Past Memories
The dimly lit room was veiled in shadows, with only a few streaks of amber light filtering through the curtains. Wisps of cigarette smoke drifted lazily through the air, giving the room an almost haunting atmosphere.
A man sat on an expensive leather sofa as though he owned the world. His broad shoulders filled the space effortlessly, his muscular frame impossible to ignore. The loose black robe hanging from his body did little to conceal his well-built physique. Defined biceps and sculpted abs were visible beneath the partially open fabric, making him look every bit as intimidating as a king upon his throne.
One arm rested lazily across the back of the sofa, while the other held a crystal glass filled with whiskey. Between his fingers, a cigarette burned slowly as he exhaled a cloud of smoke, his sharp eyes fixed somewhere in the darkness.
An armed man stood respectfully before him, waiting for orders.
The man on the sofa finally broke the silence, his deep voice calm yet carrying an unmistakable edge.
“I wonder where she is now...”
He took another slow sip of his drink before letting out a quiet chuckle.
“I wonder what she looks like.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as an old memory resurfaced.
“She once promised me...” he murmured, almost to himself. “She said that when she grew up, she’d marry me.”
His expression softened for the briefest moment before returning to its usual unreadable calm.
“It’s been ten years since that day.”
The room fell silent once again, broken only by the crackling sound of the burning cigarette and the soft clink of ice against the glass in his hand.
Suddenly,
A sharp knock at the door shattered the silence.
Before he could respond, one of his men stepped inside, followed by two guards who were dragging a battered man between them. His face was bruised, his clothes were stained with dirt and blood, and sheer terror was etched across his features.
The guard forced him onto his knees.
“Boss,” the man said respectfully, lowering his head. “We’ve caught him.”
He tossed a thick file onto the desk before continuing, “He’s the traitor. He sold our information to the enemy.”
Andrew Romano, the mafia boss, didn’t answer immediately.
Only then did he lift his cold, emotionless gaze toward the trembling man kneeling before him. The traitor’s breathing grew uneven under those piercing eyes. He opened his mouth, desperate to explain himself.
“B-Boss... I can explain. Please, it wasn’t—”
He raised a single finger.
The room fell silent.
Without uttering a single word, he gave a slight nod.
That was all. His men understood the command instantly. One by one, they nodded in acknowledgment before leaving to carry out his orders.
No further instructions were needed.
“Yes, Boss,” they replied in unison.
The guards seized the traitor by the arms and dragged him toward the door. His desperate pleas echoed through the room.
“Boss, please! Give me one chance! I swear I’ll never betray you again! Please...!”
He never looked at him again.
His expression didn’t change.
As the heavy doors closed behind them, the screams gradually faded into the distance, leaving the room engulfed in silence once more.
He remained standing beside his desk, his face as cold and impassive as stone—as if the life that had just been condemned meant nothing at all.
His eyes wandered across the table until they settled on an old leather-bound diary lying near the edge. Its worn cover carried the marks of time, yet it had been carefully preserved, as though it held something too precious to lose.
Slowly, he reached for it.
His fingers traced the faded leather for a brief moment before he opened it with surprising gentleness.
Tucked neatly between its pages was a single photograph.
The instant his eyes fell upon it, the hardened expression he always wore began to soften. A faint smile appeared on his lips—a smile so rare that almost no one had ever witnessed it.
He carefully lifted the photograph from the diary, his thumb brushing lightly across its surface.
Olivia...
Her name escaped only in his thoughts, yet it echoed louder than any words he could have spoken.
Where are you...?
His gaze remained fixed on her smiling face as memories he had spent years burying slowly resurfaced.
In the blink of an eye, he was no longer standing in his office.
He was back at the foster home.
The vibrant garden stretched before him, bathed in warm afternoon sunlight. Bright flowers swayed gently in the breeze, and the sound of children’s laughter filled the air.
There she was.
A little girl with sparkling eyes and an infectious smile, running across the grass with carefree joy.
“Catch me if you can!” she had laughed, her voice light and full of life.
He remembered chasing after her through the winding garden paths, both of them laughing until they could barely breathe. They had hidden behind bushes, climbed the old oak tree despite being warned not to, and spent hours making childish promises about never leaving each other’s side.
To everyone else, they had simply been two children in a foster home.
But to him...
She had been his family.
His safest place.
The one person who had made even the darkest days feel bearable.
Whenever he felt scared, she had been there to reassure him. Whenever she cried, he had promised to protect her, no matter what happened.
They had believed they would always stay together.
Life, however, had other plans.
The memories slowly faded, pulling him back into the cold silence of the present.
The smile lingering on his lips gradually disappeared.
A shadow of sorrow settled over his face, and his eyes, moments ago filled with warmth, now carried a pain that years had never managed to erase.
He lowered his gaze to the photograph once more, gently tracing her face with his thumb as though afraid that even this faded image might one day disappear.
A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
Olivia... where are you now?
I’ve searched everywhere I could.
Every city... every lead... every person who might have known something.
Yet it’s as if the world itself has hidden you from me.
His jaw tightened, frustration and helplessness battling beneath his calm exterior.
How much farther do I have to go?
Where else am I supposed to search?
How many more years must pass before I finally find you?
He stared at the photograph for a long time, his eyes glistening with emotions he never allowed anyone else to see.
To the world, he was a man people feared.
Cold.
Unshakable.
Impossible to break.
But in that quiet room, holding nothing more than an old photograph, he was simply a boy who had never stopped searching for the only person he had ever called home.
He stood silently before the floor-to-ceiling window, his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers as he stared out at the glittering city below. Thousands of lights illuminated the skyline, yet none of them could distract him from the thoughts weighing heavily on his mind.
His expression was unreadable, but his eyes betrayed the storm raging beneath his calm exterior.
The silence didn’t last long.
The office door burst open without warning.
“Baby!”
A cheerful voice echoed through the room as Avalon Sullivan strode inside without waiting for permission. Dressed elegantly and wearing a radiant smile, she walked straight toward him.
Before he could react, she slipped her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek against his broad back.
“There you are,” she said playfully. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
His jaw tightened.
Without the slightest hesitation, he pried her hands away and stepped out of her embrace, creating a deliberate distance between them.
“I’ve told you countless times,” he said coldly, not even bothering to look at her, “don’t touch me.”
Her smile faltered for a split second, though she quickly masked it.
“You don’t have to be so rude,” she muttered with a pout.
“I don’t have time for this.”
His voice was as emotionless as ever.
“I have work to do.”
With that, he turned toward the door, intending to leave.
Before he could take another step, another knock sounded.
One of his trusted men entered the office immediately after receiving permission. Keeping his head lowered, he spoke respectfully.
“Boss...”
He stopped walking.
“We still haven’t found any trace of the girl.”
The room fell silent.
For a brief moment, his expression darkened, disappointment flickering across his face before it was buried beneath his usual icy composure.
“Keep searching,” he ordered in a low, commanding voice. “I don’t care how long it takes or how much it costs. Search every city, every orphanage, every record, every person who might know something.”
His piercing gaze settled on the man.
“And don’t come back empty-handed.”
“Yes, Boss.”
The guard bowed respectfully before stepping aside. Without sparing Avalon another glance, he walked past and left the office with his subordinate.
She remained standing alone in the silent room, her smile gone. As the door closed behind him, her eyes filled with frustration and quiet heartbreak. She had tried for years to win Andrew Romano’s heart.
Yet no matter how hard she tried...
She failed.
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