Chapter 54: Chapter 54

The city have gone quiet by the time Arthur finally left the office. Not silent.

Cities like this never truly slept, but quiet in a way that they did late at night, when office towers dimmed one by one. And the street slowly began more to shadow than people. Rain from the previous night still clung faintly to the road, turning the pavement dark and the reflection beneath passing headlights, as the black car moved steady through the city.

Inside the vehicle, the atmosphere remained still. Marcus sat there without speaking, and his one hand resting calmly against the steering wheel, while the flow of the traffic fast across this face, traffic passed across his face.

Arthur sat on the back seat in silence and his posture composed. His one arm resting on the leather beside him, his expression completely unreadable beneath the faint light slipping through the tinted windows of his car.

But there was tension in him tonight. Not explosive and not even restless, but something was much quieter than anger, something far more dangerous. His phone was rested untouched, though his eyes had drifted towards it more than once. And the driver was for Lydia. Lydia hadn't called him again and because, and only because of Lydia.

He was just there watching the phone. The same phone he did not care about before.

He expected her to do something, anything. Just call him to come meet her, take some food for her or just if... she wanted to hear him. Or just talk to him.

A part of Arthur expected all of this or at least nothing, but just another part of him already knew she would not.

Not yet.

How ever, Marcus, on the other hand, glanced briefly into the rear view mirror, for learning his attention to the road ahead of him.

"The doctor said he is unstable at the moment" He said, carefully after a while.

How ever, Arthur looked out the window, only a small nod coming out of him, as an answer. Nothing more was said and right then the conversation came to an end.

Outside the city slowly changed around him. As Marcus turn around one of the quiet districts where the streets went a little bit wider and the building came clearer. It was more privacy and more protection from all of the chaos of the rest of the world.

Already had a few minutes later, all of the cars in front of him, behind him and his own slowly smoothly came in front of a very large hospital complex standing beneath a pale white light.

The building carried a small name across the hand of a polished silver lettering.

Romero memorial medical institute.

His father's name.

Arthur's eyes lifted towards it slightly.

The Romero empire had been built in blood long before it had been polished into legacy and legitimacy. Men fear the family long before they respected them, but overtime money had changed shape violence, had been buried beneath foundation, charities.

He couldn't help but think that August was absolutely right, but that was for another time.

He couldn't help but think that this building was a part of the transformation.

The cars came to a smooth stop near the private entrance and Marcus stepped out first and Arthur followed moments later.

The cold air brushed against his skin as he exhaled and took off the sleeve of his dark coat before lifting his eyes towards the entrance.

Security station outside straightened immediately at the site of them. The position sharpening almost instinctively. No one stopped him. No one ever did.

Inside of the hospital it carried the quiet atmosphere and expensive private institution always seem to have soft light, stretching across polished marble, while distant footsteps came faintly throughout the white hallways.

Nurses moved between stations conversation, automatically lowering the moment Arthur passed by.

People noticed him, not loudly, but immediately.

Marcus, remained half a step behind him. As they crossed the lobby towards the elevator reserve for restricted floors. Arthur's expression never changed and his movement calm. Some how measured.

Though something older seemed to have settled him, surrounded him, something cooler seems to have settled around him.

The elevator door slipped open without sound. No man spoke during the ride up, the higher floor felt even quiet, more isolated by the time. The doors open again and there stood only a single guard. Now station near the far end of the hallway.

He straightened immediately at the sight of Arthur Romero.

"Sir." He called out.

Arthur acknowledged him with a slight nod, before continuing forward and then he... and then he walked towards the final room, at the end of the corridor.

Behind the door rested a man. The same man who had spent years avoiding shadows that were now finally standing directly outside his hospital room. Marcus stood several feet back and Arthur continued alone for a brief second.

He stood still outside the door.

His one head resting lightly against the handle and his expression remaining unreadable. But the silence around him felt extremely heavy. Somehow controlled too tightly.

That man inside destroyed his life. And Arthur had never imagined to meet him. But here he was, and then he pushed the door open.

Inside the room remained dim for the soft hospital lighting near the bed. Machines having quietly in the background, while Lydia's father rested against the pillow. Extremely weak now than the man after remember for many years.

The same man who took away everything from Arthur.

The sound of the door slowly woke him up. The man was conscious, but not that much. He slowly opened his eyes, at least he was trying really hard to and with a little bit of pressure he opened his eyes and that is when the man completely froze, shock crossed visibly over his face, the moment recognition settled in.

Arthur Romero.

And this was not the polished businessman or even a man standing beside a politician or an investor on a magazine cover, no.

This was the real one.

The king was standing slightly inside. And now that man could not speak, and he did not speak either. Artist simply stood near the doorway calm and unreadable in the den light. While Lydia's father was staring at him with open disbelief.

Tension visible settling into his body, despite the weakness of his condition. And suddenly, the hospital room felt far too small for both the men.