Chapter 9: One-Sided Deal

As they approached the main bedroom in the second-floor hallway, Dmitri and Arias moved stealthily. The loud moaning masked any nearby sounds, so they didn't really need to be cautious. Dmitri heard his father and stepmother shouting obscenities at each other throughout the short walk, which to him seemed like a lifetime.

When they arrived at the entrance, Arias and Dmitri positioned themselves with their backs against the wall on either side of the door. At that moment, Arias reached behind him and pulled out a handgun, holding it in his right hand. Dmitri mimicked the action, but his awkward posture and slight trembling made it clear that he wasn't comfortable handling a firearm. Naturally, Arias noticed this, but he remained silent and simply motioned for them to enter.

*Bam!*

The couple's sexual activity came to an abrupt stop when the door was loudly flung open.

"What the hell! Who—?" The man became enraged and was ready to confront whoever had interrupted his good time, but he stopped when he noticed a gun pointing in his direction.

"Dmitri… Arias…"

The father immediately recognized his son, even though the room was dimly lit, and Arias, who was now older, was also recognized.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Ivanov." Arias's bland response made the man even more uneasy.

"Gregor…" Fearful that her life was in danger, the woman who was close to the man huddled behind his back and spoke softly.

"Don't worry, Cynthia, it's all under control." Gregor Ivanov tried to comfort her, but he too was already sweating profusely.

"Don't make promises you can't keep; this situation is far from your control. Off the bed, now." Arias gave instructions in a tone that made Gregor feel even more anxious.

Dmitri had remained quiet, struggling to keep up with the pace of events. When Gregor observed this, he assumed that his son was being forced into doing something he didn't want to do.

"Dmitri, don't do this. I understand your anger, but it's not too late for us to be a family again." He made an offer, but the young man merely shot him a furious glance.

"Oh? If you're that quick to use your family for benefits and replace them, then I'd rather not be a part of it. As of now, you're not my father anymore—just a guy about to get robbed." Dmitri made a stronger motion with his gun. Although his posture still indicated that he lacked expertise, his mindset remained firm. He was no longer bound by the rules he had learned as a child or by the authority of his father. He felt both heavy and light at that moment but was unable to put his feelings into words.

"You…" Gregor scowled as he got out of bed, but he was wise enough to restrain himself from ranting. Cynthia stood there with a worried look on her face, raising the blanket to cover her body. Gregor hurriedly put on a robe that was lying on the floor, then turned to face Arias, raising his hands in the air.

"Come along, you and I are going for a walk."

While Cynthia grimaced at those remarks, Gregor scowled. He wanted to protest, but there was nothing he could do.

"I get it, just don't hurt her. Dmitri, she took care of you like her own son. Be angry with me, not her." Gregor pleaded with Dmitri as he made his way to the door.

Dmitri, however, shook his head and frowned. "If by 'take care' you mean drove away my mother and even tried seducing me because I was your heir, then yes, she took very good care of me."

Gregor scowled as he fixed his gaze on the still-trembling woman on the bed.

"You don't really have the luxury to worry about others right now." Arias advised before dragging Gregor outside by the collar of his robe. With Arias's newfound strength, even a small nudge was enough to violently propel him against the corridor wall.

*Bam!*

Before Gregor hit the ground, he struck the wall hard. Arias strolled out, letting his tie fall even further, and crouched down next to the man.

"I'd like to see your vault. Lead the way." He gave the command as he watched the man struggle to stand. Did Arias find it amusing to see the mighty cower beneath him, powerless to resist? Yes. The feeling he got from doing so, even if only for a moment, was exquisite after years of having the powerful towering above him. He didn't do anything more to humiliate Gregor, knowing there would be other times in the future when he could feel that way again. For now, he focused on the primary purpose of their visit.

Gregor didn't say anything; instead, he simply got to his feet and scowled before directing Arias to a locked pair of doors on that particular floor. He entered a short, six-digit pin into the electronic device on the door's side to unlock it.

"In here…"

Gregor led Arias inside after carefully opening the door. The space was a well-kept modern office, as one would expect in a mansion of that size. Without further comment, Gregor moved over to a painting affixed to the wall and pulled it out to reveal a medium-sized vault built into the wall.

"I don't keep any money inside. If you want money, just give me an account and I'll send it right away." Gregor proposed, sweating more as he believed that Dmitri and Arias were only interested in making money. But Arias persisted.

"Just open it." He gave the order while slightly elevating his weapon.

Gregor could only follow instructions and entered the necessary combinations for the vault. The moment the vault clicked open, Arias stepped forward and shoved Gregor aside, holding the gun in one hand while rifling through the contents of the vault with the other.

"So many hidden documents. It seems you've been quite busy lately, Mr. Ivanov. I wonder what would happen if these documents were leaked."

Gregor scowled upon hearing those remarks.

"Name a price—any price. If you leak those documents, you'll become enemies with a lot of leaders in Gotham. They won't stop until you're dead." He counseled, a tiny frown on his face.

"Provided they aren't too busy dealing with the aftermath this will cause. But you're right; I don't need that level of attention. Which is why you'll send me $5 million right away and refrain from speaking about this entire fiasco. What do you say? Pretty simple choice, really." Arias asked, his gaze coldly fixed on Gregor.

The man gritted his teeth in rage, bowed his head, and finally nodded. "Fine."