Chapter 7: Murderous Eyes

The old chauffeur from the next car in line behind the Bentley had the same thought circling around his head. He didn't dare to honk the car horn like an impatient brute wanting to scald the name of the powerful general. He remained lenient in his seat, his fingers fidgeting against the steering wheel nervously as the muffled voices outside continuously rang to his ears.

He lifts his chin and glance at the rear-view mirror. His keen eyes pierce through the small sliding window, wide enough for a head to peek through as it was the only transparent surface separating the front row from the wide backseat. The LED lights attached to the sides glowed, brightening the area, but the soft touch didn’t reach the farthest seat where he focused his eyes at. It was glum and too quiet. No one could tell if there was really a person breathing behind him.

A lady is spotted lounging comfortably in the corner of the backseat with her usual glamorous and placid mystique.

Taking a peek of her face was hardly possible with the humidifier emitting mist in the air and her bangs covering her heart shape face between the locks of her neck-length hair.

Slowly the woman lifts her head, her fiery eyes finally shot up to survey her surroundings outside the window. She was too engrossed at the document in her hands she didn’t notice they have arrived. Her brow arches seeing they were far from the entrance, causing her head to snap towards her chauffeur, who met her gaze briefly before he looks away immediately, flustered.

The woman was no other than the enigmatic daughter of the present general, the precious belle of the Solomon household. The chauffeur gulps. He doesn’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing the young lady’s attention was drawn away from the document.

"The car stopped," her voice lacked warmth and emotion.

The chauffeur shuddered, holding his glasses in place as he memorized the plate number of the Bentley ahead of them, “Ah yes, there’s a car ahead milady,” he’ll be lying if he wouldn’t admit he finds the lady intimidating. He couldn’t read her thoughts with her deadpan expression and emotionless eyes.

"Ms. Ivee, I believe there's an important guest they're welcoming," her youngest butler, Marvin, responded and laid out her buzzing phone in his hands when it rung inside her bag.

"I see,” Ivee, the so called unica iha of General Solomon spoke calmly. Concealed from her butler and chauffeur seated beside and before her was her growing temper. Never had she thought such place was making her wait when the name of her father alone could waver the hearts of an entire country. She knew the staffs weren’t blind to not recognize the customized logo in front of the hood of the limousine.

Every civilian who had the privilege to lay their eyes on the three stars logo on their vehicles will choose to hide and run away with 'fear' imprinted inside their heads, but today they’re daring enough to ignore that. Despite the growing annoyance she still manages to display an impassive image, her face screaming with disinterest under the sight of her people accompanying her for an important day.

Today was the showing of a well-known biographical film directed by a famous director from the south and her older brother, the eldest among the other two older male siblings she has is an unprofessional actor with zero experience in the entertainment circle. He was fortunately chosen to portray the role of the male lead which she persuaded him to accept.

Ivee wants to know how bad the movie gets so she could laugh her worries away, despite knowing some of the film's brutality was captured live on scene.

“Milady, your phone call,” the butler drops his head for respect.

The composed young woman had no choice but to pick up the phone call, seeing the persistent caller was her mother.

Ten minutes later, at last Hillary had successfully woken up the sleeping kitten in her arms. She made sure he looked presentable by sparing another few minutes of grooming him. She gently wiped his entire face with wet wipes, fixed his hair by brushing through his thick and healthy strands with her fingers, and lastly softening his knitted brows before she knocks on the car window, signaling her chauffeur.

She doesn’t want to wake him from his nap, but she knows he’d rather enjoy the cinema than staying in the mansion.

Kieran familiarizes the details of the place where the Bentley had long stopped and once the sun went through the slightest opening of the door, he pushed it open impatiently, startling his mother’s chauffeur. He doesn’t want her to spare efforts at such thing. He got off from his mother's lap, stepping out of the car. He stood by the thick carpet, hands on both sides, and his eyes were now studying the movements of his surroundings.

With his sudden presence, the audience held their breaths. They were not expecting such fine child would step out from the car.

Kieran gave his mother’s chauffeur a stern nod beside him as he turns his back against the crowd. He humbly offers his palm towards his mother with his other hand holding the door open. He held her hand with care, trying his best to assist her out of the door.

The crowd was left in awe and their transfixed gazes divert towards the lady stepping out after the child, her simple movements of getting off the car carried natural elegance. A warm smile was plastered on her face that captured the hearts of the audience. How can such person emit elegance by just stepping out of the car?

"I’m sorry for the inconvenience," Hillary apologizes towards the staffs and bowed her head sligthly to the car next to them.

She was well aware of the limousine's logo as she has been glancing towards it from the rear-view mirror inside the Bentley while waking up her stubborn little devil. She didn't know the general would visit such place or perhaps it's his wife who's inside the car?

"Mother," Kieran called out, earning her entire attention.

She arches her brow, hearing he sounded displeased and his forehead was creased again in disagreement, "What is it? Are you still sleepy?" She heavily sighs. If he really was sleepy, they could just head back towards the mansion instead.

He shook his head, "Mother, you shouldn't apologize. It's their job to wait. We didn't do something that would make them apprehend us," Kieran reach for his mother’s hand, looking up at the staffs bleakly. What are they still doing here? 

Hillary squeeze his hand lightly, warning him that his attitude was out of place. He’s acting up again.

The crowd flinches at his antiseptic arrogance and the brittle coldness in his bright green eyes. The staffs blinked by hearing the young boy’s deadpanned voice. They were too agitated for a moment to have admired how fetching his eyes were.

Indeed it was their job to wait, not that they complain about it though. Their eyes peek at the woman before them . . . it was worth the wait.

“Tell her it is,” Kieran grits his teeth.

His voice really lacks affection, it’s almost too alarming to believe such child holds a significant authority he instinctively produces among the people near him.

“Of course, it’s our job to wait, ma’am,” they immediately agreed. The child’s absolutely manipulative.

They thought that the color of his eyes was somewhat familiar. Suddenly a chill ran down their spine, leaving them surprised and baffled.

What?

They all held their breaths at the silence around them with the busy highway buzzing through the background. Rest assured this is their first encounter with the child as well as their first time to ever lay their eyes at such charming child, but one more blinding curiosity brought their lips to thin.

What’s a child doing here in the cinema theatre when there are no R-13 movies featured the next four weeks?

"Move," his eerie voice invoked dark nightmares towards the staffs who hesitated to move a muscle, gladly their manager had quickly appeared to their rescue as their knees almost gave out and betrayed them.

What was the ruckus all about? Apart from the manager who knew the situation better, a few people who witnessed the scene had the same question inside their heads, but still at lost in bewilderment at the child's fine mix of features. They were too fascinated with the perfect mother and son picture lay before them that they had no idea their sudden pause caused the other people who also arrived just now to wait with them.

The long arrays of cars next in line to the general's limousine had dared honk their car horns, causing the manager to pale at such distressing situation. This is a mess! She had expected everything will sail smoothly, especially when they have important guests to welcome in today’s schedule.

Unbeknownst the media staffs who went undercover to disguise themselves in the crowd in order to interview and get juicy compliments from the celebrities coming to see the film focused their eyes at the guests on the grand carpet. It’s been years since the theatre laid out the thick red velvet carpet, but what’s disappointing was they couldn't distinguish the child or the woman's identity standing a few meters away from them.

Who are they? What's happening? When their prying eyes caught a glimpse of the general's car logo from afar, they paled. No, the media company where they had worked will go bankrupt once they had not taken the general's order by heart. No none-sense headlines related to his family or else he would bring hell to anyone who dared to ignore his words as he speaks. That was the death dealing words the general said in a public conference related to the recent scandal of his beloved daughter that brought every media company to be under red flag from the military.

Everyone knows how doting the general is towards his daughter. Without making it obvious they head back, blending expertly in the crowd as they escape the horrendous scene.

Hillary could only sigh at her son’s arrogance. Her eyes center at her mischievous boy, studying his vigilant movements beside her. She finds his arrogant behavior unacceptable. She knew no matter how she nags at him, she had still expected this to happen. What amused her more was that he really dared to scold her for apologizing.

Lee shakes his head in disapproval, warning the manager who had walked her way towards the heiress, but unfortunately she had not seen his warning stares. Lee's lips thinned as he study the young boy's solid reaction towards another stray stranger who had stood too close to the boy's liking.

"Scram!" He yelled just like a spoiled master he is and Lee knew better that the young boy's temper was very minimal, especially when he had already provided a command.

The young boy's eyes were lit with fire, burning through the manager's head as her welcoming smile fades. The same expression from the staffs goes to the manager, she was bewildered with confusion. She was hesitating to stay or leave because of the boy’s dreadful eyes . . .  a gaze that could kill.

What was this young man so capable of? The public gossiped from the corner, still unable to recognize the child and the woman from any renowned family they could think of. Were they new? They haven't checked the latest headlines but they had this inkling theory that they were related to the company who had an anonymous leader who raised its fame and power to extent two years ago.

They must be! Who else from the big five companies was unknown in the society's eyes?