The conversation between the two came to an abrupt end when Ci-ci walked in, hand in hand, with Milana.
At that moment, there was an unconcealed rage in Ci-ci's eyes. Although he was currently disguised as Lucius, it didn't change the depth and strength hidden in his eyes. The normal hazel color blazed to life, almost becoming a blinding golden color.
Even Kazimir who had seen many things in his life felt pressure looking at this young man, and for the first time, he allowed the slight shade of embarrassment and guilt to appear on his face.
"Lucius! Little Melly, you two shouldn't be here." Nellie said quickly, trying to cover up how she was really feeling. "We had a small break-in, it's nothing to worry about. The others have already left for the day, how about you two just take the day off?"
Although Ci-ci knew that Nellie had good intentions, his eyes never left Kazimir. "What happened here?"
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Kazimir's eyes shifted from Ci-ci to Milana, but when he saw the empty and dead look in his daughter's eyes, all of the toughness and alpha male mentality he had left him in an instant. He wanted to step forward to comfort her, but he suddenly realized that he was no longer the best option for protecting his daughter in this life.
He knew how much potential his daughter had. Milana even had a great chance to enter one of the top five universities of West Continent at one point. And, currently, she was qualified to attempt the Inventor Exams. Yet, all because of him, she hadn't been able to do any of these things. One mistake after another seemed to topple their lives again and again. No matter how ignorant Kazimir was, he couldn't help but feel his daughter slipping further and further away from him.
Nellie could only sigh and give up when she saw Ci-ci reaction. This wouldn't end easily, and in the end, the person who'd end up the most hurt wouldn't be those responsible, but Milana.
"It doesn't matter." Kazimir finally said.
"It doesn't matter?" Ci-ci's frown deepened. "The safety of your daughter and everyone who works here doesn't matter?"
"Don't push me, Lucius." Kazimir's eyes reddened. "I'm calling a board room meeting soon to decide how to proceed from here, this doesn't involve you."
"No, Kazimir. Don't push me." A slight murderous aura radiated into the room. "In this life, aside from my disabled father, there are very few people who matter to me. Even if you're Milana's father, if you continue being a danger to her, I'll start seeing you as an enemy."
When Milana heard Ci-ci's words, aside from the complicated look that took over her once vacant eyes, she also felt endless warmth she hadn't experienced in a long time.
Milana had met Ci-ci's father before. Never in a million years would she have connected that poor, decrepit old man with the great Lucius Grandbell Sr. However, what that meeting did do for her was make her realize that Ci-ci's pain was no less than her own.
They had both lost their mothers, and although they both had their fathers still in their lives, they might as well not be there at all.
"You…" Kazimir wanted to erupt in anger, but he found that his voice became deflated before he could finish.
He clutched his forehead with one of his large, meaty hands, rubbing his temples as his mood gave way to tiredness.
After a moment, he waved his hands. "Let me talk with Lucius alone for a bit."
Seeing the skepticism and worry in Milana's eyes after he said this, Kazimir could only bitterly chuckle before promising the talk would be harmless. In the end, Nellie and Milana reluctantly left, arm in arm.
Kazimir took a deep breath. "Listen, kid. Believe it or not, I'm glad that this is your reaction. But, if you insist on getting involved in this, you won't be helping my daughter, you'll be hurting her. If you end up embroiled in street wars and my daughter ends up like my wife, I'll kill you even if I have to spend the rest of my life behind bars."
Ci-ci calmly scanned Kazimir's face. Despite the man being overweight, he gave off the prestige of a general. Ci-ci couldn't ignore that.
"What happened with your wife?" Ci-ci suddenly asked.
A flash of pain took over Kazimir's eyes before he turned and walked to sit behind his desk. "Even to this day I don't know the truth. All I can tell you is that Milana's mother is from East Continent, not our West Continent."
Ci-ci's eyes sharpened. East Continent? Although they shared a planet, the two continents might as well be two completely separate worlds. The two continents were on relatively good terms, though. Travelling between them wasn't so difficult either. But, this was only on the surface. There were deep and unquestionable divides between the two continents of Earth that stretched back to the apocalyptic era.
"Milana doesn't know this, but I'm not the one who got our family involved with The Ghettos." Kazimir sighed when he saw the skepticism on Ci-ci's face.
Ci-ci had every right to question it too. For example, there was Nellie. Wasn't she Milana's aunt? Yet she also acted like Kazimir was public enemy number one. It was either that she was an amazing actor, or she didn't know about any of what Kazimir was saying either.
"I know how it sounds, I don't need you to tell me. Just promise me that you'll never tell Milana about this. I want her image of her mother to last her lifetime."
"Then why tell me?" Ci-ci asked.
"I tell you so that you understand why you shouldn't get involved. Do you believe it's normal for a woman to come from a comfortable life on East Continent just to get involved with those violent gangs? Even on her death bed, Anastasia wouldn't tell me the truth.
"I've dedicated my life to finding out the truth, and because of it, I've put my daughter in danger time and time again. In a lot of ways, the love between me and Anastasia should have never happened, but Milana was the one thing we could both treasure whole heartedly.
"Please forget about this. I'm entrusting my daughter to you." Kazimir looked into Ci-ci's eyes with a heavy heart as he spoke these last words.