We Can Make a Deal

Adeline shrugged, unbothered.

"I couldn't care less."

"Our marriage was forced by his father and we really hate each other. We have nothing to do with each other, so he does whatever he wants."

"I see." Caesar took a sip of his champagne and kept back the glass. He returned his focus to the screen of his phone, yet to properly pay attention to her. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Instead of responding, Adeline stood up from her seat and leaned over the table, grasping his hand. "When we talk to each other, please be polite and look at me."

Caesar was taken aback, averting his gaze from the phone to stare at her in shock.

"Excuse me?" A stunned smile spread across his face and his eyes broadened a bit with his brow arching.

"Pay attention to me," Adeline demanded. 

Caesar let out a short laugh, still incredulous.

"Alright."

He turned off his phone, shoving it back into the breast pocket of his coat. "Go ahead."

Adeline sat back on the chair and crossed her legs. "I've thought about it like you wanted me to."

"And what's your decision?" Caesar asked. "Still want to get involved with me?"

"I do." Adeline gave a nod. She reached for the glass of wine on the table and took a sip. "I want you to aid me. You are the only one who can help me get exactly what I want."

Caesar hummed, busily swirling the champagne inside the glass. "What makes you think I would help you, though? I can refuse, no?"

"If you had the intention to, I don't think you would be here Caesar, nor would you have gone through all this trouble," Adeline said, pointing upwards and referring to the whole restaurant.

"You don't know me." Caesar grinned at her.

Adeline's face wrinkled into a frown. "Then are you saying that this was all a waste? Do you have no intention of helping me?"

"Depends," Caesar said, sounding bored out of his mind. "I can make a deal, but no compromise."

Adeline thrummed her fingers on her thigh anxiously. "A deal, huh?" she mumbled to herself, lowering her head to stare at her hands.

"You wouldn't just be helping me, but you would gain as well. It won't be for free."

Caesar looked at her, his eyes intense and searing. "Elaborate."

"I'm sure you're aware of one of your family members who died back then," Adeline began. "A middle-aged man took the blame for it and went to prison."

Caesar slightly frowned, his eyes darkening as if recalling a certain memory. "Faddey Leveich Kuznetsov?"

"Yes." Adeline nodded.

Caesar scoffed. "Wasn't he murdered by Dimitri?"

"Y-you knew?" Adeline quickly shot him a surprised glance.

"Why wouldn't I?" Caesar was suddenly peeved. "Being unable to find concrete evidence against Dimitri and having to accept that a random old man killed Faddey does not mean we are stupid."

He filled his glass with champagne. "Although, why are you bringing Faddey up?"

"That random old man was my father," Adeline responded. She looked sad.

Caesar halted and lifted his eyes to glimpse her expression. "Your…father?" He seemed dubious.

"Yes," Adeline confirmed.

She sighed, grabbing the glass of wine from the table. "Mr. Petrov threatened him, and having no other choice but to obey, he accepted and took the blame. He went to prison, and they hired inmates to murder him."

Caesar swallowed the liquid in his mouth and kept the glass back. "Why did they kill him?" 

Adeline gazed at him contemplatively and only responded after a few moments, "He stole something from Mr. Petrov, and when he asked for it, my father refused to reveal its location."

"You wouldn't mind me asking what this 'something' is, right?" Caesar squinted his eyes, interested.

"No." Adeline shook her head. "But I'll only tell you if you agree to help me. We can make a deal." She cheerily smiled, never breaking eye contact with him.

Caesar couldn't help but chuckle, finding her entertaining. "You're really something."

He adjusted comfortably and rested his elbow on the armrest of his chair to support his tipped head. "Tell me, what is this deal? If it's catchy enough to pull me in, I might agree."

"You are one of the Petrovs, so a deal with you is like walking on thin ice."

Adeline exhaled through her mouth, closing and opening her eyes. "I know that betraying you is not an option. You would kill me if I ever dared to. I'm not stupid."

Caesar searched her face with an amused gleam dancing in his eyes. He looked away with a smile and said, "You are quite the company to have."

Adeline wasn't sure how to react to those words, but she'd cleared her throat and taken a deep breath.

"If you help me, you will also gain a lot. Helping me will give you the opportunity to make Dimitri pay for killing a relative of yours. While we destroy the Petrovs, you can have everything that belongs to them. I want none of it. All i'm really after is just revenge and nothing more."

She continued, "I want to see them fall to their knees with no way to get back up. I want them to crawl, to beg, and to cry. I want to humiliate them, so much so that they would never be able to step out into a crowd without being ridiculed and condemned."

"They keep a good image on the surface with that fake ass company, and people have no idea what sort of beasts they are in the shadows!" She sharply narrowed her gaze on Caesar. "I want them to seek death at the end of all this, Caesar. I like to cause them so much pain that death will be their only redemption and escape."

"So, please…help me!"