Chapter 2: Press Or Not?

Chapter 2: Press Or Not?

Eltan Storm

Faith's reaction after learning I was the new boss was somewhat hilarious. She froze like an ice sculpture in her spot the moment I didn't decline the claim, thus confirming her belated guess.

I got up from my seat slightly and arched an eyebrow. "So you bitch about your new boss right in front of him, and then, you say you don't care at the same time as long as you get your paycheck on time."

She bit her lip—utterly embarrassed. "... Sir—Boss... what shall I call you?"

I leaned toward her ear and whispered, "Eltan."

She took a step backward and shook her head. "No, no. How can I call my boss by his name?"

It was amusing to watch her unfiltered reaction, so I continued, "Why? You call Lance by his name."

"But Lance is Lance. You are my new boss and," she stopped talking for a while and gasped as something struck her mind. "Oh my God, I just bitched about my new boss to my new boss."

I put my hands in my pocket and agreed unrepentantly, "That you undoubtedly did."

Immediately, she looked up at me with sincere panicked eyes. "I am so sorry, Boss. Please don't fire me. I am even willing to work more hours for free as an apology," she requested, tears starting to form in her amber eyes.

My first instinct was to make those tears disappear from her eyes, that's why I took out a handkerchief from my pocket and handed it to her. "Okay, okay, don't start crying now."

She hesitantly accepted the handkerchief. "Thank you, Boss," mumbling that, she wiped the corner of her eyes.

When I looked around our surroundings and found others staring at us, I sighed and joked a little, "My other employees must be thinking I'm the rudest boss ever to have made their colleague cry the moment I stepped into the Berserkers."

"I am sorry," with that, she lowered her head. I was just joking, but it looked like she took it too seriously.

I sat on my chair again. "It's okay, Faith," as soon as I uttered her name, her gaze shot up at me. For some weird reason, it made me feel anxious. Did I make her feel uncomfortable with that? "Umm... are you okay with me calling you by your first name? Or shall I shift to Ms. Mabel?"

She seemed to consider for a moment, then she shook her head lightly. "No, you can call me anything you like. You are the boss, after all." She put the handkerchief in her apron pocket. "I will wash it and return it to you."

"No rush, don't worry about it." She nodded slightly, but then a brief awkward silence fell over between us, so I further spoke, "By the way, how many shifts do you work?"

"I work two shifts. The one which starts from the evening till early in the morning," she replied, maintaining a professional tone this time.

"You do know it's unhealthy to work for so long, right?" When she nodded, I inquired, "Is your pay worth the time and effort?"

"Of course, Boss!" she said abruptly.

I narrowed my eyes in her direction. "Did you just instantly agree because I am your boss?"

"No, I love to work here, and I'm not going to deny that the paycheck is the best attraction of this job, but there are also other perks—including free clubbing passes every day. Why will I have a reason to even hate this heavenly job?"

"You do clubbing every day?" I couldn't help but ask the moment she mentioned clubbing. It was unexpected.

She chuckled and shook her head. "No. I don't even drink alcohol."

A smile formed on my lips hearing her. I did picture her to be the good girl type.

"Why are you lying, girl?" a blonde woman chimed in, placing an empty tray in the corner.

Faith furrowed her eyebrows. "Lying about what, Candy?"

"Clubbing," the woman whom Faith addressed as Candy said.

"I don't do clubbing!" she protested, but Candy just rolled her eyes.

They continued arguing a bit while I was watching Faith with a subtle smile on my lips.

All of a sudden, my cell phone vibrated. It was a text from Denver. He used to work for Lance previously, but the moment I took over the gang, he became my left-hand man and started guiding me, considering I wasn't used to this line of work and would often invest most of my time into art while not sweating about my family's dark business. Who knew I would be the one leading it now when no one else in my family was?

Denver: Capo, Charles, and Andrew entered the casino. Time to get out and blast these assholes to hell.

I put my phone back in my pocket and turned to Faith.

"It was nice meeting you, Faith. I have to go now." I got up and she stopped arguing with Candy.

She shot me a million-dollar smile; maybe it was because of the fact that I was her boss, but it still made my heart react unusually. "See you again," the way she said those words so earnestly, stung my chest to know that we would never see each other again.

I reluctantly nodded and walked out of the casino.

Denver was waiting in the car for me, so I got into the backseat and looked at the attractive establishment with glowing lights and the huge banner on the top of the building 'Berserkers.'

"Destroy it, Capo," said Denver with a smirk.

I took out the remote from my pocket and was about to press the button. That was when those amber eyes appeared in my mind all of a sudden–that adorable smile on her face—her saying, "See you again."

Faith was inside the casino. If I exploded the Berserkers today, she would die as well. But she had piqued my interest. I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to see her smile again. It wouldn't have been the first and last time I saw her if only I didn't press the button.

But my revenge was on the line. The killers of my parents were inside, walking freely. I had worked so hard to find and bait them here tonight. Should I be letting that go for a girl whom I had met approximately fifteen minutes ago?

"Capo, what are you thinking? Those assholes will leave if you don't press the button now," Denver urged me, but my mind was stuck in the conversation I had with Faith. Her lovely face was all I could see. "Capo?" He shook my shoulder.

Finally, I snapped out of my fallacy. "Yes, Denver?" I looked down at the remote and realized my thumb was frozen over the red button. "Oh, shit, sorry. I will press it away."

A girl whom I met just a few minutes ago shouldn't be a priority in front of the revenge of my dearest people.

Denver released a disappointed sigh as he stopped me. "Too late. They figured out it was a setup and got away just now. There's no point killing thousands of innocent people now."

All of a sudden, Faith's existence disappeared from my mind, and the scenario of my parents' death was flashing in front of my eyes. The memory made my blood boil. But more than that, shame coursed through my veins.

I failed at my mission. I had been trying to catch those bastards for two years, and now that they were within my reach, I let them slip away from my fingers. And for what reason? A girl.

I couldn't be falling weak for a girl. Not after I swore that I would live to avenge my parents.

How would I ever face myself in the mirror next time? Heck, how would I see my photo of my parents again without feeling like the most incompetent son ever? Who knows when I would get the next chance to catch their murderers? Especially now they would be more cautious than ever.

I buried my face in my hands and murmured, "Drive me home."

The twenty-minute car ride felt like an eternity with me drowning in guilt.

However, once I got into my bedroom, I flopped on the bed on my stomach, burying my face in the pillow.

Amidst my guilt and rage at myself, a brief image of Faith flickered in my mind and her sweet voice 'See you again,' echoed softly in my ears.

Well, at least, something good came out of my utter failure—Faith survived. And for that, I could feel a little grateful to myself.