Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 153: Learning Truths

Chapter 153: Learning Truths

"Someone has no shame!" Leander scoffed. "I’m here. What do you want?" he asked in a conceited way.

That only provoked Lionel further and he started to shout again.Viviana sighed and walked to the door. Leander grabbed her shirt at the back and she stopped because she couldn’t step any further.

"Mr. Yannis!" she spoke in a loud voice.

As she engaged with Lionel, Lionel’s men stopped trying to hold him back. Lionel, who was incessantly cussing stopped. He even looked a little ashamed seeing her and he started to mumble something under his breath.

Leander let go of her shirt and Viviana walked to the door. Lionel was staring aimlessly at her.

"Ah, you reek of alcohol," she waved her hand in front of her nose.

Lionel bowed his head.

"You really need a shower," she wrapped her hand around his arm and pulled him inside the house. She didn’t know why he hesitated to get inside. She couldn’t pull him further than the threshold of the door.

She looked at Leander. Leander cleared his throat and stared at her. Viviana blinked her eyes.

Maybe Leander gave up, he looked at the person standing outside. "Martin! Get him a set of clean clothes!" Leander shouted. That person nodded and ran outside.

After that, Lionel stepped inside. Leander looked at Katerina and she nodded and got Lionel from Viviana.

"Freshen up and come for dinner, Mr. Yannis," Viviana smiled.

Lionel nodded. Katerina brought him to the guest bathroom in the first floor. Viviana walked to the dining room. She noticed Martin running back to the house.

"He’s his manager," Leander said.

Viviana nodded. That made sense. "But what happened to him?" she pointed at the direction Lionel went.

Leander shrugged. But Viviana could understand that Leander knows something. She looked to see if he was angry for stepping out of line, but she didn’t sense any anger from him.

"Should we eat or... should we wait for him?" She asked.

Leander looked at her and walked to the dining table. Viviana followed him.

So, we are not waiting.

She had already set the plates for Leander and she asked Martha to bring another set of plates for Lionel when he joins them. As she was about to plate the dishes, Leander waved his hand.

Guess, we are waiting for Lionel then...

Viviana sat beside him silently. He looked like he was pondering something. She left him in his thoughts.

"You calmed him down easily," Leander said after a while.

"Are you mad?" she asked.

Leander looked at her for a moment and then shook his head. He thought about it. Rather than anger or jealousy, he sensed happiness in his heart. Lionel was drunk and he was enraged at him for bringing up his wife and cussing at her. He wanted her to stand behind him because he knew that he will lose his mind if Lionel ended up hurting her. But she stepped up not minding the drunkard’s words and somehow resolved the situation peacefully.

Viviana could see that he answered it after thinking. He asked her to stand behind him, yet she walked to the front and even invited him in. She was happy that he didn’t get mad.

"I had a feeling that both you and your friend are the type of guys who won’t act ungentlemanly toward the other person’s wife... My hunch was right," she shrugged.

Both Lionel and Leander valued their friendship although they are fighting for some reason. They knew there are some boundaries they cannot cross even when they are fighting if they want to have a chance at their friendship. She was glad that Lionel valued their friendship too.

Lionel shut up and Leander offered him hospitality. They are off to a good start. She had a feeling that they will be back to how they were once they talk it out.

Then she can be free of guilt that she might be responsible for their fight.

"What do you think of me visiting Venus Point," Leander said breaking the comfortable silence in between them.

He already got so many details about the fire. And he still needs to figure out some crucial details. He was already planning on meeting Lionel. But he knew Lionel won’t talk to him unless he meets Brie.

He never understood the "love" Lionel had for Brie. He had a rational approach to it. Brie signed that slave contract all by herself. She never even cared for what her friends might feel. She never even bothered to find out Lionel’s feeling and did everything as she pleased.

Lionel should have moved on long ago.

But now, after meeting the little mouse, he kind of understood Lionel. Although, he didn’t know if the feeling he has for the mouse is "love", he would protect her even if she does something stupid. Lionel is feeling the same.

He doesn’t understand what his visit to Venus Point would accomplish in getting Brie out. His family never bothers with businesses involving women and trafficking. They don’t get involved in porn and drugs either. But he’s heard rumors that were spread by the Palatini family who dabbles in every illegal business there is and yet to succeed.

But to get more details from Lionel, he was willing to make the visit. But he didn’t want the mouse to find his visit to a high-end brothel from others. Her opinion about him is already lower as it is.

Viviana who was enjoying the silence was suddenly thrown into an emotional turmoil. She knew what the Venus Point was. That’s a place where the rich get their "massages" and "companionship" services.

But then it hit her. The Kastello family owns that place. Duh!

"You must have business there?" she asked casually. Heaven knows how much she got disturbed when he mentioned that place.

Abhorrent as that place was, she didn’t think that him visiting there should affect her.

Even if he went there for "pleasure", what can she do? After that night, they’ve not done "it" and he might have been pissed off at her for pushing him away that night.

If he’s not getting home meals, he will look for meals at fancy restaurants. What right does she have to question him or stop him?

"Business?" Leander asked. "Do you know what kind of place that is?"

He expected a lot of reaction from her. Mostly, he expected her to snap at him. But she is causally stating he might have a business there. Well, it is true he has a business there, but still...

Her reaction was anti-climactic.

"Yeah, your family owns that place, right?" she asked.

What?

Leander wanted to shout at her, but he couldn’t get his words out. He didn’t have any reasons to believe that his family owns that place.

But she says it as if she were so sure of it. And the way Lionel reacted... If his family owned that place, Lionel’s tantrums were not irrational. Lionel Waldorf wouldn’t have been able to interfere in the Kastello family business, but he could have. He could have helped Brie...

Oh, shit!

Oh, shit!

Viviana didn’t know why Leander looked spaced out. "The registered owner is a confidante of your grandfather and he’s the proxy. Your family is sponsoring and handling the expenses. Even in the dinner party, that proxy attended...There are a lot of your brother’s businesses that are run by proxies. I would know. I worked in the civil affairs bureau, and I could find out about it all just with some taps on the keyboard and a little research," she said.

She found out the truth elsewhere, but she didn’t want him to know that. She cannot put that person in danger.

"What else?" Leander looked at her with knitted brows. "What other businesses does Evander run with a proxy?"

"The main business that brings him a lot of profit is the p*rn business. He has a constant supply of women from the entertainment company he runs. Women, mostly girls, want to have a chance to become a star and approach the company. There are some agents who are specifically appointed. Some girls are tricked, and others are coerced to make snuff films. Blackmailing is also involved, and your brother starred in many of them too. You can search it up... His face is..."

She stopped talking and bowed her head as Leander glared at her. "It’s the truth though..." she mumbled.

Leander gulped. He didn’t want to believe her. Exploiting women is the lowliest thing one can do; he thought that his family was above it. He was proud of it.

But...

She might not be wrong. This might explain the missing money in the accounts book.

Grandpa must have no idea about it...

Leander was shocked and even then, he opted to believe his grandfather. His grandfather has principles, and he will never run his business this way. But Evander... He will.

He could only feel sad for his grandfather. He trusted Evander a lot and all the way, Evander only is breaking that poor old man’s heart. He’s sick even.

How could Evander do this to grandpa?

Leander looked at her.

The expose she tried to do just before she wanted to jump... That was all truth?

How stupid could he be?