DRAKE'S POV
I stood behind the school pillar, a cigarette burning between my fingers. I wasn't a smoker, but I always kept them on me, lighting them up to watch the embers extinguish my anger.
Heather arrived, her face drawn and gloomy. Her eyes no longer held the light they once did; they were searching for something distant—or more like someone. My heart ached, and I wanted to break the jaws of her bodyguards, but I couldn't. Not out of fear, but to keep her from being homeschooled.
She walked hastily past the stairs, her head turning in every direction as her blue eyes searched. I stayed hidden by the corner, avoiding her gaze until she disappeared into the building. Only then did I head back to my lecture.
The day was finally over. The moment the lecturer left, I grabbed my laptop, slung my backpack over my shoulder, and stormed off. I spotted Michael Jenkins—MJ—just around the corner. He was cornering a girl against a wall, talking to her.
I watched him, my fists clenching. "That idiot!" I cursed under my breath. "He still has the nerve to flirt after the beating he got. It seems he's aching for another one."
I walked toward him, my pace slow but deliberate, each movement a testament to my confidence. MJ turned his head in my direction. Upon seeing me, he tried to run, but I gave him a cold glare that stopped him in his tracks.
He dismissed the girl, who gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking away. I caught up to him, sizing him up before slamming him against a locker. The loud bang caught everyone's attention. I gave the onlookers a dead stare. I knew the effects were instantaneous; no one could resist the power of my glare. They all returned to what they were doing while others fled the scene.
MJ gulped nervously, his Adam's apple bobbing as cold sweat beaded on his forehead, trailing down his neck. I could sense his fear; I could see it in his eyes. I knew this was the perfect opportunity.
I grabbed his collar tightly, staring him down, but he fearfully looked away. "Aren't you quite the bold one, MJ? Flirting after a good beating," I taunted, my voice cold and mocking. "That girl must be a degenerate to fall for your pathetic charm in this state."
His breath hitched as he managed to look at my face, but his eyes dared not meet mine. "I'm sorry, Drake, I truly am," he pleaded fearfully, stuttering as he tried to pry my hand off. "I'll do anything. Please, don't call the Mafia to hit my family again. I'll stay away from Megara if you want, but please release my family's stocks. My father is furious and threatening to disown me."
I almost laughed at his pathetic state. This guy's a fool, I thought to myself. "That's none of my business, Jenkins. I just have an errand for you."
MJ was startled, his body trembling like a leaf as he awaited my decree. "I want you to check on Heather for me and see how she's doing," I said, releasing his collar and shoving him aside. "If you do this, I'll consider unfreezing your family's stocks and assets. But if you fail, or even try to have a conversation with her, I'll make sure you lose everything, including your house."
He adjusted his clothes, his head bowed, his eyes glued to the floor. "Don't worry, I'll do as you wish," he said, sounding assured as he hurried away toward her lecture hall.
I watched intently as a scared MJ hurried away. "That's the fool who wants my girl," I asked myself, "and this is how his cowardly self is going to protect her?" I couldn't believe my own words.
I was always possessive of my property, and anything I laid my eyes on, I never in my lifetime thought it was a habit. I always attributed it to OCD, but now I had no excuse. From the day I saw Heather in the third grade, I had always felt possessive of her. Although this wasn't supposed to be a habit for a seven-year-old, I couldn't stop myself at that time.
Heather was mine first and always would be. To be fair and honest with myself, I wasn't going to let any other guy have her. She was mine to protect and mine to love unconditionally.
I remembered a promise I had made to her, although she didn't remember it: even if she ran to the ends of the earth, I would find her. And if she dared to get married to a guy other than me, I was going to end his wedding and marry her in his stead. She was like the flame, and I was the moth drawn to her light.
I put my laptop in my locker before sauntering off, the words "Heather is my girl" playing on repeat in my mind like a mantra.
I sat down at the cafe beside the school, covering my face with a newspaper as I watched Uriel open the car door for Heather. The car zoomed off. Almost immediately, my guards arrived, dragging MJ like a sheep to the slaughterhouse.
"Boss, here he is, asleep per your command," one of my guards said, his arm holding MJ in a cuff.
MJ looked frightened as he tried to fight away from the clutches of the guard. "What sort of bullshit is this?" he panicked, still tugging harder. "Let go, you're hurting me."
I folded the newspaper neatly onto a ceramic saucer plate. My gaze scanned him thoroughly as I grabbed his chin. "I was sure you'd run away without telling me what my girl said, and I wanted to make sure you didn't, or else..." I replied, watching his face pale. "I lost a message, but for you, I'm sure you wouldn't even know how you died."
"I would never do such a thing, Drake," he pleaded, but I shoved his face aside, and he landed squarely on his butt as the guard held him properly.
I signaled for a handkerchief, which Aaron handed me. I cleaned my hand and tossed it into a trash can. "Do you see? That's how small and insignificant you are," I declared, and his pupils dilated, his fear becoming stronger and more prominent. "Finding you would be easier than breathing."
"Now, I want to warn you carefully not to approach my girl again, because if you do, I'll have your head," I threatened. He knelt down, bowing his head.
MJ nodded and then moved on to telling me all Heather had said to him.
Amidst the conversation, I felt a presence watching us from behind a wall. I cautiously turned in that direction and caught Phineas eavesdropping. I yawned, and Aaron noticed. This was our secret code whenever someone was eavesdropping. Tilting my head in the direction, he silently signaled a bodyguard to get Phineas.
I heard some noise, which attracted MJ's attention as his head turned toward the sound. "You may leave, Jenkins, and don't forget to keep your end of the bargain. Or else, I'll have a tombstone with your name and picture on it ready," I threatened, waving my hand for him to leave. He stood up, bowed, and ran away.
He ran away, far from view, flagging down a taxi. When the taxi disappeared from sight, Phineas appeared, dragged down by the guards.
"Let me go!" he struggled to escape, but I calmly stood up, walking toward him before giving him a solid punch to the face. "Ugh, what was that for?" he asked, his nose bleeding.
Aaron, standing behind me, handed over a handkerchief, which I used and quickly disposed of. "Didn't your mother ever teach you that it's bad manners to eavesdrop on other people's conversations?" I asked, an evil smirk playing on my lips. "Oh, I forgot. Your mother, Estella, is busy shopping and can't even teach you proper manners because she doesn't have any."
Phineas's face contorted with anger as he forcefully stood up, trying to hit me but was immediately subdued. "Fuck you, Drake! You can't talk about my mother like that." he growled, but another bodyguard hit him in the mouth, breaking his lips.
I glared at the bodyguard, and he bowed his head low, backing away. "What's there not to say?" I whispered in his ear before grabbing his cheek. "Is it how she and Nicolas colluded and took the first wife's position and also made away with her first son, Jake?" I continued, "I'd love to kill you for eavesdropping, as per Mafia rules, but I'll be modest enough because there's no fun in killing you."
Everyone present was surprised, but none said anything about it. I adjusted Phineas's disheveled clothes before grabbing his collar. "Don't let me lay my eyes on you again, and tell Da Vinci he's had enough fun and should probably save himself some stress and prepare for the art exhibition and competition."
The bodyguard freed Phineas, and he stood up, dejected and afraid. He must have been stunned by the mention of death. All the Lancasters were freaks and cowards; none wanted to die for anything or take responsibility for their actions. They just sat by like koalas and watched the entire thing play out.
I sighed, watching as Phineas walked away, his gaze slightly narrowing from his shoulder as he retreated, but my eyes were glued to him.
Aaron leaned into my ears, his voice low and full of concern. "Master, he heard our conversation. Why did you let him go?"
I chuckled before patting him and pointing at the cameras. "We could easily get rid of this camera and the evidence, but we need to teach that insolent brat a lesson."
"For once, let's behave like civil individuals," I scolded sarcastically. "We can't deal with him in broad daylight, but we can do it at a discreet location, which is why you two are to find a local gang to deal with Phineas."
The guards looked at each other, stunned by my words. "Yes, boss, we understand," they said, and I smirked.
"They mustn't kill him, but teach him a lesson, and it must not trace back to us in any way, understood?" I said, walking toward the roadside to await the car Aaron had gone to bring over.
"Yes, boss," they said again, watching me enter the car.
Inside the car, I tugged at my shirt, undoing two buttons. The heat in the car was killing me, but Aaron noticed and turned on the air conditioner. "How's the investigation on the Itadori clan going?"
Aaron looked at the rear mirror, meeting my gaze before focusing on the road. "It's going smoothly, but our men have said there is indeed a corrupt twin organization, and they're working hand in glove," he said, and I nodded, unamused by the answer. "Russell has faked his death, but the clan has not yet made any move. It is likely they want to confirm it, or the bad guy in the house hasn't told them yet."
"Is his death still yet to make the headlines?" I asked coldly.
"Yes, boss," he replied instantly.
I nodded, raking my hair with my fingers. "The clan would limit their movement because it's yet to make the headlines," I pointed out, and he nodded. "If they make a move now, with his death unconfirmed, it will take a toll and they would be suspects by the Russian Mafia federation, also exposing their top benefactor."