Never Judge

"Zimo? An?" Ilya Pavlov asked in his thick Russian accent when he saw the three men enter the meeting room.

"Hello, Ilya," Yu Zimo greeted with a malicious grin, his aura and expression quickly changing from its ordinary one to that which he used as Guan Ming's right-hand man in training.

"You work for these bastards?" Ilya spat, making Al shake his head and sigh.

Al walked up to Yu Zimo and gave his shoulder a tight squeeze.

"Deal with this." Al said, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. 

"I trusted you with my son! You fucking cunt!" Ilya shouted everything he had learned and trained for thrown out the window as he was faced with the man he trusted the most. "Where is my son? Give him back!"

"So annoying." Angelo groaned as he took out a gun and cocked it. "Can I deal with him, boss?"

"No." Al said, his single answer sending chills up everyone's spine including their allies. 

"Who are you?" Ilya said as he turned his attention to Al who stood at the back of the room, leaning against the wall. 

Al didn't want to be involved so soon, he wanted to play it out. It was all part of his game. 

"You will not speak to him unless he addresses you." Angelo said as he lifted the gun and pointed it directly at Ilya.

"Now, now, Angelo…" Yu Zimo said as he tried to calm his friend down. "It will be a pain to clean this room."

Angelo shrugged and put the gun away.

They all knew that Ilya and his men had no chance against Yu Zimo's group. Everyone was armed and even behind them stood guards ready to kill should Al or Yu Zimo so much as decide that the discussion was over. 

"Please, sit." Yu Zimo gestured as he took a seat and Angelo quickly followed suit. 

Behind them Al remained standing, watching the scene unfold, assessing Ilya and his men, trying to think where the threat lay. 

He also began to plot on how best to break Ilya and his men. 

Cautiously, Ilya waved for his men to the same, two sitting while the others stood. 

A seat was left empty between Yu Zimo and Angelo, signifying that the boss was either Al or someone who was yet to join them.

Ilya could only assume that the man that stood with a commanding presence was the person pulling all the strings.

"You work for the Guan Family?" Ilya asked.

Yu Zimo grinned and chuckled. The men across them wouldn't make it out anyway, so he didn't lie.

"I am part of the Guan Family." Yu Zimo declared full of pride. 

To everyone's surprise, Ilya laughed at Yu Zimo giving him a malicious smile. 

"Hmmmm?" Yu Zimo hummed. 

"Did you really just hand me the greatest weapon against the Guan Family?" Ilya asked, mocking Yu Zimo, who simply raised his eyebrow at Ilya.

After a few moments of everyone remaining in confused silence and Ilya laughing non-stop, enjoying what he thought was a victory, a realization hit Angelo.

"I think he thinks you're actually gay." 

"What?" It was Al's turn to react and laugh, shaking his head as he put the pieces of the puzzle together.

To Al and Angelo and the rest of the men and women employed by the Guan family, it seemed silly to think that Yu Zimo was gay. After all, they had seen how madly in love he was with Ren. 

"I guess I'm an incredible actor." Yu Zimo scoffed. 

"Y–y–you aren't?" Ilay asked, shocked at how wrong he had been. 

"No." Yu Zimo answered with a more serious expression. 

"Lies! I have proof! Photos of you with men!" Ily argued.

"Men who are my friends, men who accompanied me to visit a boy I considered my own the moment he was born." Yu Zimo said as he glared at Ilya. "You were merely a sperm donor. A hiccup in mine and Ren's plans. You are irrelevant."

Yu Zimo's words sliced through the air like a blade, everyone could see the pain in Ilya's face as a grave insult was thrown his way.

"I'd watch your words if I were you." Angelo warned. "You're in Guan family territory."

Ilya glared at both Yu Zimo and Angelo. Clearly, the man wanted to say more, to retaliate, but Angelo's warning had hit home, he was not at an advantage here. 

Even if he could overpower both Angelo and Yu Zimo, there were at least ten other men in the room.

And then there was Al.

He might have remained standing at a distance, but something told him that Al could be the deadliest of them all.

"As much as I enjoy this topic," Al said as he walked closer, keeping eye contact with Ilya before he stood behind his seat. "I do believe that we have other matters to discuss."

Yu Zimo and Angelo relaxed, their shoulders visibly dropping as they calmed down.

"Tell me, Ilya Pavlov, do you know who I am?" Al asked as he continued to hold Ilya's gaze.

"No." Ilya answered definitively.

"Are you sure?" Al asked him again as a smile played on his lips.

"I really don't know who you are." Ilya answered as he tried his best to recall who Al was. 

"We've never met, but I'm sure your boss is quite familiar with me." Al said, grinning from ear to ear. 

"Who are you exactly?" Ilya dared to ask.

"Aldrich Lawrence." At the mention of Al's name, Ilya's eyes went wide with shock. 

"Y–y–you're supposed to be dead!" Ilya gasped as he looked at the man that was very much alive as he stood before Ilya, grinning deviously. 

Al felt a victorious feeling building in his chest, too bad Colin wouldn't find out until it was way too late. 

"Tell me, Ilya," Al said as he leaned forward and smiled. "How furious would your boss be if he found out that someone failed to kill me?"