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 remembering exactly what had happened was a little frustrating, but also extremely fortunate. A memory of sucking a stranger's thing in a narrow, smelly back alley while drunk in the dead of night? No thank you.

Thinking about it made his mouth go terribly dry. He wanted to brush his teeth until his gums bled. To shake off these thoughts, Eugene turned his gaze to the car window. He could faintly see his reflection, with deep wrinkles between his eyebrows.

Since the candy store was close to the Brooklyn Bridge, the car quickly left Brooklyn and entered Manhattan. Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan leads directly to Chinatown, and passing through Chinatown going further north brings you to Little Italy.

Chinatown and Little Italy are divided by Canal Street, and as their names suggest, their atmospheres are distinctly different. Separated by just one street, one side was filled with Chinese immigrants and red lanterns, while the other was dominated by Italian restaurants and Italian immigrants. Eugene's apartment was located exactly on Canal Street, the boundary between these two neighborhoods.

The car stopped in front of Eugene's apartment building.

The five-story building standing on the boundary between Chinatown and Little Italy had an unremarkable brick exterior. The first floor housed an Italian restaurant, a general store, a cafe, and a barbershop, while the upper floors were mainly occupied by people of Italian descent. Eugene's apartment was on the third floor of this building.

Getting out of the car, Eugene politely said, "Thank you for bringing me home." Then he immediately turned and entered the building. But he wasn't alone climbing the stairs to the first floor. Valentine was right behind him, following closely.

When Eugene looked back, Valentine smiled with that gorgeous face. After climbing a few more stairs and looking back again, the same smile greeted him.

"...You don't need to escort me."

Eugene expressed indirectly that he should stop following. This angelic-looking but insane murderer smiled with his eyes and commanded, "Hurry up and go." Eugene had no choice but to obey.

Apartment 301.

Arriving at his front door, Eugene turned the doorknob. Click. The door was locked. The door, whose lock and bolt had been completely destroyed when he was forced out at gunpoint, had been neatly repaired in the meantime. The problem was that Eugene didn't have the new key.

'The key...'

The moment he thought about it, a white, large hand with long fingers extended from beside Eugene. In that hand was a shiny metal key that looked freshly made. Valentine inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it as casually as if it were his own home. Click. The door opened.

Valentine, who had opened someone else's door without hesitation, held out the key he had just used to Eugene. Taking it and putting it in his pocket, Eugene thought: I need to change this lock as soon as he leaves.

Instead of entering the apartment, Eugene turned around at the doorway. His eyes met Valentine's, who was standing right behind him. Valentine had one hand on the doorframe, looking down at Eugene. The distance between them was very close, less than a hand span. Valentine was so tall that to see his face from this close, Eugene had to tilt his head back.

His face was even more beautiful up close. It was enough to momentarily entrance Eugene even in this situation. Blue eyes and golden eyelashes decorating them—Eugene deliberately tried to find flaws or imperfections in Valentine's face but couldn't discover a single one.

"...By the way."

"...Yes?"

Eugene, who had been staring at Valentine's face in a daze, snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice. Valentine's eyes narrowed slightly.

"My name. It's Claudio Luciano."

Don't tell me your name!

Eugene screamed internally. What kind of situation was this, revealing his name in front of a witness to murder? Was he inviting Eugene to report him to the police? Or did it mean that since Eugene would die soon anyway, he might as well know the name of his killer before going to the next world?

Despite his internal panic, Eugene responded properly on the outside.

"...Eugene Biscetti."

Luciano meant that Ricardo Luciano, whom he had seen earlier, was his grandfather. That old man was definitely Italian. But the murderer standing before him possessed features that didn't seem to have a single drop of Italian blood. Valentine instead had the appearance of a Russian.

"Well then, I'll head inside now."

Eugene quietly announced, setting aside his curiosity. But Valentine, or rather Claudio Luciano, showed no sign of moving from his spot. Perhaps he was waiting for an invitation to come in. Of course, Eugene had not the slightest intention of offering one.

"...Well then, goodbye."

Eugene stepped back again, bidding farewell. He planned to take a few steps back and close the door. But before he could take his second step, Valentine moved.

Golden threads cascaded over Eugene's face. The neat, long golden eyelashes and the blue eyes beneath them drew closer. Eugene held his breath. Valentine's eyes narrowed slightly, and the angle of his face changed. Good heavens! He was trying to kiss Eugene right now.