Matleon takes his hand firmly, then slips his other hand into the pocket of his trousers. “I have something to discuss with you, Mr. Walker.”
Dex nods. “Please, come inside.”
I silently praise Dex for not wavering or looking intimidated in Matleon’s presence. It’s not something everyone can manage. Matleon has a presence that presses down on the air itself, not just because of his six-foot-four height or his broad, building-wide body, but because of the power he radiates. The confidence he carries feels absolute, as if every inch of ground he walks on already belongs to him. He doesn’t need to introduce himself as the heir to America’s underworld. You just know. He’s the kind of man no one even thinks about standing against.
Matleon takes a seat on the chair. I remain standing beside him. If anything happens, if he decides to pull a gun on Dex, I’ll be close enough to stop him. His weapon would be near my thigh if I stood any closer.
“Your stepbrother tried to attack Iselyn.”
He says my name very deliberately. Most people drop the ‘e’ in pronunciation. My family usually calls me Lyn, and when they speak my full name, it’s always soft, almost tender. ButMatleon speaks it with weight in every syllable, like he’s naming a powerful figure. It feels strange, considering my position beside him, I’m nothing powerful.
“When?” Dex asks, glancing toward me with concern.
“In the night. His man tried to break into her apartment.”
“I’m sorry, Lyn.”
“It’s okay, Dex. I’m fine. Nothing serious happened.” I try to ease his worry.
“Why, Mr. Walker?”
Dex shakes his head. “I have no idea why he would do that.”
Matleon nods. “If you are in touch with him, tell him this: he is only moments away from his death. And if not, then I offer my condolences in advance.”
Dex nods, frowning.
Matleon gets up, and the room seems to shrink under his enormous presence. “I hope you are not involved in this,” he says, glancing at me. Because of his sunglasses, I cannot see his eyes, and without that, I can’t tell what he’s thinking. His serious face gives away nothing. He never overacts when he’s with others.
“Or someone will have to lose a very important friend.” He ends the sentence with a smile that sends a chill running down my spine.
He leaves the room. So he came here just to threaten Dex. I turn to him.
“He is not my boyfriend.”
Dex smiles faintly. “Seems like you’re not going to get much of a say in it.” His smile fades, replaced by a frown. “He seems… quite a powerful man. Who is he?”
I clear my throat. “Do you know King Alessio?” I have a feeling many people know Uncle Alessio.
Dex nods, his frown deepening. “Is he real? Many people say he’s the man who truly runs the U.S., with the president as hispuppet, the real power controlling this country, and the entire continent. They call him…”
I finish for him, “The King of the Underworld.”
He nods, stunned.
“He is real, and Matleon is his son.”
Dex’s eyes widen. I chuckle. I’ve finally managed to shock him. When I told him I’m the daughter of Russia’s president’s brother, he wasn’t shocked. He only had a moment of disbelief.
“Wait,” he says urgently, then starts interacting with his light holographic interface.
After two minutes, he turns toward me with an even more confused look on his face. “Your boyfriend is the new investor in my startup. He is the owner of KATN. That’s why his name sounded familiar.”
I tilt my head, my brows knitting in a frown. Dex got a new investor four days ago from an investing organization that funded his startup, which he desperately needed. I had also proposed asking my dad to invest, but he refused. Dex needed huge funding, or else I would have done it myself from my pocket money, which I’ve never needed to use before.
But the point here is, why is Matleon doing this? He never does anything without a reason. Is this to keep Dex under his favor?
Having investment from KATN means Dex’s business is guaranteed to succeed. It’s the biggest advertisement. If KATN finds you good enough to invest, you are instantly recognized as one of the best in the market. His customer base has also grown overnight after that. He is now under immense work pressure to meet the demands, but that’s exactly what he wanted.
