Den of Thieves (BL)

The receptionist at Lanet's building had described a man similar to Dr. Langley—but under a completely different name. Is Dr. Langley even his real name? The thought bothered him as he sat there waiting.

Unable to wait any longer, Lanet decided to take matters into his own hands. He strolled casually toward the section he assumed housed the doctors' offices. As he passed a vending machine, he spotted a weary-looking doctor getting a bottle of water. The man's exhaustion was evident in the way his shoulders slumped and the dark circles under his eyes.

"Hi, excuse me," Lanet began. "I think I'm lost. Could you point me to Dr. Langley's office?"

The doctor barely glanced at him before gesturing down the hall. "First door on your left, just as you turn," he mumbled.

"Thank you," Lanet replied, watching as the man shuffled away.

It didn't take long to locate the office. Lanet knocked several times, but there was no answer. Deciding not to waste more time, he opened the door and stepped inside. The room was simple but tidy, with a desk littered with neatly stacked papers and a few framed certificates on the walls. Lanet settled himself into the chair behind the desk, crossing his legs as he waited.

Hours passed before he finally heard a voice on the other side of the door.

"Ariel, did you bring me—" The door swung open mid-sentence, and Dr. Langley froze in place. His warm smile faded instantly, replaced by wide-eyed shock as he registered who was sitting in his chair.

"Mysterious," Lanet drawled, leaning back. "Or should I call you Danny Black? Or maybe Dr. Langley? Which name do you prefer?" His sharp gaze bore into the doctor, studying every flicker of emotion on his face.

The man's expression told Lanet everything he needed to know.

"Lanet," Dr. Langley said smoothly, recovering far quicker than expected. In fact, he had a satisfied look as he stepped into the office, brushing past Lanet to take his seat on the other side of the desk. "I don't hear any sirens. Does that mean you're here for a chat?"

The confidence in his tone was almost infuriating. The man who had been startled just moments ago now spoke with the ease of someone entirely unbothered.

"I know you stole the diamond," Lanet said coldly.

Dr. Langley smirked, picking up a stack of documents and shuffling them casually. "I know that you know," he replied without looking up, "or you wouldn't be here."

"So you admit it?" Lanet pressed.

The doctor shrugged, his smirk never wavering.

Lanet lost his patience. He had come here thinking he'd give the man a chance to explain himself, maybe even redeem himself. But this arrogance was unbearable.

"I want it back," Lanet demanded.

Dr. Langley finally set the papers aside, meeting Lanet's gaze with an almost bored expression. "Sold it," he said simply.

Lanet blinked, stunned. "What? That's impossible. You just stole it last night!"

Langley leaned back in his chair, his eyebrows knitting together. "Tone it down, will you?" he said through gritted teeth. "In case you haven't noticed, you're inside a clinic."

Lanet took a deep breath, reigning in his temper. His voice was calmer but no less commanding. "Clock off work. You're coming with me. You can do so quietly, or I can have the police swarm this place."

Without waiting for a response, Lanet stood and strode out of the office, his steps echoing through the clinic's corridors. He exited through the large front doors and leaned against his car, muttering a curse under his breath. "That asshole."

The sun had set, the night air getting cooler. An hour passed, and Lanet was starting to think the Dr wasn't coming out or had run away. Just as he reached for his phone to call the police, Dr. Langley emerged from the clinic.

"Come on," Langley said nonchalantly as he walked past Lanet and headed straight for the car.

As Dr. Langley—or whatever his real name is—stepped out of the clinic, Lanet's eyes betrayed him, sweeping over the man's figure. Langley had swapped his uniform for a pair of tight, skinny jeans and a fitted T-shirt that clung to his lean, tattooed arms. The man was trouble, but damn if he didn't wear it well. Lanet's gaze lingered a moment too long on the curve of his ass as Langley slid into the car without so much as a backward glance.

What the hell am I doing? Lanet thought, shaking his head as he climbed into the driver's seat. He started the car and pulled onto the road, realizing he had no actual plan for what came next.

The silence stretched for several minutes before Langley finally broke it. "So... where are we going?" His voice was casual, but the sharpness in his tone hinted that he'd already figured out Lanet didn't have a clue.

Lanet tightened his grip on the steering wheel and ignored him, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Langley sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I wish someone else had taken the diamond at that auction."

The flippancy in his voice made Lanet's blood boil. "It doesn't matter who bought it," he snapped. "Stealing is wrong."

Langley let out a mocking laugh. "Stealing is wrong," he repeated in a sing-song voice. "But only when it's someone who isn't an Elite, huh? Typical. So typical."

Lanet slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road. He turned off the engine and twisted in his seat to face Langley. "What the hack is wrong with you?" he barked. "I saw your profile. You went to an Elite university, excelled in your grades, and you've done so many great things! So why are you like this?"

Langley's face twisted into a wide, almost maniacal grin. But it wasn't his smile that caught Lanet off guard—it was the pain behind it, the sorrow in his eyes, and the tears glinting at the edges of his lashes.

"You want to know what's wrong with me?" Langley's voice rose, filled with anger and despair. "I'm angry. That's what's wrong!" He shoved his hands through his hair. "I'm sick of people like you coming into our town, forcing families out of their homes to build your so-called futuristic buildings that no one in the community can afford!" His gaze shifted to the window, his tone growing more bitter with each word. "I'm sick of watching children die because wealthy men like you pollute our environment without a second thought. I'm sick of ALL OF YOU!" His voice cracked.

Lanet opened his mouth to respond, but Langley didn't stop. "You want to talk about my education?" he said, his laugh bitter. "You don't even know half of what I had to go through to get there."

"Hey, I…" Lanet started, but Langley's voice broke through again.

"I'm tired, Lanet," Langley said, his tone quieter now but no less pained. "You were at the clinic. You saw all those people. Our healthcare system is a joke to the government—a cruel joke. So yeah, maybe I like stealing shiny things. Maybe it makes me feel like I have some control in a world that doesn't care about us. And you know what? I don't regret it."

He wiped his face roughly with his sleeve, then forced a shaky chuckle. "Besides, I didn't take your family heirloom. That should count for something, right?" He laughed nervously, as though trying to lighten the mood, but it was clear his heart wasn't in it.

Before Lanet could say another word, Langley opened the car door and shouted one last time. "And I'm sorry you were the nearest Elite I could my frustrations out on tonight!" And then he bolted into the dark woods.

"Hey! Wait!" Lanet called after him, jumping out of the car. But Langley didn't stop. He ran deeper into the shadows until the darkness swallowed him whole.

Lanet stood there, frozen, his chest heaving as the silence pressed in around him. Damn it. I'm the one who got stolen from, and yet I am being treated like the villain here.

Frustrated and unsure of what to do, Lanet got back into his car and headed toward the hospital. He could only hope they'd be willing to give him Langley's address.

As soon as he entered the clinic, the receptionist greeted him with a concerned look. "Mr. Langley left about an hour ago. Have you seen him?"

Lanet hesitated before answering. "No, I haven't. But it's really important that I find him. Do you know where I can reach him?"

The receptionist didn't respond immediately. Her sharp eyes studied him, as if trying to gauge his intentions.

"Please," Lanet softened his tone. It wasn't just about the diamond anymore. There was something deeper—something broken in Langley—that he couldn't walk away from.

The receptionist let out a heavy sigh and reluctantly scribbled an address onto a piece of paper and handed it to Lanet. "If I lose my job because of this…"

"Thank you," Lanet took the piece of paper. "I promise you won't lose your job."

He barely finished his words before dashing out of the clinic. I owe that woman big time.

Jumping into his car, Lanet punched the address into his GPS. The drive was short, but itfelt like an eternity.

When he arrived, the scene before him was unexpected. Toys were scattered across the small, worn-down yard. Lanet carefully stepped around them as he got out of his car, his shoes crunching softly against the gravel.

This doesn't make sense. Could he really be back already? Lanet glanced toward the house, debating whether to leave or approach. At the very least, I should let whoever's inside know he ran off into the woods.

He walked up to the front door and pressed the doorbell. The chime echoed faintly from within the house.

"Mommy! There's someone at the door!" a small voice called out.

Lanet stiffened at the sound of the child's voice. A kid? Does Langley have a family? He wondered.

The door clicked open a moment later. Relief began to wash over Lanet—until he felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed into his gut.

"Don't move," a cold voice commanded.