C | Chapter 7.2 | Conflict | Crack in the Past

“Who is that guy?”

Ian and Leo had been waiting in the reception area of Lloyd Gillen’s law firm for over two hours after leaving the bank. Initially, Ian had been so furious that he didn’t even notice the passing time, but now, with the anger subsiding, he began to feel stiffness creeping into his body.

In response to Leo’s question, Ian shared the only fact he knew.

“My stepfather’s lawyer.”

“Then why is he buying your house? And in such a shady way?”

“Yeah, I think it’s strange too.”

The conversation Ian had with Lloyd Gillen shortly after the funeral kept bothering him. Lloyd had clearly…

“He asked me to sell the house before. When I asked if he was interested, he said no. Said it was ridiculously big for a single guy like him and that he had a different buyer lined up.”

“Wow, that’s super sketchy. But he ended up buying it himself, right? He’s definitely hiding something.”

“I think so too.”

He’d claimed he wasn’t after the house, yet he’d somehow managed to take it directly from the bank using shady means. The amount he’d paid was almost market price, which didn’t make sense. The place, burned to the ground with only the land left, was worthless as an investment. It seemed as if Lloyd truly wanted the Winchell House, even though it was hardly a house anymore—just a charred ruin.

So, which part of his story was the lie?

“Hey, people are coming out. Isn’t that the meeting room? Does that mean we don’t have to wait any longer?”

Leo, glued to the glass wall and peering down the hallway, spoke.

“What? Only one person came out. Guess the meeting isn’t over.”

The open meeting room door didn’t offer much insight. Ian picked up the internal phone next to the reception area’s sofa and dialed Lloyd Gillen’s office number. After a brief wait, Lloyd’s secretary answered.

“Yes?”

“Is Mr. Gillen still in a meeting? We’ve been waiting for quite a while.”

“Mr. Gillen is still in his meeting.”

“Do you know when it’ll end?”

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

“Will we be able to meet him today?”

“That’s hard to say. Mr. Gillen is a very busy man.”

“Then, can you put me through to him on the phone?”

“It’s impossible to reach Mr. Gillen directly right now. But if you leave a message, I’ll pass it along.”

After scratching his nose in thought, Ian replied.

“Well… let him know I’m considering selling the house.”

“You’re selling the house?”

“Yes. Mr. Gillen… Uncle Lloyd had shown interest in my house before. I said I’d think about it, but I think it’s best if I sell it. That’s why I’m here to… Wait a second.”

Ian abruptly slammed down the phone.

He had just seen someone striding quickly through the reception area into the hallway. It was Lloyd Gillen, supposedly in the middle of a “very important client meeting,” according to his secretary.

“What’s going on, Ian?”

Leo turned his head, looking confused.

“That man is Lloyd Gillen.”

“What?!”

Leo’s eyes widened.

“Then his secretary just… lied to us?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“Probably doesn’t want me to meet him.”

“This is getting more and more suspicious. So, what now?”

“I still need to meet him. I’m not leaving without a word. He just went inside, so if we get to his office, we should be able to talk to him. But how do we get in there?”

Between the waiting area and the hallway was a reception desk where visitors’ identities were checked one by one.

“…Hmm.”

After a moment’s thought, Leo’s eyes sparkled.

“Ian, grab those!”

“What?”

Leo handed Ian a few books from the waiting room shelves and grabbed a potted plant from the corner.

“Follow me.”

The moment they opened the waiting room door, Ian understood Leo’s plan. A delivery employee in uniform, with boxes and envelopes stacked in both arms, was heading toward the reception desk. Ian and Leo quickly fell into step right behind him, clutching their props.

The receptionist barely looked at them, recognizing the delivery uniform. When she heard the name “Michael Wedon, Lyn Winkler, and a few others…” she nodded at the familiar names without further questions. Ian and Leo feigned innocence, trailing behind as if they were part of the delivery.

Once inside, they dropped their props at the nearest spot and began looking for Lloyd Gillen’s office. The firm was large, and after some wandering, they had to ask someone for directions and learned his office was up one more floor via an internal elevator.

Ting.

The elevator doors opened, and as they stepped out, Ian suddenly pulled Leo back.

“What?”

Leo mouthed the question, and Ian gestured to the left side of the hallway, putting a finger to his lips. Down the hall, through the open glass walls, a man in an imposing black suit strode purposefully.

“What’s wrong?”

Ian, looking slightly pale, whispered.

“I think… he’s one of Revenant’s men.”

“What?”

This meant that Revenant himself might be here. Watching Ian’s face tense up, Leo spoke.

“Is this a coincidence? Or could they know each other?”

“I have no idea.”

“You said Lloyd Gillen was your stepfather’s lawyer and friend. Revenant once told you he had done something wrong in the past. If there’s a connection, it must be through your family… Does that ring any bells?”

“None.”

Gillen’s law firm was one of the largest and most successful in the city. It was conceivable, purely by chance, that Revenant hired him for legal matters.

…But no. No, even as much of a fool as I might be for Revenant, this can’t be a coincidence. I don’t think even I would be that naive.

Ian’s gaze remained cold and steady on the glass wall beyond.

“Let’s go. Meeting Lloyd Gillen is the priority.”

Leo nodded, and they walked quietly, unconsciously careful to soften their footsteps. Lloyd Gillen’s office, located at the firm’s prime viewpoint, was easy to spot. The challenge was reaching it without alerting Revenant’s men to their presence.

“Over here, Ian.”

Leo pulled Ian into a cubicle where someone’s seat was temporarily vacant—a half-full coffee cup indicated they’d only stepped out for a moment. Leo quickly scanned the office numbers along the walls and then dialed a few numbers on the office phone. A quiet beep sounded in the receiver.

“What are you doing?”

“Just a quick call.”

After a short wait, someone emerged from the office next to Lloyd Gillen’s.

“Now’s our chance. Just act natural.”

Leo tugged Ian along, passing a stout middle-aged man with rolled-up shirt sleeves. Muttering about “getting called over for no good reason,” he stomped off down the hall. Leo mouthed “Sorry” in the man’s direction before hurrying Ian into the empty office and locking the door.

“His office is over here, right?”

Leo deftly hopped over the desk, scattering some items.

“Hurry up, Ian.”

Ian climbed over as well, and both pressed their ears to the wall. Fortunately, between the full glass front wall and the ordinary side wall, there was a slight gap. Listening closely, they could faintly catch snatches of conversation.

“…isn’t hard to distinguish between….”

It was fragmented, barely coherent.

“…he’s no fool….”

Suddenly, a voice that was clear enough to stop Ian in his tracks.

“It’s Revenant.”

“So, they do know each other.”

A few more muffled words slipped through before Lloyd Gillen’s agitated laughter pierced the air.

“Haha! Where did you hear such nonsense! Keep talking like that, and we won’t stand for it!”

“Then why do you want that house?”

“I have no obligation to explain myself to you!”

“Sell it to me. I’ll pay whatever you want.”

“What?”

Ian wanted to ask the same thing. Why did both Lloyd Gillen and Revenant want that burnt-out house?

“Then why do you want it? Weren’t you the one who abandoned it?”

Revenant… abandoned it?

This unexplained detail froze Ian. Then, Lloyd Gillen’s next words nearly made him collapse.

“Did you think I wouldn’t recognize you, Leo?”

Ian didn’t hear Revenant’s reply. But he could vividly imagine Revenant facing Lloyd Gillen, lips pressed into a tight line.

He wasn’t denying it—that his name had once really been Leo.

“Yes. Of course, I remember… Leona—”

Just as Lloyd Gillen was about to utter Revenant’s full name—

Clink, clink!

“Is this door locked?”

The sound of a rattling doorknob startled Ian and Leo. The office’s rightful occupant was back.

“Uh-oh, we’ve been caught.”

Leo jumped over the desk first. When Ian hesitated, Leo grabbed him by the collar.

“Let go! I need to hear the rest!”
“Shh, Ian! We’re busted! We have to get out!”

Clink, clink!

It wouldn’t be long before the person outside realized something was wrong.

“Hey! There’s someone inside!”

Bang, bang!

They’d been spotted through the glass wall. The middle-aged man who’d seen them earlier was now banging on the wall. Leo grabbed a random item off the desk—a framed family photo.

“Hey! Who are you, and what are you doing in my office? Get out now!”

Click!

While the man banged on the glass, Leo suddenly opened the door and handed him the picture frame with a grin.

“Oh, the door’s locked? I had no idea. Here, delivery for you. Your wife’s very lovely, by the way.”

“What…? Delivery? I wasn’t expecting… Wait, this is mine!”

“Seriously, she’d be stunning if she were about 20 years younger and 50 pounds lighter. Have a great day!”

Leo shoved Ian forward.

“Run, Ian! Now!”

With their hearts pounding, they sprinted away. Behind them, shouts of “Stop them!” and “Who the hell are they? How did they get in?” filled the air, but they managed to reach the elevator in time. Thankfully, the private elevator went straight to the lobby without stops.

Ting.

The elevator doors opened, and Ian and Leo took off again. Every shadow felt threatening, as if Revenant’s men in black suits might be hot on their heels.

“Ah… I think we got out okay. Right?”

After rounding several corners and ducking into a narrow alleyway behind the high-rise, Leo caught his breath and asked. Ian simply nodded in agreement.

“Wow… That was amazing. It’s been ages since I did something like this. How about you, Ian?”

“Me? Ugh, I think I’m… dying….”

“Come on, didn’t you have fun?”

“Fun? It was exhausting… I’m wiped out….”

“You know, Ian, I bet you haven’t read The Bigger Game by Morgan Fritcher yet. It’s practically a hacker’s bible. It teaches you about all kinds of physical hacking methods like tailgating and social engineering. It’s the perfect guide for someone just starting out.”

“Tailgating?”

“What we did back there with the potted plant—that’s tailgating. Just slipping in after someone else.”

“Oh.”

Not that he planned to take up hacking seriously, but now he was more certain than ever that it wasn’t for him. Leo was the very image of the “true hacker” Tim Hogan had described.

Ian finally straightened his back as Leo grabbed his arm.

“So, are you happy now, Ian?”

Ian didn’t understand the question and looked at Leo’s face first.

“Happy? What do you mean?”

“Well, now you know that guy’s real name was Leo. Doesn’t that make you happy?”

Leo must have heard Lloyd Gillen call Revenant “Leo.”

“Well….”

Was he happy? Was this really something to celebrate?

Ian felt conflicted. The memory of loving Leo alone was enough to break him. The desire to cling tightly, never let go, made him yearn for someone he couldn’t even understand. Yet, it was an unfinished memory.

Now that he couldn’t remember Leo, Revenant was simply Revenant. He felt no aching longing for Leo when he looked at Revenant. Revenant was too vivid, too present.

His very existence was like a burning flame, commanding Ian’s attention, making it impossible to look anywhere else. Even if that “somewhere else” was a part of his past.

“I thought… I thought if I found out that Revenant was Leo, that I’d remember all the little reasons I loved him. But I still don’t. They’re still two completely different people to me. My feelings for them are totally separate. So, you’re right… knowing this doesn’t make me happy. And I know that both Lloyd Gillen and Revenant want that house, and that scares me.”

“But why? Isn’t it clear he likes you? He’s just obsessive, and maybe even a little disturbing about it.”

“It’s more than that. You heard it too, remember? Revenant started helping me out of guilt. When he first met me, he didn’t have any intention of becoming romantically involved. He only wanted to help, out of guilt.”

“You’re scared of what he did to feel guilty? Afraid it’s something you can’t forgive?”

“No, Georg said it wasn’t a big deal, that he couldn’t see why Revenant felt so guilty. So, I doubt it’s something I wouldn’t be able to forgive. It’s just…”

Leo gently nudged him to continue.

“It bothers me that Revenant and Lloyd Gillen know each other. Or rather, that Leo knows him. Their connection is definitely through my family. And I know nothing about it. How could that be? Before, I wouldn’t have cared—I didn’t pay attention to things that didn’t concern me. But now there’s this gap in my memory, and I keep wondering if something important slipped through. Like, is this why I can’t remember Revenant?”

“Can’t you ask him?”

“I already did, a few times. But it’s pointless.”

“Things are different now, though. You two are dating.”

“That doesn’t change anything. He was very clear about it. He says it’s for my own good.”

“Do you not trust him when he says that?”

“No, I trust him. I believe everything Revenant says. There’s no lie or pretense in how he treats me. Actually, if either of us is taking things as they come, it’s me. When he says there’s no going back between us, it shows he’s thought a lot about it.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“It’s just… these things I can’t remember… No, never mind. I don’t really know what the problem is myself. But I can’t ignore what happened today. I need to know why Revenant wants that house.”

Leo offered him a small, reassuring smile.

“It could be something simple, you know. Maybe he’s just buying it back because he doesn’t want anyone else taking it from you. Like a cool prince.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Isn’t he already kind of over-the-top? Like with the restaurant? It wouldn’t be out of character for him.”

“Yeah, maybe, but not this time. I only found out today that the house went to Lloyd Gillen. If Revenant already knew, it means he’s been digging into that house long before I even knew about it.”

“…Yeah, that’s hard to argue with.”

Leo paused before suddenly patting Ian on the head.

“So, are you heading back to the hotel now?”

“Yeah. I need to talk to Revenant about this.”

“Alright. Good luck with that.”

“Thanks for helping me today. Really.”

“Hey, I had fun. Anytime.”

Leo shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his double-button Burberry jacket. He looked surprisingly sharp, though the pom-pom beanie on his head kept him from fully shaking his usual quirky vibe.

“Well, I’ll take my leave here, Ian. I’ve got something to do.”

“Here? We’re headed the same way to 8th Street.”

“I have a different errand.”

Leo backed up a few steps. He was heading in the opposite direction of his apartment.

“Ian, are we really just friends now?”

His expression was as carefree as usual. It was probably the ridiculous beanie. Leo was just… Leo.

“Not just friends. My second-best friend, at least.”

“Why not first?”

“Because that’s Leo Sebastian from Rose-Hulman.”

“Aw, too bad. Should I head back to Rose-Hulman, then?”

“It wouldn’t make a difference. I need to remember him myself.”

Leo chuckled, taking a few more steps back.

“Alright. I’ll settle for second best.”

“Just wait. I’ll remember him soon.”

“No, there’s no need.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Leo took a few more steps away.

“You know something, Ian?”

“What?”

“The Ian Winchell I loved first was the one I met at Rose-Hulman. Until yesterday, I wanted to go back and live with that you. But today, I think I understand why Revenant isn’t telling you anything.”

“…What does that mean?”

“I don’t want you to go back to Rose-Hulman, Ian. I like you better as you are now. It’s a little disappointing that you’re not the Ian Winchell I loved first. But it’s okay. You’re my best friend.”

“Leo…”

Only then did he notice that Leo’s warm brown eyes looked slightly different as he smiled.

“You’re my best friend. My one and only. So, you can’t leave me, Ian.”

Leo pulled one hand out of his pocket and waved it broadly.

“See you later. Take care.”

Leo turned around and ran off, his footsteps echoing. By the time Ian thought to respond, Leo was already gone.

So, Ian didn’t hear the words Leo mumbled to himself as he dashed away.

“So, even if I do something like that, you’ll have to forgive me, Ian.”