Whispers Before Dawn

Chapter 14

Tae-ui and Ilay were getting ready to leave their hotel room, preparing for their trip to Macau, when Tae-ui suddenly turned to Ilay.

"Are you carrying any arms?" Tae-ui asked casually, though his tone held a hint of curiosity.

Ilay raised one eyebrow, his expression amused. "No, do you want me to?"

Tae-ui nodded. "Yeah... Can you get me one?"

Ilay's lips curled into a smirk. "Let's stop by the office first, then" he replied.

Tae-ui straightened up and gave Ilay a mock salute, a mischievous grin on his face. "Okay, my lord" he said with exaggerated formality.

Ilay rolled his eyes and reached over, tugging playfully at Tae-ui's ear.

******

'I wish something would happen so I could peacefully resign...'
'Why do I have to travel to Hong Kong if that madman isn't working?'
'Arghh...'

A man in a crisp business suit sat behind his desk in a Hong Kong office, grumbling quietly to himself, his frustration evident in every muttered word. Papers were scattered across his desk, and the soft hum of office noise didn't help his growing irritation.

Just then, his phone rang.

'Madman! Why is he calling me? He took the day off!' James thought, frowning at the screen before reluctantly answering.

"Hello" James greeted, his tone flat, clearly annoyed.

"James. Can you prepare a collection of revolvers?" came the familiar voice of the so-called madman.

James blinked in surprise. "Okay" he replied, though his tone remained exasperated.

"I'll be there in 10" the madman said, not bothering to explain further before abruptly hanging up.

James stared at his phone, shaking his head in disbelief. 'Did God actually listen to my wish just now?' he wondered, but then immediately regretted the thought. 'Ahh, that wouldn't be good... I was just... Agh!!' he muttered, realizing he had no choice but to comply.

Ten minutes later, James saw the madman—Reigrow—enter T&R's office with another man by his side. Calling him just "a man" felt like an understatement.

The newcomer was an Asian man, standing nearly eye-to-eye with Ilay, perhaps only two or three centimeters shorter at most. He looked like he had stepped straight out of a fashion magazine, effortlessly turning heads with his presence. His black leather jacket hung perfectly over a crisp white T-shirt, paired with dark blue jeans and sleek black shoes. The simplicity of his outfit only served to highlight how striking he was.

His appearance was soft yet undeniably charming, with a smile that could disarm anyone and eyes that sparkled with a kind of quiet confidence. James was sure that wherever this man had walked—whether on the streets of Hong Kong or through the lobby—he had turned plenty of heads.

As the man entered the office, he removed the cap he had been wearing, revealing his tousled hair, which only added to his effortlessly stylish look. James could feel the room's energy shift as the two men approached.

'Who is this guy?' James wondered, his frustration momentarily forgotten as he took in the sight of the striking man beside Reigrow.

James thought he was in for a good day after meeting such a charming man. But that notion quickly shattered the moment the man addressed the madman by a single name: "Ilay."

That one word was enough to bring James crashing back to reality. It reminded him of the rumor he'd overheard from his boss—that Ilay, the notorious madman, was in a relationship with an Asian man.