Chapter 36: Warm Emotions

< Dylan >
For the first time in years, someone's tears affected me.
From the day I entered the Mafia, no one's cries ever reached my ears. I never felt bad when I killed all those people over the years. I made so many women cry and beg me to spare the lives of their own or their family's lives. But I never did.
My heart that has been numb for so long was starting to feel joy and sadness again. I thought my heart was cold as ice. Then why was it starting to feel emotions that I have been estranged for years? Why…
Why were her tears affecting me? Why did it hurt so much as I said those harsh words to her? Why did I feel so bad when she became upset?
Out of my guilty feeling for Shirley, I subconsciously started typing an apology text to her. But seeing how cringe-worthy it was, I erased it and typed a short 'I'm sorry', yet it felt weird. Why can't I do anything right? "Why?" I groaned.
"The fuck do you mean by why? Are you asking me why I made that deal?" Riley snapped at me, and I mistakenly pressed the 'send' button. I felt as though my soul left my body in despair. What would she think of me now? Double-faced Dylan?
Riley cleared his throat loudly. That's when I became aware of my surroundings. I looked at our two executives, Monica Strauss and Silver Francis, who was giving me a 'you are dead, boss' look while Riley was glaring at me.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I was thinking about something else," I tried to make an excuse, which was a bigger mistake.
"I don't care if you are our boss, but that doesn't give you the right to daydream during an important meeting," Riley rebuked.
"Right. My sincerest apologies." I looked at the two empty chairs, which belonged to my other two executives who were absent. Xavier never attended meetings, so I had nothing to say to him. Monica and Silver were present, which left me with our newest executive. "Where's Ad—"
"Sorry for being late," said the brunette, who was almost the same age as me, as he entered the meeting room and hastily took his seat.
"Why are you late, Adrian?" I questioned.
"I forgot we had a meeting. Since you threw a party for everyone in the gang, I thought I could skip and spend some time with my sister," Adrian replied. His sister, as in Shirley. Adrian Hamilton joined us one and half years ago for his own purpose. His diligence helped him a lot to climb up the ranks here.
"Okay, Riley, explain everything again for Adrian," I ordered.
Riley sighed and started explaining the situation again, and I zoned out again.
What is Shirley doing right now? I wondered.
I still didn't understand why I felt the need to say all those things? I mean, I had nothing to gain from it. Why did I go out of my way to taunt her and tried to bring her on the right track in life? Now, she must be upset about it.
It wasn't even like she would start working hard from now. She would cry today and forget all about it tomorrow. She would remain a brat for the rest of her life. She could do whatever she liked. That's it. I didn't need to feel too bad for her. Just apologizing should have been enough. I wouldn't meddle with her personal life anymore. What did I have to care about?
I only had to make her win that tournament, and it would be all over between us.
"—lan? Dylan? Dylie baby?" I snapped out of my trance as soon as that hideous name echoed in my ears.
"Not you too, Riley," I grumbled, and everyone stifled their chuckles.
"Boss, I'm not going to explain again," Riley warned.
Shit, I didn't catch on to anything.
"Why not? People might not have understood," I lied.
"By people, if you mean yourself only, then sure." Riley huffed and continued briefing the current situation with the projections, "Recently, the ammunition and weapons have disappeared from our warehouses, except for the HQ. Even the drugs and illegal products are going missing. Many of our men have been killed, who were guarding the port..."
I listened carefully this time and gave my verdict, "We should obliterate them. They killed seven of our men, I will have fourteen of them pay for the price. Whatever that was stolen, I want the triple amount back." I didn't need to dig up or analyze anything to know who it was, and there was no mercy for them.
"When should we commence the operation?" Riley inquired.
"Day after tomorrow," I answered curtly.
"Very well then. I will prepare everything." With that, Riley left the meeting room with Silver and Monica trailing behind.
As Adrian was about to leave, I called him out and asked without a second thought, "How's your sister?"
Adrian chuckled humorlessly. "You should know that better than me. After all, you spend more time with her than I do," he taunted.
"Well, you are the one who requested me to leave her alive and be her trainer even when she is well aware of me being in the Mafia," I retorted. That day when Shirley got into my basement and witnessed a murder, it was Adrian who called me, begging me to spare his sister's life.
I and Adrian didn't get along very well. We never did. Even when we were in the same university. We had a mutual dislike for each other. We couldn't stand each other's presence for more than a minute back then. However, after my former best friend's death, who was his girlfriend, we put aside our differences to work together on that case. Even though I knew who was behind it, I was going to let Adrian find it out himself.
"I'm truly grateful for that, boss," Adrian responded sarcastically.
"You didn't answer. How is she?" I asked again.
"Well, who knows?" Adrian shrugged and was about to leave when he remembered something. "Wait, were you the one who suggested Shirley should remove her bodyguards?"
I lowered my gaze and pursed my lips. "I—"
Adrian scoffed. "If something happens to her because of that, I'm going to kill you and be the next leader. Mind it, Dylan." I nodded my head. "So, you better protect her with your life."
"Yes, of course. She is my responsibility now, and I fully intend to protect her with my life if needed," I told him sincerely. "Unlike a certain someone," I added.
"Don't mock me, Dylan. You are responsible for Ava's death as much as I am," Adrian bellowed and left after closing the door with a loud this.
"I know," I mumbled. I released a sigh and leaned back on my seat, my chest filling with regrets.
I always managed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, resulting in a conflict I didn't even expect. I was such a dimwit.
Releasing another sigh, since the party was near over, I went to prepare my men for the upcoming attack. Before I realized it, it was already five in the morning. The birds were chirping and my alarm was ringing for waking up when I didn't even catch a glimpse of sleep.
Geez, I was so exhausted.
I walked into the living room of my mansion, my shoulders slumped due to tiredness. I probably had eye bags by now. I wanted nothing more than to lay down on my bed. Maybe I could catch an hour of sleep before my morning workout.
However, screw the damn workout, I was going to sleep until 8 o'clock. Otherwise, I would fall asleep in the office.
If Sienna got to know about me returning at this time, she would never let me out of the house during midnight. After all, the night is the best time for us to operate and conduct our illegal works.
"Good morning," wished a sweet, chirpy voice.
"Morning," I wished back reflexively. "Wait, who?" I turned back to find a woman sitting on the couch. Though the living room was dark as the sun was yet to rise, I would still recognize that voice anywhere. "What are you doing here?" I inquired. Was she here to take revenge on me for everything I said last night?
"I'm here for training," Shirley stated ardently and stood up from the couch, walking near me. "I'm already done with my morning workout, so we can go on a drive and train. We have a lot of time in our hands too as it's only 5 o'clock," she informed me.
No matter how many times I thought about it, I still found myself asking this question daily—what was wrong with her head?
"I assumed you would be angry with me and never ever come back here." I was confused. Now that she was back here, I was starting to feel like it would have been better if she never came here again. Just her grin was enough to annoy me.
"You are so silly. Why would I do that?" she beamed.
"Because I hurt you?" I sounded even more confused.
"Those were my betterment, weren't they?" I nodded, and she smiled brighter. "I have learned my lesson. Thank you for that."
"Are you sure?" I found it strange that she didn't mention anything about that text. Did she not receive it or did she not see it?
"Of course, I am. I have also decided that we will start training hard from now on. I'm going to win that race and make you proud."
Would I sound foolish if I were to say that this positive transformation in her was already making me proud? This sense of pride and joy I was getting from seeing her in a new light was certainly something new.
It was like she was a totally different person, a better person. Not that good because she would be still annoying. But the way she smiled at me, it was so unadulterated, no sign of frustration and arrogance. She didn't seem overconfident. She genuinely wanted to work hard as if she got a new meaning to her life.
A small smile made its way to my lips as a warm feeling engulfed my chest. My exhaustion seemed to have vanished in the morning air.
"Let's go on a test drive then," I told her.
I was relieved that I didn't at least make her worse, probably one of the rare good deeds of mine.