Ｄｉｓｈｅｖｅｌｅｄ

After Leonard was expelled to another continent, things started to spiral into discordance swirl.

🎞️

San Francisco, 2017

“Am I being too harsh on Leo?”

Juan looked at the rearview mirror to see the person who sat on the passenger seat behind. The icy blue eyes stared back at him. He pondered a while before answering the question. Any unacceptable answer could be fatal. He calculated the risk on his brain. If he were being brutally honest, his superior could be more grumpy than ever. If he were throwing lies, his superior could be more restless and in the end that man would also be more grumpy. 

His mind traveled back to yesterday when he heard that Ryan’s precious little brother was expelled to another continent alone because he was being reckless in a illegal street race.

Long before that—probably a year ago—he once stumbled into the house’s basement to pick up Ryan for the subsequent schedule at night. Then, he saw their fight in a boxing ring and witnessed how bloody their fight could be. The younger was screaming in pain after the match. It was one of the rare times he looked at the younger Damaris directly, other than hearing about him from Ryan’s depiction. He was just a 17 years old boy and he was hurting because of someone who should be the guardian. I thought Leonard was not as devilish as Ryan’s depiction.

But, what was his position to say anything about their family problem? He was only Ryan’s personal assistant who made sure every schedule was exact and helped Ryan with his hectic schedules. Every family had their own flaws and dramas.

“No, you’re doing right.” Juan answered while checking the tab to make sure they still had time to arrive for a press conference in the city hall. The launching of the new technology was held in the city hall because the project was in cooperation with the government. So, the press conference was quite a big event because it was also attended by the other conglomerate owners and a throng of journalists.

“This little bastard needs a lesson. I sent him away to protect him.” For the first time in a while, Juan caught Ryan’s voice trembling like he was in doubt. That was very unusual of him.

Juan saw how Ryan frequently checked on his phone unlike his usual habits. He was the type of chronically offline that he rarely checked on social media or even personal chats from family. But right now, he looked so restless and his eyes couldn’t lie. He was sleep deprived more than usual. He had no doubt that his boss didn’t sleep at all last night. This morning, the secretary told Ryan to put on some concealer to conceal his eye bag because he needed to look good in the press-conference and he did with the help of Chloe—the excecutive secretary. Today was a big event and he had to look perfect to the audience.

Ryan glanced at the rearview mirror then continued to look at his own tab and read the materials to answer predicted questions from the journalists. “Why do you keep staring at me, Juan?” His icy blue eyes stared back through the rearview. A glare that could put someone on their knees.

Juan blinked his black eyes and looked away. He had not realized he was staring at Ryan’s austere face instead of looking at the road.

“Are you silently judging me?” His deep intimidating voice sounded coarse.

“No, Sir.” 

Few minutes later, the car arrived at the venue. The crowds had gathered in front of the city hall. Everyone was wearing formal attire.

Juan stepped out of the car with his boss. He walked behind Ryan who was so confident and collected. The restless face he had before was completely gone. Ryan met the other honored guests at the meeting room before the press conference started. Juan was watching him and silently admired how he smiled handsomely, talked to everyone, and presented his ideas. His cold and austere posture was gone. He was like that man who was on the Forbes cover 30 under 30—and yes, indeed he did all of that.

Ryan was always immaculate.

 

The day was shorter than usual because the season was changing. They headed back to the office building after the press conference and other interview schedule. The sky was already dark and bleak with clouds when they entered the top floor of the office building.

The main schedule had ended however Ryan decided to go back to the office. Juan knew Ryan so well. When Ryan was worry and lost in his own thoughts, he tended to overwork himself.

“Do you want a hot towel?” asked Juan after reporting several things and delivering the latter’s schedule on the next day. It was already 9 p.m., yet Ryan was still drowned in his duty.

“Yes please,” answered Ryan aloof. His eyes were glued on the screen. His slicked-back hair started losing its form.

Without saying anything, Juan brought him a hot towel a second later. He put it on Ryan’s office desk, then he went back to the front desk where Juan work.

It was almost midnight and Ryan had still not come out. Usually, Ryan would ask him to cancel his meeting schedule after working overtime, then Ryan would order him to prepare his yacht so he could work from his yacht without talking to colleagues.

The office was eerily quiet. The other executives and every employee had been clocked out, even the sweet loyal secretary who usually stayed late to manage the letters in and documents waiting to be reviewed by the executives, already left the office.

The clock was ticking. Juan looked at his wrist-watch to decide whether he should check on Ryan or leave everything behind and go home. The latter option was nearly impossible. His life was already contracted to work with the Damaris family line for the rest of his life. Sounds like slavery, huh?

It was already past midnight. Perhaps Ryan passed out in his office chamber. Then, he walked toward the room right away and knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

The cold voice inside welcomed him. So, he has not passed out yet, thought Juan while opening the door. Actually, Juan never saw Ryan collapse.

However, Juan caught him laying down on the couch in his office room. Unlike Ryan’s usual self, he looked so disheveled, restless, and mentally exhausted. Strands of his dark brown hairs fell on his brow. He rubbed his eyes and slowly took off his spectacles. That man still had papers or anything to be reviewed but he could do it tomorrow or tomorrow after. He was also free to delegate this assignment to the other executive, yet he stayed there.

The hot towel—which had already become cold—was left untouched on the desk.

“Can you track the little rascal? He is not answering my call at all.”

While Ryan was laying on the couch, Juan sat on a chair beside the couch.

“You worry about your younger brother, no?” Honestly, Juan already knew the answer. Instead, he insisted to ask. 

As the spectator, he witnessed Ryan grow from a naïve teenager to the man who carried the most important position in the prosperous conglomerates at the age 27. Juan was accustomed to seeing Ryan’s habit when he was on the edge.

“Never. I am glad he is away so I can avoid his troublesome personality for a while.” Ryan scoffed.

“Well, I already asked the driver who was assigned to pick up Leonard in the airport in Jakarta. He landed safely.”

“I know. He is already at my grandmother’s house. Safe and sound, as he should.”

So, what is the problem here? Juan held himself from throwing the brash question. There was silence before Ryan said anything. His office chamber was indeed always quite because he prefers working in calm ambience. 

“Who can assure that he will be safe over there? He just had a small accident while racing two nights before. He still had some injury.” He huffed out a long sigh.

“He is a tough kid.” Juan said.

Ryan snorted. “He is fragile.”

Juan’s mind went back to the boxing ring when the man in front of him punched Leonard multiple times until there was blood on the floor. Leonard almost knocked out with nosebleeding and was screaming in pain when he came to the gym room. It was a horrible sight. “How is he fragile?” This time, Juan couldn’t hold his curiosity. Leonard didn’t seem like a weak boy. He became the punchbag and survived accident after accident.

“He pretends to be strong.”

“What about you?”

“What do you mean?” Ryan turned his head to fully stare at Juan. His stare was intimidating.

“I wonder, do you think … Leonard is just like you? Or you are just like Leonard?”

“He is nothing compared to me.” Ryan sat down on the couch. He looked very uncomfortable by the midnight deep conversation with the personal assistant. “He is not stable, Juan. His mind, his personality, his damn self is so fucking unpredictable that he could be a tsunami one time or he could be a lake next time. I can’t even protect him from his self-destruction tendency and it fucking stressed me out. Hell. I am the one who is responsible for everything in this ass family and I—the only who could assure he is intact right now.”

Repressed anger. Ryan was venting his rage but he was trying so hard to compose himself. It had been so long and he started to pant.

Juan stared back at his superior. He kind of regretted the question, yet he took the risk to keep on the conversation.

“You are the same, Ryan.”

“I AM NOT LIKE HIM. SHUT THE FUCK UP.” Ryan tugged Juan’s collar shirt. After he realized what he was doing, he loosened his grip. Under the bright light of the office room, fires burned in his icy blue eyes.

Juan trembled and surely he hid his fear so well. It was the first time he witnessed Ryan lashing out his anger. It was also the first time he realized Ryan Vincent Damaris was a menace. The Damaris was more than what he usually showed off in the underground world. The ancient rage buried deep in Ryan’s soul was flaming dangerously.

“You mirrored your own brother and you can’t run away from the family line.”

Ryan was a mess. Beads of perspirations appeared on his temple. He scoffed a deranged laugh to restrain himself from punching or breaking anything. “What are you trying to tell me, Juan? You must think you have the right to speak to me after knowing me for so many fucking years. But you must not cross the line.” He pointed at Juan’s chest.

“This the reason why I am your personal assistant, to help you unravel your emotions. You are holding so much on your mind that you might wreck yourself, meanwhile at the same time you are the most important person here.”

“I can manage it.”

“No, you’re not. You almost risk your own companies if you keep it that way.”

“YOU ARE NOT IN POSITION TO PUT FUCKING ORDER ON ME.”

“I respect you, Sir.”

“Shut your filthy mouth.” Ryan reached his spectacles on the couch and hooked them over his ears again.

“Apologize for speaking out to you.” Juan mumbled. “Sir.”

Ryan was silent as though an extinguished fire. He messed up his hair, clenched his jaws, and controlled his breathing steady again. “I am going home,” he said in a threatening calm. He almost hit his limit. Mental workload, overflowing responsibility, high-pressured environment where he must perform perfectly all the time, and family complex might burn his brain.

“I must drive you home because your driver is sick this night,” Juan tried to console.

“No. Stay away from me.” Ryan lifted his hand. Then, he took his suit and leathered-bag.

“Sir, you shouldn’t drive yourself.” Juan knew so well Ryan hated driving.

“I can fucking drive. I am not as helpless as you think. Now, fuck off. This is my order.”

Ryan walked away from his office chamber with an arrogant and domineering attitude he never showed off before—unlike his usual righteous and prestigious self. He put on a ruthless face. He ignored Juan and treated  the latter as a wraith.

Juan watched his boss stroll down the office building. He rubbed his face after all the risks he had been taken. He was expecting Ryan would crash out after his utterance, however he miscalculated the consequence. He started to curse at himself for doing such reckless things. He was doomed, so doomed. He did not have any clue what the future might hold.

Things started to spiral into discordance swirl.

— FINN —