Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 122: The Betrayal

Alexander stared at the metal box in Jack’s hands, with a red rose on top of it. The box appeared to be open.

Jack lowered himself to his knees and began to cry.

"I’m sorry, I opened it. The guard found it in front of the gate. I thought it was something dangerous," he said in a choked voice.

Alexander took a deep breath, still trying to stay calm. This was just a nightmare, he was sure he could resolve it quickly.

Even so, he felt his hands trembling as he stepped forward, roughly grabbed the box, and opened it quickly.

When he saw Huan’s jacket, he tried to calm down. He made sure the jacket really belonged to Huan. And indeed, it was the jacket Huan had worn yesterday morning. He knew that jacket well.

He slammed the box down on the table. He took the jacket, spread it out, and saw dried bloodstains in several places, enough to make his stomach tighten. His chest began to tremble.

No, please no.

Alexander took a deep breath. "What is it?! Who sent this?!"

"We’re checking the CCTV."

Alexander’s movements became more frantic with fear. He took everything out of the box. Huan’s clothes, pants, underwear. Then his eyes widened when he saw the keychain, the gold coin keychain he had given him yesterday.

Alexander felt his teeth chatter, panic spreading through his body.

No way, no fucking way.

Huan.

He was still trying to think clearly, but when he saw the vase containing ashes, with the words Huan Holster written on it, he froze.

Alexander took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a long time, still convinced this was Huan’s way of making him anxious, of making him worry.

"Jack, check this. Make sure this is really Huan’s blood. And search everywhere, I don’t care, I want Huan back!" he said in a trembling voice.

He wasn’t ready for Huan to resign, to leave him, but he had prepared himself. He had estimated how many times he would meet the man.

But he hadn’t prepared himself for death. Huan couldn’t die.

Alexander was sure that someone wanted him to believe he had lost the person who was his weakness, to wait for him to let his guard down.

He couldn’t let his guard down.

Jack looked at Alexander. He saw the ashes, Huan’s clothes, everything was there. How could that man still want them to look for Huan’s body?

But Alexander was very serious.

Steven entered his room that night and said they wouldn’t find anything. The burned car belonged to Huan, and now they had Huan’s belongings.

Plus, Jack came with DNA test results proving it was indeed Huan’s blood.

Alexander still didn’t believe it. He had no hope, he had Huan’s ashes. But he still didn’t believe it.

But he had to believe it.

He had to.

He didn’t know that loss could be so painful. At first, his chest felt numb, disbelief, still hoping, but gradually it hurt more and more. The pain became sharper.

The image of himself never seeing Huan again was so real it made his body tremble.

He still wanted to disbelieve it. The strange feeling in his chest could only be interpreted as anger.

"Who is it?" he asked after a long silence.

"We suspect Argonne. But this is too neat. I’m not sure they did it without leaving a trace," said Steven. He looked hesitant.

Alexander could still feel his hands trembling. "Find them. I want everyone, every single one who touched Huan, to be in front of me by tomorrow!"

Steven bowed his head. "I can only say one name for now. Looking at the box and the way it was sent, I’m sure Jimmy performed the final cremation."

"Then bring me Jimmy!"

Steven hesitated. "Please calm down, Alex. Don’t kill Jimmy, he’s just a tool." He was sure Alexander was capable of anything at that moment. But Jimmy was an asset to everyone in the underworld, they couldn’t just kill him without causing an uproar.

Alexander stared sharply at Steven, as if to say, Do I need your advice?!

Steven immediately bowed respectfully. "I will bring him."

It didn’t take them long to bring Jimmy, the Angel of Death. The man looked so calm, as if he had already known this would happen.

He was brought into the basement of the mansion. He was seated in a chair in the middle of the room, but he remained eerily calm, his bald head gleaming under the light.

Steven looked calm, standing beside him.

"You know what’s going to happen. You’d better tell the truth," said Steven.

"I’ve told you everything," replied Jimmy.

Alexander walked into the room. "Tell me everything. Repeat it!" he ordered upon hearing Jimmy’s words.

"I was just doing my job. There was a corpse at my place. I burned it. That’s it."

Alexander stood in front of Jimmy. "Is it Huan?" he asked, still wanting a lie, or anything that would give him hope.

But Jimmy’s nod dashed his last hope.

"I knew him well. It’s Huan’s body," said Jimmy.

Alexander felt the blood rushing through his veins, making his chest heave. "Who? Who sent his body to you?!"

Jimmy didn’t speak.

"You know I can’t—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a hard slap hit his head. "I don’t give a damn about your principles. You want to live, give me a name," Alexander said slowly, threateningly, dangerously.

Jimmy felt blood at the corner of his mouth. Alexander wasn’t playing around. It was unusual for Alexander to get involved directly, which meant he was really in danger.

Jimmy swallowed hard. He was still silent, until Alexander’s hand rose again. He immediately flinched.

"Okay, okay! Stop it!" Jimmy raised his hands, anticipating another blow.

Alexander waited, his hand still raised.

Jimmy closed his eyes. "It’s Antonio. Your grandfather."

Alexander froze. He was silent, too shocked to hear it. Even though he had expected that name, he still insisted on not believing it.

Antonio.

Why?

Just... why?

That old man had no right over his life, his choices. Why?

Alexander felt his whole body tremble with rage.

This was the first time Alexander had lost control. He threw punches repeatedly at Jimmy’s body. He didn’t care about the man’s screams, his heart-wrenching cries. If Steven hadn’t held him back, Jimmy would have died right there.

Alexander felt his anger rumbling.

If it was Antonio, he would have to accept the fact that Huan was dead. That man, that old devil, never had mercy.

Why?

He still questioned it repeatedly in his car.

He headed to Antonio’s residence. Alone. Only anger controlled his body.

His arrival seemed to have been anticipated. The guards were on alert, refusing him entry. This convinced Alexander that Antonio was indeed Huan’s killer. The man had prepared for his anger.

"Please calm yourself, Master Alex," said the guard in the living room.

"Where is he? Take me to him!" Alexander shouted, not realizing his voice was so loud. But he didn’t care.

After half an hour of causing chaos and overwhelming the guards, Antonio finally appeared.

"Let him come," he said from the second floor.

Alexander felt his breath quicken. He pushed a guard roughly aside and ran up the stairs. This time, no one stopped him.

Albert, one of Antonio’s personal guards, stood close by, making sure Alexander didn’t lose control.

Alexander stared at Antonio. The man looked so calm as he walked to the sofa and sat down, cigar in hand.

"What is it?"

Antonio’s loud voice, which Alexander hated, now sounded more obnoxious than usual.

"Why? WHY did you kill my man?" Alexander asked, his voice rising.

Antonio sighed. "I didn’t kill him. I just released him from your way."

"My way? For WHAT?!"

"You should have listened to me when I asked you to consider Athena."

Alexander felt his blood boil. "Just because of that stupid woman? Your stupid idea to get me married? You killed Huan?" He shouted as loudly as he could.

Antonio closed his eyes, his ears now sensitive.

"You will forget him. Just focus on your future. Marry Athena," said Antonio.

Alexander stood frozen. His anger was at its peak, but he was so angry that he couldn’t move.

Alexander couldn’t take it anymore. The calm, calculated logic of the man who had raised him was the ultimate betrayal.

With a guttural roar, Alexander lunged across the low table, his fingers clawing the air, reaching for Antonio’s throat. He wanted to feel the life leave the old man’s body. He wanted Antonio to feel even a fraction of the terror Huan must have felt.

He had to make the old man feel the pain.

But he never reached him.

Albert moved like lightning. The bodyguard stepped between them, his massive frame absorbing Alexander’s momentum. He caught Alexander’s wrists in a crushing grip and spun him around, pinning his arms against his chest and locking him in a vice-like hold.

"Let me go! Damn you!" Alexander shouted, thrashing, his legs kicking out, his body vibrating with frantic, desperate energy.

"I’ll kill him! You should be the one who died! Not Huan! I’ll burn this whole house down!"

"Calm down, Master Alex," Albert whispered near his ear, his voice toneless but firm. "It is over."

"It’s not over! He’s gone! He’s gone because of him!"

Alexander’s struggle reached a fever pitch, a violent explosion of movement.

He cursed and shouted, but Albert held him in the correct position so he wouldn’t slip. After a while, Alexander tired.

Just tired.

His body went limp. He wouldn’t be able to touch Antonio.

Feeling Alexander relax, Albert released his grip with complete caution.

Alexander slumped to the floor.

Albert stiffened, unable to believe the man before him.

Alexander was crying.

His shoulders shook.

Albert held his breath, his chest trembling.

A sound escaped Alexander then, not a roar, not a threat, but a small, broken whimper.

"Why...?"

Alexander began to sob. It wasn’t quiet. His crying was loud, messy, the agonizing wail of a child who had lost everything. His shoulders shook violently.

"I did everything for you..." Alexander choked out between gasping breaths. "I grew your business. I did everything! Why? WHY did you have to take the only thing I loved? Why...?"