The moments after Lien's escape from Beijing were almost like a numb memory. Disassociation consumed him and he clung to Vitya like a lost child in the midst of chaos. All he could hear was the rattling of the helicopter walls and the rhythmic whipping of the blades above him. He hadn't removed himself from Vitya's arms and the man hadn't let go of Lien either. This was the first time he had had a break from the running, from being in constant fear and worry. Distant radio chatter let him know that the pilots of the aircraft were coordinating their destination, though he couldn't bear to open his eyes again and face reality. Not until Vitya had tucked his arm between them and took hold of Lien's jaw and lifted his head.

"Kotenok, tell me what's wrong. You're trembling." said Vitya with the cadence of a lover as though there was no bad blood between either of them. It was that question that rocked Lien to his core. No longer was he the entitled Triad son with a permanent lockdown on his more extreme emotions. It was now that he was completely and utterly vulnerable, something that Vitya craved. Sitting behind them was Sasha who refused to look at this display of affection shared between his boss and the grandson of the enemy. The blond rolled his eyes, adjusting his flamboyant white fur coat.

Lien's dark onyx eyes stay steady on Vitya's gaze that lured him in. "It's my brother, they've...he.." He began, but to say the words was to make them incontrovertibly true. Vitya shushed him for a moment, caressing along Lien's jawline and planting a kiss beneath his right eye that had started to well up with tears. "You're safe, Lien. Talk to me." Vitya coaxed him more. He was giving Lien exactly what he wanted and to assume it was anything but strategic would be a grand falsehood. "My grandfather killed him and discarded his body like garbage." Lien confessed to what ailed him. A soft chuckle escaped Vitya, "Oh poor Lien, you're doing so well. Rest now, we are nearly there." The man responded and mingled his hand to the back of Lien's head. The black strands of hair wrapping like silk coils around each finger. Vitya had waited until Lien had fully collapsed into him, motioning for one of his men to grab a medical kit from an overhead compartment. He opened the box with one hand and took out bandage wraps and wipes, cleaning the blood off Lien's hand and wrapping it carefully.

Upon further inspection of the wound, Vitya noticed that it wasn't fractured at all. Instead, it was badly bruised and cut by flying debris. Everything was fine now as the helicopter steadily landed outside of a luxurious complex. The building had stone exterior walls and two curved staircases that led to two solid oak doors with golden handles. There was a valet service outside and the people who stepped out of their cars were dazzling with wealth and influence.

Vitya had lifted Lien bridal style and stepped off the aircraft. Behind him Sasha had followed, looking as though he has seen this place before. His fair skin became dull and ghastly, keeping his eyes low. Lien had come to when he heard the doors opening and classical music was playing in the interior. He had been set down onto his feet and felt a rush of warm air that contrasted the icy weather outside. This place had no resemblance to the house that Vitya had invited Lien to. It was lit up very well with socialites, CEO's, businessmen, and anyone who could be deemed the one percent resided here.

There were ornate detailings of butterfly iconography on the walls and on the chandeliers with dangling gold butterflies. Indeed, the people there wore pins on their left shoulders of a butterfly symbol. What was this place exactly? Lien looked to Vitya for answers, but the man had looked straight forward and went up the velvet trimmed stairs and down winding hallways. Lien had counted almost twenty doors as they walked until reaching a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. It seemed he was about to find out where they were and why Vitya had brought him here. Two guards had opened the double doors and inside sat a woman wearing a cream colored silk robe, her breasts exposed and her whitish blonde hair perfectly curled and quaffed.

"Vitya, so nice to see you darling." The woman had stood up, making no effort to hide her womanly features. She approached and kissed Vitya's cheek. "You look well, Anya." said Vitya who had turned his eyes to Sasha. Anya hummed as she kissed Sasha's cheek too, "Finally deciding to come home, Sasha?" Anya chimed as though this was a happy reunion of old friends. That was until she spotted Lien standing on the other side of Vitya. Her eyes became like daggers and she hissed at the sight. The conversation between Anya and Vitya that followed was entirely in Russian, something Lien could barely understand. It sounded like an argument with no intent of hostilities. However, he did understand one word the woman had said to Vitya.

Caterpillar.

Lien wasn't the only one who seemed worried by what that meant. Sasha, too, looked as though he'd speak out in protest of the issue. And yet Vitya quelled any protestations by his iron demeanor. Anya huffed and flicked her hand, Sasha and Vitya had moved to sit down on the couch and she circled around Lien, touching his body with her hands. She started by pressing her palms into his shoulder blades. Leaning forward and whispering in his ear, "Hmm." She muttered and traced her hands down his back, grabbing hold on his waist and it seemed she touched everything she could.

Anya looked up again at Vitya who was watching her examine Lien, "He's a bit too skinny and he smells like cigarettes." She said, coming around to face him now and took off his cap. Her hand grabbing his face and moving it around, using her fingers to part his lips and look at his teeth. "I can keep him safe from whatever it is out there, but this is Butterfly Garden. If he wants to survive it's up to him." Anya pushed Lien's face away and went over to a cart against the wall that had a bottle of scotch, pouring herself a glass and downing it, moving her hair from her face. Lien was getting agitated and glared at the woman, "Butterfly Garden? What the hell are you talking about?" He exclaimed. He was getting exhausted with feeling like he was something to be sold.

"He's got attitude, reminds of when Sasha first arrived." Anya started cackling and handed Vitya a glass of the scotch. "Are you always going to bring your bitches here to break them in?" She tilted her head, leaning into Vitya's neck and licking up the side of it. Biting at his earlobe and Vitya kept watching Lien from the other side of the room. When Anya said that, Sasha had shifted uncomfortably. "Bitches? Plural? He's brought others besides this Triad brat?" He couldn't seem to control himself and was acting out based on what Anya had said. It appeared to have bewildered him until Vitya placed a hand on Sasha's knee and he immediately went silent.

"Show Lien to his room, kotenok." Vitya whispered to Sasha, who inevitably complied. The blond stood up and went towards Lien, grabbing his bicep and leading him out of the room that Anya and Vitya remained in. When they were in the hallway, Sasha cared not about Lien's comfort or emotions. He resented the fact that he had to play babysitter to his master's whore. "Let go of me!" Lien huffed and jerked his arm away. Sasha groaned and opened a door to a bedroom, it was as lavish as any of the other rooms. A large king sized bed with silk sheets, mahogany furnishings and a butterfly emblem on the headboard of the bed.

Lien shook his head, "If you think I'm going to follow orders like a dog, you're mistaken." He quipped and Sasha's hazel eyes lit up like flames, grabbing the collar of Lien's shirt and pulling him in as the door closed. He pushed Lien down to the ground, "I'm not going to play games with you, brat. You need to learn how the world works. Fast." Sasha was aggravated and all this resentment was stored inside of him. Though, it wasn't necessarily directed at Lien. "Fuck you, Sasha. What do you know about the world? You're too busy sucking Vitya's cock to have thoughts of your own." Lien started to get up to his feet and Sasha rose his hand slapped Lien across the face, hard.

Silence befell the room they stood in now. Sasha was breathing heavily with a crazed look on his face and Lien holding his cheek. It was scary how much Lien reminded Sasha of himself, that fighting instinct and the unbreakable will. He knew the cost of having a spirit like that when you hold no power. Sasha's expression dropped and he turned his back to Lien. He opened the door to leave, but looked over his shoulder. "Take a shower and change, you look like shit." Sasha stated shortly and left the room.