MasukShare
Chapter 5
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-24 13:38:08Although it was past lunchtime, customers were sparsely seen in the restaurant. Leo walked straight inside without the waiter's guidance. Judging by the fact that the waiter saw him but didn't approach, he seemed to either have received prior notice or was acquainted with him.
"I've brought him," Leo said briefly as he stopped in front of a table. His tone was identical to when he had threatened Eugene by pressing a gun against his stomach earlier.
Two men were sitting at the four-person table. Both were elderly with white hair, and their elegant suits were particularly eye-catching.
One of the elderly men looked at Eugene standing behind Leo and put down the fork and knife he was holding. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and gestured for Eugene to sit in the empty seat across from him. Eugene hesitated to move and looked at Leo. Leo nodded slightly as if telling him to do as instructed and pulled out the chair for him.
Once Eugene sat down, Leo turned around as if his job was done. He walked to a window table some distance away, sat down, ordered food, and opened a newspaper.
Eugene turned his gaze to his table as slowly as possible. The two elderly men were staring intently at Eugene's face, as if by prior arrangement.
Suits. Italians. Given what happened last night, these two details alone were enough to confirm that these elderly men were mafia.
The wrinkled faces of the two elderly men had quite gentle-looking impressions, so at least at first glance or outwardly, they didn't appear to be mafia at all. Of course, that didn't mean Eugene wasn't tense. Was it because he had anticipated this? Or was it the atmosphere naturally emanating from them? His mouth went completely dry.
"Eugene Biscetti, is it?" asked the elderly man sitting across from him. Eugene was startled and momentarily held his breath before nodding with a delayed "...Yes." At that, the elderly man's expressionless face transformed completely, breaking into a smile.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Biscetti. My name is Ricardo Luciano."
The elderly man who introduced himself as Ricardo Luciano extended his hand. Eugene carefully reached out and shook it. His hand was as wrinkled as his face. The short, stubby fingers and callused palm felt very rough. Eugene pretended not to notice the various ugly scars engraved on the old man's hand and fingers as he withdrew his hand from the handshake.
"Mateo Martino," said the elderly man sitting to Eugene's right, extending his hand. Unlike Ricardo Luciano just before, his hand was soft without a single callus. There were no noticeable scars or calluses on his fingers or the back of his hand—a hand that didn't feel like it bore any traces of violence.
"I'm a lawyer like you," Mateo Martino said as he withdrew his hand from the handshake. Instead of feeling pleased to meet someone in the same profession, Eugene secretly clenched his fist, feeling a chill. His encounter with the blonde killer had been just this dawn. Yet these men had already figured out his occupation.
Eugene cooled his head. Taking aspirin right after waking up had been a very good decision. If he still had a headache from the hangover, it would have been difficult to think properly.
He couldn't remember exactly, but the last time he looked at his watch while emptying glasses of tequila, it was past 1 AM. If so, his encounter with the blonde killer Valentine was roughly between 2 and 3 AM. He woke up at home around 2 PM. In the end, these people had investigated Eugene's personal information within 10 to 12 hours, reached some conclusion, and summoned him here. A remarkably swift move. It was undeniably chilling.
But all things considered, the situation wasn't so desperate. If they had intended to kill him to silence him, he wouldn't have opened his eyes in his bed this morning. They wouldn't have met him in such a public place either. Perhaps they had chosen subtle intimidation instead of murder to silence him. And Eugene was perfectly willing to keep his mouth shut.
Eugene took a moment to gather his breath and then addressed Ricardo Luciano. He judged that the elderly man across from him, rather than the lawyer, held the decision-making power.
"Actually, I drank so heavily with my friends yesterday that I completely blacked out. I don't remember anything from the moment I left the bar until the moment I opened my eyes this afternoon. I was quite surprised to be summoned to an unfamiliar place as soon as I woke up. Did I perhaps make some appointment with Mr. Luciano during the night that I can't remember?"
Eugene lied very naturally. The words flowed smoothly without hesitation, and his expression was just right. These men were probably expecting something like this.
Ricardo Luciano and lawyer Mateo Martino exchanged glances and then suddenly burst into hearty laughter. Especially Ricardo Luciano, who may have choked while laughing, let out several violent coughs and then laughed out loud again. Eugene couldn't understand why they were laughing and sat expressionless.
"You'll make a very good lawyer," lawyer Mateo Martino praised, patting Eugene's shoulder in a friendly manner. It was certainly a compliment for a lawyer to be skilled at lying so naturally.
"I like this young man," said Mateo Martino, gripping Eugene's shoulder. The Italian elderly man who had introduced himself as a lawyer had deep wrinkles around his eyes from his smile.
Ricardo Luciano's attitude was different. He held a wine glass and stared blankly at Eugene's face. His black eyes, characteristic of Italians, emitted a strong light, unusual for an elderly man. Eugene's spine unconsciously stiffened under that gaze, which seemed to be assessing his innermost thoughts. The stare continued for a long time in silence. The lawyer sitting beside him, apparently accustomed to such things, was calmly drinking his wine.
Two female customers at a distant table burst into laughter during their conversation. At a nearby table, a couple began arguing in sharp voices. These were very ordinary scenes and sounds. Eugene was also sitting amidst this scenery, yet it felt unreal. His eyes were captivated solely by Ricardo Luciano's black eyes. It felt like a tense moment where the elderly man before him might pull out a gun and put a bullet between his eyes at any second.
Ricardo Luciano's black eyes, which had been chaining Eugene's gaze, suddenly turned in another direction. Only then did Eugene break free from the chain of gazes and relax the shoulder muscles he had been tensing.
Bab terkait
I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 6
"Oh, Angel!" Ricardo Luciano exclaimed happily, embracing a man who approached his side. The tall man in casual attire bent his waist considerably to allow Luciano to embrace him and received kisses on both cheeks.The man who had been embraced and kissed by Luciano straightened his waist. The blue eyes of the remarkably tall man immediately turned toward Eugene. Eugene involuntarily stopped breathing when he saw the man's face. It was the blonde killer, Valentine.While Eugene remained frozen, the blonde killer also exchanged Italian greetings with lawyer Mateo Martino. After completing the greetings, he fixed his gaze on Eugene again and sat down in the seat next to him.Valentine's blue eyes did not leave Eugene's face. Eugene stubbornly kept his gaze fixed straight ahead. He didn't want to make eye contact with him. Luciano looked alternately at Valentine and Eugene, then smiled deeply, creating deep wrinkles around his eyes."Our Angel has always been very particular about people
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 7
The place Valentine guided him to was the entrance of a store located at the corner of the first floor of the building.Ding-a-ling.A small bell rang as he pushed the door. Eugene momentarily stopped moving, surprised by the unexpected interior of the store.The colorful candies filling each wall and display case overwhelmed the view. Round and flat lollipops, cane-shaped candies, various flavored lollipops, and long, round display tubes filled with candies and jellies. Small candy bags and large candy bags. Candies of all colors, flavors, and shapes filled the spacious store.After briefly surveying the array of candies, Eugene's eyes caught the front glass window of the store. The store name was written in colorful letters on the glass window."Candy Store"He scanned the other front glass window and the interior of the store, but no other store name was visible. Candy Store. That was simply the name of the store.Though it appeared narrow and cluttered at first glance due to the d
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 8
Perhaps it was simply the mentality of playing with prey before killing it. Angel often did the same when catching cockroaches. The fat cat would tap the cockroach with its front paws, making it run around, and when it got bored of that, it would tear off the antennae and legs one by one and watch it struggle. When Eugene couldn't stand it anymore and wrapped the cockroach in tissue to flush it down the toilet, only then would the cat lose interest and slink under the bed to take a nap. If Valentine planned to play with Eugene before killing him, unlike the cockroach, his final destination wouldn't be the toilet but the bottom of the Brooklyn harbor or the East River, not far from here."Shouldn't we pay for these first?"Eugene quietly asked instead of accepting the bag."I'm the owner here. You like candy, don't you?"Valentine asked with a bright smile. This blonde beauty who owned the candy store—something Eugene hadn't realized last night—seemed slightly dimwitted when speaking i
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 9
As soon as the car started moving, Valentine placed his hand over Eugene's again. Though it was the second time this had happened, Eugene was still flustered enough to bite his tongue. When their eyes met, Valentine slightly crinkled the corners of his eyes in a smile that was as sweet as honey and made Eugene's heart flip.What the hell is this man trying to do with me?!Eugene asked himself the same question for the third time internally. But it was closer to shock. Whether aware of Eugene's thoughts or not, Valentine slid his fingers from Eugene's fingers to the back of his hand. The touch was so suggestive that Eugene finally understood what this man wanted with him. The blonde murderer Valentine was currently making sexual advances toward Eugene.Sexual advances, really.Eugene internally screamed and unconsciously stole a glance at a certain area. Between Valentine's legs. Though he couldn't remember at all, Eugene had sucked the thing in there last night to save his life. Not r
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 10
Instinct screamed to willingly kiss the beauty before him. But reason said something entirely different. Fortunately, Eugene was a person who knew how to suppress instinct and follow reason.Just before their lips met, Eugene succeeded in placing his hand between them. Valentine's lips collided with his palm. The sensation was disconcertingly soft and stimulating.Wrinkles formed between Valentine's brows as he was blocked just before the kiss. He looked as if he might pull out a gun and point it at Eugene's forehead at any moment."I feel like I might throw up from drinking too much."Eugene hurriedly explained. Valentine stared at Eugene's eyes for a moment with furrowed brows before taking a step back. Eugene didn't miss the opportunity and quickly said, "Well then, goodbye," before hastily closing the door, locking it, and sliding the bolt. Not content with just that, he dragged a chair over and secured it under the doorknob. Hoping this would withstand at least two kicks.After c
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 11
"He's part Asian, right? Asians generally have a strong sense of sexual virtue, so they don't have sex after just one or two dates. Some extreme ones even wait until after the wedding ceremony. That's how Asians are, isn't it?"Having said that, Leo quickly added before Valentine could explode:"Of course, since he's also half Italian, he probably won't go that far. Right, Valentine?"Valentine was silent for a moment. He seemed to be trying to think positively. Leo was amazed. Goodness! Valentine trying to exercise such patience!"...Fine. Better to have a sense of virtue than a loose behind."Valentine muttered as he withdrew the gun from the back of Leo's head."Tell Don Luciano that Eugene will work at my store from now on. He likes money, so tell him to set a generous amount.""Should I also request the law firm to handle things in advance?""Yes."Valentine leaned back in his seat. Leo finally took another large bite of his panini and drove the car. The brick-red five-story buil
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 12
But that state didn't last long. Eugene immediately began to think of a solution. If that law firm had dismissed him, he needed to find another firm as quickly as possible. However, the situation was hopeless. Since his position at B&W had been secured early on, he hadn't considered looking elsewhere. Positions at prestigious law firms would have all been filled by now. At this point, any position he could secure would come with a salary cut of more than half, or even two-thirds. That would be devastating for his career.Why? Why did this suddenly happen?"Damn it."Eugene began biting his thumbnail, a habit he'd abandoned after the age of 7. That's how shocking this situation was.As Eugene paced anxiously around the room, Angel, sensing the mood, slipped quietly under the bed. While alternately biting his nails and lower lip, Eugene glared at the phone. His acceptance to B&W had been partly due to Professor Hamilton's recommendation letter. Professor Hamilton, who considered Eugene
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-26I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 13
Eugene slowly looked around the café. The interview location Professor Hamilton had given him was a small café. This suggested that the professor's contact wasn't a law firm or large company. The fact that the interview was being held in such a place meant it was likely a private individual. Though slightly disappointed, any position recommended by Professor Hamilton was worth interviewing for."Biscetti, my boy!"Someone raised a hand from a corner table by the glass window. Due to the backlight, Eugene couldn't see clearly. He walked in that direction. As he got closer and his eyes adjusted to the light, the other person's figure became increasingly clear.An expensive, elegant suit, white hair, and a wrinkled face. Eugene stopped walking when he saw the man's face. This was the source of the creeping anxiety he'd been feeling since yesterday. Eugene inwardly sighed."How many days has it been since we last met? Please, sit down."The elderly Italian-American lawyer, Mateo Martino,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-26
Bab terbaru
I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 55
The Chirico brothers who assisted Boss Santino Colvino. Carlo Chirico was the underboss among them.Leo nodded.His mind, momentarily empty, quickly became complicated again.While car accidents happen often, the timing was far too coincidental. There was a good chance this wasn't a simple hit-and-run.The Lucianos and Belmontes, long-standing enemies.The Lucianos and Colvinos, long-standing allies.Don Luciano and Don Colvino had worried last night that Belmonte might take advantage of the Luciano organization's vulnerability following Don Luciano's cancer diagnosis. The long-standing friendship between the Lucianos and Colvinos was well known to Belmonte... What if they targeted Colvino first before striking at the Lucianos? It could be a warning to stay out of the fight between the two families."Fortunately, he wasn't seriously injured. Looks like a week in the hospital will be the end of it," Leo added.The appetite he'd felt just moments ago had already vanished. Eugene put dow
I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 54
Instead of going straight to the hospital room, Valentine gestured to Eugene, whom he had left alone until now. The waiting room's attention immediately focused on Eugene. To escape the oppressive stares, Eugene quickly moved to Valentine's side.Upon entering the hospital room, Don Luciano greeted them from his bed. Standing beside him was a familiar figure—Don Santino Colvino, boss of the Colvino Family and a longtime ally of the Luciano Family.Don Colvino embraced Valentine, then returned to Don Luciano's side and took his hand."To see you lying here like this... Our era truly seems to be ending," Don Santino said with a sad expression. Don Luciano gripped Don Colvino's hand tightly."Listen, Santino. If there's any troubling movement afterward, please take care of Claudio.""Of course. The Lucianos and Colvinos have been longtime allies, haven't they? And we will continue to be."The two bosses reaffirmed the cooperation between their Families."By the way... I'm worried about B
I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 53
"Ricky!""Don!"Everyone cried out in surprise. Valentine supported the suffering Don Luciano and held him in his arms. Don Luciano, who normally appeared large and solid as a rock, looked very small in Valentine's arms. Eugene looked at the white tablecloth on the floor. Between the broken dishes and spilled food were small red spots that looked like blood. Shifting his gaze to Don Luciano's lips confirmed it.Violent coughing and hemoptysis."Call an ambulance!"Eugene shouted toward the waiter standing in the corner of the restaurant. The fidgeting waiter snapped to attention and picked up the phone at the counter. Before long, the sound of an ambulance siren could be heard in the distance. The ominous feeling of the bell he had heard leaving the candy store scratched at the back of his mind again. The siren sound, much louder and higher than the bell from earlier, was gradually getting closer. Though it was a sound he'd heard occasionally, somehow it sounded like a warning bell to
I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 52
The place they arrived at by car was the Italian restaurant in Brooklyn where Eugene had first met Don Luciano.The entrance to the restaurant, which had been bustling with customers on his previous visits, had a "Closed" sign hanging."Oh, Angel!" Don Luciano greeted Valentine. At the table sat the consigliere Mateo Martino and the underboss Alberto Burcelli."Come, sit down," Mateo gestured. Alberto indicated the empty seats with a nod. There were three empty chairs at the large round table. Seats prepared for Valentine, Eugene, and Leo."You handled this job exceptionally well and cleanly," Don Luciano praised, patting Valentine's shoulder. Mateo smiled with his eyes as he sipped wine, and Alberto put down the newspaper he had been holding onto the table.The Miami Herald.A local Miami newspaper. A large headline was emblazoned on the front page:"BLOODY WAR BETWEEN GANGS OVER DRUG TRAFFICKING RIGHTS. THIRTY MEMBERS OF EMERGING GANG KILLED IN TWO DAYS. GANG ANNIHILATED. BRUTAL MU
I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 51
"Valentine really seems to like you, brother Eugene," Jerry said, quietly approaching from the counter where he had been sitting silently. He envied how unusually friendly Valentine was toward Eugene.Jerry, who had briefly served as a driver when everyone from the candy store was away, had continued to hang around the store afterward. But it didn't seem to be Valentine's wish. Whenever Valentine appeared, Jerry would hide in some corner and not make a sound. He was afraid of making eye contact and being thrown out of the store."Valentine really loves candy," Jerry said, unwrapping a lollipop similar to the one Valentine had taken earlier and putting it in his mouth. As a young man, Jerry wanted to imitate everything his idol Valentine did."I wonder why he likes candy so much."Hearing Jerry's muttering, Eugene smirked. Jerry's question was also Eugene's question. Valentine was a killer who took contracts from the mafia to murder people. It was only natural to wonder why such a man
I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 50
"Hey."Valentine greeted casually and turned his eyes to the television. He had a lollipop in his mouth. The crinkling sound of candy wrappers kept ringing out. Eugene looked down and saw candy wrappers at Valentine's feet and Angel playing with them.Eugene's brow furrowed. He irritably picked up the candy wrappers and put them in the trash can. The trash can was right under the coffee table, right at Valentine's feet. It was unbearable that Valentine would just drop them on the floor with the trash can clearly visible."Didn't anyone teach you to put trash in the trash can?"When Eugene complained, Valentine lightly snorted. Eugene's frown deepened. Valentine stared at Eugene for a moment, then took out the white stick from his mouth. It was an empty stick after he had finished eating the candy. Valentine showed it to Eugene conspicuously and then threw it in the trash can. The candy stick made a 'ting' sound as it hit the inside wall of the metal trash can."So you do know how."Eu
I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 49
Eugene carefully wiped the gun with a napkin from the table to remove his fingerprints, then handed it back to Valentine. Taking the gun, Valentine smiled, showing his teeth slightly."You're not just a lawyer. You're the one who will become my consigliere."With the returned gun, Valentine shot Henry Pisano in the thigh. Pfft. Despite being muffled by the silencer, the gunshot was louder than expected. The old man groaned loudly. Eugene glanced at the blood-covered old man and grabbed Valentine's wrist."Anything more is pointless.""Is that so?""End it now."When Eugene spoke firmly, Valentine made a show of considering it with a "hmm.""Claudio."Eugene gripped Valentine's wrist tightly. Eugene's hand holding Valentine's wrist was trembling slightly. Those pale blue eyes glanced at Eugene's hand firmly gripping his wrist, then gave a faint snort.Eugene finally watched as Valentine put a bullet in Henry Pisano's head. The old man's body went limp. The carpet was soaked with blood
I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 48
The two old men appeared to be longtime friends, but there was clearly a hierarchy between them. When Janni, the consigliere, spoke, Henry eventually sat back down in his seat.The air in the room was very heavy. Everyone was staring at Henry. Exposed to their gazes, the old man hunched his neck and wiped his temples and the nape of his neck with a napkin. Sweat dampened the napkin."We were old friends."Janni Alburno suddenly spoke. Henry's wrinkled neck moved slightly as if swallowing dry saliva. Henry put down the napkin he was holding and reached out to Janni."Listen, Janni."The voice calling Janni was soaked with tension, and also very desperate. Given their similar ages, the two must have known each other for decades. But there was not a hint of warmth in Janni Alburno's eyes as he looked at Henry."Take off your clothes."Janni Alburno said. Henry swallowed hard. He no longer seemed to have the luxury of hiding his tension."I said take off your clothes, Henry."Janni Alburn
I'm In Love With A Criminal Chapter 47
In a candy store where only one or two customers visit a day, there's almost nothing to do. But Jerry, whose enthusiasm reached the sky, was busy sweeping and cleaning the store all day. Moving around the store without stopping for a moment, he made it so clean that it was hard to find even a speck of dust. He put particular effort into cleaning the front glass window. In Eugene's view, Jerry was more suited for a normal job than being in the Mafia. With such diligence and industriousness, he would succeed in whatever he did. If Eugene were the owner of this store, Jerry would already be a manager."Boss, coffee."Jerry, who had gone out sometime earlier, handed over a steaming hot coffee. The good aroma made Eugene's stomach stir and saliva pool in his mouth. Good coffee always knows how to please people."Thanks."Eugene gladly accepted the coffee. Jerry made a satisfied expression. After thoroughly searching the area around the store for days, he had finally succeeded in finding a
