Fine Italian leather shoes landed on the tarmac of Mayne City. The wearer had long limbs and he wore a dark blue almost black suit with a white dress shirt that he left unbuttoned, not only one, not two… but three top buttons.

His facial hair was evidence of not shaving for three days but instead of making him look unkempt, the scruff on his structured jawline only made him look delectable. Not everyone could rock the look.

Taking off his aviator sunglasses, Gael De Luca scanned the surroundings with his deep set grey eyes as if his many bodyguards surrounding him weren’t enough to survey the area.

“Where’s my car?” he asked.

Riccardo gestured to his right, allowing his boss to see a parked red Ferrari.

“What the hell is that?!” he huffed.

“Boss… It’s a Ferrari…” Buff guy Riccardo scratched his head, unsure of what else to say about the car.

Gael threw a death glare at Riccardo, contemplating whether he should slap his head or slap his head. Of course, he knew what that car was as it was an Italian luxury car. He rolled his eyes. “I’m not an idiot, I know it’s a Ferrari. I’m asking why the hell is it red?” he asked under gritted teeth.

The air suddenly felt chilly in the middle of August. It was summer in Mayne City but because of Gael’s mood, Riccardo thought it was almost winter. How was he going to answer his boss?

“It’s a… Ferrari?” Riccardo answered with a questioning tone. Weren’t Ferraris always red?

Gael’s lip twitched upon hearing the man’s answer. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried to calm himself down. He had just landed and he wanted to avoid committing a crime right away. “It’s so flashy. Change it. I want fast and black.”

“Yes, Boss.” Riccardo had no choice but to bring the car back to where it came from and exchanged it with another.

Since Gael didn’t have his own car yet, he rode with his men and headed directly to his friends’ house in the coastal area outside of Mayne City — people whom he hadn’t seen in a while. The ride took almost an hour before he saw the Cliffside Villa at the edge of the cliff.

A small smile formed on his lips as he alighted the car after they were given permission to enter the gates. While his men stayed behind, he stood in front of the double door, waiting for his friend to open it for him.

“What the—What are you doing here?” Confusion masked Daniel Cho’s face when he saw Gael. Daniel was the Chairman of Cho Corporation. He was also a rival-turned-friend since three years ago. With his usual cold demeanor, Daniel’s welcome didn’t sound like a welcome. The bastard was only ever sweet to his wife Samantha and his two kids, Ashton and Sianna. Others could go to hell.

But this didn’t stop Gael from claiming him as his friend, because truth be told, he didn’t really have many. And despite the icy persona, he knew that Daniel also saw him as one.

“Mm… such a warm welcome.” Gael didn’t wait for Daniel, he already invited himself inside the house.

“Uncle Gael!!!” A little boy around four years old came running towards him, followed by a little girl who squealed as she ran in the same direction.

“Woah! You two have grown!” Gael picked the two kids up by the waist, carrying each in his strong arms and spun around like he was a human amusement ride. The foyer was filled with giggles and squeals from the little ones who were happy to see him after a long time.

“Gael?” Samantha appeared from the stairs, a beautiful woman whom he once took a fancy to but whose heart had always been with her husband Daniel. Now, the couple became his friends. As fûcked up as it sounds.

“Hey, pretty.” He kissed her cheek in greeting.

“What are you doing here?” she asked and her husband chimed in, “I asked him the same thing. Something must be up.”

“Come on! Can’t I just visit you guys? It’s been a while since I have seen these little munchkins.” Gael set the kids down and faced the couple. There was no way he was going to tell them that he was back to hunt down a woman. Again. He already did that once—for his ex—like a psycho. And it was also when he met Samantha and Daniel.

This time was different. He wasn’t chasing some chick who got away from him. He was after the woman who caused him this ridiculous situation. His jaw clenched when the book came to his mind for the nth time that morning.

It was only then that he noticed the overnight bag in their hands. “You guys heading somewhere?”

“Only me and Sam. The kids are staying. We’re only waiting for the nanny to arrive so we could leave,” Daniel answered, eyeing his friend as if he was studying him. His visit was unannounced and they didn’t invite him either.

Gael didn’t think that their reunion was going to be cut short but it couldn’t be helped. “I see… Well, I will be in town for a while. So we can catch up when you guys come back.” He turned to head out when Samantha stopped him.

“Wait!” she said. “Daniel, we really need to leave…”

Daniel checked his watch and he thought the same thing. Their out of town appointment had to be followed to the T. “You’re right.” Facing Gael, he sighed and reluctantly said, “We need your help.”

“Help?” Gael arched a brow. Daniel Cho rarely asked for help. Whatever it was, he was going to do the best he could.

…

8 p.m. later…

With a menacing stare, Gael scanned the room and looked at each of his men. There were thirteen of them.

His seriously icy tone broke the silence as he gave his orders, “This is like never before. I expect each and every one of you to follow orders and put your life on the line. We cannot disappoint the Chos. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Master,” his men answered in unison.

The summer night was slightly humid yet Gael’s men wore protective gear and were ready for combat. Sweat trickled down their faces and they were parched but they weren’t allowed to lose their focus.

It was better to die due to thirst rather than die in the hands of Gael De Luca.

“Move!” Gael ordered and instantly, his men dispersed, taking their places around the area.

“Woah~ That was so cool!” Ashton marveled at the sight of his Uncle Gael giving orders to his men. His sister, Sianna, was next to him and although she was slightly scared, she was also amazed by her daddy’s friend.

“Come on let’s go to bed!” Gael walked past the little ones and entered their bedroom. Sianna, the quiet type, was still two and she was afraid to sleep alone. So for the meantime, she slept in the same room as her brother.

When Samantha and Daniel left in the morning, they asked Gael if he could wait for the nanny in their stead. However, the nanny didn’t show up, so he was stuck babysitting the kids by himself.

He took the duty very seriously, thus the serious order he gave out earlier to his men. And while he wasn’t looking, his men shook their heads as they were reduced to such a task. Their respect for their master was high, but was all of this really necessary? Even so, they could only obey his command.

Ashton and Sianna settled in their little beds and Gael tucked them both in. He turned around to leave the room, dimming the lights and thinking that he was done and the kids could go to sleep but the little boy called him back, “Uncle Gael, will you tell us a bedtime story?”

Gael stopped in his tracks and turned his head to them only to see their hopeful eyes looking back at him. He didn’t know anything about putting kids to sleep. He was already exhausted after feeding them earlier and playing the whole afternoon. What was this bedtime story?

“I don’t know any. Go to sleep.” He turned off the lights and started walking out the door. He froze when Sianna’s little voice called him, “Pretty please, Uncle Gael?”

His violent heart was immediately tamed. It melted at the sound of the little girl’s “plea”. Damn it.

Turning around, he grabbed a kid’s chair and sat backwards, facing the two beds — Ashton on the right and Sianna on the left. “I don’t know any fairy tale bedtime story but I can tell you one.”

The two kids nodded their heads and then he started, “This story is about a handsome prince and a witch. The prince was called Gael.” He winked. “And the witch’s name is Angela…”