Los Angeles Institute of Science and Technology, Faculty Quarters.

"What are you doing here!? Everybody is looking for you and Di Angelo!!" She exclaimed.

It! honestly! felt! like! she! spoke! in! exclamation! marks!

Or maybe it was her accent.

Adrian walked in front.

"Hello miss, my name is Andrew, I'm Chevron's friend. She's been with me the whole time, I'm sorry for the inconvenience." He smiled. His smile was oozing charm. His voice was also deeper and huskier than its usual silky quality.

And Katja was eating it all up.

"The inconvenience is all yours, if you're in Chevron's company." Katja smiled.

Eww. Gross. Puke. Arrgh!!

"Sadly, it is true." Adrian said. Bastard.

"Please! Do come in! Forgive my English!" She exclaimed away.

Adrian and I entered her home. There was a mess everywhere. So much like Roy.

"So, Andrew, you study here?"

"No, I finished my PhD in psychology two years back."

"Psychology, huh?" She raised an eyebrow. Much like all the Professors at LAIST, if you cannot calculate the trajectory and the eccentricity of a planets orbital within five seconds using an abacus, you were brick stupid. She was a little judgemental.

"Yes, quite a fascinating subject."

"Really?"

"I researched a lot about hypnosis, that was the best part."

Now Katja looked interested. That same interest is what drove her to pursue research. It was unquenchable.

"Hypnosis? Does it really work?"

"Yes, I can make you talk like a chicken if you allow me to." Adrian joked.

"Well then! Go on and try!"

"Okay, Katja," he laughed,"But you need to relax."

Katja looked at me.

"Chevron, can you go and check if the stove is turned off? I think I left it on."

Cougar.

Adrian looked at me and a silent conversation passed. I rolled my eyes and left.

Obviously, the stove was switched off.

I waited there for a minute or an hour, I don't know.

Adrian eventually found me.

"Katja is finding the ephemeris." He said softly. An ephemeris was the location of a planet at a given date and time. Both of which Roy had provided.

I didn't like the power he could wield over people's minds. It seemed wrong.

"You know I had no choice." He said.

"How long did it take you?"

"Ten minutes."

That's it!?

"Come with me, I have some explaining to do." He said, turning around.

We walked out into the night and to Roy's quarters in silence. I waited for him to start talking. The air was filled with anticipation, like a balloon about to burst. You could see the sun begin to rise.

"So, Vickram Roy knew my parents." He started.

"He was my godfather, actually. But I didn't know. The Abandonatos, Di Angelo's father asked him to design the locker in which the blueprints are kept. Only he and Abandonato can get in or out."

Okay..

"The Abandonato family house in Italy has a maze under it. Il labirinto, that's what it's called."

I liked the sound of him speaking Italian. It was sexy. Did he know more?

"Chevron, focus."

"Sorry, go on."

"So the blueprints are hidden in a state-of-the-art locker in a maze. Only Roy can get into the locker and only the Castellinos and the Abandonatos know the layouts of the maze. I think even Roy knows the layouts, but I doubt it."

"Okay."

"So to get the prints back, we need to find Roy. And we need to steal the layouts from Castellino, if Roy doesn't know."

"Why can't we take it from Dylan? He's dumb. Should be easy."

"Dylan is dumb. His father is not. His father has the layouts, and trust me Chevron, he's worse than Castellino. Worse than me."

I was in some deep shit and in that moment, I knew I'd fucked up.

"Isaac Hale. Computer legend." I said.

Adrian gave me a small, encouraging smile.

"Adrian DeLuca. Mastermind?" I guessed.

He nodded.

"What about the rest?"

"Chevron Rane. Engineer, problem solver. Antonio Giovanni, Muscle. Damien Giovanni, spy." He finished.

"Spy?"

"He was working for the CIA. I was his assignment."

"And things didn't go as planned. Evidently."

"For the CIA or for me?"

"For Damien. You manipulated him to join you. Didn't you? He's a person, Adrian, and I don't know if you've noticed but he cares for you!! He's not a bad man!"

Adrian's angelic features hardened.

"He isn't. But I am. And I don't have to explain my actions to you. You're no angel, so stop pretending to be an innocent little girl caught in this mess. You wouldn't think twice before killing, I know. You like the thrill of it. You haven't forgiven Dylan for lying. You haven't entirely forgiven me for stepping into your life. You probably even hold a grudge against Roy, a man you haven't met. Admit it. The only reason you're here is for the money and the power. You like this, the thrill of the forbidden, you lust after power. Hell, I've even seen you lust after me because of that power!"

How could he say that!?

"Is that how low you think of me!? I don't lust after you for your power! If I wanted power, I would have thrown myself at Dylan that day and had it in my hands within seconds! I enjoy your company. I love the challenge, and you're right. I like the thrill and I hold grudges. I would also kill without a second thought. There. Are you happy!?" I demanded, raising my voice a bit.

I met his gaze. Golden-brown fire and steel grey indifference.

"But I'm not like you. Because if Dylan or Damien or anyone was in danger, I know that I would help. If someone gave two shits about me, I would never take them for granted. So call me poison, bitch or whatever unoriginal epithets you come up with. You wouldn't be the first. You wouldn't even be the last!"

His eyes flashed with the warning of a thunderstorm, but I gave negative five shits.

"You were raised by Carelia. She cared about you, she supported you. I saw pictures of you graduating among other things. My mother died when I was five and left me with a trust fund. My father didn't give a shit. Except when I said I wanted science. That's when he said he wasn't going to pay a cent of my tuition! So yes, you may have learned to kill, but no I'm not scared of you. And you're right, I do lust after you."

I took a deep breath.

"I lust after you and that's it. I'm no compassionate angel, you said so yourself. I don't and never will have any emotional attachment towards you, a man who doesn't know what affection is."

With that I sighed, drained of all my energy.

Adrian's face was impassive. Every word had hit home. I immediately felt guilty. What had I said!?

"Adrian, I'm sorry."

He raised a finger to my lips.

"Don't be. You said nothing but the truth."

With that he walked across the lawn. He didn't even look back once.

He was the Mafia Boss. The killer.

So why did it feel like I was the one without a heart?