The Vulnerability

The light from the lamp enveloped the room with warmth. We were sitting on the bed, leaning against the soft headboard, with a blanket casually draped over my legs and his.

I leaned next to Mr. David. My hair was a little messy, a trace of the warmth we had shared just minutes ago. I touched his fingers, gently caressing them as if transferring energy to him. His fingers were warm and solid, feeling so real in my grasp.

He enjoyed every rhythm of my fingers in his hand. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I knew this was a moment where the outside world seemed to stop. It was just the two of us.

"I've paid the price, haven't I?" I said, settling my body closer to him. "Tell me everything about you, Mr. David."

He gave a small smile. I could even hear the sound of his laugh near my ear. "Are you sure?"

I nodded without hesitation, even though my heart was pounding. His words seemed to carry a warning. But I had come this far. I wouldn't back down from the challenge.

"Tell me, all the answers to the riddles inside you, Mr. David."

He let out a long sigh. "Alright," he said, as though he had found the reason to reveal his secrets. "I was born into the Thomson family. You must know that."

I smiled and nodded. One of the articles about his family, I had written. I had also attended several of their press conferences when they launched new technologies.

"I grew up in a family of businessmen," he continued. "I dreamed of becoming a doctor. But my family wanted me to follow in their footsteps, to become a businessman." He paused for a few seconds, swallowing his saliva as if trying to find the right words to tell me. "I learned a lot, then I met my best friend, Daniel. Together, we developed our first business, that island, through our management, DD Club. I've told you about it."

When I heard DD Club, I looked at him. "What does DD Club means?"

"DD stands for David and Daniel," he clarified.

I was a little surprised by his answer. He probably noticed my expression change in just a few seconds.

"Why?" he asked, still studying my face.

"I looked up the meaning of the name online, but all I found was Daniel Davidson. There was no mention of your name," I said, trying to stay calm, though I was actually confused.

His expression didn’t change. It was as if he already knew about this. Then his eyes met mine with a sharp gaze. "Someone erased the article about me and David," he said, his eyes shining with intensity. His voice trembled slightly, and I could sense in his gaze that he wanted to be angry but couldn't. "Someone kept me away from my own best friend."

I could feel the tension almost about to explode. A sense of fear began to grow in my heart, a mixture of curiosity and concern about an unseen danger. "Who did it?" I asked with a trembling voice, though I knew the answer might be far more complicated than I wanted.

He looked at me, his eyes now more serious, deeper. "My father."

Those words dropped like a bomb in the silence that had previously been tense. His usually flat and controlled face was shaken, as if there were layers of old emotions he had been hiding all this time.

"My father didn't like Daniel. Because, Daniel interfered with our family affairs," he explained, anger evident on his face. "And he died because of my father."

He lowered his head, his fingers clenched as if he wanted to punch something. But I tried to calm his anger. I embraced him, hoping to offer him some peace.

"You know," he whispered in my ear, "Anyone who tries to interfere with my father's affairs, will disappear."

I was shocked by his words. Did this also apply to me? A journalist who confidently stepped into the rumored world of crime?

I let go of my embrace and waited for Mr. David's next words. His dark eyes looked at me again, unreadable, as if testing whether I was brave enough to continue listening to what he had to say. "You're smart, Hanna. You're too brave to step into my world." He said, brushing my hair with his fingers. "That's what makes you interesting to me."

I swallowed, processing his words one by one.

Suddenly, he got up from the bed, opened a drawer at the bottom of the brown table, and pulled out a small camera.

"Take a look," he said, as he sat back down next to me. He handed me a video that was recorded on the camera. "This video was recorded on the 13th of August. You can see the date here." He pointed to the date in the lower-right corner of the video. And yes, it was the 13th of August.

"I'm not lying, Hanna. The person in the rumour’s video that was spread in the media on August 13th, it wasn't me," he answered sharply. His face looked at me with hope.

"Then who is that person?"

He shrugged, signaling that he didn't know.

This could be strong evidence that Mr. David was not involved in the illegal business and human organ trade as the media reported.

"Isn't this the proof you wanted?" he said, pointing to the video. "Take it with you and write your article. Prove to the world that I'm not the criminal they've been talking about, Hanna."

I stared at the video again, torn between curiosity and doubt. I could become the journalist who dared to expose the hidden truth. All eyes would be on me. I'd become a legend.

"You trust me, right?" He looked into my eyes, asking with hope. "I've given you the proof. And you've paid in full to get it. As per our agreement."

My heart raced. I knew, in that moment, this decision would change my life forever. Was I ready to face the truth, or would I be trapped in a maze of lies far bigger than I imagined?

"Mr. David…" I didn't know what words to say to him.

"Ssst," his index finger touched my lips, signaling me to stop my words. "Call me David, Hanna. David." He said, more like an order. "And I trust you," he added, this time his tone lower, almost like a whisper. "From the first time I saw you, I trusted you."

I froze. His words seemed to break through the tension that had been surrounding me. There was warmth that came with that sentence, but also a growing sense of anxiety.

Suddenly, without warning, he brought his face closer. He pulled my neck closer, and before I could avoid it, his lips touched mine.

I froze. It was as if something exploded in my chest, a mixture of anxiety and confusion. Our hands searched for each other, but all I felt was confusion. Was this his way of proving that he wasn't a criminal? Or was this just a darker game being played behind my back?

He pulled back slightly, enough to see my stunned expression. "Do you need an answer now?"

"Do I also have to pay the same way this time.... David?"

He smiled, as if there was pride in it. "Of course. There's no deal for that."

Then, he kissed me again. This time it was more intimate, and I fell into his atmosphere.