'If you see him, it means trouble.'
This was the sole thought circling the man's mind as watched Vio sitting across from him.
swallowed hard, trying to steady his nerves. Clenching sweaty fists on the desk, gathering his thoughts, preparing to speak. But before he could utter a word, Vio cut him off.
"Will you pay? Yes or no?"
"I'm... I'm in trouble…" the man stammered, " I would be grateful if... if you gave me some time,"
The man's heart raced as he watched Vio place his hand on the desk, tapping his fingers in a steady rhythm.
'If you see him start playing like he's on a piano, know that your time is running out.'
Vio could easily throw the man into deep, anxious turmoil.
The man had one last chance.
When prey is cornered, what does it do?
In a panic, the man grabbed his phone. He bolted from his chair and ran to the nearest room, slamming the door behind him. Leaning against the door, he felt his body drenched in sweat. His trembling fingers fumbled with his phone as he dialed.
"Listen carefully, transfer the remaining money to the deposit account number—"
As he dictated the number to someone on the other end, another call interrupted him. He tried to ignore it, but a foreboding feeling crept over him. Looking at the caller's name, his daughter, who was still in high school. He ended the current call to answer hers.
Meanwhile, Vio sat, one leg crossed over the other, and continued his "piano recital."
'Damn, I'll be late.'
He glanced at his watch, his eyes widening.
'Damn, I'm already late.'
The sound of the door opening pulled his expression back to its calm indifference.
The man came rushing out. Falling to his knees, clung to Vio's leg.
'Damn, Here we go again.'
"Please, I beg you!" the man cried out hoarsely. "Leave her alone—she has nothing to do with this!"
"I don't like repeating myself," Vio said, freeing his leg.
"If I give you the money, I won't be able to survive. I won't even be able to pay for my daughter's schooling. Please, tell them I'll invest their money, I'll... I'll make it grow, I swear!"
Vio exhaled in frustration and reached into his suit jacket, causing the man to panic, remembering something crucial.
'Do anything to stop him from pulling something out of his pockets.'
Acting on impulse, the man grabbed Vio's arm and bowed his head, avoiding Vio's deadly gaze.
"Explain yourself, or else—"
"I'll pay! I'll pay!"
Slowly, the man released his hold on Vio, wary that he might still pull something out. But he relaxed slightly when Vio's hand emerged empty.
Stepping back, the man retrieved his phone. After tapping on it, the sound of a notification buzzed in Vio's inner pocket—a sign that his work had finished.
Vio stood up and walked out of the office, leaving the man kneeling on the floor, consumed by thoughts darker than the night itself.
'I should just die now.'
The man had taken a loan from merciless lenders in a desperate attempt to save his failing business. Instead, it had only worsened his situation, burying him under an ever-growing mountain of debt.
Paying the money now had left him hopeless. Sooner or later, the creditors would gather at his door. His only escape was to end his life; that way, the lenders would have no right to pursue his daughter.
'Yes, this is the only solution.'
Resolving himself, he moved to stand. But before he could act, a gloved hand gripped the back of his head firmly. The cold leather sent a shiver through his body, freezing him.
Lifting his head, found Vio staring down at him, expressionless.
"If you try to kill yourself, know that I will target your daughter, making her life a living hell."
With those words, Vio left the room. The man stared after him, scrutinizing his slender figure.
'Is he even human? He won't even let me die in peace.'
Descending the stairs, Vio entered a corridor lined with office cubicles. The employees exchanged cautious glances, their voices hushed.
Vio paid no attention. His unbothered demeanor was reinforced by his steady, deliberate strides. That was until he glanced at his watch.
'Damn, I'll be scolded again.'
The pace of his footsteps picked up until he was practically running, heading toward a staircase at the end of the corridor.
He kept his speed even after exiting the building. Opening the door of his Jeep, revved the engine, tires screeching against the pavement as he sped away.
Half an hour later, the car screeched to a stop. Vio stepped out and hurried toward a luxurious apartment building.
The valet greeted him, but neither exchanged pleasantries. Vio tossed his car keys into the air, and the valet caught them with a skill honed by years of experience.
He pressed the elevator button, only to find it occupied and moving toward the top floor.
'Everything is piling up at once.'
Deciding to take the stairs, he climbed two steps at a time, sweat beading on his forehead.
Reaching the desired floor, running with heavy breath, suddenly stopped at the turning point of the corridor, shoes squealing on the ceramic floor, helping his body come to a complete halt.
Eyes locking onto what had been feared, he froze.
'Ah, since it's already here, let's switch to Plan B—create an excuse.'
Composing himself, he approached the girl standing in front of the apartment door with confident steps.
It was Sarah, her shiny black hair framing sharp brows and emerald-like blue eyes. Her flawless lips, accented by a mole beneath, made her beauty undeniable—almost otherworldly.
But right now, that beauty radiated anger.
"I can't believe how crowded this city has become," Vio said, as moved toward her, "Can you imagine? I was stuck at the traffic light for almost an hour…"
"Take this," Sarah cut him off as soon as he reached her.
'Damn, Plan A failed. Time for Plan B: defuse her anger.'
Vio took the load from her hands, which was no small burden. Sarah turned toward the door, deliberately avoiding eye contact with him.
pulled out his key and gestured for her to enter first.
"ladies first."
ignored him completely. both entered the apartment, and the lights flickered on, revealing its luxurious interior.
Noticing that his words were ineffective, Vio tried a different approach.
"See? I'm a gentleman who lets ladies go first."
"A gentleman?" She turned, raising her voice. "A gentleman who keeps a lady waiting for hours outside his door!"
Vio braced himself for her outburst, but to his surprise, Sarah took a deep breath and calmed herself. sat on one of the high chairs lined up against the extended table separating the kitchen from the living room.
"Come on quickly, what are you waiting for, come out what I brought." she said, her words only adding to his nervousness as slowly made way to the kitchen.
'What's going on? She's supposed to keep yelling. Why didn't she? Is she planning something?'
Sarah rested her head on her palm, eyes fixed on Vio as if seeing him for the first time, admiration pouring from her gaze.
He placed the items on the table, pulling out a large plate from a cupboard and setting it in front of Sarah. He too found himself gazing at her amused expression.
Pulling out his phone, checked the date. A triumphant smile spread across his face.
"Why do you look so proud?" She pulled a box containing a birthday cake out of one of the bags.
"Feeling frustrated? Unlike last time, this time you failed to keep it a secret,"
"All because you figured it out a few seconds earlier,"
"Seconds, minutes, even hours... The point is, you failed now, and I'll make sure it stays that way in the future."
"We'll see about that. Now hurry up with the candles."
Vio had a good memory, but only for things he deemed important. His own birthday wasn't one of them. He hadn't celebrated it since his family fell apart. Over time, and with shifting priorities, the date of birth slipped into obscurity—until meeting Sarah. Her hobby of buying cakes and devouring them had changed that.
Carefully, she placed 24 candles and lit them.
"Quick, turn off the lights!"
Vio lazily complied with her request. He wasn't fond of birthdays—they reminded him of the happy days of his family. But Sarah's smile and her innocent eyes were his only weakness, no matter how much he hated admitting it.
After Sarah finished singing, clapping loudly, she urged him to blow out the candles.
Once the candles were out, Sarah jumped off her chair, darted into the kitchen, and threw herself into his arms giving him a deep hug.
"It's good that you were born," Sarah whispered, planting a kiss on his cheek.
She was the only source of warmth in his cold life. As much as he cherished these feelings, they scared him.
"I'm glad I met you," he whispered back.
But unlike her words, which made his shoulders feel heavier, Vio's words brought a smile to Sarah's face as buried her head in his neck.
They stayed in each other's arms, savoring the peace of the moment, until the sound of Sarah's stomach broke the silence.
"You haven't eaten anything all day."
"They gave me the wrong cake."
Vio frowned, glancing at the cake with his name on it.
"Did they get the name wrong?"
"No, they gave me strawberry flavor when I specifically asked for vanilla. I stood there all morning for it!"
Vio didn't have any strong preferences when it came to food. days of poverty and sleeping on the streets had taught him that food was food, whether it tasted good or bad.
But that wasn't the case for Sarah, who had been born into a wealthy family and hadn't experienced the collapse that Vio's family had. When insisted on something, she wouldn't rest until it was exactly as wanted.
They each took a seat across from each other, indulging in the cake's sweet flavor.
"When are you going to ask my father for my hand?" Sarah suddenly blurted out, causing Vio to choke on his bite.
"Cough, cough!"
She handed him a glass of water, which accepted as he tried to compose himself. While tilting head back to drink the last drop, glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
'Where did that come from all of a sudden?'
"Your father will kill me... Not to mention your brother," he finally said after gathering his thoughts.
"Don't dodge." Her eyes narrowed. "I could swear you're holding something on him."
"I have a principal and what you are saying now calls them into question."
In a sudden move, she snatched a piece of cake from his plate ,stuffed it into her mouth.
"I was going to eat that," Vio protested, frowning.
"You're too slow. What do you want me to do?" she said with a cheeky grin.
"I'm not slow. You're just fast."
"That's what slow people say."
He was used to her playful nature, so decided to let it go, knowing that pushing the topic would only escalate things—she might notice the topic changed.
"What did you do today that made you upset?" Sarah asked.
"I'm not upset."
"Regret? Is it regret?"
"I'm not regretful."
"Then it must be anger."
raised his head to look at her, noticing the knowing look in blue eyes. He cursed himself internally.
'Why did I teach her how to read people?'
Like the sheep who taught the butcher how to use a knife.
"I'm always the villain in the story. They take out loans they can't repay, When I go to collect, they refuse. What do they think I'm going to do?"
Like a ticking bomb, finally vented his frustration. Sarah grabbed his hand firmly, offering him a warm smile of reassurance.
It truly was a comfort to him, but he had forgotten that betrayal always comes from those closest to you. In another swift move, she grabbed the piece of cake.
"So, you want war, huh?"
What followed was a battle of spoons, which, as expected, ended in Vio's defeat. As Sarah said, he was slow.
After they finished eating, they settled in front of the living room screen. Sarah began unpacking all the things she'd bought, excitedly showing them to Vio. Shopping was her second hobby.
Vio noticed she was deliberately avoiding pulling something out of a black bag.
"What's that?" He reached out for it, but she was faster and more careful, clutching it protectively to her chest.
"It's something I bought for a special day," she said, her face turning red. It was rare for him to see her like this, and he couldn't help but guess what it might be.
'Let's not poke at something that might explode.'
Amid the warm atmosphere, the phone began vibrating on the table. Sarah shot him a look of disapproval as he picked it up to answer. The change in expression told her he was about to leave.
"You promised we'd watch a movie tonight."
"I promise I'll be quick."
"You always say that," she muttered, retreating into the adjoining room.
Donning his suit, returned the call.
"What happened exactly?" he asked, adjusting the suit as left the apartment.
stepped out, assuming his day would pass like any other, unaware that this would be the last routine day of his life.