Leon sat on the worn couch in the safe house, staring at the wall with empty eyes. His phone lay on the coffee table, buzzing repeatedly with incoming messages and calls. Each vibration felt like a knife twisting deeper into his chest.

He hadn’t answered any of them.

The screen lit up again. Another text from Santiago:

"Hey Leon, is everything okay? You haven’t replied since yesterday. Let me know if you’re free this weekend. I just saw a new book you will love."

Leon read it, then locked the phone without replying. His hands trembled as he set it back down. Tears he thought had run dry started pricking at his eyes again.

Silas’s cruel words in that cold office kept replaying in his memory. "Your brother sold his body to me... He’s my whore... All for you..."

Leon hugged his knees to his chest, rocking slightly. "Why didn’t you tell me, Sylvain? Why did you carry all of this alone?"

The phone buzzed again. He glanced at it. Another call from Santiago. He let it ring until it went to voicemail.

He couldn’t face him yet. Not when every kind word from Santiago now felt like a potential trap and he didn’t know who to trust anymore.

The next day at the restaurant, Leon moved through his shift like a ghost. He wiped tables mechanically, forced polite smiles on his face, but his usual warmth was gone. Mr. Park noticed but said nothing, only giving him concerned glances.

The bell above the door chimed. Leon didn’t look up at first, continuing to clean a table near the window.

"Welcome, sir. I’ll be with you in a moment," he said automatically. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Leon."

The familiar voice made Leon freeze. He slowly turned around.

Santiago stood near the entrance, dressed casually but still looking polished. Concern was clear in his eyes. "Leon," Santiago repeated, stepping closer. "You haven’t been answering my calls or texts. Is everything alright?"

Leon lowered his gaze, clutching the cleaning cloth tightly. "Good afternoon, sir. Would you like your usual table?"

Santiago frowned. "Sir? Leon, it’s me. Santiago. What’s going on? Did something happen?"

Leon kept his head down, voice polite but distant. "I’m sorry, sir. I’ve been very busy. What would you like to order today?"

Santiago’s concern deepened. He took a seat at his usual table anyway. "Just black coffee for now. Leon... talk to me. You were so excited the other days. Did I do something wrong?"

Leon moved behind the counter to prepare the coffee, his hands shaking slightly. He brought it over a few minutes later and set it down carefully. "Here you are, sir."

Santiago reached out gently, touching Leon’s wrist. "Please sit with me. Even for a minute. Tell me what’s wrong."

Leon pulled his hand back politely but firmly. "I’m on duty, sir. I can’t sit right now. Is there anything else you need?"

Santiago’s expression shifted from concern to frustration. "Leon, stop calling me ’sir.’ We were past that. We talked for hours about books, about your brother, about life. What changed? Did someone say something to you?"

Leon’s eyes flickered with pain, but he kept his voice steady. "Nothing changed, sir. I’m just busy. The restaurant has been short-staffed. I should get back to work."

Santiago leaned forward. "Is it about money? If you need more, I can—"

"No, sir," Leon cut in quickly, almost sharply. "I don’t need anything. Thank you for the previous offer, but I think it’s best if we keep things professional from now on."

Santiago stared at him, searching his face. "Professional? Leon, you were calling me by my name just days ago. You were laughing with me. You told me about your favorite books, about how much your brother means to you. Did I cross a line? Did I make you uncomfortable?"

Leon’s throat tightened and he looked away. "No, sir. You didn’t. I just... realized I have a lot going on right now. Family stuff. It’s better if I focus on work."

Santiago’s voice softened with genuine worry. "Is it your brother? Is he okay? You mentioned he was going through something. If there’s anything I can do to help—"

"Please stop," Leon whispered, voice cracking for the first time. "I can’t... I can’t talk about him right now. Just... let me do my job, sir."

Santiago fell silent for a long moment, watching Leon’s trembling hands as he wiped an already clean table.

"Leon," he said quietly, "whatever happened, whatever someone told you... I’m not your enemy. I like spending time with you. You’re kind, real and honest. I don’t meet many people like that."

Leon’s eyes filled with tears, but he blinked them back quickly. "Thank you, sir. But I think it’s better if we keep our interactions to the restaurant. I’ll bring your bill when you’re ready."

He turned away before Santiago could respond, disappearing into the back room for a moment to compose himself.

Santiago sat alone at the table, staring at his untouched coffee. Something had clearly shaken Leon badly. The warmth from their previous meetings was gone, replaced by fear and distance.

When Leon returned to clear a nearby table, Santiago tried again, gentler this time. "Leon... if someone threatened you, or your brother... you can tell me. I have resources. I can help."

Leon paused, cloth in hand. His voice was barely above a whisper. "No one threatened me, sir. I just... need space. Please respect that."

Santiago nodded slowly, though his eyes showed deep concern. "Alright. I won’t push. But if you change your mind, my number is still there. I meant what I said — I’m here if you need anything."

Leon gave a small, polite nod. "Thank you, sir. Enjoy your coffee."

He walked away again, leaving Santiago sitting in heavy silence.

Later that evening, after his shift, Leon sat on the couch in the safe house, staring at the unread messages from Santiago. He opened one, read it, then closed it again without replying.

Tears slipped down his cheeks as he whispered to the empty room, "I’m sorry, Santiago... I don’t know what to do anymore."

His phone buzzed once more. Another message from Santiago:

"I hope you’re okay. No pressure, but I’m here if you want to talk. Take care, Leon."

Leon turned his phone off completely and curled up on the couch, hugging his knees.

The kind stranger who had brought light into his life now felt like another shadow he couldn’t escape.

And the truth about his brother was tearing him apart from the inside.