On the balcony of his hotel room, Santiago sipped his coffee and stared out the window. "Such a nice view to see," he muttered.

His phone on the bed rang, startling him slightly. He went inside and picked it up. The name displayed was ’Viktor lies’.

"Hmmm... why is he calling me?" He pressed the green button and placed the phone to his ear. "Hello."

"Good morning, Santiago," Viktor’s voice came through the phone, strained and rough. "Just checking up on the task I gave you. Should I not be expecting some kind of update?"

Santiago stood on his apartment balcony, staring at the city skyline. "Well, I wasn’t given anything that points to him, you know. The only thing I know is that he is the brother of Sylvain."

Viktor sneered and clicked his tongue. "That was the question you should have asked rather than figuring out your employers."

Santiago, still holding his cup of coffee, rolled his eyes at the words.

"I’m sending you a picture of him right now so you know exactly who you’re dealing with." Viktor paused, breathing heavily. "My boss is expecting a response soon. Don’t fuck this up."

The call ended abruptly.

A second later, Santiago’s phone buzzed. He opened the message.

The photo showed a young man with bright eyes and a warm smile, wiping down tables. How coincidental? It was the same friendly waiter he had tipped in the restaurant he visited two days ago.

Santiago froze. His fingers tightened around the phone. The little waiter he had casually chatted with was Sylvain’s brother. The target he was supposed to manipulate and control was the waiter.

"Interesting..." he murmured.

He stared at the photo for a long moment, then grabbed his coat from the bed and left the room.

The restaurant was quiet in the early morning. Sunlight streamed through the windows as Leon moved between tables, carefully wiping chairs and surfaces. A book was tucked in his apron pocket with the title Call Me by Your Name.

The bell above the door chimed as Santiago stepped inside. The restaurant had no customers yet.

Santiago paused near the entrance, eyes locked on Leon’s back. He stood there silently, contemplating his next move.

Leon turned around, cloth still in hand, and offered a polite, professional smile. "Good morning, sir. Welcome back. Please, have a seat."

Santiago nodded and took his usual table by the window. Leon approached quickly with a menu. "What would you like today, sir?"

"Some snacks and a black coffee," Santiago replied, keeping his voice calm.

Leon smiled. "Coming right up."

A few minutes later, Leon returned with a steaming cup of coffee and a plate of fresh pastries.

Santiago took a slow sip, then called out softly, "Waiter."

The younger man turned, puzzled. "Yes, sir?"

"Would you sit with me for a moment?" Santiago asked, staring at Leon.

Leon hesitated, glancing toward Mr. Park at the counter. "I’m on duty, sir..."

Santiago pulled out his wallet and placed a thick stack of bills on the table. "Ten thousand dollars. For ten minutes of your time."

Leon’s eyes widened, but he held himself back. "Sir, I can’t just leave my post..."

Santiago waved his hand dismissively. "Go ask your boss if he can spare your time for me, the offer is not for long."

Leon hurried to the counter and spoke quietly with Mr. Park. After a brief discussion and a surprised look from the owner. Leon returned with his cheeks slightly flushed.

He sat down across from Santiago, hands folded nervously in his lap. "What did you want to discuss, sir?"

Santiago studied him carefully. "My name is Santiago. What’s yours?"

"Leon, sir. Leon Vale."

Santiago stirred his coffee and asked, "I saw one of my favorite genres in your pocket. So you read such books?"

Leon shyly brought out the book and placed it on the table. "You read these too, sir?"

"Santiago is fine," he corrected, picking up the book. "Yes, I do. I’ve also read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen."

Leon’s eyes widened in excitement. He giggled and placed his hands on the table. "I also read that! I love Elizabeth and Darcy’s connection so much. But I don’t have my collection anymore. I lost it because..."

He quickly covered his mouth. "Sorry... do you still have it?" He blinked at Santiago hopefully.

Santiago shook his head slowly. "No, I don’t. It’s back at home, and home isn’t here." A soft chuckle left his mouth.

Leon’s mood dropped, and he bowed his head. "O-oh... okay."

Santiago laughed lightly at his expression. "You really like the book. Anyway, I could get that for you if you want it so bad."

Instantly, Leon’s face lit up. "Really? Thank you so much... you really are the best."

He moved to hug Santiago but quickly restrained himself. Rubbing the back of his neck, he apologized. "Sorry."

Santiago smiled at his little actions. "No worries. I have a question for you, Leon."

Santiago’s face turned serious as he leaned forward slightly. "Have you ever been saved by someone, Leon? Someone who risked everything for you? Someone would is ready to die for you?"

"I... I..." Leon’s expression softened with genuine warmth. "Yes. My brother. He’s my lifesaver. I would do anything to make him happy. Anything at all, even if it leads to my death."

Santiago’s fingers tightened around his coffee cup. "Tell me more."

Leon chuckled lightly, but his face quickly turned worried. He glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "I’m scared for him. I know he’s hiding things from me. The way he talks... the fear in his voice when he mentions his boss. I can tell he’s hurting. That’s why I want to work hard and help him get out of that man’s control."

Santiago listened intently, keeping his face neutral. "What if I offered you a better job? You would accompany me around the city, show me places since I’m new here. Thirty thousand dollars a month." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Leon’s eyes lit up with shock and hope, but he hesitated. "I already have this job, sir..."

"Weekends and after your shifts," Santiago said smoothly. "Most of the time, that’s when I’m free."

Leon thought for a long moment, biting his lip, then nodded slowly. "Okay. I agree."

Santiago smiled faintly and slid a thick envelope across the table. "Consider this an advance."

Leon took it with slightly shaking hands. "Thank you... Santiago."

Santiago stood up. "Give me your number so I can contact you."

"Just a moment," Leon rushed to the counter, wrote his number on a piece of paper, and handed it over. "Here it is. Ensure you call me."

"I’ll contact you soon." Santiago walked out without another word.

After his shift ended, Leon stopped at the supermarket, buying groceries with a lighter step than he’d had in months. He returned to the safe house, cooked some food. Finally called his brother as he sat on the couch.

Sylvain answered on the second ring. "Leon? Everything okay?"

"Bro! You won’t believe what happened today!" Leon’s voice bubbled with excitement. "That cool customer I told you about? He offered me a side job. Thirty thousand a month just to show him around the city on weekends and after shifts! Can you imagine?"

Sylvain’s stomach dropped. He gripped the phone tighter. "Leon... somebody offered you thirty thousand dollars for sightseeing and you took it?"

Leon, still excited by the quick money, responded, "Of course I will take such a deal. It is too big of an amount to pass up."

Sylvain took a deep breath. "Why would you take such an offer? There are hundreds of people out there who do that job. Leon, you call him and tell him you are not interested right now."

Leon barely had taken a few spoons before he dropped the plate on the table. "I won’t do such a thing, Sylvain. You need this money more than I do."

Sylvain heaved a sigh. "Leon, you are going too far with this money obsession. I already made you comfortable enough. Is that not enough for you to live life quietly?"

Droplets of tears began to flow from Leon’s eyes. "I see the way you react to the so-called friend, Sylvain. You have changed a lot. You used to be so bright back then. When Mom and Dad were working round the clock, you were always beside me."

Sylvain, already tense, bit his fingers. He slowly replied. "Leon... be very careful. Don’t trust people too quickly. Some of Father’s enemies are still out there. This could be one of them."

"I understand, Sylvain," Leon replied, his voice still cracked from the tears. "I’ll be cautious. I promise to tell you everything I do with him. No secrets will be hidden between us."

Sylvain let out a shaky breath. "Good. Stay safe, okay? I love you."

"Love you too, bro. Goodnight."

The call ended. Leon smiled to himself as he ate his dinner, feeling hopeful for the first time in a long while.