Sinveer's POV
For some weeks now Liach has been moving strangely, as if she knows she is being watched. Her steps are light footed, enough to make me forget, there's someone like her in my house.
And I'm beginning to hate it. Her footsteps remind me of someone I buried a long time ago.
Serafin. My brother. My ghost. The first perfect De Luna. The one who laughs louder, kills quicker, charms everyone_ until he dies. His death was strange: no evidence, no witnesses to testify about how it happened. All I was told was that Serafin is dead.
They told me it was a car crash.
That's what Maxwell, De Luna's former right hand man, said when he pulled me into the old library, eyes calm. "There's been an accident, he said, it was a malfunctioning brake."
I didn't know what to do at that time, but I couldn't bring myself to mourn even if I was deeply hurt. I didn't ask questions, even after knowing the man I looked upon, my idol, was dead. What I know is that it wasn't an accident. Serafin was a very thorough person, the embodiment of perfection. Nothing could take him off guard, he's always prepared. Always one step ahead.
I walked into my father's study, and he handed me a gun before I even sit down.
"The seat is open now," he told me. "Don't fail like your brother did."
Then they drag a man into the room, bloody and weak, and evidence of intense torture. My father didn't tell me who he was. Only said, "This one had a lot to say. So, choose the right place to shoot."
I shot him once in the chest. Then again in his mouth. The silence after was the loudest thing I've ever heard.
That was the first time blood made me feel nothing.
That night, my mother locked herself in the dining room and smashed every wine bottle in the house. "He was the good one," she screamed through the door. "Now you've cursed the wrong one."
I was fifteen. And I became the heir in blood, not in blessings.
~~ Flashback Ends ~~
I've never told anyone that story.
But, watching Liach now…I think she'd understand me more than anyone.
And that's what terrifies me.
For days, if not weeks, I've been going through the reports myself, and the reports were clean, the numbers are balanced. The security logs are... too perfect, and that's the problem.
There's no chaos. No missed details. No trail.
All of a sudden, she stops plotting, stops snooping.
Why? What is she planning now?
Suddenly, I hear Enzo and Marek snapping at each other again. This time, it's over a missing batch of firearms that were allegedly rerouted without proper documentation.
I don't need to hear the whole argument.
Just the pitch of their voices, it was sharp. Accusing each other and getting easily distracted.
Two of my most trusted men— are getting easily thrown off balance. Exactly how someone would want them to be.
I step into the room. And they fall silent.
"Get your shit together," I say, flat and cold. "You're not street dogs. You're the captains of my house."
They nod, "We're sorry Boss." I walk back into the hallway heading to my office.
But the damage is done.
The empire I'm building is cracking under pressure I didn't apply.
I pull out the envelope Serena sent me, containing a drive and some files.
A few days ago, I ask Serena to pull out every record and face that matches Liach's—I have to find her real identity. I don't buy that shit of her being an orphan and whatnots. But for days, Serena couldn't find any information about her aside from what we already knew. As though she was being blocked.
But today, she sent this envelope to me: containing Liach's information she was able to breach.
Let's see who you turn out to be, Liach Brain.
"Hahahaha...hahahaha" laughter escapes me, in sheer force.
"So it's really you?"
"No wonder I couldn't find you! You've been hiding in Switzerland, under a fake identity."
Clever as always!
My gaze shifts to the screen sharing the footage from the CCTV across Liach's desk in the hallway.
"Liach Brain or instead, LIACH CISCO—my lovely Butterfly."
That bastard set his only remaining child to my home. Is he that confident his scheme is going to work the second time?
"I'm going to take my time to snap your wings little by little."
The pulses in my veins tighten as the annoyance keeps increasing.
I step out of my office looking for something to vent on, but my gaze falls on Liach, typing reports like nothing in the world is unraveling. She doesn't look up right away, not until she finishes saving whatever nonsense she is doing, then meets my gaze like she didn't notice me.
What a foolish act, if this little situation rattled me. What will I do when she gets to the extent I want her to go? With this little sacrifice I can finally root Gabriel up forever. So I need to calm down and be more rational.
"Mr. De Luna?" She calls out my name so, innocently.
"We need to talk." I say.
"Of course." She follows me into my office.
I sit on the edge of my desk, arms folded, while she stands by the door, adjusting her glass as if it will ever fall, her expression neutral, posture perfect.
If I had one man as exactly as she is. I'll be thrilled.
"Tell me," I begin, "do you enjoy working here?"
She nods once. "Yes."
"Have you noticed anything... off lately? Between Marek and Enzo?"
Another nod. "They've been tense, distracted and short-tempered."
And whose fault is it
"And any idea why?"
She hesitates not for long, not enough to incriminate. But enough to make my stomach twist.
"I assumed they were competing for your trust," she says carefully. "Territory realignment usually shakes up hierarchy."
It's the exact kind of answer I'd expect from someone so innocently guilty.
She steps forward. "Is there something I should know?" Her voice is genuine. Or at least, she makes it feel that way.
I shake my head. "Not yet."
She doesn't flinch, doesn't fidget and doesn't break eye contact. If she's hiding something, she's buried it, deep. Too deep for me to reach. I watch her as she stands there, not saying anything, just staring at her, thinking. What should I do to make her confess this instant?
No. That will be too rushy. Whatever games she's and her father is playing now, I want to be among. Because if she confesses right now, the fun will be over too quickly. So, since she wants to play house with me and my kingdom. No problem, I will allow her and when she thinks she has won. It will all dawn on her that she was the one who was played with.
"Liach Brain, my patience is wearing thin. Be fast with all your plans."
"What do you mean sir?"
"Go finish the work I gave you."
"Of course sir."
After she leaves. I came to the rooftop balcony, to clear my head with the cool breeze, a little cigar in my hand.
What should I do to her now? Killing her will be too easy. Her father has to be taken out alongside...for now I'll play this game with them until I've gathered all that I need. After she's all vulnerable. Then strike. Gabriel wait for me. As for you, Liach, keep working, your use will be determined later.