45 – Cypress Mosaic

Elian ​trudged ​out ​of ​the building. He ​had ​never ​felt ​such ​a sense of helplessness ​in ​his life. Even ​as he witnessed ​a ​truck ​rushing ​toward ​his ​mother with his ​own ​eyes, ​it felt as ​though there was absolutely ​nothing he ​could do. ​The ground ​felt as ​if ​it ​were falling away ​beneath his ​feet.

With his head hanging ​low, Elian was heading ​toward the main gate ​when he ​suddenly ​came to a halt.

A small, pitch-black ​stone was sparkling under ​the ​light ​on ​the ​driveway. He picked ​it up ​instinctively.

“……”

It ​was a thumb-nail-sized ​badge, ​a golden crescent moon engraved ​on black ​onyx. ​It was the ​exact ​same ​badge ​the ​employees he ​had ​seen inside ​the building were wearing.

He slipped it into ​his pocket and ​exited through the ​main gate. A burly ​security guard ​looked at Elian’s ​expression, ​clicked his tongue, ​and shook his ​head. It ​was ​a reaction ​that ​suggested he ​had ​expected this ​result.

Elian ​walked ​slowly toward his ​car ​along the ​path, ​which ​was ​as perfectly manicured as a movie set. From the opposite direction, a car was driving up the road. Even to Elian, who knew little and cared even less about cars, it was an exceptionally high-end vehicle. The car, which looked elegant despite its massive size, glided smoothly along the road and passed by him. Since there were hardly any people or other cars around, it caught Elian’s attention.

A car the color of wine mixed with blood—nearly burgundy.

As if drawn by something, Elian looked back.

The car had slowed down and was signaling to prepare for a right turn.

It was heading toward the [Read on Read BL Novels]North River Biomedical visit our sitebuilding. Elian stopped completely and turned around.

The iron gates, which had been so firmly shut in front of Elian, slid open on their own, and the car glided inside.

At that moment, Elian’s gaze fixed on the car’s wheels.

On the center wheel cap, where a car manufacturer’s emblem would normally be, there was a unique ornament.

It was an antique coat of arms consisting of a shield, a crescent moon, and a griffin—the kind that might be used by a traditional school or an old, prestigious family.

Elian’s eyes narrowed. He felt as though he had seen that emblem somewhere before. He bit his lip, searching through his memories. In the meantime, the car had vanished completely. Elian slowly turned around and began walking again.

The temperature was chilly, but the sun was strangely bright. It was a neighborhood where even nature felt fake.

Just as Elian reached his car and was about to open the driver’s side door, he froze. He snapped his head up as if someone had grabbed him by the hair from behind. He turned and stared in the direction the car had disappeared. He was practically glaring.

A coat of arms consisting of a shield, a crescent moon, and a griffin.

He remembered exactly where he had seen it.

It was the emblem of the Lockhart family, the owners of a conglomerate that every American knew.

■

A hotel suite overlooking Central Park. The changing colors of the trees signaled the shift in seasons. Like a wine that gains [unauthorized copy]visit our siteflavor as time passes, the New York sky was deepening day by day. It was unmistakably autumn.

Lorenz Lockhart and his blind date sat facing each other in the suite’s living room. The location had been chosen to avoid the gaze of the public and the press. It also reflected Lorenz’s preference for avoiding public exposure.

While hotel staff set up a tea set on the table from a cart, Lorenz exchanged a few customary words with his companion.

“I heard you like this hotel.”

“Yes, I have many childhood memories here. Do you visit often, Mr. Lockhart?”

“No, not particularly…”

“You’re close to the Sterling Vale Hotel, aren’t you?”

“That’s correct. My father is an Ashford alumnus with the chairman there, and they’ve collaborated on several real estate development projects.”

The companion, who had black hair and equally pitch-black eyes, continued the conversation in a pleasant tone.

“The Sterling Vale is a wonderful hotel, of course, but the buffet restaurant here is quite excellent. It’s the best in Manhattan. Oh, perhaps buffet restaurants aren’t to your taste?”

“I simply haven’t had the opportunity; it’s not that I avoid them.”

The woman smiled silently at Lorenz.

It was a smile that clearly mocked the young scion unauthorized copyof a chaebol family, suggesting that he had likely never done something unauthorized copyas mundane [stolen content]as holding a plate and standing in line for king crab at a buffet.

Lorenz sneered inwardly. She was also from a prestigious family and had never experienced a single day of ordinary hardship. Was she trying to act as if she had weathered the storms of the world just because she had frequented a hotel buffet? He found it laughable.

Adriana Wesley.

His date was a female Omega two years younger than Lorenz, hailing from a prestigious political family.

Because of his illness, Lorenz wanted to avoid an Omega spouse as much as possible. However, if he only went on blind dates with Beta women, it might conversely raise suspicions that he was ill. Besides, this was merely an arranged marriage. There was no need for them to spend all day together whispering words of love, nor would they share a bedroom. He didn’t need to worry about a spouse’s everyday level of Pheromones. Since they wouldn’t be in love, there was no reason to engage in Pheromone sex even if they slept together by mutual agreement.

In fact, even now, he felt no special Pheromones from her. Even though she was likely emitting everyday Pheromones at a PRL level of around 25, Lorenz’s condition remained normal.

Above all, she possessed what he needed most right now: political influence.

Even if this was a rushed marriage due to the issue of selecting a successor, he had no intention of choosing a partner carelessly. Marriage was an opportunity to expand or solidify power, and missing such an opportunity was unthinkable for Lorenz.

After the hotel staff withdrew, only the two parties to the blind date remained on the wide sofa set.

Lorenz began the real conversation.

“I believe Mr. Wesley is running for re-election to the Senate this time.”

Edward Wesley—elected to the House of Representatives for three terms before winning a Senate seat, and currently challenging for a second Senate term. He was the father of his date.

“Yes, he’s in the middle of his campaign.”

“All the media are predicting his re-election as a certainty.”

Adriana, who had chosen coffee instead of black tea, took a sip and suddenly posed a question as she set the cup down.

“What do you think, Mr. Lockhart?”

Her expression was one of curiosity, as if she were testing how he would respond.

Green eyes, which rarely revealed preference or dislike, looked directly at her.

“May I be honest?”

“Of course.”

Lorenz took a sip of tea, placed the cup back on the saucer, and conveyed his thoughts in a calm voice.

“If I had judged that Mr. Wesley’s re-election would be difficult, this meeting today would not have come to fruition.”

Haha. Adriana threw her head back and let out a hearty laugh. Rather than being offended by Lorenz’s blunt revelation of the truth, she seemed to find it refreshing.

With a lingering smile on her face, she nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. I imagine that’s how it was. The [stolen content]reason my parents have considered you as my marriage partner for a long time is similar. They believe that stolen contentif my father runs for [visit our site]president, you would be a great source of strength.”

“Miss Wesley is just as honest as I am.”

Black eyes, sparkling with a clear light, met Lorenz’s gaze head-on. The smile had already vanished from her face.

“I also hate wasting time very much, just like you, Mr. Lockhart.”

He had already researched her reputation to some extent. She likely had done the same for him.

Meeting her in person, Adriana seemed to be exactly as the public described: sociable and straightforward, but simultaneously bold and blunt. She had the kind of personality that could decisively elicit both the loyalty of allies and the hostility of enemies. Lorenz didn’t dislike it. It was because of his own temperament, which preferred laying cards on the table and dealing directly over a psychological war of constant internal calculation. However, of course, he was prepared to be more meticulous than anyone else in situations where calculation was necessary.

“But… it seems the situation has changed a bit.”

She began, picking up her coffee cup again. An atmosphere of hesitation lingered. Lorenz kept his gaze on her, waiting for the rest.

“I heard a rumor.”

“What rumor are you referring to?”

“That there are now three candidates for the successor.”

“Ah.”

Lorenz responded nonchalantly, as if asking if that was all. It was visit our sitea reaction that showed the other candidates were not a threat to [stolen content]him at all. He maintained a relaxed unauthorized copydemeanor, a faint smile playing on his lips.