The sound of the slap echoed through the car, and the lackey flinched, clutching his cheek as he bit back a gasp of pain.
"Know your place," Floozk said coldly with a icy gaze as he fixed the lackey with a withering stare. "Aleman might have earned a sliver of my fondness, but you are not in a position to question my decisions. Remember that."
The lackey nodded quickly with reddened face as he muttered with a strained tone, "Yes, sir."
As the SUV continued its journey, Floozk leaned back in his seat.
For the first time in a long while, he had met someone who didn't buckle under his presence, someone who saw value in integrity even when facing someone as powerful as himself. It was a rare quality, one that intrigued him.
"Aleman," he murmured to himself.
...
...
As the late afternoon melted into a soft, golden evening, August found himself back at Digital Haven, the neighborhood internet cafe he had come to think of as his unofficial office.
