It took one look from Matthias to send Nikolai running. There was always a murderous gleam in his eyes whenever he was in one of his moods. If looks could kill, then Matthias could be a mercenary if he weren’t already a businessman.
Now that he was left alone in his office once more, Matthias dived back into work. He knew that Nikolai and Lara only wanted to make sure he was alright, but he simply could not be bothered with their kindness right now.
His heart twisted bitterly at the thought of Heather becoming someone else’s woman. He was sure that he was on par with, if not better, than the likes of Leon, so why did she choose to be with the latter instead?
He knew that it was not in Heather’s nature to be impulsive, which meant she had put a lot of thought into this before finally making a decision. This only added more weight to Matthias’ mind, and the more he dwelled on this, the worse he felt. He couldn’t come to terms with the fact that she had fallen for someone else.
It had only been days before when he was engaged in flirtatious banter with her, so why did she settle on Leon all of a sudden? Matthias had done everything to win her over, but he ended up failing his endeavors. He didn’t even manage to become her boyfriend. How could she so easily decide that Leon is the one for her? This question alone was enough to make Matthias suspend his entire belief system.
Presently, he glanced down at the documents in his hand and found that he was no longer driven by work. The tiny words that strung together on the countless pages only made his head spin, and right now, he badly needed an outlet for all the pent-up frustration within him.
He felt rotten, as though he had just lost grip on the meaning of life. He wasn’t able to just walk up to Heather and demand an explanation from her. In fact, there was nothing he could do at this juncture, and he had never felt quite as helpless as he did now.
He didn’t even want to think about what Heather might be doing. Leon was with her in the hospital, and with the modicum of privacy presented to them by the hospital room, it was likely that they were all over each other.
Matthias hated to imagine such nonsensical scenarios. He wanted to make his way over to the hospital, but he figured it was too humiliating for him to show up like that. He wished he could install some micro bodycam on Heather so that he could see what she was doing. He was so desperate to see her that he might go insane.
He was even beginning to regret having left the hospital in a fit of rage. He had never been one to manage his emotions, so it came as no surprise that he was pushing himself toward a nervous breakdown.
What am I supposed to do now? He had never had to ask himself something like this before—he had never felt so hopeless. Even Myra’s wedding hadn’t added so much insult to his injury, but now, he thought he might very well go crazy if Heather really did end up marrying Leon.
When two people fell in love, the dynamic between them naturally fused into one, heavily centered around torture. Heather did not see Matthias as a safe harbor at which she could finally dock. With a weary soul, she experimented in various ways to prove this, but in the process of doing so, she had no idea how much hurt she was causing him.
The conflict that tore through Matthias was a mirror image of hers as well. He had kept too much to himself, and things would not have been quite so tumultuous if he had been more forthcoming with her. Alas, he was habitually secretive, leaving Heather to guess at the truth instead of telling it to her outright.
No longer able to stand the tension and frustration that settled within his office, he pushed all the documents off his desk onto the floor. He needed to find neutral ground, where he could recollect his thoughts and regain his composure. He was no longer in the mood to continue on with his work.
It wasn’t long before he pulled the door open and stormed out of his office. Having done so, he told Lara in a commanding tone, “I’m heading out. Go into my office and clean it up for me.”
With that, he walked out of the building. Staying at Locke Group would only build on his frustration, and a breath of fresh air might help to clear his mind.
It had been quite a while since his arrival in Bradfort City, but it was only at the present moment that he realized he had never explored the vibrant local scene. Evan, on the other hand, was an incorrigible hedonist who had probably already made a home for himself in all the best clubs the city had to offer. Matthias rarely ventured into places like those, but he had to admit that an occasional visit would help unwind him.
When Evan came out to greet Matthias, it was with a look of disbelief. He was skeptical and suspicious as he eyed the latter. He wondered what had prompted him to initiate a trip to a clubhouse.
“Out of curiosity, President Locke, has something really good happened, or are you just in a bad mood?” Evan asked inquisitively, but judging from the way Matthias’ lips were pressed into a grim line, it was obvious the man was downcast.
“I told you to bring me somewhere I can unwind,” Matthias began sullenly. “So why are you still asking me stupid questions?” It was clear that Evan had noticed his foul mood, and asking him about it was akin to mockery.
“I just don’t think you’d enjoy yourself in a club, President Locke,” Evan explained. They had visited a clubhouse on a previous occasion, but Matthias was far too uptight to appreciate the novelty of it, and it was hard to imagine that this time would be any different.
“Are you done?” Matthias barked impatiently, then stormed ahead so that he could stop listening to Evan’s unnecessary lecture.
However, Evan caught up to him and pointed out, “You have a girlfriend now. Aren’t you worried that Miss Langston might see you at the club and throw you in the doghouse?” The teasing tone of his voice only succeeded in stoking Matthias’ anger.
Matthias stopped in his tracks and turned ominously to throw a dangerous look at Evan, who felt a chill run down his spine. He blinked innocently at the former, and it was only then that he realized he had slipped up.
“Do not mention Heather’s name in front of me.” Matthias bit out harshly through gritted teeth. He was feeling bad enough as it was, and he only wanted to find an emotional outlet through which he could release all his pent-up bitter resentment. He most certainly did not want to concern himself with anything related to Heather.
“Okay, okay,” Evan agreed placatingly. He immediately deduced that Matthias had gotten into a lover’s spat with Heather, and it looked like it did not end well. He could finally understand why Matthias was behaving so erratically.
Evan’s idea of Matthias was a tolerant and chivalrous gentleman who had intensive guidance, which would mean that the fight wasn’t a small matter. Heather must have crossed the line to make Matthias so angry, Evan thought grimly.
He was suddenly seized with the urge to unearth the details of the fight. He wondered if he could get Matthias to down a couple of powerful shots of alcohol, seeing as it would be easier to make him spill the beans once his inhibitions were lowered. However, Matthias could hold his drinks exceptionally well, so there was a chance that this plan might go awry. I might be the first one to get drunk before I could hear his side of the story.
Walking into a clubhouse in broad daylight seemed to take the fun out of the situation. As far as preferences went, Evan liked it when he could bask in the robust nightclub culture, ‘night’ being the operative word. The clubhouse was practically devoid of life at this hour, and he couldn’t help but resent Matthias for feeling gloomy in the middle of the day.
Nonetheless, he brought Matthias over to one of his favorite haunts. He might be a responsible butler who worked 24/7, but he still made time for leisure indulgence.
Given that his butler’s duties revolved around taking care of Matthias’ needs, he would give himself a break whenever the latter was away from home or out late for after-work drinks. There were even times when he would wait for Matthias to fall asleep at night before partaking in his usual vices.
That said, he made sure that he would be at Matthias’ beck and call, and his schedule was tailored to accommodate the latter’s. He was a butler who knew how to do his job, and he had been taking excellent care of Matthias’ personal life.
Evan had odd sleeping hours, but that didn’t stop him from having a robust lifestyle. He was used to staying up late and waking up before the crack of dawn, which meant he relied heavily on two- or three-hour naps during the day to make up for his lack of sleep at night.
When he wasn’t tied up with butler duties, he was a vagabond. He had a rather decorated nightlife, and he had fun hanging out with his friends during the day as well.
He was a man who truly appreciated a good time, which made him the polar opposite of Matthias. There were times when he would warn the latter not to let work take up his precious days of youth, claiming that it would do him some good to relax every once in a while.
Presently, he walked up to Matthias and said, “There aren’t many clubhouses that operate at this hour, President Locke.” It was true; it was rare for clubhouses to open twenty-four hours like a convenient store.
Being a connoisseur when it came to nightclubs, Evan knew that the best joints only operated for short hours, but Matthias didn’t seem like he was looking for excitement. With that in mind, he began to think about what Matthias did at night, and he came to the conclusion that the man rarely ever had time for himself. After-work dinners were probably the only time when Matthias could socialize in an informal setting.
Not long after, Evan brought Matthias to an establishment known as Caliph Nightclub. There was something off about the name of the place, but it was only after Matthias had stepped foot into the club that he fully registered the gravity of the situation. The scene before him was entirely different from what he had expected of a clubhouse, and at the sight of it, he turned to glare at Evan mutinously.
Then, he spun on his heels to leave, but Evan caught up to him and pulled him to a stop. “Drinking is an excellent way to unwind, President Locke, and you could always play a game of poker or something. There are other pub games you could try out as well.” Caliph Nightclub was a local favorite for poker fans, and Evan had only brought Matthias here because he enjoyed a good game of poker himself.
“I just want to have some mindless fun,” Matthias snapped. What he meant was that he would like to down a row of shots mindlessly as he did not want to spend the rest of his day trying out pub games and poker, both of which required the use of tactical thinking.
Evan took on a more persuasive tone as he countered, “What makes you think poker isn’t mindless fun? It’s more about luck, President Locke. Why don’t you sit down for a game with me?”
If Evan had not been so earnest, Matthias might have thought he was trying to dupe him. However, seeing as they were already here, he figured there was no harm in a friendly game of poker, though it was not the sort of fun he had had in mind.
“A two-person poker game?” Matthias wondered aloud.
Upon hearing this, Evan chuckled. “You’ll understand in a bit.” There was a lewd edge to his chuckling that made Matthias uneasy all of a sudden.
Before he could ask further questions, he heard Evan say to the cashier with natural ease, “I’d like to book the Caliph Room with two masters of poker for company.”
Matthias frowned at this. He had no idea what Evan was doing, but he shrugged it off, and it wasn’t long before the mystery was solved.
One of the attendants led them into the Caliph Room, and Matthias felt as though they had stepped through the portal to a world that was distinct from the stuffy scene downstairs. When Matthias first entered the club, he thought he had walked into a retirement home, given there were old men huddling together over a game of cards and chess.
But as soon as the door to the Caliph Room swung open, he was greeted by the overwhelming atmosphere that was commonly associated with a vivacious nightclub. As Matthias strolled into this hidden cavern, he began to approve of Evan’s choice.
Evan, on the other hand, had taken a liking to the over-the-top decorations and the old-school track lights that basked the room in jarring neon colors. There was something particularly laid-back and deviant about the almost disco-inspired surrounding for which he had developed an acquired taste.
“The whole scene downstairs is just a cover, President Locke. This place is more than it seems,” Evan explained as he wiggled his brows meaningfully. Sure enough, a couple of sultry female voices spoke up from the other side of the door, saying, “Master, we have arrived.”
Matthias narrowed his eyes at this out-of-the-blue interjection, while Evan merely chuckled like the cat that ate the canary as he rose to open the door. Following this, two scantily-clad young ladies entered the room, and Matthias thought their dedication to their line of work was admirable, seeing as they barely had enough clothing on them to keep warm in the middle of winter.
Then, he noticed the tails that the women were sporting, and he immediately turned to shoot Evan an incredulous look. So this is his twisted fetish? Who could have thought he has such a specific taste?
“You haven’t come by to see us, Master,” one of the beauties purred seductively.
These two women were gorgeous in their own ways, and despite their tacky outfits, they still boasted pretty faces. Their make-up was done tastefully enough to flatter their delicate features, and if they weren’t working at a club right now, Matthias would have easily mistaken them for attractive office girls.
One of the women was taller, and she looked to be about five foot six in height; the other one was petite, and she didn’t look like she was taller than five foot two. It was clear to see that they were both charming in different ways—where one had an impassive and sultry edge, and the other was endearing and unassuming.
Suddenly, Matthias’ eyes trailed downward, and he cursed, Damn it, why are they barefooted?
