PRISONERS

CHAPTER 20

𓆩♡𓆪

"Well, look who I ran into?", crowed coincidence.

"Please." flirted fate, "This was always meant to be."

~ Unknown

Darien's POV

"Is that everything?" I groaned, buried in paperwork, carefully scrutinizing each deal before signing off on it, with a glass of whisky in my hand. The only solace I found was in the amber liquid swirling in my glass. Each sip burned down my throat, but it was a welcome distraction from the chaos surrounding me.

Father had been growing weary more easily lately, prompting him to take more frequent rests. The realization of his aging finally dawned upon the old man. Will had returned to Russia with Theo to handle affairs concerning his siblings about six months ago, and we hadn't heard from him ever since.

My assessment of Will being akin to a pet seemed accurate. Somehow, Lucas and I found ourselves enjoying his presence, akin to having a playful puppy around.

"Sir, you forgot to sign here," Noah, my father's butler, interjected, pushing his golden spectacles up on his nose. Always impeccably dressed in a black suit with a crisp white shirt, he exuded an aura of perfection and neatness.

Noah had reportedly been attending school to become a butler during the day while secretly training to be an assassin at night. Fate led him to cross paths with my father during a mission, where he ended up saving him. In gratitude, my father offered him the role of a butler and personal bodyguard at our home, a position that provided stability alongside danger. Under his guidance, many men were trained to assist in both household duties and combat, ensuring that everyone in the household was equipped to handle themselves in times of conflict.

I quickly signed the document. "Thank you, Noah."

"Please, do not thank me," he said, his tone humble yet resolute. "It is my duty to assist you." Glancing at the time on his pocket watch, he continued, "Your father requests the pleasure of Sir Lucas and your company for dinner."

"Sir?" I regarded him with a quizzical expression. He simply smiled back, the lines of age accentuating the corners of his mouth and eyes.

I shook my head; old habits die hard, I suppose.

Lucas barged into the office without knocking as our attention shifted towards him. He breathed heavily as he made his way into the room, coming to a stop in front of me. "Henry called to inform us that Vincenzo has been missing for the past two days." It was the first time in a year that I saw him prance around with so much energy in his system.

I rose from my seat and walked around the table to stand before him. "Is it connected to the feud between the brothers?" I inquired.

He nodded, striding over to my desk and swiftly downing the glass of whisky that I had been drinking. "Bwack, you should stop drinking this shit." He almost barfed at the taste of it.

I folded my arms in front of me, tapping my foot impatiently. "You were saying?"

"He mentioned something about Manuel, the second brother, taking Vincenzo hostage in an attempt to eliminate Carlos." He spoke, taking a handkerchief from Noah, trying to wipe his tongue to get rid of the 'horrid' taste as he says it.

"I thought all the brothers were at odds with each other," I mused, smirking at the situation.

"If I may take my leave, sirs, as it is time for Master's lunch," Noah interjected.