Elio Novan has it all-wealth, power, and the success of YUI, the world's leading tech giant. But beneath the surface, his life is anything but perfect. Haunted by a tragic past and a betrayal that left him shattered, Elio has built walls around his...
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He greeted me with a cold, almost calculated demeanor that immediately set my nerves on edge. His eyes, sharp and piercing, barely lingered on me before shifting to Laure. Something dark and unsettling flickered behind his gaze as he looked at her.
"I didn't expect you to join us, Mrs. Novan, but it's great to have you..." His voice softened, dripping with a false warmth that felt like poison wrapped in silk. He smiled at her, a smile that didn't reach his eyes, as if he was more grateful to have her here than me.
Laure's face brightened slightly at his words, and my stomach twisted at the sight. She seemed...happy to see him. An unsettling feeling crept up my spine, cold and unrelenting. Was this what he did when I was...on the streets? I clenched my jaw, forcing the thoughts down.
He turned back to me, and the warmth in his voice evaporated. His smile transformed, growing sly, almost predatory.
"Anyways, let's start this... meeting," he said, his tone now all business. "About two months ago, ELAN's security was breached. But instead of any major damage being done, we received a rather... cryptic message."
His words hung in the air, thick with implication. My mind raced as I tried to read between the lines. "What are you trying to say?" I asked, my voice steady but my pulse quickening.
"I'm not implying that YUI was the cause of this," he continued, his smile widening, "but rather, I'm here to ask YUI for a... temporary partnership. Let's call it a truce."
"A temporary partnership, huh?" I repeated, skepticism lacing my words. "And why would we accept this... truce?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, the smile never leaving his face. "Well, I'm guessing you've come unarmed, all the way here, to have a meeting with your biggest threat. And I'm also guessing YUI has received a similar type of message... Am I wrong?"
His words struck a nerve. "...No, you aren't wrong," I admitted, my voice a touch more guarded.
"Then why are you even considering saying 'no' to the offer?" he asked, leaning forward slightly, his eyes never leaving mine.
I felt a surge of defiance, a need to test him. "...And if I still say no... what will you do? Shoot me? Here, in your own office?"
He laughed, a low, dangerous sound that sent a chill through the room. "Oh, please, what do you take me for? A coward?"
"Not at all, Mr. Deren," I replied, matching his tone with a calmness I didn't feel. "Well... I accept your offer."
For a moment, the room was silent, the air thick with tension. His smile remained, but there was something colder in his eyes now, a silent acknowledgment of the game we were playing. A game with no rules, only winners and losers.
"Good," he said finally, leaning back in his chair as if nothing had happened. "Then let's move forward, shall we?"
But as the conversation shifted to the terms of our so-called partnership, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had just made a deal with the devil. And the devil was smiling.
