care about losing his own life in this mission; he only cared about how many more lives he would have to watch wither away.
As expected from a soldier—not a shred of fear on his face. But I like this. Every human has a weakness, and I will find yours and crush it under my boot, Ivan mused, his mind brewing a dark plot while his face remained cold as ice.
The Chairman sensed the invisible tension—the suffocating restlessness—vibrating between them. "Ivan, Jihoon... this is Rivert. He's the son of a distant relative of mine."
Ivan looked at Jihoon. Jihoon looked at Ivan. They immediately turned their faces in opposite directions, their masks nearly cracking from the sheer absurdity of the lie. A roar of laughter erupted in their minds, and they struggled to maintain their public composure.
Meanwhile, Rivert's face flushed a deep red. No matter how many times he heard that lie, it became more ridiculous with every repetition.
(Does this senile fool not realize they are laughing at him in their heads?) Rivert seethed.
(The son of a distant relative? That's hilarious. Out of gratitude for making me laugh, Chairman, I won't test the Blue Lily on your Delphinus Bay... for now,) Ivan thought with twisted pride.
(Ridiculous. Could this perverted old man find no other excuse than this?) Jihoon rolled his eyes.
The Chairman stood there like a bewildered puppy, looking from one face to the other, completely oblivious to the psychological warfare occurring right before him. He was beginning to realize that perhaps his lie had been a bit too poor for a duo like Ivan and Jihoon.
The Chairman regained his composure. "Rivert," he began, "this is my child—Ivan, the CEO of Valkris Corporation. And this is Jihoon, the Executive Director... you should know, Rivert..." The Chairman locked eyes with Jihoon as if searching his very soul, "Jihoon is our most hardworking asset. It is because of him that Valkris Corporation stands among the Top 10 in Korea today."
Rivert offered a slight, formal bow. "As the Chairman has already mentioned, I am simply the son of a distant relative." He didn't deem it necessary to divulge anything more.
But Jihoon's face? It looked like a withered flower—still hauntingly beautiful, yet clearly decaying.
"No, no, Chairman. How could you say it was my effort alone? You've put so much of your own... 'contribution' into building this corporation. To say it was only my hard work would be to doubt your own efforts, wouldn't it?" Jihoon's retort was laced with sharp logic and a deeply suppressed fury.
Ivan smiled inwardly. He found the way Jihoon put the Chairman in his place utterly captivating. This was the specific charm that always drew Ivan toward him—seeing Jihoon fight his enemies.
(As expected of my lovely Jihoon.)
Ivan remained a silent spectator, slowly sipping his red champagne. His gaze swept across the ballroom as if searching for someone, though he himself hadn't realized yet exactly who he was looking for.
The host of the evening, the Secretary to the President of Korea, finally brought the dangerous drama to an end by stepping into the limelight. She thanked the guests and delivered the President's official message of gratitude. As time passed, the guests began to depart. The charity event—which felt more like a clandestine meeting for Valkris Corporation and a long, drawn-out war—finally concluded.
Outside the tinted windows of the Rolls-Royce, the road was a blurry streak of light. Since the moment Jihoon and Ivan had turned toward home, not a single word had been exchanged. The silence was agonizing, affecting the driver far more than the passengers. His forehead was slick with sweat, his heart pounding as he waited for someone to break the quiet so he could finally breathe.
Finally...
"What is our next move, Master?" Ivan asked. He didn't move an inch, nor did he turn his head toward Jihoon. His voice was as steady as a predator's heartbeat.