Silent Allure

chapter 2

As Vegas entered the restaurant, the air heavy with anticipation, he couldn't shake the image of Pete's dimpled smile from his mind. Lost in his thoughts, he made his way towards the private room where his blind date awaited, barely registering his surroundings. It was only when he found himself standing before the table that he snapped back to reality, the memory of Pete lingering like a whisper in the back of his mind.

"Hello, Vegas," the woman greeted with a warm smile, rising from her seat to greet him. She was dressed in an elegant white dress, the fabric flowing gracefully around her figure, accentuated by delicate lace detailing. Her makeup was subtle yet sophisticated, with soft, rosy hues enhancing her features and a hint of shimmer adding a touch of glamour to her look.

Her eyes lit up with delight as she noticed the bouquet of roses in Vegas's hand. "Aww, are those flowers for me?" she asked playfully, her voice laced with anticipation as she gestured towards the roses with a graceful sweep of her hand.

Vegas's gaze lingered on the bouquet of roses, his mind drifting back to Pete's smiling face. With a slight nod, he extended the flowers towards the woman, but as she reached to take them, his grip tightened, a flicker of hesitation crossing his features.

"Uh, Vegas? What are you doing?" the woman asked, her confusion evident in her voice as she glanced between Vegas and the bouquet.

"I'm sorry, but I can't give you these," Vegas replied, his tone apologetic yet firm as he remembered Pete's smile when he had received the flowers. He couldn't bear to waste such a thoughtful gesture on a meaningless blind date.

"What? Don't tell me you brought these flowers for someone else while coming to meet me," the woman exclaimed, her expression a mix of surprise and indignation as she processed Vegas's words.

No, I just like them and I want to keep it to myself. Vegas says taking the seat, gesturing for the woman to join him. She rolled her eyes at his response, clearly unimpressed by his lack of enthusiasm.

"You're not interested in this date, are you?" she asked bluntly as she settled into her seat.

"Bingo," Vegas replied with a wry smile, confirming her suspicion.

"Do you even know my name?" she asked, a hint of irritation creeping into her tone.

Vegas met her gaze evenly, his expression serious. "I don't want to waste my time here. Tell me, do you like me enough to marry me or not? Let's end this date, okay?" he stated bluntly.

She laughed incredulously, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Are you being serious right now?" she questioned, her disbelief evident in her tone.

"I hate it when I ask a question and someone replies with another question," Vegas remarked coldly, his frustration evident in his tone.

"You want to marry me or not? Answer in one word, right now," he demanded, his gaze unwavering.

Taken aback, she stared at him for a moment before responding. "No," she replied tersely, her anger simmering beneath the surface as she stood up abruptly. "No one will ever marry you, Vegas," she spat, before storming out of the room.

"What a waste of time," Vegas muttered to himself as he stood up, grabbing the bouquet of flowers.

"Something is different about you," he said quietly, his gaze fixed on the roses as he walked out of the restaurant.

Pulling out his phone from his pocket, he dialed a number, his expression impassive. "I need you to background check on someone right now. It better be ready when I reach home," he instructed curtly, cutting off the call before the other person could respond.

Sitting in his car, he placed the bouquet on the passenger seat beside him, his thoughts elsewhere. "He seems like fun," Vegas mused to himself, a hint of intrigue in his voice as he drove off into the night.

>>>>
"How was your day, hmm?" the woman asked Pete, her tone falsely sweet. Pete gulped nervously and forced a small smile, making a gesture from his eyes. His own mother had made his life a living hell due to his disability.

"How much did you gain today in that stupid store?" she continued, her tone growing more demanding. Pete remained silent, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response.

"I asked you something, my son," she said sweetly, but Pete could sense the underlying threat in her voice. "Why aren't you replying?" she demanded suddenly, grabbing his chin tightly. Pete winced, the pain shooting through him as he forced himself to remain calm.

"Are you trying to go against me now? If I wasn't here, you wouldn't even be alive right now. You should be grateful instead of being an ungrateful brat, you deaf bitch," she harshly scolded.

Pete bit his lips to hold back his tears, his heart aching with the weight of her cruel words. He couldn't bear to hear any more of her venomous tirade.

"Then kill me. I don't want to live like this," he gestured, his eyes pleading for an end to the torment.

"How dare you..." she began, her anger still simmering, but her phone interrupted her tirade. Checking the caller ID, she sighed in frustration.

"You got lucky that my boyfriend is asking me to meet him. We'll talk tomorrow when you're calm, okay, son?" she said, her tone falsely sweet as she left the room.

But Pete knew better than to believe her empty promises. He knew that her sweet tone meant nothing.

>>>>>>

Vegas arrived home and immediately addressed his bodyguard. "Did you do a background check on the person I asked you to? I better not hear 'no' as an answer today," he commanded sternly.

"Yes, sir," the bodyguard replied, handing over the file to Vegas.

Taking the file, Vegas dismissed the bodyguard. "You may leave now," he ordered.

The bodyguard hesitated, then mentioned, "Your father is waiting for you, sir."

Vegas shot him a sharp look. "Didn't I just say you may leave now? It means you should immediately leave rather than telling me unwanted news," he snapped.

"I am sorry, sir," the bodyguard apologized, bowing respectfully before leaving the room.

He opened the file, but his phone started ringing. Without even checking who was calling, Vegas placed the file on his bed and went downstairs to where his father was waiting, his face contorted in anger.

As Vegas approached, he was met with a harsh slap across the face. Though it likely left a visible mark, he didn't flinch. Such treatment had become routine for him.

"You idiot! What have you done again?" his father berated him. "I told you to be respectful, and you made that poor girl angry. Why are you so useless?"

"You had one job to do, and you RUINED it," his father spat out in frustration.

"It's not like I wanted to do this job," Vegas retorted, his tone defiant.

"Are you talking back to me now?" his father thundered.

Vegas remained silent, refusing to engage further.

"Now I will have to clean up the mess you created. Remember, if I lose my business partner because of you, then you will face consequences," his father warned before storming off.

Vegas just scoffed, knowing full well that his father probably meant beating him until he passed out.

Vegas returned to his room and slumped onto his bed, his frustration lingering from the encounter with his father. However, his attention soon shifted to the file he had set aside earlier. With a sigh, he picked it up and began to read.

"Hmm," he mumbled to himself as he scanned through the details. "He lives with his mother and has no siblings. He has owned this shop for five years already."

Vegas lay back on his bed, still staring at Pete's photo attached to the file.

"He is cute," Vegas murmured to himself, momentarily forgetting about the unpleasant exchange with his father.