Chapter 183: Deal with Devil
Leo didn’t know why, but when his eyes caught sight of something shiny in the brown-haired man’s pocket, his hands began to itch as if possessed by a curse. He was already in the dead meat position, where death was only a matter of time.
Who knew when this man would suddenly turn back and expose his hiding spot? Yet his hand... his ungrateful, treacherous hand trembled forward toward the pocket, drawn to the glimmer as though it would never find peace until it touched that forbidden prize.
And... whether he liked it or not, when the chance of escape finally came, he risked it. A desperate, reckless move. His trembling fingers slipped inside the pocket, heart hammering like a war drum, and just as he tugged at it, the world tilted. He got slammed down, the phone loosened from the pocket, and in that single breath of chaos—he took it.
He actually took it!!
Seriously... that was so messed up.
Now Leo was running back toward the house, clutching the diamond and gold-plated phone in his hand, his expression frozen in horror.
"Shit, shit, shit!!" He rumbled like a cursed man whose hand had betrayed him, unable to resist shiny temptation. And now... now he had actually stolen something from his future father-in-law?
This was beyond messed up!!!
How was he going to face her father... no, worse—how was he going to face her first!!
As his lungs burned, he forced his trembling fingers to press the side button, powering the phone down. He wasn’t sure if there was a tracker hidden inside, but if there was... he was screwed beyond salvation.
Still, no matter what, he needed to get back to the house. It was already late, and the others would be worried sick about him.
But even as he ran, a broken laugh slipped out of his throat.
"Haha..." It wasn’t laughter... it was the sobbing of a man drowning, "I freaking stole it..."
The phone glittered faintly, even in the dark, diamond edges catching the light. Just from a glance, Leo could calculate—millions.
The cursed object was worth millions.
His mind betrayed him again, whispering of better buyers, of dangerous trades, of selling it across some forbidden market that would gladly take it ther—
Slap!!
"What the hell are you thinking?!" He struck himself across the face, stinging pain bringing him back.
He was still tempted, still seduced by the damn glittering wealth!
Soon, his staggering run brought him back to the house.
His body still screamed from the earlier encounter, but he had already used the green stone to patch his wounds. His neck, marked and burned by the brutal grip of the man’s fingers, had finally healed. Thank goodness... if not for the stones, he didn’t know how he could tell them.
Today, too many things have happened. It was as though the world refused to grant him even a moment of rest.
He thought this bitterly as he patted the dirt off his clothes, forcing a steady breath into his chest. Hand on the door, he pushed it open—only to freeze.
Everyone was standing there... Right at the entrance.
Leo blinked, startled. "Hmm? You guys woke up?" he muttered, trying to sound casual as he stepped inside, just about to remove his shoes.
Raphael’s cold voice cut through the casual, "I heard from Essa... everything."
"..." Leo halted mid-step, his body stiffening. His eyes slid toward Essa, who leaned against the wall, hoodie pulled low, her gaze turned to the side as though she couldn’t look him in the eye.
Leo’s lips twitched. He drew in a long, controlled breath, "Well... things aren’t easy—"
Before he could finish, Raphael moved. In a single instant, his arms wrapped tightly around Leo, the force making him stumble back, nearly losing his balance.
"Raphael..." Leo whispered, voice caught between shock and disbelief.
"P-Please don’t, Leo... please," she begged with trembling eyes, her face turning horrid as she hugged him tightly, desperate as though she could anchor his body with her arms alone.
Leo blinked, unsure how to process the sudden desperation. Before he knew it... another warmth pressed against him. Her friend, Azrael, had stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him too.
"I don’t want you to suffer again... please," Azrael whispered, her lips trembling, her worried face pressed against his chest, as if her plea itself could shield him from the fate she feared.
Leo blinked again, utterly taken aback.
What’s going on here?
He lifted his gaze, and there—standing just a step away—was Ophis. Her arms were crossed, her lips pressed into a pout. She looked as though she wanted to turn away, but her eyes betrayed her heart. She didn’t show it outwardly, but he could see it... she was worried, more than she wanted anyone to know.
"Hmph! If you want to die... then go!" she snapped, "But... but..." Her lips trembled, refusing to hold the facade any longer.
Leo’s eyes swept over the three women—Raphael clutching him desperately, Azrael’s warmth still pressed against him, and Ophis pouting with trembling lips.
He wasn’t sure how to react, especially with Azrael’s nose brushing lightly against him, sniffing his scent in a way that made his breath falter. But he pushed that thought aside and focused on the truth.
They were his family.
His only family.
His family that loved him unconditionally... even in moments when his life had been dangling on the edge of a blade. Ophis—despite everything—had defied her own father, rushing into danger to save him.
Raphael had pulled the trigger, knowing full well that firing at the Fallen Pride was the same as signing her own death sentence.
They did it... all of them... for him.
Leo bit down on his trembling lips.
Could he keep lying to them? After all this time? After everything they risked?
Could he?
His throat tightened as he parted his lips, the words shaking but forcing their way out. "I... I made a deal with the devil."