CHAPTER 23: The Manipulator

I swore to myself that I would never meet up with men who did nothing but insult my life. I told myself that the reunion party would be the absolute last time, because every time I saw them, I was violently reminded of how miserable my existence had become.

It made my blood boil, and I was terrified I’d lose control whenever they hurled their condescending words at me.

Yet, I had to eat my own words. Because here I was, back at Stephen's mansion on the exact same floor and in the exact same room as the reunion, drinking with these absolute bastards.

Yes, I eventually found out that this massive mansion belonged to Stephen. He had bragged all about it to me when he stopped by the club, even though I hadn't asked. He clearly just wanted to show off his property.

And no, he wasn't the one who invited me back. That credit went to the asshole sitting next to me right now, who hadn't stopped clinging to me all night. None other than this bastard, Yuan.

His arm was draped over my shoulders, and every now and then, he would rest his head against my shoulder. I kept shoving his head off, but the bastard was relentless. Eventually, I just gave up and let him do whatever he wanted, knowing that if I snapped, I was going to end up flicking him hard in the head.

Naturally, I only agreed to come because money was involved. He had bribed me. Driven by desperation to clear my mountain of debt, I had no choice but to tag along.

I just sat there on the couch, mindlessly scrolling through F******k Reels. I couldn't relate to a single topic they were babbling about anyway.

"What perfume are you wearing?"

I heard Yuan whisper right next to me. His head was leaning close again, his face angled right toward the side of my neck.

I shoved his head away once more, thoroughly creeped out by his behavior.

"What perfume? I don't wear perfume, you idiot," I snapped in annoyance. "Could you stop sticking to me?! You've been acting like an asshole all night. If I lose my temper, I swear to God I'll blast you straight to Mars." I kept my voice low and sharp, making sure he knew I wasn't joking around.

He pulled back slightly, but his arm stayed firmly glued to mine. "Are you sure you aren't wearing any perfume?" he asked, his expression full of genuine confusion.

I just rolled my eyes at him. "With the amount of debt I'm carrying, buying useless perfume is the absolute last thing on my priority list," I said, keeping my gaze fixed on my phone screen.

It was the truth. Why on earth would I need perfume? Showering every day and using basic shampoo was more than enough. Even back when I could afford whatever I wanted, I never bought cologne because I was never into it.

Yuan didn't push the topic any further, so I went back to ignoring him. But he still kept his arm draped over my shoulders.

I shook my head, but decided to let it slide. He was too stubborn, and I didn't want to get dragged into an endless argument.

Dying of sheer boredom and feeling completely out of place in their conversation, I decided to step out for a smoke. I pulled a pack of cigarettes out of my pocket and was just about to slide one out when Yuan suddenly snatched the entire pack right out of my hand.

"No cigarettes," he said, his brow furrowed in a deep scowl.

"Hey, give that back to me! I'm going outside to smoke anyway," I snapped, reaching over to grab the pack. But he just held it out of my reach.

"No. Stay right here beside me!" he said in a stern, commanding tone, making it crystal clear that he didn't want me leaving his side.

I stood up, ready to snatch it back by force, but he bolted upright too. What he did next caught me completely off guard: he dropped the pack onto the floor and aggressively stomped on it, crushing it into a flattened, ruined mess.

I glared at him, seething as my jaw clenched tight. "Are you fucking insane?! Do you have any idea how expensive those are?!" I yelled at him.

"Hey, you should actually be thanking me for saving you from the health issues you'd get from smoking," he chimed in, acting as if he hadn't just done something completely out of line.

My hands curled into tight fists. "I don't give a damn if smoking kills me, you bastard!" I screamed, swinging my fist directly at his face. But he caught it effortlessly.

"I told you, I can read your every move now Arghhh!"

A sharp groan escaped his lips as I delivered a hard kick straight to his knee.

"And I told you, I'd invent secret moves just for you," I said sarcastically.

I was about to throw another punch when someone grabbed my arms from behind, pinning them.

"Bro, both of you need to chill out," Stephen said, holding my hands back.

Stephen placed one hand on my right shoulder while gripping Yuan's left shoulder with the other, forcing both of us back down onto the couch.

"As much as I'd love to watch a fight to the death, you guys didn't come here to kill each other," he added, sounding like a tired parent reminding his kids to behave.

"And here I thought you two had finally made up," Marcus chimed in from the opposite sofa.

"You guys were practically attached at the hip earlier, and now you're at each other's throats again," Alejandro added, sitting right beside Marcus.

I just crossed my arms, forcing myself to take deep breaths to calm down. Of all the things he could have messed with, why did he have to target my cigarettes?

Once we both settled down, Stephen returned to his seat. They resumed their chatter, while I sat there with a heavy scowl plastered on my face.

I felt Yuan lean in close again. "Hey, I'm sorry, okay?" he said. His voice sounded surprisingly sincere, but I was still thoroughly annoyed.

"I'll just pay you back for the pack, alright? Just name your price," he said, slipping his arm back over my shoulder. "Just name your price."

My jaw tightened at his words. I didn't say a thing back, instead, I just pulled my phone back out and resumed watching Reels.

"Hey, try not to smoke in the future, okay? It makes you smell bad," he added.

"Would you just mind your own business? What do you care if I smell like cigarettes?"

"Sshh... You know, you really should take better care of yourself."

I gritted my teeth. This guy was unreal—such a nosey, meddling pain in the ass.

I chose to ignore him entirely and went back to scrolling through videos.

"Wait, where is Kaden?" I heard Alejandro ask the group.

Kaden? Was he the guy who went out of his way to insult me the last time? Honestly, it was better if he didn't show up. His face alone was infuriating, he always wore this fake smile that felt like a subtle insult. Just one look from him made you feel like your entire existence was being judged.

"He went to pick someone up," Stephen replied.

"Who?"

"Helios. He just got back from Korea."

"Really? Man, it's been years since I last saw him," Jeno mused aloud. "How's he doing over there, Marcus? Weren't you two teammates back then?"

"Don't even talk to me about him. I'm still pissed off at that guy," Marcus muttered bitterly, his irritation sounding like it stemmed from something much deeper.

I wasn't sure why I was paying so much attention to their conversation, maybe because I was genuinely getting bored of the videos on my phone, or maybe out of pure curiosity.

"Just admit you're insecure because he's better than you," Jeno cut in.

"Hey, why would I ever be insecure about that manipulator? Besides, admit it, none of you actually like him either," Marcus retorted.

"Hmm... I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of him either," Alejandro chimed in.

I felt a flash of surprise. Alejandro was usually the sensible, rational one in their group, yet even he harbored a dislike for this person. Was this Helios guy really that terrible?

"See? Total fake. To this day, I still don't get how he managed to rise above the rest of us."

"So you are admitting he's above you," Jeno ribbed again.

"Hell no. I mean, who even was he back in high school? Just a master manipulator, a clout-chaser in every house, constantly stealing the spotlight," Marcus ranted on.

"Wow, you really hold a deep grudge against him."

"Of course I do! Don't you guys?" Marcus shot back. "It's hilarious. Just because he was a starting player, he thinks he can act all high and mighty."

"Why are you so bitter about him anyway? What did he ever do to you?" Stephen asked.

Marcus didn't reply, leaving Alejandro to step in and break the silence.

"Well, I can understand Marcus's frustration. I view him pretty much the same way. He's a massive gaslighter, and what I hate most about him is his habit of sticking his nose into other people's business."

"Right?!"

I heard a few of them chuckle in agreement.

"Alright, that's enough. If he walks in and hears you guys, you're dead meat," Jeno warned.

"Why would I be scared of him? Who does he think he—"

"HEY GUYS, Helios is here."

The entire room went dead silent the moment a voice echoed from the doorway. Everyone whirled around to look, and out of instinct, I glanced up for a split second before returning my eyes to my phone. I didn't care enough to pay attention.

I felt Yuan's arm tighten sharply around my shoulders. I glared at him sideways. "Can you please take your arm off my shoulder?" I hissed through gritted teeth.

"Sshh, don't worry, I'll add more to what I paid you."

I just shook my head in disbelief and looked back down at my screen.

"Helios, man! I missed you!" Marcus suddenly called out, his tone bursting with warmth as if he hadn't just been trash-talking the guy seconds ago.

"Hey, bro, how have you been?" Alejandro greeted him enthusiastically right after.

I couldn't help but wince internally. Just a moment ago, they were tearing this Helios guy apart behind his back, and now they were greeting him like best friends. Truly incredible.

"I'm fine."

My ears perked up instantly at the sound of that voice. It was striking—cold and distant, like being submerged underwater, yet oddly light and pleasing to listen to.

I couldn't stop myself from looking up again. Standing near the entrance was a man now moving toward a sofa. He was dressed simply in a white shirt, black pants, and a casual cap.

What immediately caught my attention were his eyes—lifeless and icy as he scanned the group around him.

I tilted my head slightly. His face didn't look familiar to me at all, but why did his voice sound so strikingly recognizable?

I shook the thought away and forced my eyes back down to my phone.

Suddenly, Yuan let his head flop heavy onto my shoulder again. Frustrated, I reached up and shoved him away.

"Man, it's been way too long. How was Korea?" Stephen asked, though no immediate answer came back.

"It was fine," came his brief, quiet reply.

"Are you heading back to Korea anytime soon?"

I didn't hear Helios answer that question either. But a second later, a strange sensation washed over me—the distinct feeling that someone was staring right at me. Even though I had no intention of looking up again, the intensity of the gaze forced me to raise my eyes.

And that was when I locked eyes with the man they called Helios.

I stared back at him in utter confusion. Why was he staring at me like that?

The cold, lifeless expression he had shown a moment ago was completely gone. In its place was a look of total bewilderment, mixed with a sudden, intense flicker in his eyes, the kind of look someone gives when they can't believe what they are seeing.

I couldn't bring myself to break eye contact either. There was something about those hazel eyes of his—they weren't ocean-blue, yet I felt like I was drowning in them.

Suddenly, he raised a hand to cover his mouth, pointing a trembling finger right at me.

I blinked, thoroughly confused by his reaction. A second later, he bolted up from his seat, his gaze still locked onto mine without drifting for even a fraction of a second.

"Neo?" he uttered, his voice laced with absolute disbelief.

The moment my name left his lips, a strange, hollow knot tightened in my stomach.

Wait... Who on earth was he?