Bad People

"Son, are you there?"

Despite his father's concerned voice, which could be heard from the other line, all of the young Don's attention is on the woman standing right outside his car. Hearing her knocking on the window glass again, his heartbeat quickens, perhaps due to fear.

To see him there near her house after those two encounters... what would she think of him?!

At one point, the powerful Don even contemplates starting his engine and running away from there but he cannot bring himself to do so. Being able to see her again that close after many years... it is something he has never dared to dream. Considering what he has become, he also knows he does not deserve it.

Finally making up his mind, Alessio puts his phone on the empty seat beside him, completely forgetting about his ongoing call with his father. He then slowly opens his car door, making Alora take a step back. What he immediately notices is how an astounded look replaces the curiosity on Alora's face. It is clear that she did not expect him to show up near her house of all places.

"Lucas Wilde?" Alora McLean gasps, unable to hide her amazement. "What are you doing here?" She promptly asks without thinking twice.

There, it happens again. When he crosses paths with her, he always gets to hear his old name which has long been buried. Ever since his mother passed away, there has been no one in his life who used to call him by that name. He used to think that it did not affect him that much but now that he gets to hear it again, he realizes how much he has missed the name. Not to mention that he always struggles to be in his clear mind whenever he hears the name!

Hearing no response from the man who once left her years ago, Alora McLean is reminded again of that encounter from the previous night, only to have the pain and the pressure rushing back to her.

"I noticed your car being parked here for a while," she quickly says. "This is the General's residence and just in case, I want to be careful," she concludes, explaining the reason why she came to check out the person in the car.

Her explanation snaps Alessio out of his stupor and he slightly raises a brow. Her father is now the General? He has spent the last few years working to strengthen his family's dominance in the mafia world and also spares no effort to uncover the one behind his father's assassination attempt. So, he did not know that her father is now the General. However, almost immediately, his surprisement is replaced by concern which even triggers a bit of anger.

She still comes out despite knowing that he could be a spy? Why is she always so fearless?! She is like that even when they were younger!

"If you suspect of a possible spying, you should have stayed inside and not come out here," he scowls before he can control himself. "What if it were not me but a spy as you suspected?!"

Alora McLean is too taken aback to even respond to Alessio right away and there are two reasons. First, she has never seen Lucas Wilde being angry and shouting at her like he just did. Second, she is surprised to see that he still cares for her.

Then... how would he explain those 9 years?

Nevertheless, the first reason bothers her more at the moment, perhaps because it makes him look like a completely different person and not the same Lucas Wilde she used to know. Still, it eases him somehow.

"You were so great at bottling things and keeping them to yourself in the past," she points out without much thinking and adds, "I'm glad that you now know how to be angry."

She has no idea how much her words shake Alessio who tries to speak up. "Lora -"

"But you have no reason to worry about me, Lucas," she interrupts him, drawing a line while also telling the truth at the same time. "I can protect myself even if it were not you but some bad people."

Bad people. These two words repeatedly echo in the Don's ears, making him struggle to speak up once again.

Who fits her criteria of bad people? No matter what the criteria are, he is sure that he will fit in. He might even be on the top! If only she knows!

While he is struggling for words to say, Alora tries to walk away but... he manages to grab her hand before she can turn her back on him. Narrowing her eyes at his hand that held onto her, she looked at him again, confusedly.

"How have you been?" He mutters, struggling to say it out loud as he knows that it is selfish and shameless of him to even ask. After all, he is the one who left her like that. Though he did not have a better choice at that time, the fact remains. He hurt her.

Just as Alessio expects, Alora wonders how he still dared to ask her such a question. Does he expect her to say that she is doing fine while she isn't? What is she even supposed to say?!

"How about you?" She asks him back instead of giving him an answer. "Have you been doing well?"

Alessio struggles to answer too but their reasons are the same. While Alora feels hurt to hear such a question after such a messed up separation, Alessio cannot bring himself to tell her how much he has changed. He feels reluctant to let her know that he is not the same person she used to know.

Noticing his hesitation, Alora McLean gently frees her hand from his grip. She wants to walk away again as she does not wish to be more disappointed than she already is. However, after 9 years of longing and waiting, her desire to walk away is overshadowed by fear.

What if this were to be the last time? What if she never sees him again after leaving? She cannot imagine herself going through the same pain again!

"Do you want to come inside?" She asks after thinking twice. "It's cold out here." Even if this happens to be the last time, she wants to make sure that she does not have any regrets. Only then she could move on with her life.

The young Don knows that he is not supposed to be there, let alone enter her home. However, after those long years, the invitation is too tempting for him to resist that it does not even take long for the desire of his heart to triumph over the warning of his mind. Finally, he nods his head, knowing that he might soon regret his decision.....