13 Want Him

"Above The Sky" it was the club name that her father had chosen ever since he decided to make a secret club for his own people and family. Ilyana found herself often staring at the plaque of the club which was adorned with Camilla flower and dragon ornament, something her mother choice with her father as a symbolism of Pandora's beauty and strength. She was the eldest of the bunch, allowing her to have more memory to reminisce than her younger sisters. She also remembered how badly it was when her mother had lost her father and how her father's absence had almost killed them. Despite the club holding some terrible memories of her almost killed a few times, she never could bring herself to dislike the place. Instead, she felt the club was more of her own home, a solace she would run to whenever she felt terrible.

However starting from yesterday, it seemed the building wouldn't be the only place to give her warmth and comfort.

Upon her heels reaching the foyer of the club, Ilyana could see the Manager, Mr Chuang had rushed out of the club. His hands were rubbed together strongly as he tried to be the first one to greet here, as though he had other competitors. She raised her eyebrow as usually they would let her enter without calling Mr Chuang. As the man came, she inquired, "What happened? Any trouble?"

"No no way! There would never be a trouble in our club as long as Lady Zhou is here to protect us," Mr Chuang then thought of opening the dictionary to praise her, remembering the words he often use to other guests, "I'm so glad to have you back to our club Lady Zhou, your presence here grace us—"

"You won't become rich by flattering me every single time you know," Ilyana's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's this? I think I have told you that unlike my mother or my uncles, I hate to be escorted by you and making a scene that would alert everyone that I came to the club."

Seeing the quick anger crossing her face, Mr Chuang froze in fear. Ilyana had always been intimidating. One would ask how she was as a child but Mr Chuang recalled the ice cold expression on her face as she looked up at him who was much older than her. Her face showed that she wasn't someone to messed with, a person who you wouldn't see as a child but rather someone who you should respect. She has the air of a leader, or perhaps a queen. When a queen dislike someone or something, she would also take no second thought to execute them to her comfort.

"Tell me if there's problem. If there isn't then call Lev for me," Ilyana ignored the presence of Mr Chuang behind her. Her long legs quickly stride over the red velvet carpet when she was startled by the four men who seemed to have been standing near the foyer for hours as their cheeks had turned slightly red from the coldness the dusk brought.

She tilted her head, confused as all of them have a blond hair that was either too light or too dark, or maybe the same color as Lev. Their eyes were also as green as Lev, appearing as though they were putting costume to appear like him.

"What the hell is this," she cursed in Chinese, turning her head at Mr Chuang who had run after her.

Mr Chuang gathered her breaths. He wasn't much of a person who moved from his desk as much as others so the little exercise was enough to make him tired. He said at once, "You see Lady Zhou, actually Lev has called sick today."

"Sick?" Ilyana drew a knot between her eyebrow. "Ha, there's no way someone so energetic last night would be sick now. He even left without a trouble," he even cleaned her and took her into a bath;. How was someone like him turn sick today?

"What?" Mr Chuang had a lot of question that flew in his mind upon hearing her words, feeling curious of their rendezvous but fear that the more he asked, the lesser his age count will be. "I don't know either Lady Zhou but he did say he will be unable to come tonight."

"When have you ever let someone absent, Chuang?" Ilyana quick gut feeling allowed her to feel that something odd had happened and Mr Chuang was trying to hide it. "Come on, even if that waiter is dying on their sick bed if you confirmed they won't spread their illness you will call them in for work. So now tell me what kind of sickness my Lev is feeling that he can't wake up at all from his bed?"

Mr Chuang felt as if he was cornered by a big tiger while he was a mere small mouse. The pressure Ilyana radiated was akin to then sun's heat that could turn him to ashes. He quickly pointed his hand to the four men who appeared similar to Lev, "That doesn't matter, does it Lady Zhou? Lev is just nothing but a newbie. I'm also worried that he would do something that would offend you or hurt you. We are still not sure about him continuing his work here. But don't worry! We have plenty of men who are as pretty and as handsome as him. You like pretty men—"

"I want Lev," Ilyana stopped Mr Chuang from talking more. Her anger seemed to have laced with her words. She wasn't patient, not after Samuel had pushed her buttons and her mother being on Samuel's side to enjoy the outcome of this fight between them. "So as long as you can understand my words and understand there is only one man who I want to be beside me tonight, call him in Chuang."

"But he is sick..." Mr Chuang slowly loses the will to stop Ilyana from finding Lev.

"I know," she smiled widely. Her smile didn't reach her icy gaze. She raised her hand and folded one of her five fingers, "Call him now before I run out of my last string of patience. You remember what I did the last time I lost my patience don't you?"

Mr Chuang wanted to shed the tears that he had stopped from overflowing. He had no choice but to nod his head as he cannot afforded seventeen table of the club to be broken again by her single handedly.

The water felt like an ice bath. There was no way for Lev to avoid the biting coldness if he want to wash the rest of the plate that had mountained beside him as if it was a special monument. He looked at the rest of the workers who were mostly locals. None of them looked at him nor offer him to take a break even after he had washed the dishes alone for an hour. He noticed none of them wanted to interact with him. Even though he had only stayed in Shanghai for only a few weeks now, he could feel the segregation that the locals showed toward the westerner. More than being "awkward" to the foreigner, they avoid him like a plague, seemingly both hating on them and being scared of them.

He sighed as he could hear the locals looked at his back. As he always felt people's gaze on him, Lev could tell when someone stare at him without the need of looking at them.

"That foreigner is really pretty," said one of the worker. "But his entire face is bruised. Is that why Chuang pushed him to work here?"

"Chuang would do anything to have more people work in the club. In his head money is more important than even lives," answered the other. "Poor foreigner."

"Poor him! But who is dumb enough to leave their country to another place? They must have thought we can be messed with, those dumb foreigners!" Yelled the other but all of them laughed out of loud as if it was a joke that was so funny that they would wheeze to death.

Lev knew his suffering was nothing but their joy. He paid no attention to it, remaining on his own business and focusing on himself to make no further trouble. His self peace ended when the other man spoke again, "But did you hear about the news?"

"About Lady Zhou, right? Did you hear that she would soon be losing her seat to Samuel? We all know even if she is capable in the end of the day she's only a woman. It's unfitting for a woman to take control of Pandora, they are too emotional," said the other.

Even though they had spoken in Chinese, Lev could hear them clear and understand their word even down to their breaths. Even though he hadn't reacted at all to the conversation the people have been talking about him, his ears quickly tuned into the conversation. His face squeezed when he heard them talking about Ilyana. Although he wasn't completely aware what Pandora is and only know them as a powerful and wealthy family of Shanghai, he could tell that these people are looking down at her, thinking that because she's a woman, she shouldn't be in charge. It reminded him again to the conversation that he had with her where she show how their expectation seem to have somewhat burdened her.

Thinking about it put Lev into a worse mood. His hand that had been washing the plate stopped. He pivoted on his feet, wanting to say a word even though he had swore to keep his ability of speaking Chinese a silent from everyone else around him.

"LEV!" Yelled someone that stopped Lev from his action. He turned to the door, finding Mr Chuang who seemed to have rush in to find him.

But it wasn't Mr Chuang's entry that had surprised him but rather the figure of the tall woman behind him. Her hourglass body looked even beautiful with the golden lining that popped her black qipao even more. She stared at the people inside the room, her eyes fixiated strongly on Lev whose hands were still wet from the water and soap.

"Sick? This is what you mean by calling sick," Ilyana dragged her gaze slow and sharply to Mr Chuang. "Is this a new kind of bullying because I dote on him?"

"No no! You see his face lady Zhou! It was bruised so I was afraid that he would instead worsened your mood because you like beautiful people," Mr Chuang quickly try to explain his action only for Ilyana to look at him in even more annoyance.

The other worker who saw her felt as if grim reaper had arrived for them, their face turning even more pallid, their eyes almost turning teary as they pray to god above that she didn't listened into the conversation that they had said.

"Lev," she called for his attention, caring nothing for the people around him. "What are you doing there? Come here. It's cold isn't it?"

Her voice was gentle. Even though she had used such a harsh voice to Mr Chuang who obviously have a bigger position than him, she looked up to him with such gentleness that made him felt as if he was a special gem. He couldn't resist her voice that had demanded for him to come closer and obediently, he dropped what he was doing, striding toward her. Upon seeing her smile that formed seeing his obedience, his heart beat raced even louder, as if it wanted to escape from his rib cage.

She pulled him closer, putting Lev behind her and sharply judged Chuang, "Next time if he enter this place again without my knowing, I will sell you off to be butchered, Chuang."

Chuang bent his head down, uttering no words for fear he would only fan her anger.

Ilyana had said no more words. Holding to his wrist that felt icy, she drew a root from her heels on the carpet. She brought Lev away to her favorite seat.