EPISODE 2: The S Empire’s Boss

Having a few free hours, the CEO, Sebastian quickly went into a certain location within the city where a small local diner that run by small-time business owners. 

Getting to the location, his driver-bodyguard got out of the car and opened the back seat for his boss. "Boss, your mask." He handed the face mask that he always used whenever there was an emergency outside the business work. 

Sebastian might be wearing a cold and expressionless facade as he covered his face with a face mask. "Be on guard." He reminded me before stepping out of the car.

But as soon as he got out of the car, his body suddenly collided with another. And with Sebastian's reflexes, he managed to capture the hands and the waist of the person's body. Both eyes stared with a familiarity but it only lasted for five or ten seconds before pulling away. Yet, there was something in there.

Both hearts were throbbing when the lady broke the silence between them. "Ahm, sorry. I'm in a hurry." she apologized sincerely.

Sebastian sternly looked at the lady as he felt familiar with her. "No problem. Be careful next time." he coldly said.

She nodded. "Thank you and sorry again. Bye." She even thanked him for what he had simply done before she left in a hurry.

But Sebastian's eyes watched the mysterious lady's retreating back fade as she held a cab. "Is wearing a mask a trend nowadays?" he wondered since both of them wore a mask. The only difference Sebastian's mask was covering his lips while the lady earlier covered her eyes.

"Boss..." Sebastian was being greeted by one of his men in a suit who was keeping an eye on the local diner. "Boss?"

He snapped from his thoughts. "Report." He firmly commanded that made the man in a suit respectfully bow at him. 

He quickly informed his boss as they walked closer to the diner. "Boss, three teenagers who were wannabe gangsters are trashing the diner." Sebastian understood already the situation upon hearing it.

"Ohh, let's head inside. We don't want them to keep waiting." He coldly said and just like what his men told him about, everything in the diner was a mess.

Tables and chairs were either upside down or being smashed into pieces, disturbed foods were scattered on the tiled flooring and some customers were hiding beneath the booths' tables. Sebastian looked around and noticed two culprits were terrorizing the employees as they pointed their guns while the third one was dealing with the local diner's owners.

"What a mess..." Sebastian muttered in his cold low voice as he went further inside the diner catching everyone's attention.

Sebastian was not just the cold CEO of the Salazar Empire but he was also to intimidating mafia boss of the S Empire. He waltzed inside the local diner with confidence as if he owned the place and it irritated the wannabes over his presence.

"Who the fuck are you?" one wanna-be gangster asked upon his sudden appearance in the diner.

Sebastian didn't give any answer since he was making sure that everyone was not hurt as much as possible. "Mia, Lian, what's going on here for you to need my presence?" he asked coldly and directly to the owner of the local diner.

"The usual but they suddenly came and caused this mess." Mia spit venom when she responded to their boss.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" the wannabe who was holding them, pointed his gun toward Mia's head.

"Put that gun down. I don't want your filthy blood to ruin this expensive tile from Germany." Sebastian coldly said with his usual commanding voice.

"We don't care." Another annoyed wannabe reacted causing Sebastian's men behind him to want to retaliate but he didn't let them.

"Who are you anyway? You're not even the owner of this diner." Another one spoke while smirking.

"Believe me when I say I own this diner and..." he trailed off as he looked at the wanna-be from head to toe. "...they were all working for me and causing a ruckus in my business was no good at all."

"You don't know who we are. We're from Falcon's Gang…" the wannabe who was pointing guns over the local diner's owner spoke confidently to him. 

"Oh, you're with them." Sebastian was showing no reaction at all and just nodded. "That's great to know." He glanced over his shoulder and the man suit who called him went to his side. "Call Liu Yan and meet me here."

"Yes, boss." the man in the suit responded and quickly made a call.

Even though there was a ruckus in the local diner, nobody was daring to move to their spot. But as for Sebastian, he took a sit at his usual seat over the booth and waited patiently for Liu Yan. Just a few minutes later, a breathless man came rushing inside the local diner. Not minding the mess inside, he looked around in worry since he received a call from his boss. 

"What are they doing here?" Liu Yan was confused as he spotted his men pointing guns at everyone in the diner. "Don't tell me..." he glared at them before heading to Sebastian's table. "This is so fucked up."

Liu Yan respectfully bowed as soon as he stood up confidently in front of his boss. "Sorry, boss, I am late."

"No need to apologize since I know you're handling our business smoothly." Sebastian coldly pardons the lateness of the man before him. "But these youngsters told me that they were working for you, can you testify to that?" 

"Yes, boss, they're working for me." Liu Yan honestly answered.

"Did you arrange for them to do this kind of thing in my business?" he studied Liu Yan's expression and he could tell that he was pissed over his newbies.

"No, boss, I would never do that. I am happy for the job you've assigned five years ago." He sincerely answered. "I am very disappointed seeing them here when they are supposed to be working at this hour in our restaurant." Liu Yan spit venom while he shot his glares at the three men on the side.

"So, they skipped their working hours and disturbed this diner," Sebastian concluded. 

"Seems like it, boss." Liu Yan nodded. "But don't worry, I will punish them." He added.

"Good punish them since you're their leader and I hope you will kick them out of your gang because we don't need useless men who will only cause this kind of problems in the near future," Sebastian suggested and Liu Yan already had it in mind.

"Understood, boss," he confirmed making the three wannabes frightened.

"Lian, Mia, you heard it. Sorry for this mess. Let Liu Yan clean this up since he was a responsible leader of his gang." He told the two business owners.

"Yes, boss, thank you for helping us." Lian bowed with gratitude toward their boss.

"It's my pleasure to help. See you around…" He responded as he walked toward the diner's door but halted. "...and you three, I hope I won't see you again trashing my businesses around the city again." He coldly warned them and left them to clean their mess.

After the entire day of work from being the CEO and mafia boss, Sebastian finally had time to rest. He went straight home to the main mansion, the household of the Salazar family and to visit his grandparents. But as soon as he stepped out of the car, Ashley was already by the door smirking.

He knew something was up. "Oh fuck." Sebastian suddenly recalled what Ashley told him while they were having a lunch meeting.

"You just remember, don't you?" Ashley teased him. Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"Please, don't start." He hoped and Ashley patted his shoulder.

"Everyone is waiting for you. Especially, our grandparents." Ashley teased more. 

"Then I better go." He was about to turn his way when Ashley quickly grabbed his collar from behind.

"No, you can't." She chuckled and settled her brother's suit neatly. "Be a man and deal with them sooner than later." She boosted his confidence and Sebastian could not do anything but face them. Their Grandparents' wish.

Inside, they were welcomed by their family servants and even led the way where the others were. At the dining, Sebastian noticed his parents were gravely talking to their grandparents seriously until Ashley faked her cough to catch their attention.

"I told you, I will bring him here." Ashley winked at the adults who were thankful for her help.

Sebastian respectfully kissed her parents's cheeks as well as their grandparents. "So, why I am needed here again?" he asked straightly like he always does.

"You'll know later but let's eat." His father, Cristian Salazar, answered before his parents could.

They catch up with each other making their family dinner light and when Sebastian was already feeling that he was saved, his grandfather put down his glass making everyone quiet down. They all began to listen to the master of the main mansion of the Salazar.

"Sebastian, remember your fiancee?" his grandfather carefully asked while studying the cold expression of his grandson.

Sebastian froze for a second when he heard it. "It's been awhile..." he lowly said but it was still audible for them to hear the sadness in his tone there. "What about her?" 

"I know it's been a while but find her." his grandfather gently but insisted.

"Why after all this time?" he coldly wondered.

"Just find her and marry her." His grandmother just pressed firmly.

"But it was not easy to..." He was trying to reason but his grandfather sighed.

"Find her and marry her, Sebastian. It's our dying wish." His grandfather calmly said and something clicked on Sebastian's mind.

"What the..." The reaction on Sebastian's face was empty but there was anger in them. "You knew something about this?" he glared to his family, particularly to his parents. "Mom, Dad?"

"Sebastian, it is a family arrangement that cannot be denied. It's both families' undying promise. A last will." His grandmother answered before his parents could.

Sebastian was glaring but softened as he sighed. "Fine. Let me see what I can do..." he coldly looked at them before he continued. "...but keep in mind that I can't promise to find her."

"Please do. No matter what." His grandfather insisted.

"Fine, I will." He coldly responded as he wiped his mouth. "Excuse me then." He left his unfinished food since he had a lot of things to think about after hearing it.

A CEO, he supposed to be in the study room but not Sebastian whenever he's in the main mansion. He went to the music room near the garden since it was the only place where he felt at ease.

"There's no moment that I am not thinking of her even though years have already gone so far between us." Sebastian sounded like a longing lover for his lost young love. "I thought it was just passing pace but not. I love you since then yet you're nowhere to be found."

"What day is it

And in what month?

This clock never seemed so alive..." He began playing the piano that was located at the center of the garden. "It has never been alive ever since I lost you."

"I can't keep up, and I can't back down

I've been losing so much time..." he sang the song You and Me by Lifehouse while he started missing the person that he was supposed to marry.

"We might have a fixed marriage with our grandparents but knowing each other in our younger years, I learned what is love." he almost cried while he kept playing the piano. "I'll find you as I promise you."