On the other side of the door, Daniel was standing in the hallway, rubbing his eyes. He had woken up about half an hour ago, barely leaving to have breakfast and buy mourning flowers to place with the others by the wall.
His gray eyes carried emotions that hadn't healed yet, from everything that had unfolded before him.
He moved his hand and rang the bell again, and at that moment, Leonid opened the door with a cold expression on his face. It was clear he was annoyed by Daniel's repeated ringing.
Daniel felt a pang of guilt, but he wasn't at fault. He quickly crossed his arms and said reluctantly.
"You should have said something, like 'I'm coming,' so I wouldn't bother you more."
He paused for a moment, then glanced inside the apartment and asked:
"Where's Charlotte? Is she still with you?"
Concern filled his voice as he tried to appear manly in front of Leonid.
"Yes, she's still with me, and she's in the living room now."
Leonid answered curtly, as was his usual way, leaning against the doorframe, staring at Daniel for a moment before looking at the mourning flowers.
"I see you've come to pay your condolences too. Thank you for your sympathy."
"No need to thank me, it's a humane thing to do..."
Daniel lowered his head, thought for a moment, then said in a low voice:
"I want to tell you something. In fact, through the simple communication between us, I can say for certain that you are a good person, someone reliable."
"You have good judgment. Tell me, what is it?"
"Well..."
Leonid remained calm, staring at Daniel, who was hesitating in his words, looking worried as though he feared someone would overhear him.
"It's about yesterday's incident, actually—"
Daniel suddenly stopped, feeling as if his voice had been refused to come out. His eyes briefly glanced at Charlotte, who was standing by the wall about ten steps away.
"Yesterday... the man who..."
As time passed, Daniel swallowed his words and stopped, his features showing hesitation.
From Charlotte's perspective, she hadn't said anything and only stared. Her sight was weak to the point that she hadn't recognized the person Leonid was talking to at first, but as she squinted, she was able to make out Daniel's figure.
A feeling of unease crept into her heart as she watched Daniel whisper and then suddenly stop. At that moment, when Daniel paused, Leonid turned around, and his eyes fell on Charlotte.
At that moment, Leonid grabbed the door and pushed it slightly to block Charlotte from view, then looked back at Daniel and said coldly.
"Forget what you saw, okay?"
Charlotte's appearance was tempting in Leonid's eyes. The way she clung to the wall, her chestnut hair cascading down her back, some strands covering her shoulder, made the whole scene have a kind of deceptive charm. The exposed parts of her body beneath her loose clothing stirred his instincts.
But Daniel was unaffected by it. He stared into her eyes, as if there was something intangible between them, as if she were whispering to him, silently begging him not to tell anyone what he had seen.
"Okay... forget what I was going to say as well, I wasn't going to say anything important anyway..."
Daniel forced himself to smile and turned to leave, but he couldn't move due to Leonid's intervention.
"Are you trying to avoid this now?"
Leonid asked coldly, extending his hand, and in a sudden motion, he pulled Daniel toward him by his jacket. His grip was as strong as his eyes, which stared intensely into Daniel's as if searching his soul.
"Avoid? You're mistaken! I'm just gauging the right moment!"
Instead of showing annoyance, Daniel felt an unexpected surge of fear, but his heart raced as he tried not to tell the truth.
First, he avoided looking into Leonid's eyes, as those pale eyes seemed to penetrate him, as if seeing beyond his words.
Second, he tried to mislead with another confirmed truth.
"I just wanted to tell you that my grandfather's birthday is coming up... and I want to invite Charlotte again..."
"Hmm... that birthday? Are you sure you're able to go after witnessing yesterday's incident?"
Leonid's lips curled into a cold smile, and he added:
"You're not scared, are you? Or are you pretending to be tough?"
Daniel suddenly stiffened, feeling as though his heart had dropped into his stomach. The words echoed in his mind as if they were chasing him, unable to escape.
"Forget it. You can go and enjoy yourself, no need to be depressed after witnessing a gruesome crime... but I recommend you see a therapist."
Leonid released Daniel's jacket as though he hadn't been holding it moments ago, then added casually:
"Just in case."
"I'm fine!"
Daniel quickly said, adjusting his jacket with a restless movement, then took two steps back. He glared at Leonid with a look full of resentment, as if silently cursing him, but he didn't say a word. He turned and left, his steps quicker than he had intended.
As Daniel approached the elevator, the doors opened at the same moment. He was about to enter when he collided with someone.
"Oh, watch out, boy..."
A calm, familiar voice echoed. Daniel quickly raised his head and found himself staring into a face he knew well.
"Mr. Devin?"
Devin pursed his lips as he examined the white mourning bouquet he had just bought. His black suit looked incredibly elegant, tailored perfectly to highlight his muscular frame, while strands of his black hair were neatly swept to the side. He lifted his green eyes and looked at Daniel coldly.
"Yes, and what of it?"
He sighed, then added in a calm but commanding tone:
"You should look where you're walking, alright?"
"I'm sorry... but how long have you been living here?"
Shock was evident on Daniel's face, as if his mind had stopped for a moment trying to comprehend the situation. Devin shot him a condescending glance before responding sharply:
"A while."
He paused for a moment, then added in a cold voice:
"How? And why? That's none of your business."
Without waiting any longer, Devin passed by Daniel with steady steps. Daniel stood there, staring at his back for a moment before stepping into the elevator.
Devin moved toward the wall mentioned in the post, his eyes coldly examining it. These emotional displays had always disgusted him, but in the end, they were a good way to have some fun with Charlotte.
He bent down on his knees and placed the white mourning bouquet among the piles of other flowers. Barely standing up and adjusting his suit, the door of the neighboring apartment opened, and Leonid emerged carrying full garbage bags.
As soon as their eyes met, Leonid narrowed his eyes coldly.
"You're here too?"
He said it in a dry tone, casting a look of disdain at Devin as he closed his apartment door with his foot.
"Excuse me?"
Devin tilted his head slightly, as if the question hadn't been clear to him.
Leonid sighed, pointing with his finger at the piles of white flowers that had grown over time.
"Offering condolences, apparently."
"Ah, yes."
Devin smiled calmly, but his eyes curiously drifted to the garbage bags Leonid was carrying.
"You seem busy... are you getting rid of your pet's belongings?"
His tone was calm and reserved, but behind it, there was a dark amusement he couldn't quite hide.
"Well, it's already dead, so there's no point in keeping its things. By the way, how do you feel about losing it?"
Devin's green eyes sparkled with a glint of excitement he tried to suppress as much as possible, but his nature overtook him, revealing himself through his gaze and behavior despite his attempts to conceal it.
"Is this your way of offering condolences? No wonder."
"Huh?"
Devin's expression froze upon hearing Leonid's unexpected response. Gradually, his smile faded, replaced by a neutral expression.
"What's wrong with my way? I'm asking you kindly and trying to comfort you. I even put the flowers down so your pet's soul can rest in peace."
His tone barely held its calm, but Leonid caught the subtle hint of resentment in it. He tilted his head slightly, staring at Devin with a cold look. There was no need to respond immediately; the silence alone was enough to increase the tension between them.
Leonid lifted one of the garbage bags in his hand slightly, as if weighing it, before speaking in a dry tone.
"That's kind of you. Is everything okay now?"
"Of course, that's what's supposed to be said."
Devin answered quickly, his eyes slowly widening.
"Don't belittle me, or my actions or efforts, understood?"
Devin felt anger and a sense of inferiority due to Leonid's behavior, and he quickly turned around, heading toward his apartment.
Meanwhile, Leonid remained calm, watching him until he saw him enter his apartment, then turned his eyes and left to dispose of the bags.
Devin entered his apartment, and as soon as he closed the door behind him, he roughly rubbed his black hair with his fists. His mood had been good this morning, but now he felt frustrated, as though a sudden suffocation had taken hold of him.