NEW DAWN
The phantom car hit the long road headed to Sumire's private villa. Neither of them dared to speak. The deafening silence echoed inside the car. His eyes darted on the road while Sumire was looking out the window, visibly doleful, and fell into deep thoughts. She felt heavy inside her chest. When they arrived at her home, Mort parked the car at the gate. He went out of the car and opened the door for her without uttering a single word.
She got out and walk towards the gate when suddenly she paused. She releases a deep sigh before facing the hunk who has been silent since earlier.
"Look, if you don't say anything, I have my final word. Since you're now engaged, I will no longer pursue you anymore. I will completely cut whatever ties you and I have bonded except for business work-related. I-i wish you all the best...really..." she smiles forcefully. "a-and I hope... y-you'll be happy...even without me." She said almost in a whisper while holding back the tears that threatened to stream down her cheek.
'Leaving you is tearful, sad and heart-wrenching even...but I smile because...I know in my heart, you are forever mine. Goodbye...Mort...'
She bit her lower lip and dramatically turned her back on him, letting the orbs of tears fall on her cheek, and resumed walking towards the gate when she didn't get a response or reaction she expected from him. Unbeknownst to her, Mort was about to grab her to stop her but pulled his hand back and thrust it into his pocket.
She was about to open the gate when his voice thundered behind her.
"You left your bag." Mort in a gruff tone. Sumire quickly snatched her bag from him and quickly turns. She wanted to smack him with the stone to her annoyance, but she can't stone the man who was born numb and stone cold.
She violently slammed the gate close even though it was heavy. Her strides were big without throwing a single glance back at him. She was really pissed and sad at the same time. From the closed door, a flood of tears gushed down her ashen cheeks.
When he was sure that Sumire had entered the house, Mort cast a glance at the tinted glassed window of her room.
"Good night,"
THE NEXT MORNING...
Sumire entered the MDA building early in the morning wearing her formal business suit like any other employee in the place. Bringing the coffee in her hand and bag on her shoulder. Her heels tap on the marble floor as she smiles warmly at her colleagues who also greeted her. That same morning, she happened to stumble upon Mort and Charlotte sauntering together in the lobby of the building.
"Good morning, Mr. Aslanov," Sumire greeted Mort in such a formal tone that the man immediately noticed her sudden change. She manages to maintain her professionalism and greeted him like the others did while Charlotte sneered at her.
She walked past them and headed straight to the elevator along with the other regular employees. Mort was expecting her to board his private elevator along with them but that didn't happen.
Sumire arrives at the top floor and finds herself walking in the hallway to Klauss's office. When she opened the door, the silver-haired man standing on the swivel chair with eyeglass on and a document in his hand appeared to her.
"Good morning, Mr. Michaelis." Sumire greeted him openly and walk towards her desk which slightly surprised Klauss. His eyebrows furrowed while following the maiden through his gaze. He felt alienated by her indescribable aura and presence. And he wasn't used to it.
Sumire placed her bag on the table so as the coffee. She fixes her things like a pro and opens her laptop.
'Hmph!' Klauss said in his mind and did not bother to greet her back instead he went to her table and gave the document.
"Work on this paper. I need it before lunch." He ordered in a formal tone and Sumire accepted it. She had a calm demeanor that frightened Klauss.
"Will do, Sir." She responded in a business tone and acted immediately. Still astonished, Klauss looked at her and noticed her aura that only the Massoullèves possess. It was an aura of complete self-possession, as if she were unafraid of anything, or anybody.
Klauss returned to his table and silently observed Sumire from the back of his eyeglasses. He held his gaze, struck by the aura of power around her. She is very serious, calm, and collected while frowning slightly and playing with the ballpen in her hands. Klauss felt like he was suffocated by her heavy presence today.
'Ha, I never thought this newly evolved homo had that face whenever she's serious.' He said in his mind and a few minutes later after observing her in the corner, Klauss left the room and went to his Boss's office.
Mort who was busy signing piles of contracts appeared to him while Charlotte was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine.
"How is Sumire doing?" Mort asked as Klauss arrived in front of his table.
"Surprisingly, she is diligent in her work. But there is something that has changed in her. It bothers me." Klauss reported that Charlotte suddenly interrupted him.
"That's expected. She's smart to know her place." Charlotte interceded and because of what she saw earlier Sumire's aloofness and detachment from them, she felt like she need to celebrate. Charlotte smirked at the idea playing in her mind.
"I have an idea. Why not let's go have lunch together? My treat." She suggested but she got no answer from Mort except Klauss.
"Sure." The young man agreed with her.
After a few hours of Mort and Klauss talking about big contracts and investments, they left his office around noon and made their way to Klauss's office to invite Sumire to lunch but unfortunately, they found the room empty, her presence was no longer in there.
"Where is she?" Klauss asked himself and saw Sumire's table was tidy. And from his desk was the finished thing that he had the maiden take care of. Klauss reads it and he was satisfied with her performance. What the maiden did exceed his expectations. "I thought she was just a beauty with no brain..." he uttered beneath his breath. Well, what did he expect from her, she came from a well-known family of businessmen. It runs in her blood.
Mort looked around at Sumire's place and saw a picture of her lovely smiling along with her parents displayed in the corner and next to it was the painting of one of the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, Death.
Charlotte was left alone outside as she was busy skimming on her cell phone and waiting for them. They left the office together and Klauss asked the passing employees in the hallway about Sumire's whereabouts.
"Have you seen Ms. Massoullève?" Klauss asked the two female employees who were gasping, holding their chests while staring at his icy arctic blue eyes.
"Y-yes, s-she's with Mr. Dieu" stuttered, the chubby employee responded and even slapped her colleague's arm out of elation.
"Where are they?" Klauss asked as he sensed the darkness slowly dispersed emanating from the man standing behind him.
"They're at the cafeteria. Happily having their lunch." The employee responded. Thrilled, she's shaking her colleague's arms too.
"And they look like a couple hihi..." they giggled in excitement that darkened Mort's ominous aura and it became more evident that Klauss started to get anxious.
The two young employees were appalled when they meet Mort's cold and dangerous look darted on them. They didn't even notice the grim presence of the Boss standing behind Klauss.
"We are deeply sorry." The two employees quickly apologized, hands trembling with fear, and just in a blink of an eye, they vanished in front of them.
"Too bad they're having their lunch. Let's go eat outside, just the three of us." Charlotte said, staring up at the two giants with her. Klauss turned to Mort.
"How about you Boss, where are we going to eat?" Klauss asked but Mort didn't spare him a glance.
"Cafeteria." It was a short reply that made Klauss surprised. His Boss has never been to any cafeteria in his building. The stupefaction dazed him for a moment, causing him to become disoriented and ask dumb questions.
"What are we going to do in the cafeteria, Boss?" Klauss asked dim-wittedly and Mort looked at him, throwing him a blank stare.
"What else is there to do in the cafeteria? Murder someone?" Mort coldly responded which silenced him. The hunk turn around and started walking heading to the place while Klauss and Charlotte quickly followed him.
When they arrived at the cafeteria, the thunder of laughter, talking, and squealing echoed the place. Before they could even enter the entrance, the sight of Sumire and Dieu laughingly leaving, came out at the same time stumbled across them. Not minding how Mort looks dangerously in front of them.
"That's so freaking hilarious!" Sumire chortled merrily and gently slapped Dieu's arm, whose grin escalates into a chuckle. They ignored the waves of murmurs around, and the thrilled faces while watching them from afar.
Sumire uncontrollably chuckled while wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes as Klauss, Charlotte and the darkened expression of Mort appeared in front of her.
"Oh, Good noon, Mr. Michaelis, Ms. De Mavius , and..." she trailed, slowly turned to Mort and he could no longer see the sparkle in her eyes she had for him every time they meet around. "Mr. Aslanov." She smiles at them. "Have a good lunch, the food is superb." She added and clings to Dieu's arms and smilingly left in front of them.
Mort's jaw clenched tightly that didn't escape from Klauss's eyes and coldly looked at the canteen where Sumire and Dieu came out, which had been so bustle and noisy earlier but now turned quiet as the night.
"Not bad. They look good together." Charlotte complimented and flash a meaningful smile looking at the pair laughing happily in the lobby, which made Mort's aura darken.
That very afternoon, Sumire was working quietly at her table all day and she was seriously focusing on the task her Boss ordered her to do who was on the other side of the corner. Klauss, on the other hand, was unnerved by Sumire's sudden change of character. She completely turns into a different person he wouldn't dare to cross or bully her like he used to. For some inexplicable reason, he decided to spare her and quietly observes her.
7 PM strikes Sumire got up from her desk which slightly surprised Klauss. The maiden laid the piles of documents on his table which were as thick as the book.
"I did everything you told, Mr. Michaelis. The files are ready for tomorrow's meeting." Sumire said in a formal tone that Klauss couldn't help casting a suspicious glance at the maiden.
"Well, you can go home," Klauss said properly while scrutinizing what Sumire did. Everything is perfect, from the proposal and reports it was neatly done which only businessmen can do. He thinks Sumire was actually good at running a business not only by being an actress.
Sumire nodded and returned to her seat. She was quietly packing her things when the office door suddenly opened and Dieu walked inside with Leroy tagging behind him.
"Why are you here?" Frowned, Klauss asked at the uninvited visitor suddenly barges into his office. He was already standing at his desk.
"I'm just picking up Sumire. We're going to have dinner and I'll take her home." Dieu replied and he cast a smile at the maiden making Klauss look back and forth at them.
"Boss is reporting you to his office today. And Klauss will be taking Ms. Massoullève home." Leroy interrupted to which Dieu rolled his eyes.
"I don't want to work overtime. Tell him I will do it first thing tomorrow morning." Dieu responded and approached Sumire with big steps. "Shall we?" He asked and Sumire smiled in agreement and took her bag. "Let me carry it for you," Dieu said that the maiden just let him carry her stuff.
The two of them left the place leaving Klauss dumbfounded by what he just witnessed and Leroy secretly followed them as he was ordered to do so.
Dieu and Sumire had a pleasant dinner at an expensive and luxurious well-known restaurant. Unbeknownst to them, from the parked car using his binoculars, Leroy took a photo of them like real espionage. He sent multiple photos from different angles to Mort who gave him the order. And some other photos he capture caused misleading.
After their dinner, Leroy followed Dieu's car where the maiden boarded inside and drove her home.
"Boss, your little bunny is home safe and sound." He sent a message to Mort along with a photo where Dieu kissed the back of Sumire's hand.
After Dieu took Sumire to her villa, he immediately drove and went to Yakov Levin's Head Quarter. When he arrived, he did not fail to see the man in the place.
"You finally showed up." Yakov greeted him while leaning against his car with his arms crossed on his chest.
"Of course, I'm your true ally," smirked, Dieu responded and got out of his car.
"So, how was finding your brother's weakness? Any luck?" Yakov playfully asked.
"I found one," Dieu responded in a cold tone.
"May I know what it is?" Yakov asked. A few seconds of silence passed before Dieu answered.
"It's a person," Dieu replied in a monotonous tone.
"Hmnn, interesting. Who is it?" Yakov asked and slightly rubbing gently his chin.
"Sumire," Dieu responded that Yakov flicked in the air at what he heard.
"Ah, that Massoullève girl." Yakov amusingly smiled and Sumire's face from their first encounter flashed in his mind.
"So, you've met her?" Dieu asked curiously.
"Yes, twice but I thought she was nothing to him," Yakov responded by curving his lips psychotically.
"These past few weeks I have observed. Mort doesn't show it but he is possessive of Sumire. He treated her differently." Dieu said as he turned his back on Yakov and looked at the night city.
"What will you do now?" Yakov asked slightly tilting his head on the side.
"I will steal her from him." Dieu determinedly replied and Sumire's beautiful smile on him was engraved in his mind.
"Are you sure about that?" Yakov's eyebrows quizically furrowed and sneered while facing the young man's back. The clenching of his jaw did not escape from his sight.
"Absolutely." It was a cold response. Yakov suddenly chuckled at what he heard and stood up while putting his hands in his pocket.
"To be very fucking honest, you are nothing like your brother. You may have the money and looks, but your brother is built differently." Yakov laughingly jeered at him and Dieu cast him a cold look.
"Bastard."
..........
From the top floor of the MDA building where Mort's office is, a dark and ominous aura is tremendously overwhelming inside the room. The veins bulging out of his hand when Mort gripped his phone and crushed it into smithereens when he saw the first photo Leroy sent to him where Dieu and Sumire seem to be kissing inside the restaurant.
Charlotte, who was just sitting quietly on the sofa, suddenly stood up when she heard the phone breaking in Mort's hands. She excuses herself and rushes out leaving Klauss unable to approach Mort in fear.
"What happened?"
