His Walking Heart

I'm usually able to focus during meetings, but today I'm more irritated than normal. And the nervous, tiny man presenting our quarterly numbers, proving how well my properties are performing, is making me lose my patience. Every time I look at him, I grind my teeth and glance at my watch, waiting for him to be done. I glance over and see one of my men whispering to the others and looking at me with urgency.

Finally, something interesting. I slowly stand up, causing my accountant to jump and stammer some more. I button up my suit and nod at my guards that I’m ready to leave. As I turn to go, the accountant says,

“Sir, um, Mr. Fischer. One last thing. Your fiancée spent a lot of money this past month. I know it’s not my place, but if she keeps spending like this, it will make a dent in our bottom line.”

While clenching my jaw, I say, “You’re right, it’s not your place. Do you think I am a fool who doesn’t know what my woman is doing?”

He broke out in a sweat and started patting his head with a handkerchief while stammering, “N-no, sir, I would never think that of you. My apologies.”

“Good, now leave.”

As I dismissed him, I felt a mixture of irritation and satisfaction watching him stumble away. My sister Adela looked at me while shaking her head.

“You do not need to be so cruel, Adrian. You know he already fears you, and that took some guts to tell you about Megan’s spending habits.”

I glared at my sister, but as always, she was unaffected by me. Annoyed, I turn to take care of business. Before walking away, I glance back at her and say, “I’ll deal with her later.”

Adela just rolls her eyes and gathers up the remaining documents. Despite my sister and me looking so similar with our dark brown hair and dark eyes, we are nothing alike. She can still be playful and loving, even though our lives are constantly surrounded by dangerous people. I will never understand.

I felt secure in my reputation as an untouchable force in the underworld. No one dared challenge me directly. I had too much control over their money, and I held many of their secrets.

Pushing back from the table, I grabbed my jacket and stepped out into the midst of oblivious guests enjoying their leisure, the contrast sharpening my focus as I headed for the door. The drive to the small farm at the edge of the resort was quick, the property doubling as a front for my sister's farm-to-table restaurant.

It was a beautiful piece of land that would usually bring me peace. Its fields and barns blend seamlessly into the luxurious grounds. And a small collection of farm animals, including some well-fed pigs who served another purpose today.

Today, they would serve a far grimmer purpose.

Vasile, the enforcer who'd betrayed us by skimming funds and leaking information that could have unraveled our laundered finances, waited inside, bound and beaten in that dim, blood-scented room. As I entered, I maintained my composure, my mind fixed on the line he'd crossed, though I felt no need for theatrics, just ruthless efficiency to protect what I'd built.

"You crossed a line," I said, circling him with steady steps as he mumbled through his gag, his wide eyes betraying his fear. I didn't hesitate. With a quick, decisive motion, I ended it with a swift, brutal slice to his throat. His gurgled cries left me with a sense of closure rather than any twisted satisfaction.

I had my men dispose of the body, chopped up and fed to the pigs, a grim necessity that was handled methodically, wiping my hands clean as I turned to leave, the peaceful exterior of the farm mocking the violence I'd just committed.

That's when I spotted my daughter Lilac just beyond the fence, playing innocently with a handful of wildflowers, her small form a bright spot amid the shadows. At seven years old, her autism shaped our world into one of quiet focus and bursts of joy, and seeing her there stirred a fierce protectiveness in me, especially after what I'd just done. Carla, the nanny, stood nearby, glued to her phone.

I approached with a firm but controlled stride, keeping my voice even as I said, "You weren't watching her closely enough." She stammered an apology, explaining how Lilac had slipped away, but I cut her off sharply. "This won't happen again. You're no longer needed here."

I knelt gently beside Lilac, who had paused her play and looked up at me with those trusting eyes that always melted my resolve. "It's okay, let's go back," I said softly, extending my hand, and she reached out to grip my fingers with quiet assurance. Lifting her into my arms, I held her close as we walked away from the farm. Her head was resting against my shoulder, easing the tension in my chest with her innocent warmth.

The return to the resort blurred by in a haze of focused thoughts, and once we were in the family suite, I set her down among her favorite toys and joined her on the floor to build block towers with patient encouragement. Watching her face light up with that light, bringing laughter, grounded me and reminded me of what truly mattered beyond the empire's endless demands.

By evening, the warm scents of my mother's cooking, traditional sarmale, filled the air like a comforting shield. She moved about the kitchen, greeting us with a nod and saying in Romanian, "You've brought her home safely," though I translated it in my mind as she always did. She called Lilac by her nickname, Crina, meaning little flower, and she responded with a few soft, broken syllables, her way of connecting that I cherished. Adela relaxed on the couch, flipping through a magazine, and turned to me with a casual question.

"I heard you fired another nanny. Everything sorted out?"

I settled into a chair, placing Lilac nearby with her toys, and replied steadily, "It had to be done. But I'm taking charge of the interviews now. I will not have another incompetent person around Lilac."

My mother paused her cooking, giving me a knowing look.

"That's wise, my son. Remember, family is our strength."

As the evening unfolded, the conversation shifted to lighter matters. Still, mynd lingered on the need to safeguard Lilac, a resolve that burned brighter than any threat from the shadows, fueling my determination to keep our world intact.