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Alexander looks at himself in the mirror as he buttons up his white knitted shirt with a floral pattern. He decides to wear black trousers, black loafers, and as accessories, a thick silver chain resting on his collarbone, which matches a thick band ring with carved triangles on a black background on his index finger, as well as a chain-shaped ring on the little finger of his left hand. On his right hand, he wears only a gold oval signet ring in carnelian with the profile of a man, on the index finger. He considers cutting his hair now that it falls past his eyebrows, but he doesn't have time for that right now, so he combs it to the sides and upwards.
Notifications on his cell phone keep buzzing with messages from his family sending him good wishes, but he decides to ignore them.
By nightfall, Alexander has already traveled to the city where he will celebrate his birthday. Strauss arrives at the beach house where his dinner is being held, greets the guests, and quickly realizes that the person he's been waiting for hasn't arrived.
A couple of hours pass, and it's time to head to the shore to board the yacht where the celebration continues. Most of the guests leave, and those who remain begin drinking while they wait for the yacht to depart. Alexander checks the time on his phone and fears this person won't arrive. — Happy birthday, Alex. It's incredible what you've accomplished at such a young age — says a woman approaching.
— Says an older woman — Alexander jokes, noticing how younger she looks next to him. — Thank you very much — he says with a smile, and hugs her. Tadeus, seeing Alexander's hands on the woman's back, feels a slight tug in his heart, but remains distant until he sees her leave. — Is that her? — he asks.
Alexander, who's gazing at the horizon, turns his face and torso toward him with an enthusiastic smile. — I thought you weren't coming, you're late.
— I brought you a gift — Tadeus says, pulling a red box from inside his jacket. He feels a flutter in his chest at the sight of Alex's happiness at seeing him — I forgot it for a second and had to turn back. Open it! — he asks.
Alexander tilts his head, pressing his lips together in a smile and raising his eyebrows. When he opens the box, he sees a silver watch with white gemstones and a black dial. — It goes perfectly with your chain — Tadeus remarks, taking the watch out of the box and putting it on his left wrist.
— Thank you so much — Alexander says, touched, looking into his eyes.
— Happy birthday — Tadeus says to break the silence.
— You look beautiful, with those long earrings and that sheer shirt under your jacket — Alexander says, taking a couple of steps closer — Sometimes I think you do this to seduce me.
— The world doesn't revolve around you — Tadeus says with a smile that doesn't help his case.
— Yeah, I forgot you just go with the flow — Alexander says, placing his hand on his lower back.
— I wouldn't want to make the woman you're seeing jealous — Tadeus remarks.
— I never said it was a woman.
— But…
— You admitted your advice is useless, that you just wanted to see how far this game would take you — Alexander says — You're the only person in a long time who's approached me just to get to know me, and I want the same.
— So all this time you lied to get dates with me? — Tadeus mocks, unsure what else to say in the short distance between them — You're crazy.
Alexander sighs with a desperate smile — Can we stop pretending we only want to be friends?
Tadeus nods.
— I can no longer resist my desire to kiss you every time I see you.
He says these words followed by a kiss. A slow, sweet kiss, like savoring the finest delicacy with his lips. A kiss that grows passionate with each caress that travels down his back beneath his shirt, his hair being tousled by an accomplice with no intention of stopping.
Alexander takes Tadeus' hand, intending to leave his own birthday celebration, but receives a call that seems to worry him greatly. — What's wrong? — Tadeus asks.
— I have to go — Alexander says, his tone is suddenly cold.
— Okay — Tadeus says disappointed. He spends a little more time at the party and then returns home.
That night, Tadeus couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about Alexander's hands on his neck, the way his thumbs caressed his cheeks. The warmth of his breath on his mouth and the soft texture of those lips that had mesmerized him for long minutes as they shared those passionate kisses. He couldn't wait another second, but Alexander simply left, leaving him there with the lingering warmth of that burning heat on his chest.
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Meanwhile, Alexander heads to a bar to meet with one of his associates in a private room. — What couldn't wait another three hours? — he asks, taking a seat on the leather sofa. His bodyguards position themselves behind the foreigner, facing their boss.
— I have important information, sir — the older man says with a thick Greek accent — It's about the merchandise that went to Greece. They found some kind of chip in it. I spoke with the Greeks to explain that it has nothing to do with us, but they're furious.
— Thank you for letting me know — Alexander says — Do you suspect anyone?
— I came myself, because I don't trust anyone — the man replies. Alexander curses under his breath and takes a deep breath before saying — I'll handle this myself.
Alexander stands up and says — One of my bodyguards will stay with you. Don't talk to anyone. — He orders, then turns to his bodyguard — Botero, make sure no one knows your location.
The burly man in a suit nods, and Alexander leaves. On his way home, he calls his contact. — I need you to bring your men here right now.
Once home, he calls his housekeeper — Dove, where are you?
— Here, sir! — the woman says, coming out of the kitchen.
— Is he here already? — he asks.
— Yes, I was preparing sandwiches.
— That won't be necessary — he says heatedly — Sadler, I want them prepared for me — Alexander orders the bodyguard accompanying him.
Meanwhile, he walks to his study and pours himself a shot of tequila to calm down. He takes the key from around his neck and pulls out the golden gun from one of the desk drawers, reloading it with red bullets. Alexander heads to the entrance where Farid Sadler is waiting to take him to some underground cellars on the outskirts of the city.
The first thing he sees when he enters the basement is four men with their hands tied behind their backs and red cloth bags over their heads to prevent any of them from recognizing him. — The Animal is here — the bodyguard announces.
Alexander approaches slowly, putting on a pair of black leather gloves — This is what's going to happen — he says — I'm going to count to six, and if you don't give me a convincing answer, you'll have to disappear — Says this as he takes off his trench coat and hands it to Sadler.
— What are we doing here? — one of them asks. He's the second one from the left.
— Since you're so enthusiastic, I'll start with you — Alexander says. He removes the hood, but the man still can't see because he's blindfolded.
For hours after dawn, Alexander remained in the basement, beating the third of the bound men. His wrists ached from hours of prolonged swinging of the metal bat he used to torture them. — Who's the informant? Who placed the chip? — Alexander asks, addressing the last men in line. This time, he removes their blindfolds so they can see their surroundings.
They both stare at one of the men, his red eyes wide open, his mouth on the other side of his head, his hands twisted. The second man is practically headless, his head resembling a mound of raw flesh in mid-air. A sharp blow to the face stuns one, and an impact to the arm strikes the other. — What do you have for me? — Alexander says, sweating with exhaustion, but he remains focused on his objective.
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After a couple of hours, Alexander emerges from those warehouses, his clothes and face covered in blood. — It's only a matter of time before they start looking for them — Animal says — Make some fertilizer for your grandfather's garden if you want. I don't want any trace of them.
— Yes, sir — Sadler replies with his eyes on the road.
— I'll have to clear my schedule this week — Animal remarks — I'll meet with the families.