Fishing Information

"Tell me, Jade. What do you do for a living?"
 
That was one of the questions he asked me one day in his penthouse. I wasn't able to answer right away, of course. I'm not sure what I should answer.
 
"I'm a freelance model."
 
That's the only true answer I can give. I'm guilty. Oli and I decided a long time ago to end our fraud against prominent businessmen in the city. I admit to myself that it is not right, but what is the difference between us and them?
 
This was just an unfair world; we were just trying to catch up with the unjust system that this world has. The only difference is that we use that unprivileged disposition to rob the privileged for the first time.
 
If fate can't do it for us, then we'll do it ourselves. That's our mantra. But Eli, Oli's twin, who's the only angel among the three, is such a great influence. We decided to stop after saving up so much for ourselves. But unexpectedly, this is what happened. Eli was raped by his father, causing Oli to kill their father.
 
That's a lot for me. They are not my biological siblings, but they're all I have. Oli was imprisoned, while Eli was in the hospital. This damage will cost them a lot, not just in money but for the rest of their lives. And it pains me to see them like this.
 
"Anything besides that?"
 
I just shook my head at his question.
 
"I said no personal questions, right?"
 
Beau pursed his lips and didn't force me to answer. It's a good thing because, for some reasons, I find it quite a bit hard to lie in front of him. So that's the first thing that I focused on. Act naturally; act as if everything is moving forward while plotting a plan against him.
 
"You are damn ridiculous, Jade."
 
In the dark room, I stared at Oli. Yes, I found a way to bail him out.
 
"You used up your savings just so I could go out?"
 
I didn't say a word.
 
"Just so you know, I don't regret being imprisoned. I deserved to be in jail, so I don't get the point of this, Jade. I admitted that I was the murderer, and with just a little push in the case, I'll be sentenced to life in prison."
 
"Oli," I called him with a cold voice. "You know that I hate you the most when you act like a dumb person right?"
 
He was silent. I stared into nothingness. It’s the truth; I hate that he’s acting like this because he’s the smartest person I know.
 
"I know that you're blinded by your anger. But I know it's clear to you that you can still get away with that case because you just saved your sister."
 
"I don't care, Jade. I am the killer. That's all."
 
I chuckled without any humor. I took the papers I had gathered in the past and placed them in front of him. The paper moved, causing me to see Beau's picture. I don't know why there seems to be a little pain in my heart.
 
"Work on this one, and don't waste the effort that I made to bail you out."
 
His jaw moved. It was obvious that this one didn't care at all because anger was taking so much of his mentality.
 
"This is not for me or for you. This is for Eli. So get your sh*t together and don't act like an idiot."
 
I turned my back on him and was about to leave.
 
"Are you not afraid that I might kill you too, Jade?"
 
I grinned. "Lions don’t kill lions, Oli. Wolves do." That's all I said and left.
 
Now that Oli is out, I'm sure we’ll have a concrete plan, which means I'll be more stone-hearted about everything.
 
Beau:
Where are you?
I read Beau's message without emotion. I looked at Eli first before writing a message for him.
 
Me:
Work
 
I stood up and came to Eli's bed.
 
"Please wake up now. Your brother and I are here for you." I whispered to the unconscious Eli.
 
I just talked to the nurses before I left to go to what I call work. I was busy all day because of the photo shoot I did. This is the photo shoot for the exhibit that will be done for the organization I work for.
 
But of course,  I'm guilty of the part where I use them a bit in the scams that Oli and I used to do. But aren't we all equally benefiting from it?
 
This began as a ruse, but I grew fond of it. I realized that this is all I could do to give people what they deserve. But sometimes, some people will really make you feel the guilt that you are trying to conceal.
 
As I expected, the man popped out of nowhere. Just from his message earlier, it was obvious that he wanted to meet me. I gave him the address, so it's no surprise that he's here.
 
"Where do you want to eat?" he asked.
 
I was a bit tired from my photo shoot, so I suggested that we just eat at his penthouse. When I realized our arrangement, I became more silent.
 
This is not like the other things I’ve done before. Unlike those men we scammed, we would just meet a few times, and when we got what we wanted, we would leave them in vain.
 
But now, it's a longer and more difficult process that I'm going through. As long as Oli doesn't have a concrete plan, I can't make a decision for myself. As long as Eli is not well, I can't think about myself.
 
"Are you okay?"
 
He asked while he was driving. I silently nodded and remained silent the entire flight. When we got to his penthouse, he immediately spoke.
 
"You wait for me here; I'll cook our dinner. You seem tired."
 
I didn't expect that he would say that. He could just call his cook, but I decided not to say anything. Maybe he just really wants to cook his dinner tonight.
 
I was dumbfounded for a few minutes. When I realized I wasn't feeling particularly enthusiastic these days, I came to my senses. I don't want him to notice what I’m up to. Aren't I pretending to be head over heels with him? I need to move so that I can help Oli somehow.
 
That's why I went to the kitchen and sat quietly on the counter while watching him cook. He's still wearing his clothes from a while ago; the sleeves are just folded up to his elbow. It can't be denied that even if he’s on his back, the physique he has is still really intimidating.
 
"I said you stay there and rest."
 
I was a little surprised when he spoke, even though he wasn't looking at me. His sixth sense is strong enough to notice my cat-like movements.
 
I faked a laugh so he wouldn't notice. "Why? Is it wrong to watch you cook after my long, tiring day?"
 
He didn't say a word and continued cooking. I took a deep breath because of the confusion.
 
"I didn't know you were a CEO."
 
I saw how he stopped for a while when he heard that. I heard the sound of his knife again, so I took a deep breath.
 
"Are you?" I confirm.
 
He didn't answer, so I already know what the answer to my question is. I'm not asking as if I didn't actually know it. I'm just pretending, of course. It's just that I needed to fish for more information.
 
"Perhaps that's why you gave your black card so easily, huh?"
 
He faced me, and he had this familiar expression in his face. He seems to be mocking, but you will be lost in his handsome face.
 
"I don't know what the purpose of your words is, Jade." I shrugged.
 
"Well, I'm just saying that you might have been surprised that I gave your black card back."
 
He continued cooking.
 
"Proved you something, huh?" I smirked.
 
I saw how he wet his lips before looking at me again. "You don't need to prove yourself to me, Jade."
 
I stopped. He smirked and continued doing his thing. I sighed and returned my attention to the brief interview I was conducting.
 
"So what is your business?"
 
He shrugged. "Several."
 
"Like?" I asked, because his answers to me are so short and precise.
 
"Real states."
 
"And?"
 
His brows furrowed. "Casinos and hotels."
 
Damn, I've read that in my research, but I still can't believe he's this rich.
 
"I've also invested in some industrial businesses, but I'm still studying them, so I couldn't get into them fully yet."
 
I'm quite impressed. He’s really working his way up to the top, huh? 
 
"Do you donate?" I asked.
 
He narrowed his eyes at me. I averted my gaze and shrugged my shoulders again.
 
"I'm just curious how you manage that undeniable wealth of yours."
 
He grinned. "Of course."
 
"Profitable?"
 
"Any type," he said. I nodded.
 
I grinned sourly. "So there are times when you give simply out of pride and ego?"
 
He laughed before getting back to his cooking. "What do you expect from a businessman like me?"
 
Without him noticing, I gave him a glare. same obnoxious attitude, I can't help but express my true feelings.
 
"It's better to not just donate than to donate just out of selfishness."
 
"It's a win-win situation for me and the organizations. Someone is benefiting from my personal agendas."

I went straight to silence. He looked at me seriously when he noticed that.

"Admit it or not, Jade, we all have our own share of darkness. No one’s true; no one’s pure."
And there, he just said it.