Venom

《 Seven 》

It had been four days since Lorenzo had met Yifan's family. Currently, it was a rainy morning and he was at his workplace. The interior gave off a chic and neat vibe. The place was located in between a mall and a famous coffee shop. It was a large shop that had two long dark blue marble counters on the left side. The right side of the shop had tall black clothing stands stacked neatly in six lines, each filled with different kind of clothing, footwear, and accessories. Behind the clothing was a changing room, The floor was tile but some parts were covered by fluffy blue rugs. The dark blue walls were covered in posters of fashion icons and clothing. The main entrance was made of glass and it was facing the right side of the shop. There were two doors behind the counter. The dark blue door was a break room for the employees. The other black door led to a large room that was a resting area. In the room, there was a door to the side that was the bathroom. All in all, the place had all the space and materials they needed to work. The main owners of the shop were Lorenzo and his two friends. However, they kept three female employees to help them manage the customers that came in.

Bored out of his mind, Lorenzo was seated on a chair near the counter with a sketchbook in his hands. He tried to focus on a new design he was trying to create on the paper but his mind kept torturing him with unwanted thoughts. The man snapped back into reality when he heard two voices greet him. He looked up to see his best friends, Rosy and Jade.

Rosy Martinez was a twenty-five-year-old woman from Mexico. She stood at the height of five-one but her positive attitude and cold charisma was bigger than anyone Lorenzo had known in his life. Rosy was a beauty. She had a slender body covered in a dark blue jumpsuit. Her wrist and neck were both decorated with silver jewelry. An expensive designer bag decorated her arm. Money was never a problem for her. Dark red hair sat on her head and pushed past her waist. She had a thin oval face with no sign of scars or acne, just perfect tan skin. She wore a thin layer of makeup and dark red lipstick on her plump lips. Her round brown eyes were caged by long eyelashes filled with mascara. She had a cute button nose that Lorenzo liked to pull a lot to tease her. This woman was chaotic and loud but in a good way. The type that could bring a smile to anyone's face.

Jade Rodriguez was a twenty-six-year-old woman from Columbia. She was the exact opposite of Rosy in some parts. This woman was quiet. Her cold words and actions were always calculated. She wasn't open to a lot of people except Rosy and Lorenzo. Jade was tall, standing at five-nine. Her body was muscular and covered in a dark black suit. The sleeves of her coat were rolled up to show black and red ink. Dark brown hair sat on her head and was set into a neat bun. She had a round face that showed no ounce of emotion. Her thin almond shaped eyes were a light shade of green. There was a gold Rolex decorated on her wrist. She gave off a mysterious and expensive aura.

"Who's on your mind, huh?" The red-haired woman asked with a teasing grin.

"No one, you silly girl." Lorenzo chuckled emptily and faked a happy smile, hoping they wouldn't notice.

"You good?" Jade asked, her eyes watched him like a hawk and Lorenzo just nodded.

"I'm fine, Jade. I just haven't been sleeping well." He brushed their worry away and the time ticked by.

They opened the shop and waited while organizing piles of clothing. Lorenzo was sitting at the counters with Jade when the door swung open. When the elder looked up, his blood ran cold. A gorgeous blond man walked in with a short brunette clinging to his arm lovingly. Both were tall and had model-like bodies. They held a beauty that would make anyone give them a second glance while passing. Anyone could see they were a happy couple. A happy couple that had played with Lorenzo's heart. His ex had the nerve to show up at his workplace with his ex-best friend, Serena. The two walked over to the tattooed woman and Jade raised a brow. The man spoke up, his voice was deep and controlled.

"I've heard a lot about this shop's famous designs. I would like you guys to personally create a grand wedding dress for my fiancé." His eyes glanced at Lorenzo who unlocked his phone with a bored face. Inside, his heart shattered.

"Please take a seat." Jade asked them to sit and she began showing them different designs. Lorenzo bit his bottom lip and his shaky hand pressed on Yifan's number. He texted the tiger a quick message and a note of his address before leaving to go to the backroom in a hurry.

'Yifan, please come to my workplace. My ex has shown up here.'

Lorenzo took a deep breath after closing the door. He rubbed his chest where he felt his heart hurt. No. The elder had to keep himself together. He didn't have to be nervous about facing those cheaters. His goal was to teach them a lesson, not to hide away like a coward. The man smirked and walked out of the door with confidence. He sat down on the further counter and pretended to be busy in a design book. He could feel Jacob and Serena watching him but he paid them no mind.

The clock ticked by but there was no sign of Yifan. Was his husband going to show up or not? Why would he? Why did Lorenzo even text him in the first place? Was it because he had panicked? Bad thoughts filled his head yet again. He glanced at the lovely couple laughing together. Serena leaned on Jacob's shoulder while holding his hand tight. As Lorenzo saw his ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend sitting next to each other so lovingly, he felt sadness crawl in his heart. There was a restless feeling he couldn't get rid of. He looked away from the couple and took another deep breath. The elder stood up and was about to go hide in the back room again but he heard a familiar deep voice behind him.

"Lorenzo."

He had shown up. The elder couldn't believe it. Lorenzo turned around and saw Yifan. He was wearing a snapback and his cold noir eyes were set on his husband. The tall man was dressed in a black leather jacket with a white shirt under it, along with ripped black jeans that showed the skin of his toned thighs. The younger man stood at the entrance with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a small bag.

"Hubby, what are you doing here?" Lorenzo walked to the man while faking a confused tone. Everyone went silent as those words left the shorter man's lips.

"You forgot your lunch." The elder bit back a gasp when the tiger grabbed him by the waist with one hand and pulled him close. The elder wrapped an arm around his husband's neck while smiling brightly. His knight in shining armor was here. Lorenzo was going to have so much fun now.

"I-I could've ordered something, you didn't have to come." Lorenzo wished he could pretend that the shakiness in his voice was false. The strong cold scent of the taller man's cologne was driving him a little crazy.

Yifan handed him the bag and pressed a soft kiss on his forehead. The elder froze for a moment but quickly gained back his composure. "It's fine, my love."

"You're the bes-"

"Lorenzo, who is this fine man clinging to you?" Rosy teased while walking over and the shorter man pulled away from Yifan. Lorenzo wrapped a hand around the tiger's bicep tightly and smiled.

"This fine man is my husband, Zan Yifan, honey. Only mine." The elder glanced at the counter to see Jacob watching them with a surprised look on his face. Serena watched him with hatred in her almond eyes.

"You were married and you didn't tell us!" Rosy said in shock.

"Sorry, we were in a relationship for a year and just tied the knot in secret a few days ago. I was waiting to tell you both but I couldn't, I'm sorry." Lorenzo made a sad expression and Yifan wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him even closer. Something about that move made the elder feel nervous.

"Nice to meet you, Yifan. I am Rosy, Lorenzo's close friend." Rosy held out her hand and the taller man shook it politely.

"Please excuse me for a moment." Jade stood up and walked around the counter.

The tall woman walked to where they were standing and met Yifan's eyes. She held out her hand and Yifan shook it firmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Jade. I'm also Lorenzo's close friend and since you're his husband now, please protect him and give him a lot of love."