Chapter 86: Superficial Love

< Dylan >
Taking deep breaths, I calmed myself enough to drive to the headquarters after getting out of the Hamilton mansion.
I didn't want to make Sienna worry about something like this, so I didn't want to return home. Even if more than anything, I wanted to cry in a corner of my room.
Keeping myself busy with work was the only sane thing to do for now if I didn't want to commit a genuine murder.
As I stepped into the headquarters, no one uttered a word, although I could tell they were all troubled to see me in such a state.
After I stepped inside my cabin, I called out Riley. Despite seeing the miserable condition I was in, he knew not to utter a word.
I threw the files that I was carrying on my desk, ordering, "Make them public."
Riley started looking through the documents, while I stared off into space. "Are you sure you want to do it tonight?" he asked for confirmation.
"I don't want to make any delay. I want to ruin them as soon—" I paused when a cold metal was firmly placed on my forehead.
A familiar voice spoke up, "Are you that stupid, Dylan Lewiston?"
I glanced at the furious, puffy blue eyes glaring at me, holding me at the gunpoint.
I let out a chuckle and relaxed in my chair as if I was spectating a casual drama, letting out, "Are you that eager to be the next leader, Adrian?"
"I will pass on that," Adrian replied in a strained voice, placing his index finger on the trigger.
"Put the gun down, Hamilton," Riley spoke up sternly.
Adrian gritted his teeth and lowered his gun, still grimacing at me. "Why did you do that?" he asked, his voice faltering with each word.
"What? You think I killed your mom as well?" I snickered, applauding the intelligence of the two siblings.
"I am not that dumb," he interjected. "That was clearly a knife wound on her back."
"Congratulations then," I conceded, bitterness lacing my voice.
"You are saltier than usual," Adrian commented with an eye roll.
"Really? I had no idea." I let out a very obvious fake laugh. "Maybe it's because I was blamed for something I obviously didn't do by the person I loved, but who knows?"
Adrian scowled at me and questioned in a much more serious tone, "Who killed my mom?"
"Glad you asked." I signaled Riley to hand over the proofs to Adrian, which he looked through in a hustle. I was obviously bitter about the fact that Shirley didn't trust me when her brother, who actually disliked me, was willing to believe me. I couldn't get any more fortunate, could I?
After Adrian was done, I could see the burning hatred in his eyes, the look of betrayal clearly visible on his face as it twisted his rage.
"The case Ava was handling, it was related to my dad?" he asked dangerously.
"You are right."
"And my dad had her killed?"
"You are right again."
"Why didn't you say so if you knew all along?" he snapped.
I looked dead into his eyes. "Tell me honestly. Would you have believed without this evidence?" I demanded, which made him speechless. Shirley or Adrian or anyone else for that matter would believe me if I said that Liam Hamilton was a Mafia leader without any proof. That's why I never let anyone find it out except my close ones.
Without another word, Adrian stormed out of my cabin, not before throwing the file back at me.
I perhaps knew what he was going to do, but it was none of my business. Adrian could murder his whole family for all I cared about. I didn't want to have to do anything with the Hamiltons anymore.
I wanted to be left alone.
"Riley," I called out. As if understanding my intentions, he nodded and left with the documents.
A complete hush fell over, only the thunders growling outside and the rain pattering against the window. I felt lonely. I missed having something, to be precise someone, around me.
Even though I had gotten my revenge, I had lost my greatest desire. I was even willing to let Liam Hamilton die in an accident, instead of killing him myself, for Shirley's sake, but look what she did to me. I put her before my greatest ambition, only for her to fail as my greatest desire.
I squeezed my eyes shut and rested my back against the chair. I recalled a fond memory with her. It was during the time I was staying at her apartment to take care of her.
"Don't you trust me?" I said while putting tomatoes in the pasta, which she didn't like at all.
"I do trust you, but I don't trust the taste of those tomatoes," Shirley responded.
"Remember I told you that you shouldn't trust me," I told her.
"How are you so sure that I wouldn't break your trust?" she asked, playing with a red capsicum.
"If you do, then I will kill you," I answered.
"Can you do anything other than killing me?" She rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I will kill everyone who helped you break my break," I added.
"Wooh, scary. I'm never cheating on you then," she let out.
"Don't even think about that. I might actually end up killing you in a feat of rage, which I would regret later on."
"Why would you regret it later?" She arched an eyebrow.
"Because even if you cheat on me, I probably will still not want to let you go. I will keep bringing you back to me," I said while serving the pasta on the plate.
"Then killing me is a blank threat?" Shirley asked for affirmation, already taking a bite with a fork.
"Of course." I looked at her way, my heart filled with profound affection. "I could never even hit you."
"That's a relief then." She laughed.
I said I would bring her back to me if she left, but did I actually mean that? Did I have the courage to go back to that mansion after I was insulted? Were my promises fake as well?
I was going crazy. I had no fault here. Why should I go to her? She accused me wrongly.
Even so, like a wimp, I wanted her back, not understanding that I had lost her already.
I couldn't understand why I felt like that. I thought I was used to being deluded by my close ones, being blamed for something I had no part in. I thought loneliness wouldn't bother me ever again. Since when was I this sentimental? Since when was my heart that fragile?—to be broken by something so trivial.
I had thought maybe losing someone I loved wouldn't hurt as much. Even though she was practically alive, but still...
What a peculiar thing love was. It came into my life like a typhoon and left me ravaged.
But wasn't there anything I could do? Was I willing to give up on it just because of some stupid accusations?
Was my love that superficial?
Well, who knew? Probably.