Untitled

The sunlight shone brightly throughout the bedroom stirring Victor from his sleep. As his eyes opened, he winced and let out a low groan. As his eyes tried to focus on the ceiling, But the room seemed to spin more and more. He shut his eyes. 

‘What happened last night..?’ He thought to himself, as he had no recollection of what had happened the night prior. 

All he knew was that after he had finished the last of his meetings for the day, he felt so stressed and exhausted that he went to a bar and had a few drinks. Everything else after that seemed to be a blurr. 

Slowly, piece by piece things were coming back to him... After work, he decided to go to a bar for some drinks. However the more he drank the more he couldn’t stop. 

It got to the point where he was downing drink after drink. Then suddenly, a woman appeared, she began talking to him, ordered more drinks for the two of them. 

The more the woman and him talked, she began flirting with him. Normally in a sober state of mind he would never pick up on flirting. 

Nor would he flirt back, especially considering his relationship with Mia, his beloved girlfriend. 

However, in his drunken state, he flirted back, and before he knew it, he and the woman were heading back to her apartment, clothes were being removed haphazardly the moment they entered the front door and then the two of them were in bed together, relinquishing in the feeling of lust that loomed over them. 

As soon as that all came back to him, it clicked into place. The smell of the woman’s perfume and sex lingered on him. And he became disgusted with himself. 

Not only that but the feeling of guilt washed over him as well. No… It can’t be true. He was loyal to Mia. He would never cheat on her. Not now, not ever. However the movement he felt next to him, made him open his eyes. 

He slowly turned his head, looking at the person who was laying beside him. 

It wasn’t who he had wished it was. 

It was Chik. 

The woman who he had a relationship with long before Mia. If he could even call that a relationship. Chik had only been with him just to boost her fame. Even when they were together, it was a pretty rocky relationship. 

There was no connection between them which is why Victor would not consider their relationship a real relationship. 

So for him to see her in bed with him… Something, just didn’t add up. He sat up slowly, looking down at himself he realized that he was wearing practically nothing beneath the sheet that covered his lower regions.

His eyes widened.

No… No he didn’t…

His heart began to pound within his chest, the once painful hangover being long forgotten. 

Victor stared at Chik’s sleeping form beside him for a long time, taking note of the fact that she was also not wearing anything. His eyes then scanned  over the bedroom slowly, he had noticed his and Chik’s clothes had been scattered throughout the room. 

“No. No, no no no.” He muttered to himself as he got up almost immediately, frantically putting on his clothes. He then searched the room for his phone, which he soon found on the nightstand. 

He tried turning it on, but the screen remained black. ‘Shit… It’s dead.’ He thought to himself. Victor looked at the clock, it was 8 o’clock in the morning. He wondered if Mia was okay. She probably must have been worried when he didn’t come home last night. He was sure she probably was trying to get into contact with him. 

At the thought of her worrying over him, fueled the growing pain that had already formed in his heart. 

Waves of guilt washed over him, if he did end up sleeping with Chik… He didn’t know how he would be able to face Mia. 

How was he going to tell her about this? This wasn’t supposed to happen, yet here he was. In Chik’s house. On a Saturday. He ran his hands through his hair in a panic. 

The throbbing feeling of his imposing hangover only seemed to worsen as he shut his eyes, wincing in pain once more. He needed to get out of here. Especially before Chik wakes up and makes him feel much worse for what he did. 

He stood up. The room slightly spun but he didn’t care. He left the room and had left her apartment before she could notice him being gone.  He would rather not be there when she woke up. 

Victor quickly made his way to his car, getting in before starting it up. The engine came to life in a matter of seconds as he slowly pulled out before heading in the direction of his home. 

He needed to speak to Mia, she deserved to know the truth. 

It was the least he could do, after all. 

--

“Sorry, the person you are trying to reach is currently not available. Please try again later.”

‘Where. IS. He?!’ That was the exact thought that crossed Mia’s mind as she paced the living room of their shared home as she listened to that exact voicemail message over and over again.

No matter how many times she called, the same robotic message would ring through her ears and she was becoming fed up with it.  

She has been at this since last night. She refused to sleep. Not that she could anyhow. The overwhelming thoughts of the whereabouts of her boyfriend, Victor had kept her up long enough to kick her anxiety into gear.  

She refused to eat as well. How could one eat when the love of their life was missing suddenly out of the blue? Mia had left countless calls and messages to him yet there was still no response from him. 

Mia had even tried contacting Goldman about Victor’s disappearance and if he had seen him. However all he told her was after they had departed from the last meeting the night before, Goldman didn’t see Victor. 

This triggered Mia’s anxiety and worry even more. And when the sun came up she only panicked more. She paced left and right. Tear streaks stained her face as she held her phone in her hands. 

Her shaky fingers clasped the phone tightly, turning slightly white from how tight she was gripping the phone. 

She tried ringing his phone once again for what seemed like the millionth time that morning, only for her to get that stupid message once again. 

“Sorry, the person you are trying to reach is currently not available. Please try again later.”

The more she continued to hear this message, the more her heart began to clench within her chest. 

However just as she was about to call his number once again, the front door opened. Her eyes snapped in the direction of the door, seeing Victor walk in. 

She dropped her phone, as she ran over to him lunging herself into his arms. “V-Victor!” She cried out, tears slipping down her face. 

Victor had to steady himself, to keep himself from falling over as she lunged at him. Hearing the worry and sadness in her voice broke his heart as he reciprocated her hug, even though he felt undeserving of it at that moment. 

He let out a sigh, one that he didn’t think he was holding in as he dropped his head onto her shoulder, shutting his eyes. Mia quietly sobbed into his chest, soaking his shirt in the process. She began bombarding him with questions.

 “Where were you?! Why weren’t you answering your phone?! Don’t you know how worried sick I was trying to look for you?! Why didn’t you come home last night?!” 

He couldn’t bring himself to answer her questions, not when he had to tell her what happened, Victor  just held her for as long as he could, knowing full well that she would not be able to forgive him the moment she found out the truth. 

However as Mia curled into his chest, sniffling as she tried to calm herself down, she noticed that he was still in the same clothes that he was in the previous day. 

Not only that but he smelled different, it wasn’t his normal caramel scent that reminded her of his famous pudding that she loved more than anything nor was it his cologne. 

It was a lingering scent that differed from his own. As if it belonged to someone else, “...W-why… Why do you smell different?” 

That’s when Victor’s eyes snapped open, as he pulled away, letting out a shaky breath. “...We need to talk.” 

She was confused but nodded slowly, “O-Okay…” She followed him to the couch, sitting down. He sat himself down beside her. Victor could not look at her, if he did, he would not be able to tell her. 

He kept his periwinkle eyes focused on the ground, his hands folded in his lap as he began speaking slowly. “After work yesterday, instead of coming home, I had decided to get some drinks at a bar. I was stressed and I needed to relax…” 

A moment of silence, “However, I couldn’t control myself, and I ended up drinking more than I thought I would….” 

“...And?” Mia spoke as he trailed off. He struggled to find the word to tell her. But he needed to be honest. 

“A woman came by,” His voice was quiet, as his throat went dry. He swallowed. “We talked… had a few more drinks…  She began flirting with me.” He still kept his gaze low to the ground. 

Mia’s heart clenched. No.. She didn’t want to assume the worst of him, so she remained silent. 

“...I flirted back,” His voice grew hoarse, tears appeared in his eyes. “And then, next thing I know.. I was back at her apartment,” 

Mia grew cold and numb, her heart shattering into a million pieces, she couldn’t believe it. But it all made sense, why he wasn’t here, why he didn’t answer her calls, why he didn’t answer her questions right away, why he wouldn’t look her in the eyes, why he smelled different. 

Tears glided down her face slowly yet silently, she didn’t say anything for a long while. 

Victor spoke up as he looked at Mia, a sorrow filled look in his eyes, “Mia… say something…” She stared dead ahead, not making eye contact with him as she felt the numbing pain in her heart ache. 

She knew better than to doubt Victor, she thought that he would never EVER do something like this to hurt her, and when she least expected it, he did. And she didn’t know how to feel about that. 

Mia wanted to marry this man, she wanted to start a family with him. But now… everything felt different. 

Silence filled the room, she sat there, in excruciating pain, unable to move, unable to breathe all because of the numbness that washed over her body. Victor tried to grab her hand but she quickly snatched it away. “Don’t you dare touch me.” She spoke finally, her voice trembling with anger and sadness. 

She stood up, as she began pacing to room once again. Victor frowned letting out a sigh as he watched her. 

“Who was she, Victor?” She asked as she kept her gaze to the floor. 

“Mia-” He began, but she cut him off.

“I ASKED…” She raised her voice, “WHO was she, Victor?” 

Victor was silent for the longest time, and it felt suffocating to Mia, she stopped in her tracks as she yelled out, “ANSWER ME GODDAMNIT!” 

“...It was Chik.” He finally answered. 

She wanted to let out a scream but kept it in, tears stained her face, only adding salt to the wound, of course it had to be her. She frantically ran her fingers through her hair, wanting to pull at it as she let out a loud sob. 

“G-Goddammit Victor… God fucking dammit…!” She cried out, “I trusted you!” She let the tears consume her. “I thought you would never do something like this! And with HER?!” 

“I... “ He began, tears slipped down his face, “..I was intoxicated Mia-” He spoke but she cut him off once again. 

“THAT DOESN’T MAKE IT ANY BETTER NOR DOES IT MAKE IT OKAY!” She screamed as she was now standing in front of him, finally looking at him. “S-So what you ended up just fucking her? Without realizing that you still had a girlfriend who spent her entire night WORRYING and waiting for her boyfriend to come home when he didn’t?!” 

Victor looked up at her, tears still in his eyes, “Do you really think I wanted this to happen? No! I didn’t want this! I didn’t want to sleep with her!” 

“But you did anyway! You could have stopped yourself but no you didn’t! I even smell her on you still!” She turned away, her voice trembled more, she couldn’t handle this. 

Victor stood up, placing his hands on her shoulder turning her around, facing him. He tried to look into her eyes, but she refused to look at him. “L-Look, I know what I did was wrong, and I hate myself for putting you through this… I never wanted to hurt you, that was the last thing that I want, and I am sorry that I did this. I-I love you Mia. and I only love you… P-please… look at me…”

“If you loved me, you wouldn’t have done it.” She spoke as she shook her head, “I can’t look at you, because if I do, I’ll end up picturing you with her and I don’t want that image in my head.” She shrugged off his hands from her shoulders as she sobbed softly. “I-I just can’t do this, Victor..” She croaked out. 

“Please…” He begged softly, more tears welling up in his eyes. 

 She shook her head, “No. We’re done.” She sniffled as she stepped back. “I can’t be with you anymore.” 

“Mia, please don’t do this… I need you. I can’t be without you...” He trembled as he watched her, his heart ached in his chest at her words.”

“...What’s worse… is that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you Victor.” She looked him in the eyes as she took a shaky breath. “I wanted to marry you. I wanted to start a family with you.” She sniffled, as she took a breath, “But now..” She trailed off, “Everything is different.” 

He was stunned silent as he stared at her, the feeling of his heart shattering within his chest showed him how royally he screwed up. 

Victor would do anything to take back this mistake, he would go through time and space just for her after all, and he would want so desperately to go back to fix this… 

She shook her head, “You aren’t the same person I fell in love with anymore.” She then grabbed her phone, and the rest of her belongings. 

“Mia, don’t!” He cried out, his voice trembling. 

“Goodbye Victor.” She spoke coldly, turning to leave. Now leaving him alone in the once comforting space that used to be called their home. Victor watched her leave, as he let out many shaky breaths and sobs, he fell to his knees, letting out all his pain. 

His one regret.. Was losing her. 

Gavin

• Calms himself as he sits with the crowd, waiting for the couple to show up in the venue, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

• Soon, cheers erupts and he stands up along with the crowd, clapping his hands with a wistful smile forming in his lips. It's been a long time since they've seen each other.

• And there. Her and her groom walking in, smiling happily to each other. 'She looks so happy.' He says to himself.

• He stares at the two of them until he meets her eyes. Feeling a sudden pang again in his heart. Him, mustering the courage to face them as he walks up to them and smile, congratulating them.

"I wish you two happiness."

||UNOPENED BOX OF ENGAGEMENT RING||

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Victor

• Walking in the carpet before the groomsman, he remains cold while the girl beside him smiles happily.

• And soon after they walk and stand before their seats, the big doors of chapel opens and there she is. Clad in a beautiful white gown with a bouquet red roses in her hands. Red roses....

• 'It's been months but she's still the same....' He whispers, a gentle smile forming in his lips. 'Dummy...'

• He watches her walk the isle, a big smile in her lips as she gets closer to her groom. Smiling sadly, he slips out without anyone noticing. He whispers:

"Keep her safe and cherish her."

||WELL-KEPT WEDDING PLANNER AND ENGAGEMENT RING||

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Lucien

• Putting down his gift in the table, he turns around to see her, dressed in a beautiful white gown. Her, smiling happily with her groom.

• That feeling keeps coming back. Him feeling his heart been shattered again and again as he looks at the colors that comes from her.

• Yet there he is, smiling and clapping his hands before walking up to them, congratulating the two of them.

• "Don't lose her and take good care of her." He manages to say, gently patting the back of the happy groom. Walking away, he leaves the venue silently and look above the night sky.

"It's time to let that beautiful butterfly free. The painting is finished.

||TWO PLANE TICKETS AND A RING||

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Kiro

• Smiling brightly, he hands her his gift. A white teddy bear and a bouquet of white roses. Accepting the gift, she smiles happily before embracing him.

• Hugging the smiling girl back, he kisses her cheeks and gave her a sad smile before stepping away.

• "I'm very sorry for not attending your wedding Miss Chips." He looks at her regretfully and got comforted by her. I'll see you soon.

• Bidding her goodbye, those ocean eyes turns more and more dull on every step he takes. Looking back at the building one more time he mutters.

"He's a hero. He'll keep you safe."

||FAILED PROPOSAL / RETIREMENT||

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Shaw

• Dressed in a tuxedo, he sips his drink while watching the couple do their first dance in the floor.

• He can't help but stare at them, watching the girl dance with her beloved.

• He smiles in regret for the first time, draining his glass as he stands. Their eyes met and a gentle smile forms in his lips, him nodding at her.

• She nods back and he sets down his glass, slipping out quietly. Striding out of the venue as his emotions takes over him.

"You finally found someone to depend and to spend your life with. Your own king."

||UNOPENED RING BOX AND FAILED PROPOSAL||

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PLAYLIST II / MASTERLIST

Victor nodded and the girl rushed through the door, leaving her scent lingering in his nostrils. The CEO dropped back into his chair with an annoyed expression on his face. Who was she eating with? Who would outrank him? He gritted his teeth and packed up his work. Suddenly he had no motivation to be in the office. 

But he also didn’t feel like being home, either. Nor did he feel like cooking…while eating out alone had become far less appealing than it used to be, that seemed to be the remaining option. Victor picked up his briefcase and stalked down the halls to his car. He tossed the briefcase into the passenger seat, eyed the steering wheel, and shook his head. I’ll just walk, he thought. And with that, he took off down the sidewalk in the greying light. Streetlights began popping on as he walked and mothers called for their children to come in for supper. Through lit windows he could see families sitting down to eat together, mothers and fathers smiling and asking their sons and daughters about their days. He could practically feel the warmth on his face. A profound sense of loneliness settled into Victor’s bones and he sighed. 

Would he ever have a life like that?

His mind drifted from the question to the girl. Before the dummy had stumbled back into his life, Victor would have answered “absolutely not. And I don’t need such things anyway.” But…something about that girl made his mind seem to change of its own accord. She was just so full of life! Her entire being was intoxicating in a way that he couldn’t help becoming addicted to. 

Yes. 

Victor could imagine a life of family dinners, curling up on the couch for movies and carrying his children to bed when they inevitably fell asleep, watching little league games and dance performances, attending graduations and birthdays and perhaps even weddings some day…The very thought caused a shiver of warmth to ripple through his body from the center of his chest, radiating to his fingers and toes. 

And yet she was still such a free spirit that he couldn’t bear to tether. As achingly beautiful as the visions of a possible future could be, even more tender was the desire for the girl to choose him back. Whatever she wanted in the entire world, Victor would ensure she received. No matter what it was…

The thought was sour on his tongue and Victor shook his head to wash it away. His feet came to rest at the front window of Delicioso, pausing to allow his brain time to pull away from the train of thought and consider if anything at the familiar restaurant sounded appetizing. Victor was so caught up in his thoughts that it took a moment to register what he was seeing through the window. 

Inside the brightly-lit and comfortably decorated restaurant sat the girl. She was laughing and smiling, leaning into the table as if wanting to be closer to her dining companion. Her eyes glittered in that way that always made his knees weak and Victor could hear her giggle in his mind. Though he didn’t want to know, he couldn’t stop his eyes from traveling to the other person at the table. 

Lucien.

Victor

you must be foolish to think that they even stand a chance 

this man controls not only your schedule, but the continued future of your company

say goodbye to any free time you may have had before

you’ll also find yourself being followed by bodyguards of his choosing to “protect you” from the danger 

finding out there is even a whisper of competition sends this man into a fit 

becomes glacially cool whenever you ask for time off, or do anything that could even be remotely in the vicinity of the interloper 

dislikes the idea of actually getting his hands dirty

also dislikes the idea of ending it too soon

will begin to immediately remove the possible competition from your life by removing you from their influence first 

you thought you had a lot of reports before? it’s now nightly meetings to discuss the continued future of your company 

once you’re too busy safely removed from the threat he destroys them

just crushes them in every way

LFG will have no business with them or their company 

Uses his influence to get the person blacklisted from high society 

Lucien

finds it mildly amusing in a way

to think some insignificant ant could compare to him? laughable.

has absolutely no qualms about killing and plans to do so

depending on how great of a threat (read: how close they have managed to get to you) will determine if its a merciful dead or a painful one

if the person is only on the outside of your awareness he will snipe them from a building on his way home to you

however if they have managed to even so much as touch you - then they will find themself in a secure facility for him to deal with at his leisure 

testing out the different effects of his evol can be time consuming and there are so few willing volunteers

doesn’t hesitate to avoid your questions if you ask about the person

will manage to both convince you that it is your fault for not noticing that this person was dangerous to you (if they are killed via bullet) or will make you believe that you should feel guilty for focusing more on a stranger than your loving partner

insist that you allow him to escort you everywhere in the future to ensure that he can keep an eye on you spend time with you

Gavin

r a g e

followed by the self assured belief that this person wants you for nefarious purposes

won’t go in with the intent to kill, but also can’t control himself if the person so much as gets close to you

if you’re not in the wind it’s because he is right there next to you 

when he’s not with you, his evol is continuously tracking you and your every movement 

you saved his life - it’s only right that he now do the same and save you from someone who will only hurt you later

unlike him. He would never hurt you

background check from hell

if there isn’t any evidence against them - well now there is 

Those unsolved cases that have been sitting at his desk? He just found the number one suspect for them

ready and willing to comfort you when you find out that someone you trusted was involved in so many crimes. That they openly committed so many atrocities 

goes out of his way to start spending even more time with you to make sure that no one else could hurt you

also uses this as an opportunity to get rid of a few other people he disliked but never had a reason to move against them

Kiro

oh so that’s how it is 

prefers the idea of socially ruining them before killing becomes an option

gets off on the idea that they would be able to see you, but know that they are unworthy of even being near you

either way he is removing them from your life and your memory 

after all, he’s your sun. Your Mr. Chips. Who does this person think they are?

will 110% use his massive fanbase to not only make their life miserable but will also use them to keep track of their movements 

#Mr&Mrs.Chips4Ever 

with his star power behind him he can make the person a social outcast before the day is over

you’re also invited onto every single one of his shoots

cancels contracts and deals and hands them off to you just to make sure that you’re in his presence more 

if he has an insanely busy schedule will use his evol to have them meet him somewhere later for a “chat”

will only kill if they are someone who has a “longer” history with you than he does

childhood friend? school crush? he’s already moving through the dark web to find every incriminating piece of evidence against them

once he has that he will let it sit for a few days before making the killing blow

he’s not going to kill them - no he’s going to make them do it

“I command you...”

Shaw

dismissive on the outside, seething on the inside

will kill if he thinks it’s worth it

most likely to kill them in front of you and stage it as him protecting you

just because he won’t go for the kill off the bat doesn’t mean that he isn’t going to torment them

mild electric shocks when it’s raining? without a doubt 

if he decides not to kill them then he’s just going to openly threaten them

won’t put a lot of thought into what he’s going to do

if they aren’t in his line of sight he would rather be focusing on you then whatever trash thinks they can one up him

but if he sees the person walking down the street - lightning is already streaking towards them

won’t follow you around, but will convince you that it’s you who needs to be checking in with him

finds the idea of killing them in front of you and making them look like the aggressor a funny idea the more time goes on

the fear in your eyes as the person he has lead into the alley is burnt to a crisp by his evol makes him laugh

not only does it get you to focus on him, and only him, but it also makes him look even better in your eyes

It came on gradually. A headache here, a bit of nausea there. Victor looked at himself in the mirror and shook his head in annoyance. Probably a recurring flu…there was no time for this nonsense. He straightened his tie, took a small ginger chew from his pocket to stave off the nausea, and left the house.It came on gradually. A headache here, a bit of nausea there. Victor looked at himself in the mirror and shook his head in annoyance. Probably a recurring flu…there was no time for this nonsense. He straightened his tie, took a small ginger chew from his pocket to stave off the nausea, and left the house.

By the time the boss reached his office, things were beginning to spin. Victor shook his head and blinked repeatedly before pulling out the first document of the day and beginning to read.

At least, he would have read it if he could get his eyes to focus. The words danced all around the page, doubling and converging as Victor squinted and eventually sighed. He reached out to pick up his cup of coffee, brought it half way to his lips, and the cup slipped out of his hand.

Victor opened and closed his hand, the lack of grip strength sending a wave of nerves through his stomach. He reached for the phone only to find he couldn't pick it up. Darkness was encroaching on the edges of his vision as a splitting lightning flash of pain ripped through his head.

Darkness won and Victor succumbed, slipping to the floor. The entire decline couldn't have taken more than thirty seconds and gave no room for so much as a cry of need.

~~~

It was the kind of call no man ever wanted to receive.

"Is this Mr. Li?"

"Speaking."

"This is Dr. Francois of Paris Regional Hospital. I'm calling to advise you that your wife fainted while teaching her course today and is currently under observation at our facility. We currently don't know what caused the loss of consciousness, but she is stable at this time. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have."

Mr. Li's face grew paler with every word. Victor watched over the rim of his bowl of cereal, immediately recognizing that something terrible had happened. He remained silent, however, not wanting to remind his father of his presence and cause him to enter another room.

"Thank you for the call. Should I make an emergency flight or will the situation allow a little more time?"

The doctor paused for a moment as if considering the question carefully. "Well, as I said, Mrs. Li is currently stable. However, she has not regained consciousness so the situation could change at any time. The amount of haste is really up to you. We will keep you updated as the situation proceeds."

"Very well. Thank you."

Mr. Li's mind was spinning as he turned and met Victor's gaze. "What's wrong, father? Emergency trip? Did one of the accounts go sour?"

The older man stepped over and wrapped his arms around his teenage son, eliciting a soft grumble. "Not an account, no. Your mother is in the hospital." Victor's struggling to escape his father's arms came to an abrupt halt as the words crashed like waves against his eardrums.

"Is she going to be alright?! What did the doctor say?!" Victor's dark eyes searched his father's lighter ones, emotion and confusion swirling in those twin pools.

Mr. Li gave Victor another squeeze and let him go. "The doctor said she fainted in class, but she's stable right now. I'm going to go call your Aunt and book a flight for tomorrow to Paris. Finish your cereal and get to school on time, okay? Everything will be fine."

~~~

"Boss, I have the report you requested. You were right; it seems there really was a typo on the last copy." Goldman looked up from the page and tilted his head slightly as his eyes were met by an empty chair. Had…he missed Victor leaving the office? There hadn't been any footsteps in the hallway. Even as quietly as Victor stalked around the building, Goldman usually heard his comings and goings. But perhaps he had been distracted or the printer had drowned out the sound.

He shrugged and turned to leave, figuring he'd come back later. But something in the corner of his eye brought his head back on a swivel.

It was a shoe sticking out from behind Victor's desk.

Goldman rushed around to the back of the desk and knelt down at the side of his best friend. "Boss? Mr. CEO? Victor? VIC?" He shook Victor's shoulders and patted his cheeks gently. "Come on, wake up…this can't be happening…" With his phone on speaker ringing the ambulance, the devoted assistant rolled Victor onto his back and carefully checked for breathing, finding his hand coming away crimson from straightening Victor's head. "Come on, Vic. You'll be alright, come on…"

As he watched the ambulance pull away through the open curtains of Victor's office, Goldman knew the next call he had to make. His stomach roiled and his eyes prickled at the thought of hearing the girl's voice, but it had to be done. He pulled his phone from his pocket, pulled up the girl's contact, and froze. Instead he hit the text icon and typed out a quick message.

Are you at your office?

Yes, why?

I'm going to come by. See you soon.

~~~

"Yes, I see. Very well. If anything more is found, please do not hesitate to call. The hour is irrelevant."

Mr. Li set down the phone and took a deep breath before turning to meet the questioning eyes of his son. He managed a small smile and ruffled Victor's hair, causing the boy to frown and duck away from his father's hand. "No new news yet, Vic. The doctor says it's probably just a nasty flu. Everything should be fine soon."

Victor's lips curled downward and he looked deeper into Mr. Li's eyes. "I'm not a child, father. I know you're just trying to keep me from worrying. But your face doesn't agree with you."

A soft laugh escaped his father's lips and Victor sighed helplessly. "You're going to be quite the troublemaker someday, my son. Nobody is going to be able to keep anything from those keen eyes of yours! But there really hasn't been much of a change since your mother was taken to hospital yesterday. The doctor hopes that once she is properly hydrated she will wake up. We just have to wait and see. I will call you once I reach the hospital. Be good for your aunt while I'm gone, alright?"

~~~

The girl wasn't quite sure why Goldman's message unsettled her stomach just a little. "Victor probably has a new project for me…" she grumbled, looking at the pile of papers scattered across her desk. "As if I don't already have enough work to do."

A knock on the office door startled her and she spun around to see Anna standing in the doorway. "Goldman is here to see you. He looks a mess."

The knot in her stomach only grew larger, but she put on a smile and nodded. "Send him on in! He let me know he was coming."

Anna hadn't been exaggerating when she said Goldman looked a mess; his tie and suit was disheveled, his eyes red-rimmed, and his hands shook as he grabbed the handle and closed the door behind him. "Goldman, what's wrong? What happened?"

Seeming to lose all remaining strength upon seeing the girl's worried face, Goldman threw his arms around her and buried his face in her shoulder. His entire body trembled in deep quakes that seemed to originate deep in his core. It was a long time before he could speak, only making the girl more and more afraid with every passing second. She had never seen Goldman in such a state.

"It's Victor," he finally managed. "I…I found him unconscious on the floor in his office. I-"

Goldman couldn't say more, but he didn't need to. The icy grip of panic had already throttled her heart and lungs and her hands were already grabbing her keys. Neither needed to say a word as they turned in sync and rushed out the door.

It was a tense ride to the hospital in the all-too-familiar soundings of Victor's car. Even the soft tones of the classical music playing in the background did nothing to relieve the fear that clung to the pair like hot tar and feathers. The girl looked over at Goldman's white knuckles on the steering wheel and gently placed her warm hand over his.

"The boss probably just pushed himself too hard and needs a little forced rest." Her fingers curled around his hand comfortingly and he allowed the hand to drop to the center console. They took comfort in their mutual fear, strength passing back and forth between their clenched hands.

~~~

The silent, white halls echoed with every contact of shoe on tile. "A215…A215…ah, there it is." Mr. Li paused outside the door, pressing his palms together and bowing his head for a moment before drawing a deep breath and opening it.

The soft beep of the heart monitor was the only greeting he received stepping into the hospital room. Mr. Li pulled the stool over to the bedside and took his wife's hand in his own, wrapping his warm fingers around her cool ones. "Hello, my love. If you wanted me to come visit, all you had to do was ask. You didn't have to be so dramatic about it."

He managed a soft chuckle before his face fell solemn again. "You have given Vic and me quite the scare, you know. And the doctors quite a puzzle. Could you wake up for me? It's not very polite to sleep through a visit when someone flies half way across the world at a moment's notice for you, you know." His voice was softer than mink and tender beyond belief.

"Mr. Li?"

He looked up into the face of the doctor and quickly stood, nodding and bowing slightly in respect. "Perfect timing. It seems we have discovered the answer to what is going on with your wife. Would you like to take a seat?"

~~~

The pair rushed through the doors and directly to the desk. "We're here to see Mr. Victor Li. I'm his fiancee." The girl managed to keep her tone even, though her voice trembled slightly. The receptionist's fingers clicked on the keyboard and she nodded.

"He'll be in room A215. He's in surgery right now, but you can wait in the upstairs waiting room. Elevator is down the hallway to the left." She gave Goldman and the girl an empathetic smile and gestured in the correct direction. They wasted no time hurrying toward the waiting room, faces grim and jaws clenched. Pausing only a moment to press their palms together and lower their heads, they then opened the door and slipped inside.

It felt like ages before the doctor poked his head in the waiting room and gestured for the pair to follow him. He led them to the room and left them to enter on their own. Victor lay in the bed with bandages wrapped around his head and his skin tinged grey. The girl hurried to his side and took his large hand in her much smaller ones and lifted it to her cheek. Goldman stood awkwardly at her side for a moment before grabbing chairs for each of them.

"How many times have I told you that you need to take better care of yourself?" the girl asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What did you do this time? It never gets easier seeing you in a hospital bed, you know. You need to stop scaring us like this." She turned back to look at Goldman, who was nodding in agreement.

In Victor's presence, the pair gradually calmed. The girl kept her fingers entwined with Victor's, her other hand softly caressing the back of his hand. Time seemed to take on no meaning and when the soft murmuring of voices outside the door broke the silence, the girl and Goldman really had no idea how long they'd been conversing.

The door opened to admit Mr. Li and the doctor, their faces drawn in solemnity. "Hello, my dear. I'm not surprised to see you here," Mr. Li said, stepping up to the girl and patting her shoulder. He stepped around the bed and took his son's other hand, lowering his head. "I'm so sorry, Victor…when the doctor told me all those years ago that it could run in the family, I prayed this day would never come…"

Feeling like they were intruding and terrified by Mr. Li's words, Goldman and the girl stood. "We'll give you some time, sir."

Victor's father looked up and flashed them a soft smile. "It's fine! Don't feel like you have to leave on my account."

"You stay. I'll go back to the office and start preparing LFG for the boss to recuperate, okay?" Goldman gave the girl one more hug and Mr. Li a bow. "It's good to see you again, sir. I'm sorry it had to be under such circumstances." Mr. Li nodded and Goldman disappeared. The girl sat back down and took Victor's hand again, not wanting to let go into he woke up.

The doctor shifted the clipboard in his hands. "Would you like me to explain to your daughter in law?" Victor's father shook his head and the doctor nodded. "Very well. If either of you have any questions, just contact one of the nurses. They will track me or the answer down for you."

When the door closed, Mr. Li sighed and looked the girl in the eyes. "It's not good news, my dear. You see, when I got a similar call about my dear wife and Victor's beloved mother, I was told that she had a hereditary form of brain aneurysm. Of course I had Victor checked repeatedly as a youth, but they never did find any ballooning.

"Apparently Victor's ballooned rather suddenly and overwhelmed his brain as it pressed on the tissue around it. And when he fell he-" The man's voice stuck in his throat and he coughed softly. "Pardon me…he hit his head on the desk just wrong and the aneurysm burst. The doctor was telling me that they've repaired it the best they can and the bleeding has stopped, but there is no telling what will happen from here. It's really up to Victor to fight through it now."

Every word pierced her soul deeper and deeper, leaving behind a freezing chill that shook her entire body. She clung to Victor's hand as if both of their lives depended on it.

For perhaps they did.

~~~

Every time the phone rang, the girl felt her heart race. Especially when her ringtone woke her from a dead sleep at two in the morning. She picked it up quickly and heard the doctor's familiar voice on the other end of the line removed any trace of sleepiness from her brain instantly. "Yes?!"

"Miss, you might want to get here as fast as possible. Mr. Victor has taken a turn. We are doing our best, but I can make no guarantees at this time."

"Yes. Of course. I'm on my way." She hung up the phone and rushed out the door, dialing Victor's father as she went.

He only had to hear her tone calling his name to know exactly what was going on. "I'm leaving now," he replied, and she could hear rustling of clothing over the line. "Be safe, okay? I'll see you when we get there."

The girl full-on sprinted to Victor's room. Doctors bustled around the bed while machines beeped and screamed all around the bed. As desperately as she wanted to get to Victor's side, she knew that she would only be a hindrance to the doctors fighting for Victor's life.

Finally one of them looked up long enough to see the girl and, seeing the look on her face, gestured her over. He allowed her to sit holding his hand while they worked, whispering softly to him. "Come on, my dear one. You've been through worse than this! You'll be fine. I'm right here, see? Can you feel when I squeeze your hand?"

For a moment she thought she felt Victor's hand tighten around her own before the machines went absolutely ballistic. The doctors ushered her out of the room and closed the door, leaving her frantically pacing back and forth until gut-wrenching silence devoured the preceding hurricane.

The door opened and a stream of quiet staff exited the room, shooting the girl looks of sympathy. The final doctor stopped at her side and hung his head. "I'm so sorry, miss. We did everything we could. Do you need us to make any calls for you?"

She shook her head and took deep breaths, drawing on Victor's strength and gestured to the door. "May…May I go to him now?"

"Of course. You and the family take all the time you need." The doctor gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder and left the girl standing in the hallway staring at the door. It was only a small barrier dividing them, right?

~~~

"I should have insisted on going with you!!" Victor's angry voice on the phone hit Mr. Li's ears like stones from a slingshot. His already broken heart powdered into delicate shards of glass. What did a father respond to a question like that? There was no apology fit for knowing his decision kept his son from his mother's death bed. But he also knew the boy's heart and where it was going…

"Victor, I…yes. I should have taken you, knowing the ending. But no one can know the end from the beginning, as hard as we try. We can only do our best and make the best decisions based on the information we have. The doctors, your father, yourself…we all have to accept that as long as we make the best decision with the knowledge available, we need not allow ourselves to dwell on the 'what if'. And we cannot allow ourselves to feel guilty for not knowing the future. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

There was a long silence on the phone as the young man considered his father's words, broken by a sigh. "I understand."

Mr. Li sighed in relief and nodded. "Good. You've always been a highly intelligent young man. Don't despair, okay? Your mother has simply stepped through a doorway to wait for us with the rest of our ancestors. So chin up, okay? I will see you and your auntie tomorrow at the airport."

The phone fell from Victor's hand and he fell to his knees. His tender shoulders shook as his hands pressed into the bedroom floor. A guttural howl of agony rose from the depths of his stomach and rolled around in his throat, unable to find an outlet. Wet drops covered his hands and his eyes pinched shut in an attempt to stem them.

Gradually, something his father said surfaced in his mind. If she'd really just stepped through a door to elsewhere…could his Evol take him there and bring her back? It was only a doorway, after all. The guilt that had roosted within him released its hold just slightly and he rolled back on his feet. "I'll find you, mom. I'll fix this."

~~~

The lions inside her eventually ceased their fighting and she pulled the door handle to step inside. The atmosphere inside had changed drastically; the hustle and bustle and beeping had been replaced with a deep sense of silence. Her eyes immediately went to the bed and the rest of her followed.

If she didn't know better, the girl would believe Victor was just peacefully napping. She brushed his fringe from his eyes and admired that soft profile that had always calmed her heart. "Hello, my love. Did you miss me?"

She attempted a goofy smile as she sat down at Victor's side and held his hand so tightly. But his voice immediately echoed in her mind: "You can't even fake smile properly, dummy. You don't have to hide your emotions when you're with me."

"I know, I know. There's plenty of time for that. For now…just let me hold your hand." She sat in silence just staring at his beloved face as a film of memories played behind her misty eyes.

A familiar voice from behind broke the reverie. "I knew you'd be here. From the moment he met you, you never did leave my boy's side."

The girl turned to see Mr. Li standing in the doorway. She jumped up and bowed, wiping her cheek quickly. "Mr. Li! I'm so sorry for your loss."

Victor's father silently stepped forward and wrapped his warm arms around the girl. "Our loss." His embrace, so similar to the one she held so dear, broke a dam loose in her chest. Great, tormented sobs of grief wracked her body as Mr. Li held her to his chest. "It's alright, my dear. Let it all go. I'll tell you something I told Victor a long time ago, and I want you to know as well: Victor has only stepped into the next room to wait for us. Things are hard right now, but we don't have to despair."

The sobbing slowly relaxed until the girl was able to lift her tear-streaked face from Mr. Li's shoulder and look up into his eyes. He offered her a soft smile and stepped over to Victor's bed. "Sir, let me give you some time with your son. I had my turn." She sniffled and fought the sourness tickling the end of her nose again. He nodded gratefully and she slipped into the hallway with one last glimpse at Victor's pale face. "I love you…" she whispered, softer than the flutter of a bird's wing.

~~~

By the end of the funeral services, the girl was pretty sure there wasn't a tear left in her entire body. With a dry tongue and a single tissue clutched in her hand, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

"How are you holding up, my dear?"

Mr. Li's voice soothed some small portion of her heart as it filled her ears. She looked over with a the corners of her lips tilted slightly upwards. "I'm alright. How about you and the rest of the family? Are the aunties going to be okay?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Yes, we all will be just fine. I have something for you." He pulled a small box and a red envelope from behind his back and offered it to the girl. She hesitated but accepted the gifts, searching his face. "Go ahead, you can open it."

She tucked the envelope beneath her arm and lifted the lid of the box, her mouth falling open and her breath catching in her throat as tears filled her eyes. Mr. Li smiled tenderly as she lifted the gold dragon and phoenix bangles from the box. "I know the wedding was still a few months away, and I know this is highly unconventional. But as far as Victor and the rest of us are concerned…you have been and always will be a Li. I wanted you to have these to remind you that we will always be here for you."

~~~

Her eyes swept out over the lights of the city twinkling far beneath her feet. A soft breeze ran its fingers through her hair and she closed her eyes with a smile. "Hello, Victor. I thought I'd find you up here. It has been a really, really hard week and you always seem to know when I am feeling particularly low. But I always remember how it felt to see the entire city at my feet with you and it still helps." She chuckled softly and leaned against the wall. "I'll be alright, though. You taught me how to be tough and solve my own problems. You'll be so proud of me the next time I see you. I know it! I'm going to bed now, okay? I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you, Victor."

Beep…Beep…Beep…Bee-

SLAM!

Cassandra's hand came down onto her alarm clock harshly, instantly shutting it off. She let out a groan, she could feel the room spin slightly when she opened her eyes. Her head beginning to throb from being woken up by the alarm and also from crying for god knows how long last night. She rubbed at her sore, puffy eyes as the bright light of the sun shone into her bedroom from the windows. A big contrast to how she was feeling in that moment.

Sitting up, she tried to recollect her thoughts from the previous night. She couldn't even remember what time she fell asleep either which was a little worrisome. Going through her thoughts she remembered; She was woken up at 2A.M, Victor came over..

Oh… Right.

He loves Mia.

He is in love with Mia.

Gosh… She really had hoped that part was a nightmare. But it was only her reality. A reality she was going to have to face one way or another. She knew better than to let jealousy or her resentment fuel her.

What mattered most is that Victor was happy. Even if it meant that it wasn't with her.

She took a deep breath, a fresh batch of tears ready to fall only she refused to let it. She stood up from her bed albeit a little hesitant, the room was still spinning, she walked into her bathroom to get a good look of herself in the mirror;

Her hair was a mess, dark brown strands sticking up in random places, her usual bright blue eyes now dull in color, puffy and red from crying. To top it off there were dark circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep. It made her wince with how bad she looked, her cheeks tinted bright red, tear tracks stained them making it more obvious that she had been crying a great deal.

"...Make-up won't be able to cover this up," She muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

She let out an irritated sigh as she started her morning routine; seeing as she had a lot of work to do to cover up her misery. She showered, brushed and fixed her hair, washed her face and applied her makeup, trying to cover the circles under her eyes to the best of her abilities.

Once that was done, she left the bathroom and laid out her outfit for the day; a white button up dress shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans and black flats. It was just another day in the office, it wasn't like they were going out to film anything. So she decided to wear something a little more casual and comfortable.

Especially when she had to come up with a plan to figure out how she is going to talk to Mia about Victor. She desperately needed to feel comfortable.

Just the idea of having to discuss this painful topic to her boss about romantic interest in her soulmate made the pounding headache return tenfold, letting out another groan, she made her way out of the bedroom begrudgingly after she finished dressing and into her kitchen, quickly checking her phone to make sure she would have enough time to prepare some coffee.

6:45A.M. Just barely enough time.

Maybe a little caffeine would help lift her spirits and keep her headache at bay? Right?

–

Wrong.

Caffeine only worsened her mood and the throbbing feeling of her headache was still there if not even more prominent. How she managed to get to work on time, she would never know. All she knows is that she wanted the day to be over fast.

She leaned against the railing once she stepped onto the elevator watching the elevator doors as they were just about to close, she shut her eyes as she calmly awaited her lift up, however a familiar female voice called out to her from the other side,

“Wait, hold the door for me!”

Mia. Crap…

Cassandra immediately opened her eyes, panicking inwardly as Mia practically threw herself through the closing doors, just barely making it into the elevator as she gave her subordinate a clumsy smile.

“Sorry about that, good morning.” She spoke, standing beside Cassie, as the doors finally closed.

Cassie gave her a smile and nod as her greeting, it was all she could muster when her head felt like she got hit with a heavy rock and her eyes still felt puffy which made it difficult to look into any brightly lit places. She leaned her head back against the wall as they quietly made their way up to their office floor.

It was a peaceful ride up.

..Until Mia spoke.

“Rough night? You look very tired…” She looked at Cassie, a bit of concern in her dark eyes.

Dammit… I didn’t want her to see me like this. Of all people to come into this elevator.. It just had to be her. Cassie mentally sighed as she shook her head, giving her a brighter smile. “I’m okay. Just had a bad nightmare. It kept me up all night.”

“Oh no… If you ever need to talk about it, I’m here for you.” She spoke softly, placing a hand on her shoulder, giving her a sweet yet gentle smile. Cassie swallowed hard, tears briefly welling up in her eyes.

She couldn’t even hide her own freaking emotions from the girl who holds the reigns of the heart of the man who was to be her supposed soulmate. Thankfully she was wearing a long sleeve today, hiding the name scarred onto her skin, she gripped onto the sleeve instinctively.

Cassandra looked away from her, sighing, “I appreciate that Mia, really. But it’s just too hard to speak of right now… While I do have your attention, I’d like to ask you something important.” She looked back up at her, giving her a small smile to reassure her worries.

Mia blinked, curious as to what she had to ask of her, “Hm? What is it?”

'Deep breaths Cassie. You can do this…'

'Just bring it up casually, no need to think so hard about it. It’s just a simple question.'

She mentally encouraged herself, after gathering her thoughts into place, “...How do you feel about CEO Victor?,” She blurted out the words she dreaded asking, only to catch Mia off-guard with the impending question.

“V-Victor?” Mia’s cheeks flushed slightly, out of embarrassment or from the thought of him Cassie couldn’t tell. But it didn’t help the unbearable feeling of jealousy stirring within the pit of her stomach. She swallowed hard as she clutched at her sleeve tighter, unbeknownst to Mia.

Who stood deep in thought, trying to find the right words to describe how she felt. She fiddled with her thumbs as she looked down at the ground. Her cheeks flush bright red. Was it that obvious about how she felt?

"..Is it that obvious?" She spoke up, looking at Cassie.

Cassie blinked, eyes wide, "Um… I suppose it was..? I just wanted to know how you felt about him is all,"

Mia sighed as she fully turned her body to face Cassandra, grabbing her hands unexpectedly as she stared at her with a serious expression in her eyes, "I… I'm in love with him. I have been for the past couple of months.. I don't know when or I don't know how it happened but it did." She bit her lower lip.

Crack…

The only sound Cassie could hear, was the sound of her heart breaking yet again that very morning. She really had hoped that she wouldn't return his feelings. And she hated how selfish that thought made her feel. She strained out a smile, in hopes to hide the pain yet again.

Mia continued however, "I just… I don't know how to tell him. Or when I should tell him. We hardly have enough time together as it is with our busy schedules. And our usual daily meetings always get cut short because he has other meetings that needs his attention." She huffed, recalling a few moments when their time together got interrupted.

Shaking her head, she looked into Cassie's eyes, getting somewhat hopeful as an idea popped into her head, "Do.. Do you think you can help me? I know it's probably too much to ask but.. I don't know what else I can do.."

Cassie let out a shallow breath, as she kept that same smile on her face. "Yeah, I can help. I can set you two up on a date if you'd like."

Her eyes lit up with sparkles, as she squeezed her hands in thanks, "Really?? Oh my gosh, Cassie I would be forever grateful to you if you could. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!"

Mia quickly pulled her into a tight embrace, making Cassandra gasp from the impact, gently patting her back, a tear slipping down her cheek which she quickly wiped away before Mia could see it.

"N-no problem..!"

Ding!

Oh thank goodness… Cassie needed to get out of there quickly. Her head was swirling once again and she felt sick to her stomach; a rising panic attack brewing within her ready to knock her down. Mia then let her go, smiling brightly at her.

“Seriously this means so much to me, you have no idea.” She beamed at her while Cassie just nodded, the doors of the elevator finally opened up, Mia turned and skipped out of the elevator, a better pep in her step after their conversation, before speaking to her once more,

“See you in the office!”

Cassie watched her small figure leave, blinking slowly as the build up of tears finally slipped down her face, she rushed out of the elevator making a mad dash to the restroom, locking the door behind her. She let out the sobs that had crept up within her heart, placing a shaking hand over her mouth to silence herself whilst she leaned against the door, sliding down against it. Her breaths came out shallow and quick, as if the air she was breathing was suffocating her. She desperately clutched at her shirt right where her heart was, the sharp pains that kept constricting against her chest wouldn’t seem to go away…

Did she just dig herself into a deeper spiral of sadness?

The answer was yes, yes she did.

Did she do it to cause herself more pain? No, no she did it out of the kindness of her heart. She knew this situation would come down to being in her hands, it was something she could not avoid. It was for his happiness.

His happiness means more to her than her own feelings.

Right…?

Right.

After a few minutes which felt like countless hours of panicking and crying she began fixing herself up, letting out a shaky sigh, she knew she couldn’t stay in this bathroom forever. Her eyes were once again puffy and red, her mascara was smudged and all under her eyes now.

Curses for not wearing waterproof mascara…

She wiped at the mess under her eyes, shaking her head, she leaned against the sink, taking large deep breaths. Just a few more hours, she needed to last a few more hours.

Cassandra braced herself as she pulled the last of her courage together and stepped outside of the bathroom, heading into the office and over to her desk.

Just a few more hours…

–

Those few hours felt endless. She buried herself into work, trying to clear her mind. However it wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. Her mind kept drifting to the two people she was set on matching. Hearing both of their words running within her mind, it diverted her focus from the piles of paperwork that began to pile up on her desk.

She sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day, as she rested her forehead against the cool wood of her desk. Lightly drumming her fingers against it as she mentally pushed away those thoughts; clearing her mind.

Everyone in the office had gone out to lunch, she didn't even realize it was past noon until she looked up at the clock. It read 12:45P.M. She then looked around, seeing the office vacant of any of her coworkers. Even Mia wasn’t around.

Good. She could use the peace and quiet. However it was short lived as a buzzing notification caught her attention. Her phone screen lit up; she received a new message.

She took a deep breath. Eyes glazed over as she read the message.

It was from Victor.

"Did you talk to her yet?"

Of course…

She swiped the message open, hovering her fingers over her keyboard, trying to figure out what to type out. I mean what could she tell him? That the girl of his dreams loves him too?

Yes.

Yes she could.

Cassie shook her head; a message wouldn't be enough. She opted to call him instead. She needed to get this over with. She felt too tired to let out anymore of her overwhelming emotions.

After a few rings, he answered, "Hello?, Did-"

"Hi. And before you ask me. Yes I got your message. And yes I did talk to her." She spoke a little too sternly.

"...What did she say?" He spoke, taken back by her cold tone. She never spoke to him this way before. Unless something was bothering her..

'Something seemed off…' Victor thought to himself.

"..." She took a deep breath as she spoke firmly, "She feels the same, Victor. She loves you," Her voice came out in a soft whisper. Her eyes began to blur with fresh tears. She cleared her throat, blinking away the tears "I decided to set you two on a date. For tonight."

Any worries he had about Cassie were instantly washed away as relief flooded through him, he let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding in. A smile appeared on his face. After a minute, he spoke up, chuckling slightly, "You didn't have to go as far as to set up a date, Cass. I could have done that."

"Well.. I decided it because Mia wants to be the one to officially tell you how she feels and asked for my help. I feel it was necessary for me to set it up to help her."

"I'm glad. I really appreciate you doing this." His tone softened as he leaned back against his office chair.

"It's the least I could do. After all… What are friends for?" She giggled.

"Regardless, thank you. When and where is this dinner going to be?" He spoke, prepared to cancel any meetings if needed.

"Well I still have to set the reservation but I heard from a few coworkers about a new restaurant that just opened up recently. They say the food is very good." She paused briefly as she tried to recall what her coworkers were talking about earlier. Even though she was working and not paying much attention to her surroundings. She did hear snippets of conversations that grew a bit louder as they all worked.

"I'll send you the address once I set the reservation. I'd say just be ready by 6:30," She spoke, as she began to look up the restaurant on her computer.

He hummed in response, "Sounds like a plan. Thanks again, Cassandra. I'll let you know how things go later."

"Mhm. Sounds good." She smiled slightly, "Have fun, Victor. Bye." She quickly hung up, setting her phone down as she gazed at the computer screen, taking a deep breath .

Time to make the reservation…

Despite her best efforts, big tears began rolling down her cheeks. Goldman fetched a box of tissues from his desk and handed them to her. He sat down in a chair next to her with his hand resting on her back, making slow circles while she composed herself enough to speak. “Vi-Victor just dumped me,” she managed to whisper, her words accented with shuddering sobs as she tried to draw a breath.

The blood in Goldman’s veins seemed to stop flowing for a moment as his heart froze in place. Shock commandeered his features and his hand came to an abrupt stop. “He did *WHAT?*” Incredulity filled the assistant’s voice and he wrapped his arms around the girl, pulling her in close. She buried her face in his shoulder as the tears redoubled. “He’s absolutely crazy. What is he thinking?! I’ll answer that, HE ISN’T. Oooh, I could go in there and give him a piece of my mind right now!”

Goldman’s similarity to a small, angry chihuahua in that moment managed to make the girl giggle. “Thanks, Goldman. I agree with you that he’s not thinking, but we both know the boss. Trying to convince him to change his mind is a fast track to setting it even more in stone.” She sniffled and pulled another tissue from the box to wipe her face…and Goldman’s shoulder. He released her from his embrace and sat back against the back of the chair, sighing in agreement.

“That doesn’t make this any more right. I have never seen the boss as happy as he has been since you came into his life, and I’ve known him a long time. Keep your chin up, okay? He’s probably just not thinking straight due to stress or something. Two days of not being able to call or text you multiple times a day will change his mind. I can guarantee it.” Goldman gave her another hug and sighed. “Is there anything I can do for you? Ice cream? A paddle for his butt?”

“You’re an assistant through and through, Goldman,” the girl replied, wiping her face one more time and giving him a weak smile. “I’ll be alright. Just make sure that Victor takes care of himself, okay? Don’t let him forget to eat, and make sure he gets some sleep and doesn’t work for days on end. And remind him-”

Goldman cut her off with another hug and a laugh. “Don’t worry. The boss didn’t neglect himself to death before he met you and I won’t let him do it now, either. Why don’t you go home and get some rest? I’ll keep an eye on the boss and let you know if anything happens.”

These were also the loneliest steps he had ever taken. Each felt as if he were leaving behind a world he had crafted and cared for with his own hands, leaving nothing but a vast white expanse before him. The doorknob burned beneath his palm but he gripped it with teeth clenched and breath held. He could feel his strength beginning to wane and the desire to run before he gave in in front of her was strangling.

Victor made it calmly out the door and closed it behind him before the wave of emotion washed over him and stole his breath. Air came in gasps and his eyes filled with all the tears he had dammed up those past few hours. He felt his legs going weak and he slumped against the girl's apartment door, sliding slowly toward the ground while staring up at the ceiling in an attempt to keep the tears from falling down his cheeks.

How long Victor sat there outside the door he had no idea. Time had no meaning then. It could be speeding toward the end of time or standing still as a windless forest; it made no difference. Fragments spun wildly in his mind though none of them managed to merge and form a complete thought. What more could he have done?

Though he had always said that the only path he wanted for the girl was the path which brought her the greatest happiness, Victor found in this moment that he had been telling himself nothing but lies. Perhaps in the moment they had been truths; but never in his darkest nightmares had Victor considered that he would actually lose the girl this way. Never had he considered she might ACTUALLY choose a path that led away from him.

"You could handle death, disappearance, and a multitude of realities where you never even met her. It's always been 'I just want her to be happy.' So why does this even affect you?" he muttered under his breath, wiping his face with a sleeve. He knew the answer, but didn't want to face it. In all those scenarios, there was hope. That she would come back. That the original reality would turn out differently than the dimensions he visited.

But this…she had decided what made her the happiest. And what made her the happiest was not him. It was a truth completely unthinkable. Did it have to be the truth? Victor lifted himself to his feet and faced the door, hand poised to knock. He should plead his case! There was no way she wouldn't melt back into his arms if he went back in there and declared how he truly felt!

Victor stood frozen at the door, his inner desire demons clashing with the angels of respect in a violent war that made him sick to his stomach. Little by little emotion succumbed to reason and Victor's forehead slumped to rest on the door, his open-palmed hand resting pleadingly on the white paint. "I love you," he whispered. "It has always been you. It will always be you." A single tear trickled down his cheek as Victor gritted his teeth and forced himself to turn and walk away from the door.

Despite the fact his heart was separating into its core elements, his love was strong enough to let her go.

She had been sick to her stomach for days. Her eyes brushed over the box at the end of the couch and she wondered what she was doing. Victor had been nothing short of a perfect boyfriend. And yet…she couldn’t deny what her heart was telling her. She sighed and gave the house one final look over before closing the box and sliding it under the table where she wouldn’t have to stare at it.

Dinner was nearly ready, and Victor should arrive any moment. Was she ready? No. Did she know how Victor would respond? Also no. Her hand went reflexively to the dainty ring that hung around her neck for comfort and could almost feel the warmth of the giver’s arms around her. Thus bolstered she pulled the homemade pizza out of the oven and set the stone on a heat pad on the table. No sooner had it come to rest than the doorbell rang and the girl’s heart again began to race.

Her approach of the door was slower than usual. Some sense of ‘this is the last time’ settled in her heart and she dragged it out, her feet barely leaving the floor with each step. The click of the lock and the creak of the door opening seemed to echo in time as if Victor had stopped it. Yet he hadn’t, and the open door revealed his slightly disgruntled face. “I thought perhaps you had forgotten I was coming,” he teased, wrapping his arms around her with a squeeze before slipping past and removing his shoes. “American style pizza, huh? Well well, branching out I see.”

The girl nodded and followed Victor to the table where he was already busying himself slicing the pizza and mixing the salad. His sleeves were rolled up to his shoulders and his tie hung loosely around his neck. He was achingly handsome in that moment and she longed to reach out and hold him in her arms again.

So she did. The girl came up behind Victor and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his shoulder blades. Victor placed his warm hand over her clasped ones on his chest and she could feel a chuckle rumbling behind his ribs. “Someone is extra clingy today. Have you been drinking while I wasn’t watching?”

“No!” she insisted, her face scrunching up and her grip loosening. Victor let out a full laugh and turned around, pulling the girl into his arms. She tried to struggle, but the familiar scent intoxicated her and she allowed him to hold her close. Just one last time…All the good moments just one last time, she justified.

He finally released her and finished slicing the pizza. “Well, let’s eat before it gets cold.” Victor pulled out the girl’s chair and gently slid it back in when she was settled before sitting down himself and pulling a slice onto his plate. Her eyes remained fixated on his every movement as if burning his image into her memory. “Stop staring at me. I’m not going to just disappear if you blink. It’s not like you’ve never seen me or will never see me again.”

The words were a dagger to her chest (a familiar feeling…) but she did her best impression of a Victor-style poker face and took a nibble from her slice of pizza. It was pretty good, but she simply couldn’t get her stomach to accept more than a bite or two. Victor watched with concern in his eyes and reached across the table to press his hand against her forehead. “I’m not ill,” she insisted, though his face remained unconvinced. “I’m just not very hungry right now.”

“There’s no such thing as my dummy being ‘just not very hungry.’” Victor set down his pizza and stared at the girl, who squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. “Why don’t we take this to the couch and turn on some ridiculous film to help put your mind at ease, and when you settle enough to talk about it, we will?” He stood with his plate and wandered casually over to the couch, leaving the girl thinking how completely natural he looked in this setting. Like he belonged there…

She obediently brought her own dinner and curled up in the crook of his arm, enveloped in his aura. He sat in a relaxed fashion with his foot resting gently on his knee and his arm draped over the girl’s shoulder, tapping away with the remote in his other hand while his eyes focused on the television. “Do you have any requests?” She shook her head and Victor selected an animated film they had watched together multiple times before. The familiar sights, sounds, and scents of the situation really did go a long way in relaxing her nerves, and before long the girl had completely put the purpose of the visit out of her mind for the time being.

They remained there for the duration of the movie, comfortable inside and out. Again doubts began swirling through her mind. How could she give this up? Victor was…home. He was a soft landing when the world fell out from beneath her feet. A safe harbor in the storm, and an anchor in the current.

But she wasn’t in love with him.

She loved him, yes. Desperately. But she was not in love with him, and continuing to lead him on would only bring unnecessary pain. Her abdominal muscles began to tremble with nerves, but she drew a deep breath and turned to face Victor’s handsome face. The time had come…Her mouth opened soundlessly, closed, and opened again before she could find her voice. “Victor, I…I need to talk to you about something.”

“You are breaking up with me.” Victor neither moved nor showed any reaction as he made the declaration. His voice carried no emotion, as if merely declaring that it looked like rain.

The girl’s eyes opened wide with shock and her breath came rapidly. Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them back. “How…how did you know that?”

“Anyone can tell the mind of a dummy,” Victor replied, glancing at the girl from the corner of his eye with a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips. She did not smile back and he let out a deep sigh. “I saw the box under the table with my shirt sticking out of it. That along with your terrible poker face and strange behavior these last few days made it obvious.”

She sat quietly, her face pressed against the knees she had tucked tightly into her chest. “You knew this whole evening, and you still acted like nothing was happening?” The words barely trickled out, soft and full of pain. “You ate normally. You held me and watched my favorite movie. You bantered and teased…and knew what was coming. With no effect at all? Did you never love me in the first place?”

When she raised her head to look Victor in the eyes, her face was tearstained and stretched in pain. Victor reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek, shaking his head. “Dummy,” he whispered, so softly it fell like mist on her ears, “do you remember the time you got lost in the flower maze? Do you remember what I told you that day?” The girl shook her head, and Victor tangled his fingers in her hair. “I wished for you to have a long and healthy life. That you can overcome whatever difficulties you’re faced with. And live a happy life in which you don’t have to worry about anything. Whichever path you take, you’ll always find me at the end.” His thumb gently caressed her cheek bone and he smiled softly. “Be that as your business partner, your confidante, or your romantic partner, you’ll always find me. That is my love for you: to allow you to choose your own path and simply support you in whatever role you require.”

The girl buried her face in Victor’s chest and his warm arms enveloped her just as they always did. They sat in silence for a long time, imprinting this final embrace on their souls. “I love you more than anyone I have ever crossed paths with and that will never change. I admit that my reaction to the realization was selfish: I didn’t want our last evening together to be a painful memory of tears and sorrow. That was the best gift I could think to give to you tonight. Kiro is a lucky man.”

It was subtle, at first. A feeling that snuck up out of nowhere until finally knocking firmly on the door. Victor resisted acknowledging it for the longest time, unsure where such a feeling could have come from. Was he simply burnt out? Had something happened that he had not been able to forgive?

No. It wasn’t anything like that at all. It was more like a lack of something that was there before. A cooling ember where had once been a raging inferno. Victor sat on the feeling for another week before he was sure he was interpreting it correctly. He sighed deeply and stared at his empty hands, sunlight from the window at his back filtering over his fingers. Dust particles in the air swirled like glitter, disturbed by his breath. Like his heart, they fluttered as outside forces acted on them. Forces that could not be denied.

And so…Victor called the girl to his office. Her cheerful voice on the phone nearly made him reconsider his decision, but if there was one thing Victor was good at…it was standing by his decisions. “Yes. I need you to report to my office when you get off work today. Yes, very important. I’ll be here whenever you are finished.”

He set the phone face-down on the desk and stared at the office around him. Every surface reflected her presence: the shiba doll on the bookshelf. A jacket she had forgotten on the couch. Photographs of the pair of them on various holidays. Victor frowned and picked up the photo of the couple on his desk, carefully examining the smiling face of the girl. The way their hands were clasped so tightly together. Did the Victor then have any inkling of what the future held? He shook his head in disgust and lay the photograph down so he wouldn’t have to look into those eyes.

By the time the knock arrived at the door, Victor had accomplished next to nothing with his day. Moonlight shone on a stack of unfinished paperwork while the small lamp on the desk cast shadows over the CEO’s face. His expression was impenetrable as his eyes moved to greet the girl. She swept in as oblivious as ever, chattering about her day and making herself comfortable on the couch before looking up to smile at Victor. In the past he would have felt his heart melt at her simple light, but today he found himself feeling nothing. The absence of emotion made him rather uncomfortable, but he did his best to keep the marble mask in place.

But the girl seemed to sense something wrong in the air. “Victor, what’s the matter?” she asked, her big eyes focusing intently on his face. They scanned his sharp features, taking her back to those early days. The warmth hidden in those irises had gone out and a stone dropped into her stomach. “Something bad happened, didn’t it? Did you have to end another partnership? Which one is it this time?”

Victor did not speak for a long time. His mind scrambled to find the phrases he had so carefully constructed earlier in the day, only to find they had filtered away like the dust in the air. “You could put it that way,” he finally said, a sigh escaping his lips. “That is to say, a partnership will soon be ending.” Concern filled the girl’s eyes and she stood, pulled a chair close to Victor’s, and reached for his hands.

“I’m sorry, Victor. It must be a really important one to put you back into stone-face like this.” She reached out to caress his cheek, but tilted her head as he did not take her hands and leaned away from her touch. The stone in her stomach grew heavier, making her a little bit nauseous. “Victor?”

Meanwhile, Victor’s heart was pounding in his chest like drums at the hand of a child. Why was this so difficult? He had broken off multiple professional relationships with ease, so why was he so full of adrenaline? The CEO took a deep breath and put his heart back in its cage where it would be safe before deciding to just take the plunge. He fixed his eyes firmly on the girl and spoke. “It’s us. For weeks I have felt that something is wrong and I’ve finally come to peace with the fact that I just don’t feel the same as I did before. You did nothing wrong; I simply don’t have romantic feelings for you anymore.”

The girl’s breath froze in her lungs and she searched his face desperately for any sign of mischief. Finding none, her eyes filled with tears and her fists clenched in her lap. She fought valiantly against the avalanche of surprise, pain, and betrayal which threatened to suffocate her in that moment. No tears actually fell from her eyes, but they swam as she drew a shuddering breath and met Victor’s gaze. “Are…are you sure?”

Victor nodded, his icy gaze flashing sadness before hardening again. The girl looked around the room at a loss, grabbed her forgotten coat, and stood awkwardly. “I…guess that’s that, then. I'll stop by tomorrow to gather my things, and we can discuss how this affects the business partnership."

"I will have them gathered for you. As for your funding, our personal relationship has no weight there and our partnership will remain the same. Unless you are not comfortable with that and chose to find another financial backer. I have no doubt a company of your caliber would have no end of offers." Victor rose from his chair and reflexively went for the familiar hug, stopping himself mid-muscle memory. "I'll, uh…see you out, then." He opened the office door and stood to the side, his eyes unable to leave the form of the girl as she quietly exited the office.

Victor turned out the lamp and sat at his desk in darkness, contemplating the decision he had made. Only then did he drop the shields and allow the pent up emotion to run its course.

I stand before the door to my apartment, a home I share with my butterfly, my little fool. She doesn't know. She doesn't know the amount of lives that have been snuffed out on my word or by my own hand. Each day, the weight of my past weighs heavy on my mind and heart, threatening to spill from my mouth in a tidal wave, leaving no survivors in its wake. What would she do when she finds out the man I am? Turn me over to the Special Task Force, I wouldn't hold it against her.

A sigh slips from my lips, the cold touch of metal in my palm drawing me from my thoughts into the bleak, colourless world around me. I look down, the keys to my apartment in my hand, poised and ready to unlock the door, to enter into my home where my partner waits eagerly for me to return. Waits for me to tell her stories from the lab, although the lab was not where I was today.

My hand falls short, unable to put the key in the lock. I turn on my heels, walking down the hallway towards the front doors of my building, resigning myself to walking the streets of Loveland well into the early hours of the morning, only to return to my home when my partner is away. It's not that I don't love her - on the contrary, I love her with nearly every fibre of my very being. It's because of the love I have for her that I cannot face her.

Stepping out onto the sidewalk, the cool breeze kisses my cheeks. I close my eyes, learning against the hard brick, focusing my thoughts.

Am I doing the right thing?

Yes, yes I am doing the right thing, she cannot know what it is I've done today. Opening my eyes, I push off from the wall, turning left and walking towards the centre of the city, hands curled into fists shoved in the pockets of my coat. I could feel eyes on me but I refused to turn around, afraid of who's eyes I would meet once I did.

Walking towards the city centre, usually filled with such beauty and colour, now stands in shades of grey, looming over me, judging me. My phone rings, a sharp contrast to the silent road. Pulling it from my pocket, my little fool's name shines bright. Why, butterfly? Why are you calling me?

With a heavy heart, I press the decline button, the screen turning dark, the only thing I see is the reflection of a man I hardly know. I study that reflection for a brief moment before returning my phone to my pocket. The ding of an incoming message comes moments later.

"Where are you? Why didn't you come inside?"

So it was her I felt, watching as I left. I was hoping I could sneak off, undetected into the world but I knew, deep down that was impossible. There's no escaping her, she's stuck in my heart forever.

Leaving the message unread, I place the phone back in my pocket, continuing my aimless wandering of the city. Forgive me please, honey. I'm trying to spare you the heartbreak. I was never meant to fall for you but here you are, the colour of my life, the only one who's able to make me feel things I thought had long since died.

"Lucien!"

I stopped dead in my tracks, my entire body stiffening - I knew that voice. I calm my frantic heart before opening my mouth to utter words I never wanted too.

"Go home, Lucien isn't around."

"That's bullshit!" She calls back, anger dripping from her words. She has never spoken back to me before.

I turn, masking my expression, just like I do every day, a careful display chosen to keep suspicions away. Before me she stands, shoes untied and no coat, her bare arms exposed to the cold.

"I told you, go home. You don't know who you're talking to" I state, matter of factly. She does not waiver but stands her ground.

"I know exactly who I'm talking to. Black Swan agent, Ares." Her eyes glare daggers into me, testing for a weak spot.

How did she know? How long has she known? I take a step towards her, the colour coming back to the world around us. The wind blows cold, a shiver crawls its way up my spine.

"That's not all I know, Ares. I know how many evolvers you've killed. I also know, Ares is not who you are."

"You know nothing, butterfly." I fought the urge to reach for her, to pull her close to me, and warm her with my body heat.

"Don't "butterfly" me, Lucien! You don't get to use that name anymore. You lied to me!" She screams, tears threatening to spill from her beautiful eyes.

This is what you wanted, right, Lucien? You wanted her to hate you, to despise you. So why do her words cut so deep? Why does seeing her crying break every defense I have carefully constructed over the years? How do I respond?

Her soft sobs break through, pulling my thoughts back to reality. "Please Luci..please just come home"

For the first time in as long as I can remember, I was speechless. Standing there, the cold overtaking us, she wraps her arms around herself, trying to keep herself warm as we stare at each other.

Come on Lucien. You need to do something. You're going to lose her for good.

"I..I guess not. I'll have my stuff out by the morning.." she whispers, so quiet I barely heard it myself. She turns on her heels, facing our home before she walks away from me. I reach out for her arm but she slips away from me, my feet rooted to the ground.

I never knew how hard it would be to watch her walk away from me. The colour drains from the world the further she moves away.

When she speaks again to break the silence, her voice is cold, detached, unfeeling. "Get out."

His heart stops in that moment, and he leans against the door frame for support. "What?" 

"You heard me," she says. "Get. Out. I don't want to look at you anymore. You disgust me," she spits, her lip curling derisively. 

"I said I was sorry! I swear, I'll do anything! Please, don't do this, I'm begging!" He'd fall to his knees if he thought it might help, but when he reaches for her, she flinches away from him as if he's a contagious disease. 

Maybe he is. And she fears she's already been infected behind any hope of recovery. 

It's always been rocky, this whirlwind romance, this fast, addictive obsession they have with each other. Both of them stubborn and fiery and passionate and ridiculous, maybe it was bound to end this way. Even their friends said it was reckless, but they ignored the signs and went along with their feelings anyway. Perhaps it had been a bad idea after all, in the wake of this– what seems to have been the last straw for both. When she agreed to go watch his show tonight, the last thing she expected to see was another woman in his lap in the band's lounge, shameless in her pursuit of pleasure as she left bruises along his neck and called him a name that made her want to vomit. She turned tail then and went straight back home. And when he finally showed up at well past three in the morning, smelling like booze and cigarettes and that whore's perfume, asking why he didn't see her there, she let him have it. 

She screamed and screamed and screamed, and he took it until he couldn't anymore and he screamed back until there was nothing left to say that hadn't been said already. 

"I love you." It's his last, shameless attempt to secure his place in her heart again. It's worked before. Surely this time she'll forgive him. 

She still won't look at him. It's too dangerous, there's too much at stake. Instead, she grabs a broom and sweeps up the mess so that she doesn't have to worry about it in the morning. She's eerily calm and begins to hum one of the tunes he knows by heart. It's a song he wrote for her months ago. One he'd hoped she could hear in person at the show that night, but he'd fucked it up, big time. 

"I love you," he repeats, grabbing his coat from the hook by the front door. 

"No you don't." It's barely audible, but he hears it. And he nods.