GABRIEL #7
"They are responsible for infrastructure, data security, and systems architecture across all facilities," he continues. "The scale is… nontrivial. Director Flanegin would surely welcome you with open arms."
I straighten up a little.
"But that is not the only department where you could be useful.
We have bioengineering, nanotechnology. You could choose something for yourself.
If you decided on a direction, I could arrange something like an internship for you after you graduate from your majors.
That will be in… eight months, correct?"
Slowly, uncertainly, I nod. "Yes. In May."
Then he immediately adds, his tone firm again, "You will, of course, remain in your current bodyguard role as your primary responsibility. That is not negotiable."
I still stare at him, stunned.
"But," Blue continues, "there is no inherent reason you couldn't spend some time with them when your duties allow it, learning, acquiring experience."
"You’re serious?"
"Yes."
I search his face, trying to find some hidden catch.
"Why?" I ask finally. "I mean… you don’t have to do that. You obviously hate me."
Something flickers in Blue’s eyes, and he quickly turns his head to the side. "No, Gabriel," he says calmly. "I don’t hate you."
I keep staring at him.
"But you’re pissed at me," I mutter. "Majorly."
"It doesn’t matter what I, personally, feel. With a mind like yours," he emphasizes his words, "it would be a terrible waste to let it go underutilized."
I blink again in utter shock. I don't think I will ever get used to compliments, and the ones from him feel… genuine, almost overwhelming. Maybe one day I'll learn to just accept them and say thank you?
He continues before I can respond.
"You have strong pattern recognition, computational speed, and practical intuition. Combined, those traits are… uncommon."
As I stare at him, a strange feeling blooms in my chest.
This really doesn’t sound like him. Or at least not like the version of him I’ve started building in my head.
"You barely know me," I say, more quietly now. "And what you have seen doesn't reflect well on me."
Blue shrugs lightly. "Regardless of what I think about your behavior yesterday, I just don’t like wasting good potential, Gabriel."
I look away for a moment, exhaling slowly. He really doesn’t have to do this, after everything I did.
"Yeah," I say finally. "I would want that."
A slight nod. "Then I will arrange it."
And… he's already looking back at the device, scrolling through the logs. The same disciplined presence, but it no longer feels so cold, just focused.
"Thanks," I say quietly.
For a moment, I just stand there in silence, hands in my pockets, slightly hunched.
I thought I had him figured out, but I realize that he also wants what is good for me, even though I did little to earn his benevolence.
"You are…" I whisper. "Too kind to me. I don’t deserve it."
Blue slowly lifts his gaze, and our eyes lock. "Make sure you do, Gabriel. Be the best version of yourself. We have only one life. Wasting it would be a tragedy."
I nod. But I cannot help it.
I think I’m starting to like him. A lot.
Fuck!
Yep, I learned nothing, obviously.
◆◆◆
We return home from the lab in silence.
James serves us a late lunch, and throughout the meal I stay lost in thought, unsure how to process any of this.
My feelings for him are becoming more and more confusing; I no longer know what to make of them.
On one hand, Blue keeps pushing me away, and on the other, he makes these considerate gestures toward me.
I just watch him carefully as he leans over his plate and eats with focus.
About twenty minutes after lunch, I get a call from Veyron saying he's waiting in the lobby.
"I will send James for him," Blue says when I ask if I should go down myself.
I already warned Veyron not to offer Blue a handshake under any circumstances, so I am not worried about how the meeting will start.
When my cousin’s tall figure steps into the penthouse, I feel a sudden rush of warmth. I did not even realize how much I missed my family.
I immediately pull him into a hug, pressing him close, the sight of his youthful, handsome face lifting my mood.
"Hey, Gabe! How’s it going, man? I’m glad you found a way out of that crappy… situation, you know," Veyron winks, "the one everyone in the family pretends not to know about," he adds with a silly grin.
"Well, thanks to Blue’s kindness, I got another shot at life," I say, turning slightly toward Blue, who stands by the table in the living room, watching us with a smooth, unreadable expression, one typical for him.
"Veyron, this is Blue Lowen, officially my contract husband, but in reality my boss."
Then I gesture toward Veyron. "And this is Veyron Nolan, my cousin. He runs his own company leasing digital displays and billboards across the city for advertising."
Veyron bows deeply, almost at the waist, adding an exaggerated hand flourish as if greeting royalty, and says with a wide smile:
"It is a great honor to meet you in person, Mr. Lowen. I have heard a lot about you."
Blue cocks his head slightly, almost teasing.
"I assume none of it was good."
Veyron raises his hands in a theatrical, protesting gesture and shakes his head.
"Not at all. Most people simply don't understand great minds and let themselves get… brainwashed into hating what they don’t understand."
A brief silence follows. I stare awkwardly at the ground, but Blue seems inclined to push further.
"Interesting perspective," he says, tilting his head and motioning toward the garden doors.
We all step outside, and Veyron looks around with approval. But Blue clearly wants to press him harder.
"Who is doing the brainwashing, in your opinion?" he asks, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Veyron grins. "People buy into whatever narrative the media pushes, always looking for hot topics and villains to latch onto, something that generates clicks. And often it is nudged along by interest groups."
"Intriguing. Which groups do you have in mind?" Blue asks, his tone slightly edged.
Veyron presses his lips together briefly, probably realizing he's being tested, but he doesn't back down.
"Various shadow groups whose goal is to destroy us, like NFH. They believe we are aliens and shouldn’t exist on this planet… and your work is meant to help us… stay here," he adds more cautiously, but keeps a friendly smile.
Blue leads us toward the loungers and sits down, crossing one leg over the other.
I loudly clear my throat, since the topic is intense and may easily lead us into a volatile debate. Veyron has an easygoing disposition, but he also has no problem expressing himself freely, even with controversial takes.
"NFH are lunatics," I emphasize, trying to steer the conversation in a more general, less confrontational direction.
"They are responsible for massacres of entire villages in Africa and South America.
No one in their right mind officially tolerates them, even if some organizations seem to turn a blind eye to NFH ideas, Beta Empowerment being one of them.
" I hope it will pull Blue away from interrogating Veyron, but Veyron continues on his own.
"Exactly. I would never side with them. In our family," he gestures toward me, "there has already been a fatal victim of NFH’s actions. Our cousin’s husband, a military doctor, was murdered by them. No one with any moral compass would ever support those monsters."
I let out a huff of relief.
Blue’s expression shifts slightly as he speaks. Do I see some relief there too? "If NFH knew the kind of plans I am involved in regarding them, I doubt my popularity would improve," he adds with a faint trace of irony.
"I hope their operations are brought to an end," Veyron says seriously, and I feel it is time to end this uncomfortably intense introduction.
"Listen, we started with super heavy topics, and today is supposed to be about boosting endorphins through physical effort," I say, forcibly turning my tone light.
Veyron flashes a wide smile. "Yeah, I can see the mat is waiting; time for a warm-up."
Then he glances around, letting out a low whistle.
"Okay, but I have to say one thing first. This is a great view. You can see the whole city and the ocean," he squints slightly, "I would say you can even see the marina where my yacht is docked."
"Yeah, yeah," I mutter. "You just needed to mention your yacht, right? Blue probably has, like, five of them."
Blue snorts lightly, "As a matter of fact, I have only one, and I’ve lent it to one of my brothers for the time being."
"Oh, so feel free to use mine if you want a day to relax. I usually live in my office, as I have a small room there; the yacht is unoccupied."
"Okay… thanks for the offer. Let’s get to work," I add, gesturing toward the mats already laid out on the deck.
"One second," Blue says suddenly, arms crossed. "You run a billboard and digital display company? Where exactly?"
"Everywhere. In the city center alone I have close to fourteen displays, and within a one-mile radius another forty, including some classic billboards."
"Malden could use some additional advertising. It is always beneficial to stay visible, especially when people are stuck in traffic. Billboards are effective," Blue says, tilting his head slightly. Does he always see opportunity in everything? His mind seems to be constantly scanning for it.
Veyron’s jaw drops. "Wow, well… having a contract with Malden would be huge for me. I am absolutely open to cooperation," he says enthusiastically.
Blue hands him a business card. "This is my assistant Simon’s contact. Reach out on Monday, and we will arrange something."
"You bet!" Veyron grins.