THE D'ARGENTO SECRETS

EPISODE 11

MASKED INTENTIONS

The city glittered beneath Leo’s penthouse windows as night settled in, a cool breeze sweeping in from the outside. Leo stood before the glass, staring at the sprawling skyline, but his mind was far away. Nathan Hart’s warmth had filled the room only hours ago, but now, Leo felt cold, detached, as his thoughts spiraled toward someone else—Julian.

It had been days since the night at the awards ceremony, and every moment since had been haunted by the look Julian had given him. It was a look Leo knew all too well. It was a look of longing, of unspoken feelings that neither time nor distance had diminished.

Leo’s phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. He glanced at the screen—it was Nathan.

"Hey," Leo answered, trying to sound casual, though a knot tightened in his chest.

"Hey, you alright?" Nathan’s voice was smooth, steady, but Leo could hear the edge of concern beneath it.

"I’m fine," Leo replied quickly, but the words didn’t feel true. "Just... thinking."

Nathan paused for a moment, and Leo could almost hear him thinking on the other end. "You know you can talk to me, right? If there’s something on your mind, we can figure it out."

Leo didn’t respond immediately. He wanted to tell Nathan everything—the truth, his feelings, his confusion—but the words caught in his throat. What was there to say? He had no answers. No answers for Nathan, no answers for himself. Only questions.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Leo finally said, forcing a smile into his voice.

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Nathan repeated, though there was a subtle hesitation in his words. It was as if he knew Leo wasn’t fully there, wasn’t fully his.

As soon as Leo hung up, the silence in the penthouse was deafening. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions—Nathan, Julian, the past, the present. It was all too much.

---

Nathan’s Thoughts:

Nathan Hart stood in his own office, the city lights illuminating his face through the large windows. The view was breathtaking, but he wasn’t looking at it. His mind was consumed by Leo, by the cold stare Julian had given him at the awards ceremony.

He had been suspicious from the beginning. Leo had mentioned Julian—his childhood and teenhood best friend—years ago, but the recent rumors about a mysterious man in Leo’s life, coupled with the reports Nathan had ordered to be investigated, only confirmed what he had feared. It was Julian.

And Nathan had already decided that Julian was a threat to him.

The realization had hit him like a punch in the gut. Julian wasn’t just anyone—he was someone who had a place in Leo’s heart, a place Nathan had tried to fill, but Julian had been there first. The way Julian looked at Leo that night, the raw, unmasked emotion in his gaze... Nathan couldn’t deny it. Julian had feelings for Leo, and Leo... Leo wasn’t as immune to it as he pretended to be.

Nathan’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. His jaw tightened as he saw the name on the screen: Leo.

He didn’t pick up right away, letting it ring for a few moments, his fingers curling into a fist. The last thing he wanted was to seem desperate, but it was hard not to feel that way. He had to protect what was his—Leo. He’d worked too hard, waited too long. He wouldn’t let anyone take Leo away from him, especially not Julian.

Finally, Nathan answered the phone, his voice smooth and casual. “Leo.”

Leo’s voice on the other end was soft, distant. Nathan could feel the tension in the air, even through the phone.

"You okay?" Nathan asked, though he already knew the answer. The silence on the other end was enough.

“I’m fine,” Leo said, his voice flat. "I just... need some time."

Nathan didn’t press. Instead, he nodded to himself, even though Leo couldn’t see it. He wouldn’t give up. He couldn’t. “Take all the time you need, but I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

---

Julian’s Grand Entrance

Julian sat in front of the mirror, his fingers lightly brushing the edges of the face mask he had carefully selected for the evening. The black mask covered his face completely, with only his eyes visible—a deliberate choice to remain anonymous yet still make a statement. His reflection stared back at him, cold, distant. He wasn’t the man he used to be. He couldn’t be.

Behind him, Elias Carter stood silently, waiting for Julian’s signal. The ceremony was about to begin. The world had been waiting for this moment—the grand reveal of the enigmatic leader of Orion Group. It was the culmination of years of secrecy, and now, Julian was ready to step into the spotlight.

Elias, ever the composed figure, gave Julian a knowing look. “Are you sure about this?”

Julian’s gaze hardened as he turned to Elias, his voice low. “It’s time. I can’t hide anymore.” He paused, letting the weight of his words settle between them. “Let them see me.”

Elias nodded, though the concern in his eyes didn’t disappear. “Alright, but remember—you don’t have to do this for anyone but yourself.”

Julian said nothing in response. He had made up his mind. This was the first step in reclaiming his place in the world—showing everyone, especially Leo, that he was still here. He hadn’t forgotten. He wasn’t going anywhere.

---

The Ceremony: A Crowded Affair

The grand hall was packed, a sea of celebrities, business tycoons, socialites, and curious onlookers. The buzz in the air was palpable as everyone eagerly awaited the appearance of the man who had managed to remain hidden for so long. The guests exchanged whispers, wondering who the mysterious figure behind Orion Group truly was.

Leo Astor stood among the crowd, dressed in a sharp tuxedo, his face betraying no emotion, though his mind was elsewhere. Despite the grandeur of the event and the importance of the people surrounding him, his thoughts kept drifting back to the name Julian D'Argento. He’d heard the stories, the whispers in boardrooms and across corporate halls. A name synonymous with power, control, and mystery.

And yet, something about it unsettled him.

It wasn’t because he was meeting Julian D’Argento for the first time—no, the unease came from something else. Something deeper.

Ever since the award ceremony, Julian West had reappeared in his life. After years of absence, he had returned only to disappear again after their last conversation—after Leo had told him to stay out of his life. But now, standing here, listening to the murmurs around him, Leo couldn’t shake the strange sensation creeping up his spine.

Why does it feel like I know this person?

“Leo, you look lost in thought,” Nathan Hart said, his voice low, a slight smirk on his lips as he approached Leo, handing him a glass of champagne.

Leo turned to him, blinking as if coming out of a trance. He took the glass from Nathan, his gaze still flicking toward the stage. “Just thinking about the man behind the mask.”

Nathan followed his gaze, his expression darkening slightly. “You don’t need to concern yourself with him. He’s just a businessman hiding behind his empire. Nothing more.”

Leo nodded absently but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The name alone seemed to stir something in him. And then there was the other feeling—the inexplicable pull. It was as if someone he once knew—someone from his past—was standing just beyond his reach, but he couldn’t understand why.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Elias Carter’s voice rang out, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. “Thank you for joining us tonight. You’ve come not only to witness a new chapter in the world of business but to meet the man who has redefined power itself. I’m honored to introduce to you, the one and only, Julian D’Argento!”

The room erupted into applause, but Leo’s focus was unwavering.

A figure cloaked in a sleek black suit stepped onto the stage, his presence commanding the attention of everyone in the room. He wore a mask that covered the top half of his face, concealing his identity completely. Only his eyes were visible—sharp, intense, and hidden behind a veil of mystery.

“Thank you, Elias. Thank you all for your warm reception tonight,” Julian D’Argento’s voice echoed through the room, slightly distorted through the voice changer he wore under the mask. “I stand before you not as a name, but as a man who has devoted his life to building something greater than myself.”

Leo felt the unmistakable tug again. His heart quickened, a strange, involuntary reaction that he couldn’t understand. Something in Julian’s words, the way he carried himself, struck a chord deep within Leo. It was familiar, yet unplaceable.

Why do I feel like I know him?

The thought gnawed at Leo as he stood there, staring at the masked man. His eyes remained locked on the figure, the subtle pull intensifying in his chest. There was no reason for him to feel such an intense reaction. He had never met Julian D’Argento before tonight—at least not in this form, not with the mask, the voice changer, the new name. But still, the feeling lingered, unsettling him in a way he couldn’t explain.

“Orion Group is not just an empire; it is a vision,” Julian continued, his voice a steady baritone. “A vision of what is possible when we refuse to be bound by the limits of the world around us. This is only the beginning.”

As the crowd applauded again, Leo glanced at Nathan, who was watching him carefully. “You don’t look like you’re paying attention to the speech,” Nathan remarked, his tone a little sharper than usual.

Leo tore his gaze away from the stage and gave Nathan a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Just… wondering who he really is. The man behind the mask,” Leo replied, his voice distant.

Nathan raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. He was aware of Leo’s tendency to get caught up in things that weren’t his business. But tonight, with so much at stake, Nathan had his own concerns about Julian D’Argento and the mysterious presence he exuded.

The evening wore on, and Julian remained an enigma to all, a mystery no one could solve. He moved through the crowd, interacting with the influential guests, shaking hands, exchanging words—but always from behind his mask, his identity locked away. No one suspected a thing.

Leo continued to watch from the sidelines, feeling the strange tug grow stronger with every passing moment. It wasn’t just curiosity—it was something deeper, something he couldn’t name. The more he watched, the more he felt like he was on the edge of discovering something monumental, something that would change everything.

But for now, Julian D'Argento remained a shadow—his true self hidden behind layers of secrecy and mask.

And Leo, despite the strange connection he felt, had no idea that the very person who had once been his closest friend was standing just a few feet away, staring back at him, as unrecognizable as ever.

The night ended, and the guests slowly filed out, but Leo’s thoughts remained entangled in the mystery. He didn’t know it yet, but this was just the beginning of a story that would unravel everything he thought he knew about his past—and his future.