𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 | 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬

24: Gambler.

"We should, uh-" Mark scratched the back of his neck. "Let me take you out to dinner." he smiled softly with excitement making his eyes sparkle.

Nabi couldn't keep a straight face even if she wanted to act calm and cool, her pearly whites showed as she nodded. Mark kept on smiling and added "perfect, it's a date then."

The two couldn't hide their happy faces as their hands stayed interlocked, waiting for the elevator to take them to the floor Nabi lived on. When they walked out, the girl's face quickly dropped as she froze in place. Her grip loosened and she almost didn't use any strength to hold onto Mark's hand that she previously didn't want to let go of even for a second. His brows furrowed as he looked between the girl and a man who finally turned their way.

"Hi, Nabi." The girl's eyes filled with tears as soon as the man called her by her name.
She turned on her heel, pulling Mark behind her, when the older man suddenly rushed over to the two and grabbed her by the arm.

Mark immediately tore the guy's hand off of Nabi, who didn't even have to say anything for him to see that she was thankful for that. "Don't touch her. Who the hell are you?"

The man scoffed and pointed to the young boy, looking at Nabi with a cocky gaze. "Is this your new boyfriend? How come you didn't tell your dad something so important?"

That's her dad. Mark thought, eyes glued to the girl who looked sadder than after her breakup with Xiaojun and angrier than he has ever seen her before.
He remembered the only time she had mentioned her dad and that he just didn't exist to her. She never wanted to talk about him more and Mark didn't insist on it either. But seeing her reaction made him think of all terrible things.

"I asked you a question." the man changed his tone, the ironic smile wiped off his face.

Mark pulled the girl behind him, shielding her from whatever the old guy wanted to do. "I think it's time for you to leave, Nabi clearly doesn't want to speak with you."

The man scoffed. "Who do you think you are, little guy, to tell me what to do or not to do when it comes to my daughter."

"You should leave."

Nabi's dad's eyes widened at the stubbornness of Mark and the lack of fear which was the opposite of how Xiaojun reacted to him. And he didn't like that change. He enjoyed having people scared of him - especially the ones that tried to stick their noses into his family's business.

Family.

That man hasn't been a part of Nabi's family ever since she was little. He was a gambler who'd loose all their family money constantly, having zero care for his wife and kids who quite never even called him dad - because he clearly wasn't worthy of that title. After putting up with it for way too long, Nabi's mom decided to ask for divorce and he didn't protest even once, after what he disappeared from their lives. The only times he did show up, was to ask for money - obviously still addicted to gambling - and every time he'd do so, he'd make those encounters living hell.