Hollywood Zenith

" Umm.."

" Yes or no?" What\'s with this absurd situation. This was definitely a trap!

" No-"

" NO!?"

" Ye-"

" YES!?"

Enrique kept cutting him off like he was playing with him. Getting no clear answer, he asked a different one.

" What about Liliana? What do you think about her?"

" I like her a lot!" This time Samuel replied instantly. Anything to uplift the awkward mood was very welcomed by him.

" Like? Just like?"

" Didn\'t you hear the \'a lot\' part? Beside isn\'t it too early to move to the next stage?"

" I bet that conversation didn\'t come when she decided to spend the night at your place."

" oh, umm, uhh... I think I need some water." Samuel wanted to flee, but Enrique was not so easily fooled.

" Sit down young man!"

" Yes!"

" What about the other one? Rosaline was it?"

" Umm... What about her?" Samuel never thought he would be doing a job interview when he expected his proposal.

" Hah! I don\'t want to do it too, but I just find it too odd. My daughter and Rosaline, I heard you also hang around three other girls from the influential family.

I know you are young but take it from me, who was once in the same shoes. That shit doesn\'t end well when everyone learns about one another." Enrique said while reminiscing about his younger days.

Most fathers would have started being confrontational when they found their daughter\'s boyfriend was involved with other girls, but Enrique was the opposite; he was advising him on how to handle it? He looked at Samuel\'s face and knew what he was thinking.

" And you should work on your poker face. I know my daughter, hell, I trained her, for god\'s sake. She is stubborn as hell, but unless you threaten her family-.. wait! Don\'t tell me you are-" Enrique suddenly realized.

" What! No, Do you really think I would do something like that?"

" Who knows? You certainly got the money to accomplish that right?"

" And got chokehold to the ground? No thanks."

" Chokehold? that\'s her signature move.. You really-" Enrique looked at him suspiciously.

" Stop looking at me like that! I didn\'t do anything; it was a simple misunderstanding." Samuel proceeded to explain, just avoiding anything that could trigger the old man. If he found out about that scummy agency director, it would be the end of him.

" Hahaha, that\'s my daughter! So, she still got it."

" You are laughing, I was labelled a pervert and attack indiscriminately!"

" As I see it it was your own fault."

They talked for a few more minutes before Samuel asked about his family situation, mainly Mariana\'s condition. Enrique did promise to tell him about it.

" It\'s not something I like to talk about but I guess I can make an exception. Actually Mariana is my second wife." He composed himself for a moment.

" Oh"

" My first wife died during childbirth, both my sons are from my first wife and both my daughters are from Mariana. I really didn\'t thought I would be getting married again after my wife died but I was so wrong."

" As far as I could tell, the scars around her eyes are unnatural. Did something happen?" Not getting any more answers from him, Samuel decided to ask.

" Yes, I was still working under my former boss when I met Mariana. After seeing enough bloodshed, I wanted out of the game. But you know how that is; once you get in, leaving the family is nearly impossible. You are essentially a part of the group, and they don\'t take the deserters lightly.

They found out about Mariana and thought it was because of her that I asked what I did. They responded like usual, and she was caught in the crossfire. It was terrible at first, but over the years, she regained some sense and could see hazy shadows, but still, it\'s nowhere enough for everyday life."

"..." Samuel stayed silent. It was some heavy stuff.

" This is why I didn\'t want to get into it. It always kills the mood." Enrique sighed.

" No It was me who wanted to hear about it. I was just curious because I went through something similar."

" Huh? Similar?"

" Well.." Samuel again told him about his blindness and how he had to get the surgery. Enrique finally understood how he ended up with the Rothschild family. It was an unbelievable story that only a handful of people knew about.

" How many times will you surprise me today?"

" That depends how much you are willing to listen. I just wanted to confirm, the technology has advanced quite a bit. The surgery that I got was not accessible to everyone at that time but almost a decade later I am sure they would have made some breakthroughs. Why don\'t you get her checked up once more?" Samuel made a suggestion.

He could do it himself, but there was no need to show off whenever he found someone sick. He was also hopeful when he learned she had some sight left; it meant her nerves were intact.

" That- I don\'t want to get her hopes up. You see, we did visit quite a lot of places twenty years ago but all of them turned us down."

" I know some people, they are the best in the field I am sure they can help her."

" I will think about it. Isabella also tried to talk to me about it, you might not know but she is studying medicine. I feel like she is doing it to cure her mother."

" You probably should have listened to her."

" It\'s easier said than done. I am not alone in this, with out usual business ruined we don\'t have much money to go around. I got a lot of mouths to feed, I know Mariana feels the same way. After all they are like family."

That\'s when Samuel understood the main problem; as usual, it was money. People always wonder why criminals exist; the main reason is that this profession pays the best. Now that Enrique is out of the game, he struggles to maintain a steady money flow.

" You don\'t have to worry about it. I can-"

" We can pay for it ourselves. We don\'t need your charity!" someone proclaimed from the back. They turned back to see a man with furrowed eyebrows staring at them. He had a tank top on, and whatever skin he was showing was full of tattoos too.

"Raul?"