The conference room was now empty. The deal with the other company was finalized and new investors were welcomed on board as well. Lorenzo sighed loudly as he loosened his tie and twirled lazily in his chair whiles Enzo was making phone call after phone call.
" So, are you going to tell me?" Enzo asked, after completing the last call.
He was standing by the window, his eyes fixed on outside.
"Tell you what?" Lorenzo raised a brow, giving him an exhausted look.
" About Isla."
" Oh..... that. It's just some silly stuff. It seems I sent all the important information to you."
" Tell me."
Lorenzo sat up and gave his brother a long hard look. " Why do you suddenly care about her?"
Enzo didn't answer.
"What happened while I was away?"
"Nothing."
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes at his brother. "This isn't the Enzo I know."
Enzo sighed, moving to sit on one of the chairs beside Lorenzo.
" She had a fight at the mall with Lia at the mall over a dumb toy, then I snapped at her. But that was before you sent me the email and I've been feeling guilty since."
"Wait, wait,wait.....hold on," Lorenzo chuckled, holding up a hand. " You're telling me that the man who just threatened a room full of grown ass men without blinking, is feeling guilty because he snapped at a woman who thinks like a five year old."
" It's not funny." Enzo glared at him. " Shit's messing with my brain and it frustrating as fuck."
"This is hilarious," Lorenzo chuckled. " The great Enzo finally has a weakness."
"She's not a weakness." Enzo shot back.
" Are you sure?"
" She looked scared and when I saw your email, I felt worse."
Lorenzo sat up straight, looking directly at his brother. " So let me get this straight," he said. " You run an empire built of fear, you make grown men piss their pants but the only person you're worried about frightening is her."
Enzo didn't answer.
He didn't even know what to say.
"Well, I'd have definitely laughed if someone told me my brother would someday grow a conscience." Lorenzo teased.
" Did you know Isla is scared of getting haircuts?" Lorenzo said after a few seconds of silence.
Enzo gave him a questioning gaze and he nodded.
" I had long hair too..... a witch cut it... She said I didn't need it. I had more."
Enzo instantly remembered Isla's words from that day and a surge of anger hit him.
'Why would her babysitter make her cut her hair if it scares her? She's already going through a lot,and, they go and scare her by making her get a haircut?'
The more Enzo thought about it, the angrier her became and that only fueled the bloody thoughts he had in his mind.
"Enzo?" Lorenzo called his brother, who was lost in thoughts for the third time.
Enzo finally looked at him, his jaws clenched. Something he did when he was trying to control his anger.
" Did something happen?" Lorenzo asked.
" I want the woman who cut Isla'a hair to be brought to the basement."
"What? Why?" Lorenzo asked, confusion snd shock evident on his face.
Enzo was already walking away, whiles busily typing on his phone.
" So, you're not going to drop me off back home?"
"Fuck, Lorenzo there are lots of emergency cars in the garage, just take one." Enzo said, stepping into the elevator.
He sighed as he watched his brother's face disappear behind the closing doors.
Seconds later, he stepped out of the elevator and made his way to the entrance of the building. The glass doors slid open allowing him to step out.
The heat hit him immediately hit him. The sun hung high in the sky, pouring down waves of scorching light that didn't seem to show any mercy on the people beneath it.
Enzo opened the car door and slid inside. The heat that was trapped inside the car wrapped around him immediately. Thick and suffocating. It was as if the sun had been sitting in the car, waiting for him.
Then the engine roared to life. The air conditioner hummed, slowly pushing out cool air that gradually replaced the lingering heat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The door creaked open, revealing a small room with just a small bulb and illuminating the space. A single chair sta in the middle of the rom with a woman bound to it. Her hair was a mess, her face covered in tears and the sweat from her struggles to break free from the chair.
She had no idea why she was there.
One moment, she was sweeping hairs off the floor of her tiny salon and the next moment men in dressed in black polo shirts and trousers had dragged her out, shoved her into a car and brought her here.
" You cut Isla's hair."
She jumped at the voice. She didn't realize someone had walked in.
Slowly, she raised her head, watching the man step forward. His presence in the room screamed danger and the cold look in his eyes made her tremble even more.
" I...I am...a..hairdresser," she stammered, her voice shaking.
" You know she's terrified of haircuts," he said with calmness that unsettled her deeply.
Fear rushed through her veins. " I didn't hurt her I swear, her babysitter brough her in for an appointment. She was cared before we even strated! And I just trimmed the spilt ends, I barely touched her hair." Her voice trembled.
The room fell silent.
Enzo narrowed his eyes at her, searching for a lie but all he saw was terror and truth.
"You telling me all you did was cut the split ends?" he asked quietly.
"Yes!" she nodded frantically. " I promise, I didn't cut it short.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then...
" Well, that was embarrassing."
Enzo turned to see Lorenzo standing standing at the door.
" You brought a woman here just because she trimmed split ends?" Lorenzo continued to tease his brother.
" Shut up." Enzo shot him a glare but Lorenzo was already grinning.
" I'm just saying," he said, raising his hands dramatically. " You kidnapped a hairdresser just because she performed basic hair maintenance on somebody?" He looked at the trembling woman, then at his brother.
Enzo's jaw tightened.
Lorenzo laughed.
" Enzo you run the most feared organizations in this city," he said grinning widely. " Men tremble when they hear your name, yet, today your greatest enemy is split ends?"
Enzo shot his brother a glare.
" Do you want to join her in that chair?"
Lorenzo held his hands up immediately, still grinning.
"I'm just saying," he laughed. " Next time she needs a hair wash, should we call in the entire security team too?"
The woman blinked in confusion as Enzo stared his brother down.
" Congratulations brother, you just terrorized a hairdresser for doing her job."
Enzo sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Untie her," Enzo told one of the men and walked out, with Lorenzo trailing behind him.
The muffled music from upstairs grew louder as Enzo walked up the stairs, bass vibrating faintly through the walls.He walked past his private room and pushed through the door leading into the main bar. Neon lights glowed softly against the walls and polished wood. A few men were scattered around the room. Some in deep converstions and some lost in lust with strippers.
He didn't acknowledge anyone like Lorenzo did.
He walked straight to the bar.
The bartender immediately dropped everything he was doing and turned to him.
"Whiskey, boss?" He asked, already reaching for a glass.
Enzo nodded.
The bartender quickly served him abd went back to tending to the other customers. Enzo picked it up and took a slow sip, letting the burn settle in his chest.
For a moment, it was quiet. Then a soft voice interrupted.
"Rough day?"
He glanced towards the direction of the voice.
A stripper stood a few feets away from him, leaning slightly against the bar. She was young and pretty, wearing a high-cut one-piece bodysuit.
She had a practiced smile and confidence that suggested she was used to getting attention.
"A handsome man like you shouldn't sit alone," she said softly, moving closer to him.
"You need company tonight," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned closer.
Enzo stared at her for a long time,his expression complete blank.
" I could make your night better," she said in a flirty tone.
The room got noticeably quiet as Enzo slowly placed his glass on the bar.
" Who hired her?" he turned to the bartender and asked.
The stripper blinked, confused. "I....."
" I asked," Enzo said calmly, "who hired her?"
The bartender swallowed hard. " Drake did....just this week."
Enzo turned his gaze back to the stripper.
"You're fired."
Her smile fell instantly.
"W...What?"she stammered.
" You're not paid to flirt with me," he said coldly.
"But I was just....."
"If I hear another word from you, I'll make sure you leave this city." he said flatly.
" I'm sorry sir," she sobbed, hurrying away from the bar.
Her heels clicking against the floor.