chapter 59

He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay calm. He couldn't afford to make another mistake.

Pushing through the pain, he lifted his wrist once more, eyes locking onto the glowing tracker in his palm. The small blinking light pulsed steadily, and despite everything, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Almost there."

Ignoring the sting in his limbs, he adjusted his position, bracing himself against the metal walls as he prepared to move forward once again. There was no turning back now.

Eun-jae kept crawling, his arms aching as he pulled himself forward inch by inch. The narrow metal shaft felt suffocating, the stagnant air thick with dust. Every movement sent a quiet creak through the vent, making him hyper-aware of how exposed he was. But he was close.

His tracker blinked steadily in his hand, the signal growing stronger. The basement should be directly beneath him now.

"This has to be it," he thought, his pulse quickening.

He pressed his palm flat against the vent's floor, feeling the cold metal beneath his fingertips. It was thin—too thin to be reinforced.

"Two meters at most… that's not too deep," he reasoned, glancing down. He had jumped from worse heights before.

Taking a deep breath, he braced himself, pressed down on the vent cover, and—

CRASH.

The metal panel gave way beneath him, and before he could react, he plummeted straight down. His stomach lurched as the air rushed past him, the dim basement swallowing him whole.

And then—

THUD.

Eun-jae hit the concrete floor hard, landing straight on his ass. A sharp jolt of pain shot up his spine, making him suck in a sharp breath through clenched teeth.

"Ow—fuck, my ass," he groaned internally, wincing as he pushed himself up. His hand instinctively went to his lower back as he dusted off his pants, scowling at the sting of impact.

"Next time, I need to find a softer landing," he thought bitterly.

Shaking it off, he forced his mind back on track. He wasn't here to complain about his bruised tailbone—he had a job to do.

He scanned the basement, his sharp eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. The space was vast, cluttered with old furniture, forgotten crates, and cobweb-covered antiques. Dust swirled in the stale air, and the faint scent of aged wood and damp stone lingered around him.

"Where could this Voron be?" he mused, stepping forward carefully, his boots making barely a sound against the cold concrete.

His gaze flickered from one object to another, searching for anything out of place, anything that seemed… significant. And then—

Something caught his eye.

A large wooden bookshelf stood against the far wall, its surface worn with age. Unlike the other furniture in the room, it looked oddly well-maintained, as if someone had been taking care of it.

His instincts buzzed.

"Is this it?"

Narrowing his eyes, he stepped closer, running a hand along the wooden frame. The grain was rough beneath his fingertips, but the dust patterns were inconsistent. There was a section that seemed… cleaner, as if it had been touched recently.

He reached out and pulled back a thick rubber covering, expecting to find some kind of hidden compartment—

Only to be met with rows of dusty books.

Nothing.

Just an old bookshelf filled with old books.

Eun-jae stared at it, his fingers twitching slightly in irritation.

"You've got to be kidding me. I came all the way down here… for this?"

Frustration simmered beneath his skin. This basement was supposed to hold something important, something worth all this effort—yet all he had found was a glorified library.

He let out a slow exhale, forcing himself to stay calm. No use getting worked up now.

"Whatever. This was a waste of time. Let's just get out of here."

Reaching into his gear, he pressed a button on his wrist device. A thin, high-tensile rope shot out, unraveling smoothly. He caught the end with practiced ease and hooked it securely to a support beam overhead.

He gave the rope a firm tug, testing its strength.

"Good. That should hold."

Glancing up toward the vent he had fallen from, he tightened his grip and prepared to climb.

"Time to go back."

Eun-jae exhaled sharply as he dragged himself through the narrow vent, his muscles screaming in protest. Every inch of his body ached—his elbows were bruised from the earlier fall, his knees scraped raw from crawling over rough metal, and his palms burned from gripping the jagged edges too tightly. Sweat trickled down his temple, mixing with the dust that clung to his skin like a second layer. The heat in the vent was suffocating, making each breath feel heavier than the last. He just wanted to be done with this night. He just wanted to get back to his room, collapse on his bed, and forget the last twelve hours of chaos that had led him to this point.

"As soon as I get back, I'm going straight to bed," he told himself, ignoring the way his arms trembled from exhaustion. "Fuck everything else. Sleep first."

Then—

Knock. Knock.

Eun-jae froze mid-crawl.

His breath hitched.

Someone was at his door.

A cold chill ran down his spine, his instincts immediately sharpening into alertness. He held still, listening.

"Caesar never knocks when he barges into my room. So then… who the hell—?"

Slowly, carefully, he inched forward and peered through the narrow slats of the vent. His heart pounded against his ribs as his eyes locked onto the figure standing outside his door.

Alexei.

"Oh, shit."

Of all the people, Alexei was the last person he needed snooping around right now.

Eun-jae clenched his jaw, his mind already spinning in overdrive. He knew Alexei—knew how the guy operated. If he walked in and found an empty room, he wouldn't just leave. He'd start looking around. He'd notice the little things. The slightly shifted furniture. The faint trace of dust disturbed near the window. The lingering scent of sweat and metal in the air.

Alexei was perceptive. Too perceptive.

Another knock, firmer this time.

"Mr. Bitgaram." His voice was steady, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. Like he already suspected something was off. Like he already knew Eun-jae was there but was waiting to see how he'd respond.

Eun-jae bit back a groan.

He needed to get inside, now.

Every movement sent a fresh wave of pain through his body, but he pushed through it, dragging himself forward with gritted teeth. His room was directly below. He reached for the vent panel, hands shaking slightly from exertion. With careful precision, he pushed it open, wincing at the faint creak of metal. Then, with all the grace he could manage in his current state, he slipped through, twisting mid-air to land in a crouch on the floor.

The second his feet touched the ground—

The doorknob rattled.

Fuck.

Eun-jae's brain fired at lightning speed, searching for an excuse. An explanation. A reason why he wouldn't have answered the door immediately. His eyes darted around the room, assessing.

Bathroom.

Without a second thought, he bolted toward it, twisting the knob and stepping inside just as he heard the soft click of his door unlocking. His hand shot out, locking the bathroom door behind him before flipping the shower on. The sound of rushing water filled the space, thick steam already curling into the air.

His heart pounded.

He barely had a second to compose himself before he heard footsteps entering his room.

For a moment, silence.

Eun-jae closed his eyes, pressing his back against the cool tile wall. He forced himself to slow his breathing, even as adrenaline raced through his veins.

Outside, Alexei exhaled, his presence a heavy weight in the otherwise still room.

"Is he in the shower? Didn't he hear me?" Alexei murmured, his voice low but not low enough. His footsteps moved again, slow and deliberate. Searching.

Eun-jae swallowed, willing his body to stay relaxed.

"Think, think, think—"

Alexei wasn't leaving. His instincts had kicked in. Something felt off to him, and once that happened, he wouldn't stop until he found what it was.

The air outside shifted. Eun-jae could feel him moving closer.

His gut clenched.

Then—

The doorknob jiggled.

Locked.

A pause.

Alexei's lips pressed into a thin line, though Eun-jae couldn't see it, he could feel the weight of his irritation.

"Why would he lock the door if he's just showering?" Alexei muttered under his breath. "Unless…"

Without hesitation, he pulled out his keys.

Eun-jae's eyes snapped open. His body moved on instinct, pushing off the wall just as he heard the faint clink of metal against the keyhole.

His hand shot out—

The door swung open.

Steam billowed out, curling into the room in thick, humid waves.

And there stood Eun-jae.

Completely naked.

His long, damp hair clung to his skin, water dripping down his toned chest, tracing the sharp lines of his collarbones, the defined ridges of his abs. Droplets slid over the silver rings piercing his nipples, catching the dim bathroom light before rolling lower, lower—

Alexei froze.

For a fraction of a second, his eyes flickered down before snapping back up.

Too late.

Eun-jae caught it.

Oh, he caught it.

His lips curled into the faintest smirk, sharp and knowing.

With infuriating ease, he dragged a hand through his wet hair, fingers combing through the strands in a slow, deliberate motion. Then, taking his sweet, sweet time, he reached for a towel, loosely wrapping it around his waist—barely securing it.

"Can I help you?" Eun-jae asked, his voice dripping with mocking disinterest.

Alexei cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. "Dinner i-is ready."

Eun-jae tilted his head, gaze lazy. "You broke into my room," he mused. "Used your little master key to try and get into my bathroom. All because… what? You wanted to invite me to dinner?"

His smirk deepened. "How sweet."

Alexei scowled, the tips of his ears burning red. "I wasn't—"

Eun-jae cut him off.

His gaze flickered down to Alexei's hands—still awkwardly clenched at his sides.

He smirked wider.

"Also," he added smoothly, "next time you stare at my dick that hard, at least buy me a drink first."

Alexei turned bright red.

"I WASN'T—"

"Yeah, yeah." Eun-jae waved him off, stepping back into the bathroom. "Save the excuses for someone who cares."

And with that—

He shut the door in Alexei's face.

Eun-jae went back inside panting as he grabbed the sink trembling ...

'phew that was close ' eun-jae thought ..

The grand dining hall was bathed in the warm glow of the chandelier overhead, its golden light reflecting off the polished wood and intricate carvings adorning the walls. The long dining table, set with fine china and gleaming silverware, stretched between them, though neither seemed particularly interested in the meal before them.

Seated at the head of the table, Alexei cut into his food with unhurried precision, his movements betraying neither urgency nor genuine appetite. He glanced up at the young man across from him, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Haha… How's the progress on that?" he asked, his tone laced with casual amusement.

Caesar, poised with an effortless elegance, barely looked up from his plate. He carved into his meal methodically, his light blue eyes unreadable under the dim glow of the chandeliers. He had heard the question, but he let the silence stretch just long enough to test Alexei's patience.

"It must be a pain to fix something that's completely broken," Alexei mused, finally taking a sip of his wine. "I'm sure."

The soft clink of cutlery against porcelain was the only sound between them for a moment. Then, Caesar finally spoke, his voice smooth, unhurried.

"But it could be quite an experience…" He set his fork down gently, meeting Alexei's gaze with an intensity that cut through the air like a blade. "Succeeding where everyone else has already given up."

Alexei chuckled, amused by the conviction in the young man's voice. He swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes gleaming with something between curiosity and amusement.

"Bold words," he murmured, taking another slow sip. "Let's see if you can live up to them."