Chapter Twelve

“What does he want?” I wondered when I saw Uno’s name on my phone’s screen. Now, he’s calling me. It was most likely because Siegren had already informed him that instead of going with him, I preferred to go to the PUB.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Reo asked as he set the bottle down on the table after finishing it.

“I’ll be right back,” I said as I stood up and exited the PUB because the music inside was quite loud.

“What—”

**“Come here while I’m still asking nicely, Kharris,”** Uno said authoritatively, causing my brows to furrow.

“Is that a threat?”

**"No,"** was his short response. I’m still waiting to hear what he has to say next, but it appears he has no intention of saying anything else, so I sighed.

“Why do you want to meet? You miss me?” I jokingly asked.

**“What if I am? I will give you one hour. Go to the location I texted you earlier.”**

“Why are you saying something so out of character? As if you really miss me.” I laughed, “Seriously, why?”

**“Did you know you were being followed the other night?”** The smile on my lips vanished when he asked that. He must have discovered that someone was tailing me that night. Even if he doesn’t say so, I know Uno always has one of his men following him around. And I’m sure he was aware of the man tailing me, but he’s only now questioning me because he had completed the background check, or worse—he may have already interrogated that person.

**“You’re not answering, so I guess you’re aware,”** Uno said on the other line. **“Let’s talk; tell me what’s going on.”**

“Am I obligated to explain things to you now?” I asked seriously, but he simply scoffed at me.

**“I’m involved, Kharris. He took a picture of us, this isn’t just about you,”** he said flatly, and I realized he was serious about wanting to meet me.

I know he’s not an ordinary person and it’s only natural for him to be this wary but I despise the way he treats me like I’m one of his underlings.

“Fine, I’ll be there in a minute,” I said and this time I made sure I was the first to hang up the phone. I took a deep breath and went back inside to inform Reo that I was leaving.

“I’ll give you a ride,” he said, and I didn’t bother to say no because I knew he’d still insist.

While he was driving, I decided to tell him what had really happened to me, explaining that it had something to do with why Uno wanted to talk to me. I was hesitant to tell him the story at first but I chose to do so because I want to ease his concern for me.

“Would you like me to take you inside?” Reo asked as he pulled up the car in front of the hotel. I smiled when he unbuckled the seatbelt for me. He’s really a boyfriend material because he’s so caring and sweet. I don’t understand why he has such bad luck with men.

“No, it’s fine,” I said as I kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for giving me a ride.”

“It’s the least I can do,” he said with a smile, so I smiled again and got out of the car.

I looked into one of the wall glasses when I reached the entrance. My hair was surprisingly neat considering how strong the wind was outside. I adjusted the sweater I was wearing, which I borrowed from Reo to cover my uniform, and then I turned to look at him. He’s still peering out his car window.

“I’m going to be okay,” I reassured him, and he just nodded as he signed okay, although I knew he was still worried.

“All right, message me if anything happens,” he said, and I smiled. I waited for him to leave before entering the hotel, where Siegren greeted me inside. How did he know I was already here? What’s more, why do I need to meet his boss at the hotel?

“Where’s Uno?” I just asked when I put my hand inside the pocket of Reo’s sweater. It was so big on me that it covered my entire skirt.

“He’s waiting on the roof,” Siegren answered, so I nodded and followed him while looking around the hotel. It’s my first visit here, and if my memory serves me correctly, The Del Roman owns it. I’ve known the twins since I was a child, but I don’t know anything about their family history except that their parents are divorced. I guess I’m not as close to them as I thought I was. I really don’t pester them with questions, so it’s no surprise that I’m ignorant about their personal life.

As far as I actually remember, I only went to their house when I needed a playmate or help with my assignment. I stopped visiting them when I turned 18 because my dad forbade me from contacting the Del Romans after my mother’s funeral.

I followed his command, but I disobeyed him when he brought his mistress and Kathy home. And because Dos was already working at that time, he was frequently away from home; we rarely saw each other, but he always made up for it. We’d go out once a month, and he’d take me to the park, aquarium, or amusement park, and of course—we’d always be accompanied by the third wheel, Uno.

After the twins graduated from college, they left their house, but they still came home from time to time, so even though we were both busy with our lives... We didn’t lose contact.

“Isn’t Uno always busy?” I asked when Siegren and were in the elevator. We were the only ones riding inside, but when we came to a stop on the fourth floor, it became crowded and we were pushed to the corner.

“He pushed all his meetings just to meet up with you,” Siegren answered, triggering me to look at him.

“What made him do something so out of character?” I wondered out loud, but he did not respond until we arrived at the rooftop. I closed my eyes and smelled cigarettes as a strong wind greeted me. I approached Uno, who was peering over the rooftop railing. We were the only people here because Siegren had also left after escorting me.

“What’s the deal? Why do you want to meet at the hotel?”

“I have business here,” he answered before turning to face me. His forehead wrinkled slightly when he saw me so, I raise my eyebrow at him and coughed when he blew smoke.

“What’s up with your outfit?” He threw away the cigarette he was holding, even though it was only halfway done, and stepped on it with his black shoes. He’s dressed in his business vest, as he always does. His suit is resting on his shoulder, and the sleeve of his button-down shirt is lifted to reveal his tattoo and his favorite wristwatch.

“You made me go to a hotel in my uniform, are you right in the head?”

“I didn’t say you had to wear your uniform. I only asked you to come here.” He grinned, and I was taken aback in disbelief.

“Yeah, you said I should come after class. Do you think I’ll have time to change if you sent someone to pick me up?”

“Why are you angr—”

“Aw!” I groaned as he slapped my arm close to my shoulder. As a result, his brow furrowed.

“Why are you being sensitive? I just tapped you, I didn’t even use force.”

“Your hand’s heavy,” I said, avoiding his gaze and focusing on the pool that was here on the rooftop. “What do you want to talk about?”

“What’s the deal with your stepsister putting a tail on you?”

“I don’t know, maybe she’s bored,” I shrugged.

“I’m asking you seriously, Kharris.”

“My response is serious,” I said as I sat in the sunbathing chair. Today’s weather is surprisingly pleasant; It’s windy and sunny, but not too hot. The sky is so clear that it’s almost surreal. In all fairness, it’s quite relaxing here.

“You were aware that she had put a tail on you, why are you so calm? I don’t know, but I laughed at his question; if he had only known what had happened, I’m sure he wouldn’t have called me calm. I’m already on the verge of strangling Kathy and her evil mother.

“What did you do to the person who followed me?” I asked as I returned my gaze to Uno, who was leaning against the railing and facing me.

“He’s a threat, so we tortured him,” he said nonchalantly, and for some reason... I was frightened. I felt my body hair stand on end because he said those words as if it were normal and day-to-day activity. Right, Uno is a member of the mafia, and Kathy had no idea. She’s fucking naive and stupid, and she knows nothing but to harass me.

“W-What?”