Saving the Villain

"Huh? Are you dumb? Or are you suffering from memory loss? Didn't you ask me what I want? I'm giving you the answer."

"But why?" Asher blurted out, almost in a hurry.

"What do you mean, why?" Even though Asher couldn't see him, Mister Devilsin cocked his head to the side. "Because my hatred for your father runs deep in my bone. Sure. Revealing to him that his first son wasn't actually his would be interesting, but I have a deeper reason I ruled that out. Something… more personal — just think I'm trying to gain heavenly points, so if I die, I get a chance to get into heaven."

Nonsense.

Still, no matter how nonsense the man was spewing, Asher was certain this man was being sincere. Asher talked to Mister Devilsin a few times, and there was only one thing that was clear to him.

Mister Devilsin keeps his word. His words were his bond. Probably the only good thing about him.

"No one will benefit from this truth." Mister Devilsin continued, sounding indifferent as he hummed. "If anything, it will just ruin a few people and hurt those who don't deserve this pain."

"Don't speak as if you care."

"Well, my bad. I am only human — haha!" Again, Mister Devilsin took it lightly. "But I make sense, don't I?"

Asher didn't respond this time, keeping quiet as he thought about it. Even if he wouldn't think about it, he already knew the answer. No one would benefit from it. There was one: Maxen.

"You…" he narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows. "... know Maxen?"

"Of course. He is that man's biological son. I know everything about your dad and your mother — that bitch."

Asher clenched his teeth but stopped himself from testing his luck. Although he didn't have that much memory of his mother, Asher deluded himself that she was what she was in his head: kind, loving, and caring.

"Maxen is already living a good life. I don't think people should still bother him with this mess the adults didn't settle in the past." Mister Devilsin's remarks brought back Asher from his momentary trance. "As for you… well, I don't really like you or pity you. I think you lived a pretty damn life that you need problems!"

Unfair… was Asher's immediate thought. However, Mister Devilsin wasn't wrong. Asher might've been pressured, but unlike others, his life was a hundred times better than theirs.

"You…" Asher breathed out, closing his eyes to process how this phone call unfolded. "... sound like you care about Maxen."

"Because I do."

"Why?"

"Does it matter?"

No, that didn't matter. This wasn't about Maxen. It was about Asher. Whatever the reason Mister Devilsin had to protect Maxen, that was not Asher's concern.

"Why now?" Asher inquired, changing the subject to a much more important question. He had to make sure — even though Mister Devilsin stick to his words — he needed reassurance. It wouldn't matter how petty the man's reason was, but Asher wanted to hold on to something that would give this even more sense.

"Why now?" he repeated. "Do you know if you told me this a year ago, I'd probably dance to your tune?"

"You just answered your question." A short chuckle was heard in the line. "I said this just now, Young Master Quinn. It was fun watching you fear for your life, but this entertainment has its limits. I want to talk to a man who has a perfectly functioning brain, and could use it even in times of trouble."

"Seeing that you got yourself together only proves I can trust you as a man. I'm amused by how quickly you recovered, but that's better. At least, you didn't get on my nerves about how slow you are when everyone else praise you to the heavens! That's what you call bad reviews," he continued jokingly. "Anyway, do we have a deal or not? Are we both in to keep this little secret to our graves? Or do you want to just blow this thing out of proportion? Just so you know, though, I'm great at bombing. The last time I did that, I made him swallow it and watched him explode from the inside. Good thing I was wearing a raincoat because that guy has the flesh of two people!"

Asher ignored the unnecessary addition in Mister Devilsin's remarks, not interested to hear the latter's disaster of a life.

"How do I know you won't turn your back on me?" asked Asher solemnly.

Mister Devilsin sneered. "You won't."

"Then, what if you died?" Asher threw a follow-up question, expecting such an answer from the man to his previous question. "No offense, but with the life you have, I'm afraid a hole might appear in between your brows before you know it."

"Haha! Funny, but well, make sense." Mister Devilsin rubbed his chin to think about it. "Then I'd leave a last will to the most trusted people I know. I'd tell them to assist you if you ever needed help. How's that sound?"

Another wave of silence came on the line as Asher kept quiet. In the world of a crime organization, what Mister Devilsin said wasn't impossible. Even if he died, there would be people who would carry out his will.

Of course, Asher didn't know a lot about them, but he did research about them for his research paper. The most dangerous people have surprisingly the strongest loyalty. It was probably because that was their survival instinct until it manifested in them and become a part of them.

"So?" When another minute had passed with nothing but silence, Mister Devilsin broke the silence. "What do you think? Are we having a kiddie alliance or not?"

"I don't want my name to be associated with your organization in any way."

"Oh, don't worry. I don't want your name in my family tree as well," the man returned sarcastically, almost disgusted at the assumption Asher made. "So?"

"Let's not contact each other unless it is very, very important. I hope this would be the last time."

Mister Devilsin grinned. "I hope so too, although I'd missed you —"

Asher cut off the line before hearing more of the man's nonsense. He leaned back, resting his arm over his forehead while still holding the phone. Right now, he didn't know if he should sigh in relief or hold his breath to anticipate something bad happening.

He sat like that, eyes shut, in the dark and silence for minutes. When his phone rang, he almost jumped from his seat. His eyes shook, setting his eyes on the screen. As soon as he saw the name on the screen, he breathed out as if he had been holding his breath for minutes.

Cosette.