Black Envelope

9:30 am. It was a bright and sunny day. White, fluffy clouds drifted across the clear, blue sky. The fiery ball was at its mightiest and cast warm rays. The sweet gentle breeze swiped across the busy city. The city folk, young and old, hordes of shoppers flocks in the famous malls, peers, and families walked like shoals of fish in a myriad of directions. Parks were now hum of different activities.

Every staff of the KCA building was busy preparing for Sumire’s press conference. The buzzing of chatters and gossip filled the place. Numbers of cars arrived one after another and there appeared flocks of reporters in their formal suits, journalists, photographers, and other media outlets. They all gathered in one place, setting up their cameras and other recording stuff inside.

Sumire, on the other hand, is in her private room in the KCA building, currently having her make-up and hair done by her professional make-up artist and hairstylist. The maiden just stared at her own reflection in the mirror while Eiryss stared at her on the side as if waiting for her explanation about the picture.

This is one likable trait of her manager that Sumire liked. Eiryss never asks about the issue that is repeatedly happening to her. She is always waiting for what Sumire has to say.

After she get dressed and her hair beautifully done, the maiden motioned to the makeup artists and others in the room to get out. They immediately obeys her and left the room. Sumire and Eiryss were left with a brewing silence dominating inside.

"You can ask me anything now," Sumire broke the silence, sitting in a high-end chair and still looking at herself in the luxurious oblong mirror.

Eiryss slowly stepped closer to her.

"Who is he?" Eiryss asked. Her voice was just calm as the morning breeze.

"I can't say his name," Sumire replied and looked at Eiryss through the mirror who are standing next to her.

"I understand." Eiryss bowed slightly and sharply inhaled.

"What is he to you?" Eiryss added and looked the maiden in the eye. She wanted to know.

"Someone I randomly met." Sumire directly replied and a glint of sadness flashed in her pair of obsidian eyes. She had a gloomy look painted on her beautiful face.

"Did you really kiss him?" Eiryss continued to question. Sumire deeply and audibly sighed.

"Yes, I did. But a friendly one," Sumire replied and her hand clutched tightly the red dress she was wearing. "And he's a gay." She added, feeling particularly lackadaisical in her seat.

Eiryss still wanted to ask but she noticed the disappointment and dismay cruising in the maiden's eyes. Under her strong facade lies what Sumire truly feels. Eiryss knew Sumire had a lot more to say but choose to remain silent and Eiryss respected it. Even though Sumire didn't tell her everything, Eiryss had a strong hunch that there was a lot more going on between her lovely lass and the man Sumire didn't name.

"I trust you," Eiryss said while giving a serene smile to Sumire.

Five minutes before 10 o'clock in the morning, the conference hall was immensely filled with a crowd. More than a thousand journalists, reporters, and paparazzi were present which almost occupied the entirety of the large hall. That does not include the security guards stationed at their respective posts in a spiral and monitoring the movement of the crowd.

Even before the maiden appeared in the grand hall of the building, the crowd started to get frenzied. Whispers and causeries quickly reigned in the air. Inevitably negatives rumors regarding the maiden lingered in the place.

"Ms. Massoullève's dating scandal is not a new thing but this one is unique. This is the first picture of her kissing someone."

The fat male reporter said while adjusting the camera lens at a good angle for later.

"Maybe it's her fiancee." His companion replied and fixed his necktie himself and the microphone he was holding.

After a short period of waiting, everyone gradually fell silent, eyes darted at the most awaiting person. The star of the show has now appeared!

The maiden sauntered towards the center in her black stilettos, with bold and heavy makeup. She looks so fiery!

Her lips were painted in crimson red. She looks hot and dazzling in her red fitted dress that hugs her curves and her naturally straight hair is already curled and cascading down her back. She even had fashioned glitter on the edge of her eyes.

All the eyes of the crowd followed and stared at her, completely falling under her charm.

"What a beauty!"

"Gosh, she looks like a goddess in person."

As the famous actress press conference begins, all the billboard advertisements of the Brethren city have been replaced by the image of Sumire and the ongoing presscon. All media outlets globally contain the hot issue of the maiden. The crowd's eyes on the city are now darted on the huge billboards on the road and the city's tall buildings. Some people were watching in their respective homes, office work, and on the internet.

Everyone is waiting...

Mort and Klauss were watching together at Sumire's current press conference on a large widescreen tv modernly glued to Mort's office wall.

Mort was sitting in his swivel chair in a bossy posture with his legs crossed beneath the table while Klauss was standing near his Boss' table with his arms crossed over his chest. The two of them were silent as they watch Sumire who was now bombarded with questions.

Inside the TV...

"Ms. Massoullève, what can you say about the issue?" The female reporter asks the maiden. Cameras flashed around and others were recording what the maiden had to say.

"The man in the picture is my gay friend. That kiss on the side of his lips was a friendly kiss. That doesn't mean anything else."

Sumire replied, putting up a solid smile on her face under a crumbling core. And reporters started asking the maiden again.

Surprised, Klauss slowly turned to his Boss and cast an incredulous stare at him.

"Boss, are you really gay?"

Mort looked at him with no emotion traversing his face. "I'm not." Straight-faced, he brusquely responded in a deep voice and looked back at the screen.

"Why Sumire did say that?" Klauss asked the Boss. He was completely astounded and had no idea what is going on.

"She is just assuming," Mort said. Klauss even poked his cheek using his index finger and fell into thought and snapped a finger.

"Ah, that explains everything. Then why is she acting like heartbroken inside the taxicab?" Klauss asked once again with brows knitted into a frown.

"Yakov handed me a bouquet of grave flowers and she misunderstood it." Mort uninterestingly answered while staring at the maiden on the widescreen answering the question of the large influx of reporters.

Klauss nodded one after another.

"It would be best if you'll just let her continue what she thought about you," Klauss said while thrusting his gloved hands into his pocket.

"I have no plans," Mort said, eyes devoid of emotions.

"So, she's not coming back here, right?" Klauss asked again, a hint of delight can now be heard in his tone.

"For sure." Mort plainly said that Klauss' pair of blue eyes sparkled like a thousand sapphires. 'Yes! Finally! No lizard will ruin my day anymore. ' Klauss grinned inside his mind.

"Then, let's celebrate," Klauss said with a triumphant smile drawn on his lips like he won a lottery. Mort immediately turned to face him.

"What do we celebrate? What's the occasion?" Mort asked.

Klauss ignored his Boss's question and started humming and whistling as he walked out of Mort's office. It was a great day knowing that Sumire would never come back. ‘I’ve already felt the good signs in the next few days,’ once displayed his huge grin and strides the long and widened carpeted hallway.

While Klauss was humming happily in the hallway, the elevator suddenly opened in front of him and Yakov Levin spat from there.

His smile quickly lost on his face in an instant. 'Great, another bastard to deal with,' she sarcastically uttered in his mind and face him.

"Oh, I don't remember you having an appointment with Boss today."

Klauss immediately opened up to the man. Yakov looked back at him from head to toe. He and Klauss are about the same height.

"Do I need one?" Yakov asked defiantly and walk passed him but Klauss quickly followed him.

"Why are you here?" Klauss asked as Yakov's stopped and turned to face him. He grabbed something in his pocket.

"To ask about this picture," Yakov once showed to him a hard copy of the familiar picture that Klauss was certain that Narco had erased its existence on the internet.

"Where did you get that?" Klauss asked, jaw quickly tightened.

"Secret." Yakov scoffs and flashed a nefarious smile. He turns his back on him and started walking again.

"Do you like her or do you like my Boss, which one?"

Klauss's serious question stopped Yakov from walking for the second time. Yakov looked and stared brazenly at Klauss who was now looking at him seriously.

"Bastard. Do you wanna die?" Yakov asked in a threatening tone.

"I'm seriously asking. Why are you so angry?" Klauss asked, remaining unbothered at Yakov's piercing eyes on him. Yakov's hand clenched into a fist.

"Just keep that question to yourself." Yakov firmly replied and finally left Klauss in the hallway. But even though he hadn't gone far from him, Klauss suddenly asked again.

"Do you know the Psychrolutes Marcidus?" Klauss asked who was still glued to his place as Yakov stopped walking again. Face twitched in annoyance, he was now standing right in front of Mort's office.

"I am not interested."

"Why? You look exactly like them." Klauss' lip slightly lifted yet had no traces of expression on his face.

"Are they handsome?" Yakov asked.

"Yes." Klauss quickly agreed with him and smirked.

"Appreciated." Yakov plainly responded and he preceded inside Mort's office leaving Klauss outside.

MDA executive office...

"What exactly is your relationship with this lady?" Yakov asked without beating the bush as the copy of the picture landed on Mort's desk. It was a photo of Sumire kissing the side of his lips.

"Why are you interested in my relationship with her?" Mort uninterestingly said and peek a glance at the picture before facing up to him.

"I'm just making sure no one will intervene in our business," Yakov said once turning his back on Mort and walking towards the black tinted glass wall. "Are you aware that picture is all over the underground?" He added.

"If you're so worried about it, then why don't you just investigate who's spreading the picture," Mort said in a monotone voice and gave a half-hearted shrug.

Yakov faced him.

"You sound like you really don't care what will happens to her." Yakov sneered and looked at Mort who was looking hot and unbothered at all in his swivel chair.

"Cause I really don't." Eyes were cold as ice, Mort coldheartedly uttered. Looking completely detached and indifferent with a blank expression on his face.

The brightened sky from the outside suddenly darkened and it stretched beyond the West horizon that dim the place.

Mort stood up, looking so menacing and pair of emerald eyes glowed in green. He shoves his hand in his pockets.

"That's the answer I wanted to hear." Yakov meaningfully said once left Mort's office. Just a few seconds later after the man left, Klauss entered.

"Did you hear it all?" Mort asked who is now standing in his chair and strode the place, oozing a dangerous aura. Klauss could feel his Boss' overwhelming and menacing aura even from the outside.

Klauss bowed in submission. "Yes, Boss." He answered.

"Then do something about it."

...........

Sumire's hellish press conference ended in the afternoon, completely exhausted. She was loaded in a car driving back home. The maiden sitting in the backseat of her limousine car was just staring into the setting sun of the ocean's horizon. Her chauffeur, Sam noticed something unusual about her but choose not to bother to ask and remain silent.

A few minutes later, they arrived at her private home in the Mediterranean suburb near the city. But even before the car where the maiden was loaded could enter the gate, a mysterious person in all black, wearing a helmet riding in an expensive phantom Ducati bike appeared and blocked their way in.

It stopped in front of their car which made Sam and Sumire alert inside.

"What is this psycho doing?"

Sam was about to get out when Sumire stopped him. "Wait." she said. Both of them silently observed. The mysterious person dropped a black envelope in front of their car and glanced at them once before leaving them immediately.

The two of them inside the car were left wondering.

Sumire gets out of the car out of her ordinary self and Sam immediately followed her, on guard, watching if something suspicious around.

Sumire took the black envelope left by the mysterious man. Gasped and her eyes widened in surprise at what she read in the beautiful calligraphy written in gold ink.

‘Congratulations. You are invited to the Viccini Auction house grand event.'