Ren finished his breakfast quicker than expected. He sat on the dining table, lost in thought, when a loud doorbell echoed throughout the hall. He turned around to see the large doors opening (probably pulled by the invisible servants), and saw a man walk inside. The man had long black hair tied into a ponytail, and a balck mole under his eye. The man caught his eye, and widened his eyes.
Ren was also taken aback by seeing a stranger suddenly walk into the house. He cautiously looked at the other man, who seemed to regain his composure. He pulled out a phone, and typed something into it.
[Who are you?]
Before Ren could speak, a voice behind him spoke up for him.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s my guest.” Luca said. Ren was surprised by Luca’s appearance. Unlike his usual relaxed self, he wore a business uniform, looking formal. Even the air around him was more alert and serious. He was wearing his spectacles, and he carried a silver cane.
The man gave a quick glance towards Ren’s direction, before turning back to Luca.
“What brings you here so early?”
He typed something else in his phone.
[There’s trouble at the company. The company we’re cooperating with is refusing to sign the agreement, basically saying there’s not enough benefits for them.]
Luca raised his eyebrows.
“Really? I see. Wait in the car, I’ll be right there.”
The man nodded, and left.
“Who was that?” Ren asked.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Zs rfmgfajgs, Qsjaa.” Oemj gfqilfv.
“Pr tf jirb j njwqlgf?” Efc jrxfv. Oemj rtbbx tlr tfjv. Lf abbx j meq bo afj ogbw atf ajyif, jcv rja vbkc.
“Gbc’a sbe tjnf ab ifjnf, ojra?”
Oemj qbeafv. “Vb fjufg ab ufa glv bo wf?”
“Pa pera rffwfv atja sbeg mbwqjcs lr ojmlcu jc egufca qgbyifw.” Efc fzqijlcfv.
Luca sighed. “I can’t face any problems, urgent or not, on an empty stomach. Besides, there are some things I need to discuss with you.”
“Like what?” Ren asked, surprised.
“Like if you’re going to continue to stay here or plan to leave?”
“I thought about it, and I decided it would be best if I recuperated here.”
This time Luca was surprised. It seemed the kid was smarter and more practical than he gave him credit for.
“But,” Ren continued. “I do need to search for a job.”
“I thought child labor was illegal nowadays.” Luca said, casually reaching for a blueberry muffin. He tore off the wrapping, and ate it piece by piece, savoring the sweetness. Why couldn’t his medicine also be as sweet as this too?
Ren glared at him. “I’m not a child. I’m 18.”
“Fine then, barely an adult.”
“I need a way to support myself when I leave.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
Then Luca remembered something, and took a phone out of his pocket.
“This is a spare phone. It has my private phone number, which you can use to contact me, if you face any trouble.” He said, passing it to Ren.
“Aren’t you afraid I’m lying, and I really will leave?” Ren asked, grabbing the phone.
“If you want, you can leave. I’m not keeping you a prisoner. Though . . . it’s doubtful you will.”
“Why?”
“Your poverty is keeping you here, not me.” Luca said matter-of-factly.
Ren knew what Luca was saying was true, but did he have to say it so straightforwardly? He silently grabbed the phone, and started going through it’s features, blatantly ignoring Luca.
Luca finished his small breakfast. He said a quick goodbye to Ren, who surprisingly waved back, and left. Wyatt was waiting outside for him with the car.
“Let’s go.” Luca said, getting into the backseat. Wyatt drove to their company. It barely took 15 minutes when they reached the building. Brilliaze was a brilliant building. 45-stories tall, with clear glass windows, that reflected the sunlight, gleaming like a gem. The inside was even more spectacular. Soothing aromatics scented the reception and offices, all the employees were respectful, and the equipment provided was high-tech.
When Luca walked inside, the receptionist greeted him politely. Some of the other employees took a chance to update him on what occurred in the meeting room. He noted their concerns and took the private elevator to his floor, with Wyatt by his side. Wyatt was a long time employee of his, and his right-hand man. Wyatt was mute, and needed his phone or notebook to communicate with others. This disability didn’t really affect Wyatt’s abilities to work, and even made him quite a good listener.
So poor Wyatt was subjected to Luca’s ramblings on more than one occasion. Fortunately, Wyatt had become accustomed to them, and even learned how to direct Luca’s attention towards work.
Wyatt was also one of the few people aware that Luca was a vampire, because he himself was not a human. Wyatt was an elemental wizard.
While there were a lot of supernatural creatures surrounding humans, a lot of the population was unaware of their existence. The few that were aware were either part of a special organization called the Supernatural Protection League, or monitored by them. The organization protected both humans and supernatural creatures. The committee was made up by a representative for each species, elected by their own kind. It was basically a hidden branch of the government.
It was unusual at first, that Ren knew that Luca was a vampire, and was unsurprised by his existence, but considering the circumstances in which they met each other, it didn’t seem that strange in hindsight.
“So what exactly were the issues that Lyzon seems to have with the contract?” Luca asked.
Lyzon was the company they were signing an agreement with. The CEO of the company was also, coincidentally, Zack Ellis. Luca found the coincidence pretty amusing. After all, it wasn’t everyday one had a connection with someone else, who was basically a celebrity, they read about in a book, rather than a magazine or news article.
Wyatt remained unaware of Luca’s apparent amusement and listed the things. Luca’s expression became more serious as he heard them.
“It’s clearly someone in our company who messed it up.” Luca said. “Send the contract to my office, I’ll review it personally.”
The elevator door opened, and they both walked out. Wyatt walked in the opposite direction, while Luca walked into his office. Paperwork was stacked onto his desk in messy piles, and there was a clutter of pens and other stationary spread around. Luca’s soul almost flew out when he saw how much work he had remaining. This is what he got for procrastinating till now. While taking care of paperwork wasn’t hard, it was time consuming and boring.
Moreover, Luca hated sitting still, doing something so dull. But this was an exciting job, with a lot of boring aspects to it. Luca sat on the big chair with a sigh, and began digging through the paperwork to focus on his other work, while Wyatt took his time getting the contract.
Author’s Note:
I just realized, it’s already been a month since I started posting here, even though it feels much shorter. I just want to say thank you to people who are reading this story. I’m so glad you guys seem to be enjoying it so far.
Thanks for the chapter! ❤
Me: visibly pauses, takes a step back Holy flying fcuk, Ren’s 18??? I thought he was like 15 or younger.
thanks for the chapter! <3
Um is it just me who thought he was 14 or smt? I am shook that he’s 18
i thought ren was a kid, like around 8 years old 😅
thanks for the chapter~~