Chapter 24 Crazy Night

Chapter 24 Crazy Night
Leo took me to the next place, a nightclub where his friends often partied. I'm not the type of woman who enjoys parties of any kind. But tonight seemed to be an exception. I wanted to dance and have fun with Leo to vent the strange longing I felt for him.

"Your new girlfriend, Leo?"

"Wow, she's so hot, Leo!"

"Tch, what a lucky woman!"

"I'm sure Leo will get bored of her in no time. She seems boring!"

Questions and comments were heard, but Leo didn't seem to care. Meanwhile, I felt strange, as if the women were jealous of me. This made me subconsciously keep my head down, feeling shy and insecure.

Leo led me to the dance floor, where the music had a special appeal to us. Latin American music never seemed to fail to create a passionate atmosphere. Leo held me close, urging me to follow his movements. We kissed occasionally, and strangely, I couldn't resist.

"I didn't know you were such a good dancer, Leo!"

"Only when I'm with you!"

"You keep saying you only do everything when you're with me. What does that mean?"

"Because only when I'm with you do I feel alive."

Leo grabbed my hand tightly and led me to the balcony, where it was a little quieter and more peaceful. We looked out over Las Vegas at night, where the city lights were so dazzling that it seemed like the city didn't even know what night was.

A gentle breeze blew, gently blowing my hair. Leo stared at me again, barely blinking. Did he really adore me as much as he said last night?

But that didn't seem possible. He had no reason to like me, let alone adore me. It had to have something to do with my mother, whom Leo considered his mother.

"Do you come to this city often, Leo?" I asked, interrupting Leo's long reverie of thoughts I couldn't fathom.

"I've lived here since I separated from my father."

"Your father?"

"Rocco D'Angelo, I told you he was my adoptive father, didn't I?"

"Y-yes, I remember you saying so."

"He's also looking for Hinata Hanase!"

"W-what? Why?"

"I don't know what his true motive is, but I suspect it has something to do with the death of my adoptive mother, Maria Rodrigues."

I was stunned, unsure how to react to his statement, as I still wasn't sure if he truly knew I was Hinata Hanase, the person he was searching for. If I acted rashly and let him find out who I was through my mistake, it might be a problem.

"What happened to Hinata Hanase that made you and Rocco search for her?" I asked jokingly. I really wasn't prepared for him to find out now.

"I don't know. I don't know what that girl has in store for Rocco to be so obsessed with her. But I have a feeling that Rocco has bad intentions, which is why I want to protect Hinata from someone like him."

"What kind of person is Rocco?"

"What's he like? I can't describe him clearly. But he's definitely not someone you can face unprepared."

"He sounds dangerous! I heard you say that the people who tried to attack you yesterday were Rocco's men. That means he's a dangerous person, right?"

"I don't know, but to most people, Rocco is a hero. He cared for and raised the children of his deceased subordinates, so he deserves credit for that."

"So why did he try to attack and kill you? What did you do that made him want to eliminate you?"

"To Rocco, I'm a traitor and a potential threat. He hates the idea that anyone can surpass him in anything. So, he'll do whatever he can to protect that reputation."

The more Leo talked about it, the more curious I became about Rocco D'Angelo. Although Leo said he was Rocco's adopted son, they seemed to have a bad relationship.

"So, you could say being a jockey and working in a casino is dangerous, right?"

"Being a jockey isn't a dangerous job; honestly, it's not as bad as you think. I don't steal or rob other people's money. They just place very high bets and then ask me to play and win. It's that simple."

"So why would a group of assassins try to kill you? You must have done something to make them—"

"Do you believe me?"

As if not wanting me to continue doubting him, Leo immediately embraced me and forced me to look into his eyes.

I fell silent, captivated by the beauty of those golden eyes. Leo's eyes were so beautiful, both the softest and the sharpest, making it difficult for me to guess his true feelings.

Is it because I still doubt him and can't truly trust him completely, or am I still unsure if it's safe for me to rely on him?

A loud rumbling in my chest grew so strong that I couldn't look Leo in the eye any longer. Leo's hand pulled me to his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat.

"Do you trust me?" Leo asked the same question again, making it even harder to answer.

"Why are you asking me to trust you, Leo?

"A question answered with a question will never find an answer! Why do you need to know why I want you to trust me when you haven't even let me know you doubt me?"

"Leo, I—"

"Do you trust me?"

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because you're the one who kept me here, Hinata!" he said. I was shocked when he called me Hinata. It was as if he was signaling that he already knew I was the girl he was looking for.

"W-what are you—"

"I'm glad I finally caught you off guard and decided to meet me of your own free will. Turns out you're much more beautiful than Mom," he whispered in my ear.

I was stunned, trying to process what he had just said. Was he serious? Did he really know who I really was?

"Leo, what are you—"

"Hinata Hanase, ever since I saw your photo 15 years ago, I've been waiting for the day we could finally meet." Leo smiled coldly. I was at a loss for words. How could this be? How could he say he was tricking me into coming to him?