Beast, Blue Blood - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Ha-yeon spoke.

“It’s the Charlie Gard Foundation.”

[Got it. Hold on a second.]

Myung-jin spoke, and some time passed. While waiting, Ha-yeon looked at Pierlu and smiled. Pierlu looked puzzled.

[Found it.]

Soon, Myung-jin spoke again.

[Nasiri Thakur has been continuously sending money anonymously to the Charlie Gard Foundation. Nasiri, that’s the director’s secretary in her office, right? Want me to send you the donation records?]

“No, it’s okay. Thanks.”

Ha-yeon hung up and looked back at Pierlu.

“Sorry, it was an urgent call. By the way, has that woman ever been here?”

“That woman…?”

“Fuger-Dulloch.”

At that name, Pierlu’s face hardened.

“No. The director has…”

“She wouldn’t have come, of course. Thanks. I’ll be leaving now.”

Then, as Ha-yeon turned to leave, she muttered, seemingly displeased.

“What a saint. What a saint.”

Pierlu muttered in disbelief.

“Why did she come here…?”

Suddenly, Ha-yeon stopped and came back.

“Oh, right. So, you’ll do it or not? My uncle’s gardener.”

Overwhelmed by her forcefulness, Pierlu replied unconsciously.

“I will.”

Ha-yeon smiled with satisfaction and turned to leave again.

* * *

Hisha was staring blankly at the monitor of the cash register.

Naturally, he couldn’t concentrate on his work. It had been days since he last saw Eugene, and he was starting to feel withdrawal symptoms.

Just then, someone appeared in front of him.

“A café mocha.”

“Yes…”

Hisha quickly snapped out of it and looked up to take the order, only to swallow a curse. Standing there was Ha-yeon, wearing a khaki bomber jacket, and jeans, and carrying a backpack.

“Is there anything else you need?”

Hisha forced a smile that felt like it might crack. Ha-yeon crossed her arms and said with interest.

“No.”

The employees seemed to be murmuring at the appearance of another type of beauty, different from Eugene.

“Please wait a moment.”

Hisha forced another smile.

When the coffee was ready, Ha-yeon looked back as she picked it up and spoke.

“Hey, this is an Americano.”

“Drink the Americano. It’s less fattening.”

Hisha said expressionlessly. Then Ha-yeon yelled like a hissing cat.

“This coffee tastes terrible!”

Hisha pointed at Ha-yeon and addressed the nearby employees.

“That’s just a personal opinion.”

The employees could only laugh awkwardly. Ha-yeon, looking extremely displeased, took her coffee and sat at a table.

A little later, Hisha approached Ha-yeon, pretending to clean.

“Why are you here?”

Without saying a word, Ha-yeon pulled out an envelope and threw it on the table.

“What’s this?”

Hisha asked as she picked up the envelope, noting the recipient’s name.

<Selena Chu>

Seeing Ha-yeon’s expression, looking like she had just swallowed poison, Hisha asked.

“Isn’t this Selena’s?”

“I stole it.”

If she were any more assertive, she might have walked into the White House carrying a machine gun. Hisha couldn’t hide his astonishment.

“ISLE, you need to manage your security better.”

Although it wasn’t necessarily due to poor security that Ha-yeon had been able to steal it.

“Anyway, what is this?”

Hisha asked as he opened the envelope.

“It’s an invitation to the ‘Business Leaders’ Dinner’ party.”

The party was to be held in Rome.

Still, Hisha couldn’t understand why Ha-yeon had brought this to him. Then Ha-yeon spoke.

 “That woman, Eugene, is going to be there. She’s on the guest list.”

Hisha looked at Ha-yeon in surprise.

“You…”

“Mr. Young-soo.”

At that moment, an employee called, and Hisha turned to respond.

“Yes, I’m coming.”

Then Ha-yeon asked incredulously.

“Are you still using that name?”

“I’m used to it. Anyway, why are you helping me?”

Ha-yeon stood up.

“Humanity. It’s natural to help a stray dog you find on the street.”

As Hisha watched Ha-yeon walk away, he muttered incredulously.

“Am I a dog?”

* * *

The entire Maksimov family was gathered in the VIP room of a Moscow hospital. This included Sergei, dressed in a dark navy suit, and Eugene, wearing a gray dress suit.

On the bed surrounded by the family lay Maksimov, who seemed barely conscious. The eldest son, Sergei, approached and whispered gently.

“Father, everyone is here.”

Maksimov stared at Eugene beside Sergei with unclear eyes, as if he wanted to say something.

Eugene approached him.

“I’m sorry.”

Maksimov made a faint sound, like someone who had swallowed his breath wrong. Whether it was mixed with despair or anger was unclear. But it seemed he no longer had the energy to express anything.

Maksimov’s lips moved slightly. That was all. His eyes, which had seemed almost closed, shut completely, and the monitor next to the bed emitted a steady beep. The doctor standing beside the bed looked at the monitor and then checked Maksimov before announcing in a dry tone disguised as sympathetic.

“He has passed away.”

The women burst into tears. Though they wept bitterly, it was clear that none of them were genuinely mourning.

Maksimov had been a tyrant. A dictator from whom Stalin could learn a thing or two, and a blunt critic who spoke his mind without hesitation. He had wielded the rod freely on his sons, including Sergei, and when he was angry, he had even yelled at Eugene, calling her a Chinese whore.

In truth, there was no reason for Maksimov not to be arrogant. He was a man who had everything a human could possess. But in the end, he was still human, unable to escape death.

The loud wailing gradually subsided, and soon, as if on cue, the sobbing came to an abrupt stop. It was a strange sight indeed.

As the silence settled, people began to get up and prepare to leave. Among them, Maksimov’s second daughter-in-law wiped her tears and spoke to Eugene.

“You arrived late. Father kept asking for Director Eugene.”

Her husband added.

“Even though you’re the eldest son’s fiancée, he seemed to long for you more than us, his family.”

Everyone knew that the reason Maksimov had been asking for Eugene was to inquire about the completion of the virus. Despite this, they used her late arrival as an excuse to remark.

“I’m sorry.”

Eugene didn’t offer any excuses. Her composed attitude caused a few women to pout as they left the room.

Soon, everyone had left, leaving only Eugene and Sergei. Eugene looked at the white sheet covering Maksimov’s face and spoke.

“Even if the virus had been completed, it wouldn’t have saved your father. Right?”

“Why?”

Sergei asked in a tone devoid of emotion.

“Because you wouldn’t have done it?”

Eugene looked at Sergei with an equally emotionless expression. Sergei took a step closer to her.

“We are alike, Eugene.”

He looked her over lightly and spoke more gently than ever before.

“You are exceptionally beautiful today.”

His words were sincere. In her gray dress suit, resembling a coat dress, Eugene exuded a melancholic beauty that was both poignant and elegant, like a foreboding of a storm. Once he perceived her attractiveness, the cool, restrained beauty that was different from his mistress Deborah felt more aristocratic. If a woman like her were to melt passionately in bed, Sergei felt he could fall in love with her.

However, Eugene’s face showed no trace of being moved by his sincere compliment.

“I told you not to speak to me like you do to your other women.”

Despite her barbed words, Sergei did not lose his smile.

He had never actively wanted children before. His two sons had been the result of Deborah’s contraceptive failure. Although he knew she had deliberately avoided contraception to conceive, Sergei hadn’t cared much about it since he needed children anyway.

But for the first time, Sergei wanted a child. A healthy and beautiful son born from this woman, Eugene Fuger-Dulloch.

Did Alexei have this premonition when he sired Peter the Great? They would bear a king.

“Stay until the funeral.”

Sergei said, but Eugene, walking past him, replied.

“I’m not here to play.”

Watching her receding figure, Sergei chuckled.

There was no need to rush. Eugene was destined to be his woman anyway.

* * *

“CEO.”

A flight attendant approached Selena, who was seated and engrossed in her documents.

“Yes.”

Selena, who had been focused on her paperwork even before takeoff, looked up at the flight attendant. The flight attendant then said.

“We have an additional passenger.”

“An additional passenger?”

Selena had not been informed of any additional passengers. She looked over at her secretary, Jerome, who was sitting across from her. Jerome shook his head, indicating he had no idea either.

“There wasn’t supposed to be anyone else.”

At that moment, the emergency door opened, and someone entered. It was Hisha, carrying a duffel bag.

“Ma’am.”

Hisha smiled at Selena, who looked surprised to see him.

“Hello.”

He casually put his bag in the overhead compartment and sat down across from her.

“Is this carpooling? No, I guess it’s airpooling?”

Selena, having recovered from her surprise, did not hide her bewilderment.

“I’m on my way for business.”

“So am I.”

Hisha replied nonchalantly, causing Selena to raise an eyebrow.

“To Rome?”

“Yes.”

Selena looked at Hisha for a moment before speaking.

“It seems it’s not unrelated to Director Eugene’s departure for Rome yesterday.”

Hisha did not respond, instead opening a magazine from the seat pocket and showing something he took out from his pocket. Seeing it, Selena couldn’t help but rub her temples in frustration.

She regretted not putting an expiration date on the wish coupons when she made them.

“How many more of those do you have left?”