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     "I know the Valentino's planned something, and I know you're a part of it. If you don't want to stain this perfectly clean marble floor of yours...I suggest you tell me where my wife is", Dario threatened me, making me chuckle.

     "You dare speak to me like that here? In my own territory?" I asked him.

     He looks at me with a grin, "Which is why I brought my men", he says as he gestured his hand towards the guards who were armed with guns.

     "I don't care if this is your territory, I am here to take something and I will go home with it", he continued.

     "Then you're wasting your time. I do not know where that woman is, you clearly know I despise her, so why on earth would I know where she is? Oh wait..." I paused and changed my expression into a more serious and intimidating one, "You know she's at the Valentino household don't you. But you also know that the moment you step foot at the gate you'll be killed. You didn't stand a chance, so you went to me, a mere CEO who doesn't even have trained bodyguards like you do", I say with a smirk.

     "How cowardly", I finished, and I could clearly see Dario clenching his fist from complete annoyance and anger.

     "Fine, I admit that barging at the Valentino household will be the death of me. But...the moment I touch you they'll come running here instead", he tells me, slowly reaching out for something from the back of his pocket.

     My eyes widened as I realized what he was about to do. Johnson, who was standing beside me, also knew what Dario was planning, so he quickly grabbed the gun the guard on his right was holding and immediately points it at Dario.

     "Don't you fucking dare!" Johnson shouts.

     The rest of Dario's guards who saw the whole thing pointed their guns at Johnson as well, causing the people who were at the lobby to gasp from shock; some even started running away.

    "Shit", I silently cursed.

     I quickly looked at one of the guards at the entrance and nodded my head, signaling him to do something about the visitors. The guard nods his head back and started asking the visitors to leave the building immediately.

     "I am sworn to protect Romeo Valentino with all my life, and you will not touch him until my last dying breath", Johnson bravely says while pointing the gun at Dario.

     Dario looks at him and impressively laughs, "You still have it Johnson, I'm quite surprised. I'm sure if we battle now you'd be able to kill three of my men, but that still won't be enough."

     "Ask your men to put their guns down Dario. There are innocent civilians in my building, and I will not allow you to do anything that will harm them", I say, quickly making Dario look back at me.

     He then pouts and says, "Innocent civilians? Oh Romeo, you don't sound like a Valentino at all. Your father will be so disappointed if he hears you talk like that."

     "Do not drag my father into this", I angrily told him.

     "Why? What are you going to do?" Dario asks as he slowly moves closer to me.

     "You can't even touch me", Dario continues, but before he could do anything else, Johnson quickly shoots the floor that was inches away from Dario's feet.

    The almost empty floor went silent.

     The sudden sound quickly made Dario take a step back.

     "Leave now because this time I won't miss", Johnson says.

     I quickly lifted my hand and covered the muzzle of the gun. Even with my leather gloves, I could still feel the heat that the shot had created.

   "That is enough", I say while looking at Dario, but that statement was for Johnson too.

    Johnson hesitates, but slowly puts the gun down anyways. But, Dario's men still pointed the gun at Johnson.

    "Ask your men to put their fucking guns down, now!" I angrily shouted, but Dario still didn't budge.

    "Ask your family to bring back my wife", he tells me instead.

    "If you want your wife then I am not the man that you should be talking to. You should be thankful Mr. Dario that you are an Alfonzo, because if you weren't, Johnson would have already shot you with no hesitation. I am sparing you because of your family name. Now if you are a man, and if you know the consequences of even showing your face in front of me, then I suggest you fucking leave my building...now", I say with a hint of dominance in my voice.

     "Weak", he suddenly whispered.

     Dario adjusts his fedora and looks straight into my eyes. He then lifts up two fingers, but before he could do anything, someone suddenly shouts my name.

     Dario's guards immediately puts their guns down as we all looked at the owner of the voice.

     "Julien?!" I asked from shock as I saw Julien running towards me, panic in his eyes.

     "What are you doing here?!" I asked as he finally arrived in front of me.

      He was panting heavily as he said, "I...I heard a g-gun shot, so I quickly-"

     "You can't be here, go back upstairs!" I demandingly told him, worried that something bad might happen to him.

     Julien shakes his hand and suddenly points at Dario, "N-No...this man...his hands...it's a signal to shoot", Julien suddenly says, making my eyes widen from shock.

     I quickly looked at Dario who was lifting his hand mid-way.

     "How dare you!" Johnson quickly shouts.

     Dario's eyes also widened because of what Julien just said. Obviously surprised that he knew about something like that.

     Johnson runs towards Dario, but was immediately grabbed by the guard that was near him. Seconds later both of them were fighting. Johnson was trying to take the gun out of the man's hand while the man did his best to push him away.

     The other guards were about to go to Johnson too but Julien quickly joined the scene and started punching them.

     Dario and I just stood there, looking at the people in front of us fight for their lives.

     I wanted to help too. Johnson had also trained me to fight, but I felt like I was glued to the floor. Instead of helping out, I wanted to avoid them like a weak man that I am.

     Johnson fought the men like it was only an exercise.

    Julien on the other hand surprisingly fought with grace. He was precise, like his movements were calculated somehow. He looked like he's been doing it for years. The look on his eyes suddenly made me gulp and feel tensed.

     Eventually, Dario's men fell one by one. Johnson and Julien were panting heavily and were even unharmed.

     "W-Where the hell did y-you...learn to...fight like that?" Johnson asked while he was catching his breath.

     Julien doesn't answer but walks towards me instead.

     "I made sure...to not stain your floors with blood...chairman Val", Julien suddenly tells me, shocking me that he was still considering my sickness after what he just did.

     I clenched my fist from anger, feeling stupid that I was once again weak in front of the man who I just realized was someone that I surprisingly liked.

    But the anger quickly vanished as I stared at Julien. He was catching his breath and even had bruises on his mouth, "You're hurt", I say.

    Julien gives out a reassuring smile and says, "I told you...I'm used to pain."

    I knew he was just trying to reassure me, so I didn't ask more about it.

     "You're good at making me worry when in reality you can actually handle yourself", I say instead, making Julien smirk, "I don't think this is the right time to say that Mr. Ego."

     "Dario", Johnson suddenly says, quickly making me shift my attention back to the man in white.

     "You had the nerve to spill blood...in a Valentino's property?! Have you no shame?! Have you forgotten that you are nothing in the eyes of the families?! The only reason why we show you a little speck of respect is because you married a Roselli, nothing else", Johnson angrily says.

     Dario doesn't say anything but looks back at me instead. But suddenly, his eyes went to Julien, and shock and horror suddenly became present in his face.

     He lifts his hand and points at Julien.

     "Why do you have someone like him here?!" he shouted from shock, terror still present in his voice.

     "What are you talking about?" I asked as I quickly looked at Julien who was also confused, but then, like he knew what Dario was talking about, he reached out for the bottom side of his left eye, then he looks at his fingers, realizing that the concealer was semi-removed and that his tattoo was now somehow visible.

     Julien quickly takes a step back and looks away.

    "What's going on?" I asked further, but Julien didn't answer me.

    "Y-You are acquainted to them? You're acquainted to the dark-"

     Before Dario could even finish his sentence, twenty of my guards finally arrived at the scene.

     "What took you so long?" Johnson asked.

     "Bring these men out, and escort Mr. Dario Alfonzo to whatever he used to get here", I quickly instructed as my men started carrying Dario's unconscious men on the floor.

     I looked back at Dario who still looked terrified.

     "I lied about not having trained bodyguards, but not like you, I do not have them with me 24/7. You come here again and they will personally finish the job for me this time, do you understand?" I asked him as two of my men grabbed him by the arm.

     Dario quickly pulls his hands away from them and angrily looks at me, "For someone who is clean...you stand beside a man of dirt. Bring me my wife back and I will not tell your family that you're with him", Dario finishes, but now he was looking back at Julien.

     I don't answer as Dario starts leaving the building with the rest of his men.

     When everything was clear, I took a deep breath. Without looking at Julien, I said, "I'm going to have a word with you."

     I didn't wait for his response as I started walking away, but Johnson quickly goes in front of me and said, "He's injured Romeo, let me heal him before he goes to you."

     I looked at Johnson with my cold eyes, quickly making him flinch from the sight of it.

    "I will talk to the both of you. I am tired of being treated like I am not even your boss. Both of you are keeping secrets from me like it's a hobby. You will tell me everything, or so help me god I will show you this monster that I've been trying to contain for years", I angrily said, making Johnson sigh and nod his head in defeat.

*****

     "Talk", I say as I was now sitting in front of my desk while Johnson and Julien was standing in front of me as well.

     Johnson looked at Julien, and Julien looked back at Johnson. I immediately grabbed my stress ball and squeezed it tight, "Did you not hear me?!" I angrily asked.

     "Your mother is at the Valentino household with Diana, she is scheduled for a checkup tomorrow", Johnson finally answers me.

     I closed my eyes and continued to squeeze on the stress ball, "Mother...what did I tell you about saying that word to me?" I asked as I opened my eyes back to look at Johnson.

    "I'm sorry. I mean Elizabeth, Dario's wife, is at the Valentino household with Diana, she is scheduled for a checkup tomorrow", Johnson rephrases.

     "And why the hell did they bring Diana with them?" I asked.

     "Your uncle was afraid that Dario might do something to Diana since her mother was taken", Johnson answered, making me massage my temple from complete frustration. 

     "Dario can never hurt Diana, especially when she shares the same blood as him. But bringing Diana with them automatically gave Dario the idea that the Valentino's took his wife. How on earth did they make such a stupid mistake?" I asked, but Johnson doesn't answer anymore.

     "I told my uncle that whatever happens, I should not be involved in any way. I have already given the money, and now I get treated like this? Dario brings men with guns in my building where people can see. I am a chairman in the public's eyes and such a scene can ruin my name, but here I am, still trying to act calm when in reality I should be barging at the household right now to drag that woman back to Dario so this could be over with", I tell them.

     "You know you can't do that", Johnson quickly says.

     I dropped my stress ball and slammed my hand on my desk, causing Julien and Johnson to flinch, "I fucking know!" I shouted angrily, quickly standing up from my seat to at least calm myself down.

     "I know I am weak in front of my own family. I know I am weak in front of the families lower than me. And I know I am weak because I let a weaker man like Dario play me in my own territory", I say as I walked in front of the window to look at the scenery outside.

     "I know...that my sickness...is the reason why I am weak. No family, no title, no position, will make me look like a strong man", I continued to say.

     The whole room was quiet.

     I know Johnson and Julien looked at me with pity, so I didn't dare turn around to look at them.

     "Johnson you may go", I say.

     Johnson doesn't answer but leaves the room, leaving me alone with Julien.

    Julien was also quiet for a couple of seconds before walking towards me, "Why do you always-"

    "The tattoo", I quickly say, stopping him midsentence.

     "Why did Dario look terrified when he saw it", I continued to ask, quickly making Julien take a step back.

     "I...I-Its...Its..."

     "It's what?" I asked, turning around to face him. But as expected, Julien doesn't answer.

     "I thought I knew the amount of secrets you've been keeping from me, but in reality...you had more in stored", I say as I slowly moved closer to him.

     "What are you Julien Choi? Why does everyone I know who sees you tell me you're full of dirt?" I continued to ask, but Julien just gulps and still doesn't answer.

    The terrified look in his eyes suddenly made me furious.

    I don't know what came into me but I suddenly grabbed Julien by the cheeks and aggressively squeezed it, causing Julien's face to turn red.

    "Answer me!" I shouted.

     "I-It...hurts...Rome...i-it h-hurts", Julien struggled to say as I continued to hold his cheeks aggressively. Deep down I wanted to let go of him, but the fact that Julien wasn't even pushing me away because he knew he couldn't touch me pissed me off even more.

     "Push me away goddamn it!" I shouted again, but Julien doesn't even say anything.

     I squeezed his cheeks even harder, but when tears started pouring out of my eyes, I finally let go of him, causing him to fall on the floor while touching his aching cheeks.

     I quickly wiped my tears away as I looked down at Julien.

    "Why is it...that when I start realizing things that can possibly make me happy...something will magically come and destroy it for me?" I asked him, my hands trembling.

    Julien looks up at me. He looks straight into my eyes but doesn't even say a single word.

     "I am one of the richest man in the world, but inside...I am broken. Money is all I have...but it is worthless to me. No money can heal my OCD. No money can make me happy. No one...in this cruel world...will even stay by my side whether I had the wealth or not", I tell him while my hands continued to tremble.

    Julien slowly stands up from his feet and looks back at me again.

    "You're wrong", Julien says.

    He walks closer to me, his eyes ready to pour some tears as he said, "You have me remember? I will stay by your side, even behind you, and even in front of you if I must. No one...in this cruel world...has ever been worried about me...except you, Romeo Valentino."

     He lifts his hand and slowly touches my chest.

     I was surprised on the sudden contact but I didn't move away.

    "You don't know how strong people see's you Romeo; you don't know how terrified they are just by hearing your name. But this weak man right here, the man who is standing in front of me now, show me more of him. Give me your pain; show me all of your weaknesses", Julien says, as his hand was slowly getting lower, "Show me, and I will promise you I will make you a strong man. A man so strong that even I...will tremble in fear."

- END -