Under the Spotlight : The Obsession

"Enzo, did you see the business card that Victor left last night? I can't find it in my clothes. Did I accidentally drop it?"

Enzo, who was already ready with his suit, went back into Mia's room when Mia still hadn't come out of her room. Mia had been busy looking for something around their penthouse. Her feet were walking here and there, while her hands repeatedly checked the pockets of the clothes she wore yesterday to check if she had missed something.

"You probably dropped it, Mia. We have to leave soon, or you'll be late for your recording. Let me ask someone to look for it later. Now, let's have breakfast first. You have to eat something before we leave."

Mia frowned when she still couldn't find Victor's business card anywhere. Enzo was right. It was already noon, so they had to leave soon, or Mia would be forced to postpone it. She didn't want to bother the crew who was handling her comeback. Mia reluctantly agreed as she followed Enzo to sit down and eat her breakfast.

"I hope we found it. I haven't had time to add Victor's phone number to my phone last night," Mia said sadly. Enzo only nodded in response, even though he knew that Mia would never be able to find the card again, no matter how hard she looked for it.

"Let's hope so. Now, let's eat. We won't go anywhere before you finish your breakfast," Enzo informed. The man hugged and helped Mia eat breakfast happily because he knew that Mia would not be able to contact Victor again from now on.

***

"Can you repeat what you said, Boss?"

Leon's face looked stupid as he began to doubt his hearing. The man blinked in confusion. His eyes watched Victor, who was sitting calmly in front of him.

"I think I've said it clearly, and you can hear it well too. I won't repeat what I said. Just do what I told you to do and use my money to buy everything."

Once again, Leon could only open his mouth but said nothing as Victor spoke with an expressionless face. Leon took a deep breath to calm his mind before the man tried to confirm everything once more.

"So... you want me to buy all of Mia's albums from when she first debuted to the latest? Boss, be honest with me. Since when did you become interested in Mia to this point?"

Victor calmly leaned his body on his soft work chair before speaking with a slight warning tone inserted in it.

"I warned you yesterday, Leon. Just do what I tell you and make this conversation just between the two of us."

Leon continued to stare at Victor with a strange gaze even as the man in front of him tried to maintain his iconic flat expression. Victor, who was about to light his cigarette, turned his head again when he saw Leon standing in the same place as before. Victor's eyebrows knitted together as he stared at Leon once more.

"Why are you still here? I gave you a task, didn't I?" Victor asked. This time, Leon took a deep breath as he walked to approach Victor.

"Boss, I think it would be better if we stay away from Mia from now on. That girl is a public figure, someone who is always under the spotlight that appears on television. At least until that woman is caught, I think showing interest in someone will only put her in danger, Boss. I know I am not qualified to talk about this matter as your subordinate. But I do not want to see the same incident happen again, Boss."

Victor, who originally wanted to light his cigarette, immediately put the nicotine stick back when he finished listening to Leon's words. His gaze turned colder when his eyes were only looking at Leon after that.

"That woman can't tie me down after what she did to me, Leon. I have the right to do what I want, and she can't stop me from having another lover after Elena's departure. I will catch her later. I will catch her and make her repay for what she did to Elena back then," Victor's final words were absolute. His cold gaze was filled with emotions when Leon brought up the woman's name. 

Now, it was Leon's turn to be restless again. That was the first time for Victor to recklessly changed his decision. 

Leon thought Victor would lock his heart after 'that' incident. So it was natural that Leon did not understand what was on Victor's now. Mia might not be easily disturbed because Enzo protected her. But her life, which was always in the spotlight, would still be another problem for Victor.

"But Boss..."

"I was able to sleep soundly last night, Leon. I could talk like a normal person. I could smile if I wanted. Being with her made me remember the times I lived when Elena was still with me."

A surprised look immediately appeared on Leon's face when he heard Victor's confession. Leon could understand if Mia could make Victor smile. But being able to make Victor sleep soundly was another case that never happened before.

It had been five years since Victor began suffering from acute insomnia. No one had ever managed to make him sleep soundly since the death of his lover. Victor had tried various ways to get sleep. But all failed. Victor's guilt was too great for his lover. The guilt was so deeply rooted that Victor would wake up to nightmares every time he fell into a deep sleep.

"That... maybe it happened because you were tired, right? Hasn't there ever been a case where you finally fell asleep because your body couldn't stay awake anymore?" Leon asked persistently. Leon hoped his boss would agree with his assumption, but Victor's rejection shattered all his hopes.

"I fell asleep after listening to the music that the girl sang, Leon. I fell asleep soundly, with her voice ringing in my ears. I fell asleep while remembering her face and the sound of her laughter," Victor said firmly. 

After that, Leon chose not to protest anymore. Leon was a living witness to how much Victor had suffered over the years. If someone could get his boss out of all the nightmares that haunted him, Leon would have nothing to say anymore.

"I'll look for those albums for you right away. Then, I'll go first."

Victor just nodded as Leon finally left his room. Victor took out the cigarette he had previously kept. Victor lit it and took a slow sip as his mind kept remembering Mia's melodious voice. It had been a long time since Victor had been able to sleep as soundly as last night. Victor felt refreshed in the morning, even though he didn't sleep for long last night. Victor no longer dreamed of his lover's bloody body. Instead, all Victor felt yesterday was a warm feeling that enveloped him in a dream that he could no longer remember.

Victor understood very well why Leon had been so stubborn before. He couldn't be sure when they would be able to catch the woman when even the traces of her existence seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth. But when he met Mia, Victor could only feel that he couldn't let her go no matter what. Mia was the first girl who could do something no one around him had ever managed to do.

For Victor, that reason was now more than enough to make Victor do something he had never done before.