“It’s obvious. He’s a brother with no blood relation whom the father adopted belatedly, and the situation is bad enough to need a live-in counselor. He doesn’t want to waste time on such matters.”
“That might be the case.”
“Might be? It’s certain. Don’t you know that rich people are actually even more about money money money? He has to share his father’s inheritance with a kid who’s practically a stranger, so of course that child would be a thorn in his side.”
Elian, who had been listening to Vincent blabbering as if he knew all about the wealthy, chuckled.
“Haven’t you been watching too many dramas?”
“Dramas and movies all reflect reality. Don’t you know reality is actually more dramatic?”
Well. Even reflecting on his own experiences of what he’d seen and heard while counseling, Vincent’s speculation wasn’t entirely groundless.
Vincent, perhaps feeling thirsty, gulped down his beer and carelessly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Then suddenly changing his tone, he asked cautiously.
“So, what about the interview results? What did they say?”
“Fortunately, they asked me to start work right away.”
“Are you going to do it?”
“I have to.”
“……”
“Personally, yes, but as a counselor too, it’s an opportunity I don’t want to miss.”
Even as he said that, Elian’s expression looked somehow complicated.
“Did you meet the child?”
“Yeah.”
Elian, nodding his head, dropped his gaze toward the beer bottle in his hand.
“I can’t talk about the details, but… it was a child who actually needed counseling.”
“If you’re going to work live-in at that house, you’ll have to move out of our house now.”
At Vincent’s deflated voice, Elian looked across at the guy and smiled.
“Are you going to miss me?”
“No, I mean… I know your grand plan, so I’m not sad but… Mom and Dad will worry.”
He made excuses about his parents, but Vincent’s face was also full of regret.
Elian also felt sad that his life with the Bellotti family was ending. Lina and Matteo, who had been consistently affectionate since childhood and who had allowed Elian to be registered and use the surname Bellotti. Vincent, who had grown up together like a brother and was now legally a brother too.
Staying in this room, building his career as a counselor at the center, helping out at ‘Abbraccio’ on holidays, sometimes going out cycling with Vincent… such peaceful days could continue.
If he buried everything in his heart and accepted it as inevitable, he could obtain such a daily life.
But Elian couldn’t do that. He had decided not to. He had to turn his back on peace, advance into danger, and reveal the truth.
Both Vincent and Elian himself knew that well.
“Are you leaving right away tomorrow?”
At Vincent’s question, the room’s owner looked around the small space. Most of the items filling the room were books and records his parents had left behind. This was only part of the keepsakes. The rest were stored in a rental warehouse in Chicago. There was a considerable amount, so he couldn’t bring everything.
“No. It’s not much, but I need to pack my things.”
“Are you taking everything?”
“No. I’ll only pack what’s absolutely necessary. I’m moving in the day after tomorrow.”
“At least you have time to tell Mom and Dad.”
“I’m not going far away. It’s just Manhattan, you know?”
While talking to the sullen Vincent, Elian pointed outside the window.
Outside the open window, Manhattan’s nightscape, particularly the Financial District, was sparkling like diamond dust. It was undoubtedly an enchanting landscape that mesmerized anyone who saw it.
But on the other hand, it was also like a desert mirage.
Visible to the eye but without substance.
Beautiful but ultimately empty.
The light of Babylon built up by humanity’s endless desires.
“Who said otherwise? I’m just saying Mom and Dad will be sad. Even if Manhattan is just across the bridge, it’s not the same as living in the same house.”
“I’ll come every day off.”
“That’s not as easy as it sounds.”
Vincent tilted his head back and downed all his remaining beer. The guy’s eyes, having put the empty beer bottle down on the desk, landed on Elian’s pill bottle.
“I guess they didn’t make an issue of you being sick. Well, these days you don’t have to write that stuff on resumes, right?”
“It’s been quite a while since we stopped having to indicate secondary gender too.”
Vincent, who had been nodding a couple of times with a relieved expression, raised one eyebrow and asked subtly.
“But what are you going to do about Joshua Lockhart?”
“For now, I’ll have to put it on hold.”
“Joshua’s side is probably easier to approach, right? There’s too little known about Lorenz’s private life. With that wealth and those looks… you’d suspect he’s impotent.”
“It’s an opportunity to get inside the Lockhart estate. I’ll be able to find out something. Besides, now that I’m working at the Lockhart estate, won’t it reach Joshua’s ears soon anyway?”
Vincent nodded with a meaningful smile.
“True. Even if you stay still, you’ll naturally reunite with Joshua Lockhart. Making him anxious is a good strategy too.”
Vincent, who had been reaching for a new beer, suddenly frowned and looked back at Elian.
“But what if Lorenz Lockhart falls head over heels for you?”
The guy’s eyes were quite serious. He didn’t seem to be joking.
“You worry a lot.”
“No, think about it. If Lorenz and Joshua end up fighting over you, won’t you be the only one in trouble?”
“You said Lorenz Lockhart must be impotent.”
Vincent stared at his friend and brother’s face. Numerous incidents that had to be endured in the past because of that appearance came to mind one after another.
“I’m saying this because you have a face that could cure even impotence.”
“Not everyone falls for me like you think, so don’t worry. And whatever happened with Joshua Lockhart was all just temporary interest. It won’t last long.”
“Hmm…”
Vincent didn’t seem to agree much with Elian’s statement. But instead of continuing the argument, the guy chose to silently tilt his beer bottle.
Elian picked up the small badge placed next to the desk clock. A circular badge the size of a thumbnail, with a golden crescent moon engraved on jet-black onyx. It was one of the few pieces of evidence Elian had been able to secure related to his mother’s death.
While rubbing the crescent moon on the badge with his thumb, Elian muttered as if making a vow to himself.
“I don’t care if either of them falls for me. I actually welcome it.”
As long as it opens the door for me to go deeper into the Lockhart family’s secrets. Elian added inwardly.
Vincent, who had been watching such a friend, advised worriedly.
“Don’t do anything too reckless.”
Then he soon added with a self-deprecating sigh.
“Well. Approaching the Lockharts without being reckless would be impossible in the first place.”
Still fiddling with the badge in his hand, Elian looked out the window.
Among the dense skyline of southern Manhattan, he could easily find the Lockhart Holdings building. Had he gotten a little closer to that Tower of Babel? It still didn’t feel real.
■
It was a homecoming after four days. Lorenz, having finished his business trip, arrived at the estate in a completely exhausted state.
It was around 4 PM, but his body felt heavy as if midnight had already arrived. He was also extremely sensitive from not being able to sleep properly throughout the business trip due to suffering from headaches and nausea. He only wanted to take sleeping pills and fall asleep quickly.
“You’ve worked hard. You must be tired, right?”
Margaret, who had come down to the underground parking garage to greet him personally, offered her greeting. Lorenz’s face clearly showed signs of fatigue that anyone could see.
“I tried to come back early if possible. But there were more parts that needed to be checked directly than I thought.”
“It’s an important project, isn’t it? You have to prioritize work.”
The two began walking toward the elevator. Lorenz, holding his forehead, looked back at Margaret right beside him.
“I’m sorry, but even though you would have prepared in advance, I think I’ll have to skip the meal. My headache is severe… I want to rest quickly.”
“I heard your condition wasn’t good throughout the business trip.”
“The first day wasn’t bad. My condition improved very much on the way to the airport. Though it was only for a moment.”
Lorenz, shaking his head at his physical condition that had been the worst and still was the same now, immediately changed the subject and asked.
“How is Lucas?”
“He’s in his room with the new counselor.”
