The Dictator & The Heart Hotel

Elroy Deals?

What might be this Elroy Deals?

What might be the contents of this folder?

What might be the suspicious things he'll find in here? Will he see deadly deals? Good ones? Murder contracts?

Darren glanced at the vintage pendulum wall clock and counted how long Tim was out. Hmm. Thirty minutes. He's been out for thirty minutes and any minute now, Tim can arrive. And he mulled over his choices.

He can stop or he can go.

Risk to choose one and may get caught if he picks the latter. After a minute and the tick of the clock had alerted him that another had passed, he decided to just go for it now that he has the chance. Or he might not have another opportunity to go over Tim's bag.

He sighed and went back on looking at the laptop. He saw that the Elroy Deals folder was dated back a year ago when their lives are still alright and normal. He remembered he was in Maldives back that year with Lily and Lee. Exploring the world's finest offers and enjoying that time he had to swim and relax and appreciate how life was good.

Only for him to face this disgustingly awful house arrest.

He grimaced at the thought and focused on the task at hand. He clicked on it and several other folders in that appeared which made his brain ached inside his head. Finding suspicious things are one thing but looking over folders saved in a language he severely doesn't understand is another especially when he's feeling himself like a bit of Enola Holmes.

There are Bianchi Affaires, Les affaires avec Badeaux et Perez, Amor société, Opération d'emprunt (Auch), Opération de banque (Auch) and others he wouldn't like to read because it's making his nose bleed.

Apparently, Tim speaks french which is an increase of Darren's suspicion. How can he speak french? He looked monolingual (okay well Darren knows that's a nonsense critique) and it's by far away on Darren's expectations that Tim would know french.

Why would Tim have all these Elroy Deals? The only thing Darren seemed to understand are the words banque and opération. Darren nibbled on his lips in concentration and decided to try to click on one folder randomly.

Aubaines Royales.

Darren took note of memorizing the phrase to check on later. As soon as it was opened, there was a whole lot of another folders in it and he huffed. Why are there too many files in this? Geez.

It would be easy if he can understand it and he would very much love to but he doesn't speak french. He's only familiar with some basic words he had encountered when he had went there for a week vacation.

That time when he was stressed with things so he impulsively went to France and Lily scolding him when she found out he ran away without so much as a goodbye. Hmm. Good times. Good times. How he would love to have the freedom to travel again. Soon, he guessed.

He shook his head and clicked on the first folder he had seen was good enough because it was saved as 'Sebastien Elroy'. Now, who is this?

Darren's starting to feel he's not going anywhere because when he clicked on it, another batch of folders appeared and he groaned in annoyance. Really? Really!? How many files does Tim have stored in this laptop?! Man, he's lucky he didn't choose to be a detective or inspector or an investigator because it is for sure energy draining and mind exhausting. He wouldn't sign up for too much brain stimulation.

Again, Darren just clicked on a random folder and he perched up and stood straight when the contents on it are saved on English. One particular folder said, The Dictator's Quest. He can feel the excitement surging and seeping in as he looked over three documents.

The Dictator's Fuckery. The Dictator's Nonsense. The Dictator's Shit.

Oh well. That's magnificent. Completely Tim.

He clicked on the The Dictator's Fuckery and began to read.

***

Sebastien Elroy's dealings.

-Jacques Bleu Settlement

Do not follow.

This guy is complete fuck. When you see him, punch him or throw him off his goddamn throne.

***

Oh wow. Jacques Bleu again. Hmm. That's very informative indeed. Huh.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Stop fidgeting Li!"

Lily groaned at Lee's statement. She ignored him and continued to fidget. A woman like her gotta keep her own self busy or she'd fall on her feet. If Lee could manage to catch her, she's good but everyone knows how oblivious this guy is.

You know what they say, don't fall in love with your best friend. She had that on a trial run but it failed.

"Li bestie, stop fidgeting"

Aw. Bestie? That hurt.

She shook his head and still continued to fidget. They are sitting at the lobby of Heart Hotel and awaiting for Atty. Elroy's arrival. Something she was quite looking forward too.

She's equally curious of who this is especially when Lee had told all what he knows about the Elroys. The Royal Family whose traditions are of medieval or ancient times but sometimes on the side of modernity.

She doesn't know a lot of things since she doesn't follow other people's lives. She just knows that Atty. Elroy is the eldest of the seven children. Mr. Elroy and Mrs. Elroy got the energy ha (Come on! Laugh. Lily's humor is very funny).

"Li!"

"Is it ten, yet?" she asked, eyes kept on looking around the area.

There wasn't a lot of people. There's the front desk, some people checking in and checking out. And they were the only people sitting in the lobby.

"10 minutes to ten" she heard Lee answered beside him.

She nodded and turned her head to look at him.

One word, handsome.

Two more words, majestic.

Three more words, but so oblivious.

He was sitting properly and is eyeing her fidgeting. His forehead creased, eyes adorable, eyebrows finely shaped, nose pointy, and lips tempting. She looked away, playing it cool which she had mastered when Ren had taught her how not to act so obvious in front of what seemingly is a hopeless crush.

But she had quickly countered that even if she shout it to his face, he still wouldn't get it because Lee is that oblivious.

One time, there was this particular event she really want to go to but she needed a date for that so she calculated the bravery she had left in her system and when she found that it's not enough, she downed three martini shots and walked up to him. . . or probably, crawl. Depends on how you look at it.

Then she frankly asked him 'Lee, I need a date'

Her tone was sweet or she thought it was. And then, Lee who didn't get what she implied, had the nerve to answer, 'Sure Li bestie. I'll find you a date'.

That's when Lily downed vodka and tequila shots. She needed something to cope so don't judge her.

"Three minutes" Lee spoke beside her and she nodded.

She still has three minutes to reminisce so she'll continue. There was this other time, Lily wanted to go out on Valentine's Day so she hinted it to Lee and asked him if he wanna go to someplace nice. Somewhere fun. Lee took her in a bar. In a bar. Nice.

So, she downed whiskey that time. Nonetheless, she had a good time.

"Ten"

Lily continued to look around again, she'll probably continue her crush saga some other time. She had loads of it especially that one particular conversation when they were in France trying to get to the Elroy Mansion.

Lily blinked and stilled in her seat when her eyes stopped at the entrance of the hotel.

A man dressed in an all black outfit. Starting from the top is his black hat, aviators, wrist watch, a black tee and a black scarf, black shorts, and a black slippers. Lily was about to ignore him but she realized that the man seemed to be walking towards them after seconds of looking around.

So, against her better judgment, she elbowed Lee beside her.

"Is that him?" she whispered, eyes still focused at his approaching figure.

He was tall, muscular, and handsome. That's all for sure. But he also looked oddly familiar. When he was merely few steps away, Lily gasped taking in his height, walk, face even though it was covered by his aviators and the hat.

"Timothee?"