Kapitel 324: Past?

With a cold face, Kael looks at Alex from top to bottom. The cold night breeze hits the wind chimes, their soft tinkling contrasting with the otherwise quiet outdoors. The moonlight casts long, eerie shadows across the manicured lawn and the towering gates of the mansion. "You must be Alex," Kael mumbles in a calm, low tone. Shrugging him aside, Kael walks through the door. "The son of... what do we call him? Nerxser, right? The city Mayor."

"Huh?" Tilting his head, Alex glances around the area before closing the door, his anger settling down almost immediately. "That's right... that's the name Father uses in the underworld..." Scratching his head, his posture shifts. "That must mean... you're from the Shrouder gang, right? Do you have a message for Father?" He asks in a meek voice, his tone almost comically respectful.

Walking past the hallway, Kael stops and looks around. Phwwwwwhht he whistles. 'High ceiling, looks like three floors, white marble walls, black marble tile floor, two kitchens, two pools, twelve rooms, fifteen bathrooms, three living rooms. Seems like the information I read at work checks out.' The house is opulent, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, paintings of serene landscapes adorning the walls, and plush, richly colored carpets covering the floors. The furniture is a mix of modern and classic styles, exuding wealth and taste.

Sitting on the long white couch, Kael turns to Alex. "Sit."

"Y-yes," Alex stutters, stumbling before sitting across from him.

"You have quite a house here. Your father sure does spoil you." Kael leans back while maintaining eye contact.

"Hahaha..." Alex smiles with a light laugh. "Father has high expectations of me. He promised to provide everything I need while I study."

"Hmm..." Kael nods slowly, looking around. "Now that I think about it, you go out of your way. You volunteer in high schools and middle schools. You donate part of your 'allowance' to food banks. You actively support the gays, minorities, and all that." Leaning forward with an expressionless face, Kael rubs his chin. "I see you built yourself quite an image, just like your father."

Smiling confidently, Alex leans back. "It's nothing much. Anyone can do it. But um..." With a heavy exhale, he stands up. "I don't want to rush you out, but tomorrow I have a big day. Could we skip past the small talk?"

"Oh?" Standing up and ignoring him, Kael walks to the kitchen and opens the fridge. "What happened to that fear? It suddenly vanished." He mumbles in a low voice as he starts chopping chicken.

"Ugh..." Alex looks at Kael with a confused face. "Yeah... I've met others from your group, those guys..." Alex takes a deep breath. "They looked and talked like gangsters. You, on the other hand, you're pretty chill. I don't think you're the type of person to get mad over a simple request."

Chop

Kael nods, focused on the ingredients. "Say, Alex. What do you know about the group?"

Walking to the counter, Alex scratches his head. "Um... Not much." He pulls a chair and sits nearby. "The Shrouders... I know there's a big underworld network, and your gang is part of that. You guys are... well, no offense, but you're all considered monsters, right?" He looks at Kael with sweat dripping down. After a bit of silence, he continues. "I know you guys do it all, from money laundering, theft, dealings... Oh, that's right, you guys control all the casinos... My father works with you guys to deal with his competition."

Placing the knife down and sliding the chicken onto the stove, Kael sighs. "You make it sound like we're just some thugs." He mumbles with cold eyes. 'If only that were true...' Washing his hands, Kael looks out the window. "Murder, torture, economic manipulation, political interventions. We do it all in the dark for people like your father, a bunch of devils, soulless, rotten-to-the-core bastards who throw money to 'solve' their competition." With an exhale, he shrugs. "But oh well, as if we're any better."

"Um..." Swallowing his breath, Alex sweats. "D-Did father do something wrong? S-Should I call him?"

Turning the stove off, Kael nods. "No, I'm not here for him, I'm here for you. I'm more surprised you're afraid. I thought a big bulky guy like you would stand his ground."

Jumping back with his hands up, Alex smiles. "N-no way, I'm not stupid. I-I know only executives know about Father. According to Father, executives are all rankers. I doubt I could land a scratch..." After a minute of silence watching Kael eat, Alex swallows his saliva. "S-So, did I do something wrong? I-I'm always careful not to mess with your gang."

"Hmm... now that you mention it," Kael stands up with cold eyes. "You regularly visit Sua High, right?" Walking up to him, an inch apart, Kael smiles. "What do you usually do there?"

"U-Um well, I help out teachers, assist in student programs, a-and I sponsor field trips. Um, can—"

"Ah yes, Sua High, a prestigious school that suddenly shifted, allowing low-ranking families to enroll if they qualify. One of the wealthiest schools. Now, I'm sure they required a sponsor, right?" Kael asks with a warm face before turning cold. "Alex, what else do you do?"

"Um... U-Um... I... I swear I checked all my targets before my advancements, I didn't mess with anyone important." He stutters, feeling a burn in his throat.

"No one important?" Kael exhales, his hair falling, covering his eyes. "Alex, Alex, Alex. You're an adult, why them?" Clenching his chicken skewers and gritting his teeth, Kael sighs. "Your father is an important client, so I can't mess with him."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Alex smiles. "Y-yes, so let's talk—"

"AAAHHH!" He yells at the top of his lungs, falling to the ground.

"I... I do everything I can to give her a better life," Kael grits his teeth, shoving another chicken skewer into Alex's other knee. "Tell me, why is there always someone fucking with us?" Kael asks, taking him by the hair.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry, I didn't—"

POW!

"AAAHHH!"

Alex crashes against his wall, coughing blood.

"Shut the fuck up, I only kicked you," Kael grits his teeth. Walking up to him, Kael drags him by the hair, pulling him to the center of the living room. "Black hair, blue eyes. That ring a bell?"

"W-what?" Alex says, coughing in disbelief. "T-that nobody? B-but I did a background che—"

POW!

"AAAHHH!"

"That fucking nobody is my sister," Kael mumbles, delivering a punch and dragging him into the garage.

The garage is a stark contrast to the lavish interiors of the house. It's cluttered with tools, car parts, and various pieces of machinery. The cold concrete floor is stained with oil and grease. Kael tosses Alex onto the floor, his face twisting in pain.

"Y-you can't do this!" Alex sputters, blood dripping from his mouth.

Kael's eyes burn with fury. "I can do whatever the fuck I want. Your father may be untouchable, but you..." He leans in close, his voice a deadly whisper. "You're just another piece of shit I can flush away."