***
The room immediately turned silent at Chaeyoung's words.
"I said move away from the King," she said coldly as she pushed the safety tab of the gun down with her thumb.
"MOVE!" She commanded as she thought about how Henry Lee used his right hand to catch the phone that she tossed out. When according to the records the guard was clearly a left-handed man.
However, instead of following her order, the head guard smirked at her. Then, Chaeyoung felt the cold metal, touching the back of her head. She tried to turn her head, only to feel another cold metal pointing at her head.
Chaeyoung cursed inwardly as she watched the other four guards, who were with Henry Lee, point their weapons at her and the King.
"Surprise!" Henry exclaimed, before removing the mask that he was wearing. He then got a wet tissue from his subordinate and started wiping off the residue of the mask from his face.
"Tell me, what gave me away, young Chae?" He smiled at her.
Chaeyoung scoffed, her gaze unwavering, with her gun still pointed at Henry.
"What's with that look?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "Come on... Let go of your gun if you still want your head intact when we leave here."
Chaeyoung clenched her jaws before squinting her eyes at him.
"What? Don't worry… I won't kill you today… if you behave, of course." He smiled at her.
"You are crazy." Chaeyoung blurted out when one of Henry's men forcefully took the gun from her hands.
"I am."
"Why are you here?" She asked. "My mother is not here! You should look for here elsewhere!"
"So… she has indeed approached you, huh… Tell me... Was she that woman Long Die?" He asked.
Seeing Chaeyoung glare at him, Henry let out a chuckle. "I have always thought that I am smart. Yet, when it comes to your mother... I am still a little dumb."
"I have always thought that it is weird for you to be that close to a female that is as old as that woman. Yet, when I checked her…. Hahaha… that woman indeed fooled me again." He added as his gaze turned serious. "She should not blame me for killing you now, would she?"
"Well… Well… since I am already here... Let me do what I have come here for… then, I will take care of you, alright?" He said, as his gaze turned towards the King who was still lying weakly on one of the beds. Then, Chaeyoung watched as Henry Lee's gaze turned dark.
"Hello, brother..."
"Don't go near him!" Chaeyoung said. Henry must have thought that it was Mason. She needed to keep him thinking that way.
"So, you have already had a little family reunion?" His gaze never left the King. "I see… you must have been very happy. I am right, little Chae?"
In response, Chaeyoung just glared at him. "Why? Why are you doing this?" She asked. She wanted to know the reason Henry hated the Lee family that much. "Why? You are a Lee , after all! You are brothers!"
"Brothers?" He scoffed. "That must be the biggest joke that I have ever heard in my whole life!"
"This man took everything away from me!" He slowly articulated his every word. "Tell me... Is that what a person should do his own brother?"
"See? Even you are speechless! This man has killed my mother! He has killed my father! He has taken away my family! Even Claire! He has taken everything that was mine! He is not my brother! Did you hear me?" He laughed hysterically, sadness and anger clouded his eyes "Your mother meet ME first! She was supposed to be mine! MINE!"
"She never loved you! So, she never belonged to you!" Chaeyoung challenged him. How could Mason take away from him something that was not really Henry's? Wasn't that a little absurd?
"IT'S ALL LIES!"
"We were in love!" Henry's voice echoed inside the bunker! "She was mine! Until this man came and ruined everything!"
"Stop being delusional. If she loved you in the first place, then why is he my father and not you?" Chaeyoung ridiculed Henry.
"You are crazy!"
"Shut your mouth! You don't know anything!" Henry shouted, trying to control his anger. It had always been his weakness. The fact that Claire had chosen this man over him was something that had been haunting him in his nightmares till the present day.
Claire was someone that Henry always wanted since they had started working together. She was beautiful, smart and brave. She was just perfect. When Claire was only starting, Henry was always there for her. He watched her stumble and endure the pain of their training. He watched her laugh and appreciate life.
Claire was his happy pill. She was his everything. Until one day that incident happened…
The incident that changed her.
"Oh… is that so? Then, tell me Henry… How could my father take something away from you if it was already yours?" Henry narrowed his eyes when he saw Chaeyoung's provoking smirk. "If my mother loved you, then why did he run away from you after she woke up? She could have chosen to stay with you and never reveal herself to me."
"So, why did she left you and came to see me?" She asked. For some reason, she felt like she needed to push him just a little more to make Henry blurt out the whole truth. He should have known the reason her mother ran away at that time.
He must have known something really important.
"I said shut your mouth!" Henry pointed his gun at Chaeyoung before he pulled the trigger.
"BANG"
"BANG"
Chaeyoung closed her eyes and waited for the pain that never came. She abruptly opened her eyes only to see Henry's gun on the floor. While the latter was clutching his hand, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at the person behind Chaeyoung.
"I have already told you not to hurt my daughter, you dimwit!" A cold feminine voice echoed before the shortest guard stepped out from Chaeyoung's back.
"Claire?" Henry's voice was hoarse. "How come you are here?"
"Why wouldn't I be here?" She sneered. "I already told you that I will protect her. Even from you if it's needed..."
Everyone in the room looked at the man next to Chaeyoung. He was not that tall, but no matter how much they looked, there was nothing feminine about him. Even Carlisle and the Prime Minister were rendered speechless.
Who was this woman?
Just what was happening there?
"Claire, I…" Henry's gaze turned gentle as he looked at the man beside Chaeyoung. "Why have you come here? Do you know that they hate you? You shouldn't have come to this country... Let's go. Come with me. I promise I won't hurt her... Once you come with me."
"You can't protect me…" Claire said before giving Chaeyoung another gun. The latter just silently accepted it.
"Let her go. My daughter does not belong in this world. If you want to annihilate the Lee Family, go on and do it. But don't you dare to involve my daughter!"
Henry did not answer Claire, as his gaze was glued to Gideon. "So you don't care if I kill him?"
"Why would I care?" She asked.
"You know that I can stop this. I can spare this man and Chaeyoung. Just come with me..." Once again, Henry pleaded Claire, his eyes full of hope.
"Let my daughter leave and I will come with you," she said coldly, her gaze almost freezing Henry's heart.
Claire stared at Henry's troubled face. Though she never loved this man as much as she loved his brother, Claire couldn't deny that she loved him as a brother.
This man was the only person who knew about her true identity, way back when she was still training. Yet, he had never said a thing. He supported her, took care of her, treated her wounds and helped her grow.
Claire knew that Henry liked her since she had started working for the military. However, he had never told her about his feelings. It was mainly because he was afraid of ruining their friendship. Claire was originally thankful to Henry that he had never confessed to her, but now, it seemed that she couldn't help but regret not telling him about her true feelings towards him.
She only saw him as an elder brother. Nothing more.
Claire wanted to tell him about that fact a long time ago, yet every time she tried to do so, Henry's passionate gaze would always overpower her conviction. She would then think about the things that they had gone through together and would fear that her words would create a crack in their friendship.
However, everything changed after that incident.
Incident? Was it really an incident?
Claire sneered at her silly thoughts. What had happened back then was not an accident.
And she was well aware of that.
After all… she was the one who…
"So, you're telling me that you will let me kill him?" Once again, Henry asked.
"Why wouldn't I?" She quipped. "That man means nothing to me."
Henry stared at Claire, then at Chaeyoung who was also staring at him. Although the latter was holding a gun, she was not pointing it at him. Chaeyoung was just staring at him, her eyes unfathomable.
"Leave, now! This has nothing to do with you anymore." He said to Chaeyoung. Since Claire had already agreed to leave with him, then he would spare Chaeyoung. After all, he could always use Chaeyoung to put a leash on Claire.
In Henry's mind, Claire just needed to see his good points for her to fall for him. After all, his and Mason's appearances were already the same. It would not be that hard to make Claire transfer her emotions from Mason to him, right? But that was what he thought...
"No."
Silence followed Chaeyoung's words, as everyone, including Claire, stared at her.
"No?" Henry smiled. "Do you want to die instead of leaving?"
"If you think that my mother would love you after you kill me, then feel free to do so." She snickered. "Fool..."
"What did you say?" Henry was about to walk towards Chaeyoung when a shadow passed him. It was too quick for his eye to follow. The only thing that he felt was the throbbing pain in his leg, making him lose his balance.
Henry tried to grab something to support himself, but he failed.
"Thud"
"Thud"
"Thud"
In less than a minute, Henry and his two other subordinates had fallen. Two of them already died, even before their lifeless bodies hit the cold floor.
It was too sudden. Both Chaeyoung and Claire was rendered speechless. Their eyes widened, mouths agape. What was happening?
The first one who recovered from the shock was Claire, she instantly elbowed her daughter, waking her up from her stupor.
Chaeyoung narrowed her eyes at her surroundings. She instantly froze when she saw that both the Prime Minister and Carlisle were already lying unconscious. While Henry was lying on the floor, he was still conscious but there was an obvious wound on his waist. His two other men were lying on the floor, their throats slit, eyes wide open. As if, they were still not aware that they were already dead.
What was happening...?
Both Chaeyoung and Claire held their guns up, as their eyes roamed around the now bloodied room. Their gazes then focused on the doctor who was standing next to Gideon.
Chaeyoung narrowed her eyes at the man who was wiping the blood from his hands with a white handkerchief.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Cough"
"Cough"
Chaeyoung looked at Gideon who held his chest while coughing. "Alright... Enough with this fiasco." He slowly got up from the bed. "Simon, get me the medicine. This damn cough is killing me."
The doctor immediately handed Gideon a tablet with a bottle of water.
"Should be enough to keep me awake..." he said before turning his attention to Chaeyoung and Claire.
"Sorry… that was impolite. Hello, Claire." He said before giving her a chilly smile. "It's nice to finally meet you in person."
Gideon's smile was something that Chaeyoung had never seen before. It was cold, calculating, akin to the smile of a predator. "What is the meaning of this?" She asked once again as she tilted her body and moved her right leg backward. For some reason, she felt an extreme danger from Gideon at that moment.
"Come… Chaeyoung … you don't need to be with that woman. Come here and stay by my side." He gestured Chaeyoung to sit beside him.
"What do you mean?" Chaeyoung asked confused. Why did it seem that Gideon hated her mother?
"It's very simple, child… that woman is not the person that you think she is. She will only manipulate you. Like what has happened to your father. Come…" he held his hands up towards her. "Let Simon handle that woman and you will become the Queen of this country."
The world seemed to narrow down on Chaeyoung after she heard Gideon's words. She then looked at Henry, who was clutching his wound, his breath unsteady, then at Claire.
"You…" Chaeyoung paled as the realization struck her. "Did you target my mother all along?"
In Chaeyoung's thinking, Gideon was really adamant about making her come to Luxembourg. Back in Korea, he was not telling the truth. It made Chaeyoung feel confused and made her question her mother's identity even more.
His words, coupled with Claire leaving her uninformed about anything, instantly made her come to Luxembourg.
"Chaeyoung... don't be stubborn. I and the Lee Family were just thinking about your welfare. Nothing more." Gideon said unimpressed with Chaeyoung's angry tone. He had done all that he could to make her come to their country. He had taken advantage of the Queen's connections to the Zhang and Kim families to make Jennie Kim come there.
He had done everything to protect Chaeyoung from the Vercello family's people. He and the Lee Family were the only ones that really cared about Chaeyoung and definitely not that woman whom she called 'mother'.
Chaeyoung did not answer him, instead, she looked at Claire who was frowning and eyeing Henry from time to time.
"How did you found out that father was in the west?" She asked her mother. If her guess was right, then Gideon was just playing with everyone there for already a long time. Gideon and the Lee Family wanted Chaeyoung to rule the country, and at the same time, they badly wanted to eliminate Claire.
"I…" Claire gritted her teeth while trying to suppress her anger. "Someone had sent me an email. I tried to track it but… I did not find the sender. It was… It was Mason's letter. So I…"
She hesitated. "So, I hacked into the security surveillance system of the palace and observed the gestures of the current King."
"I have always known Mason's mannerisms and gestures. Even his handwriting. So… So, when I discovered that he was missing, I immediately believed in the content of the letter and …" she added.
Chaeyoung instantly frowned as she stepped in front of her mother, protecting her from Simon's sight.
Gideon's target was her mother.
Everything made sense at that moment. He had used every possible method to make Chaeyoung trust him and help him take care of the Zhou Family.
Gideon should have known about Henry's existence for already a long time. He should have known that Henry was the one behind the Zhou Family. He was watching patiently as Chaeyoung was making all the preparations. Afterward, he made sure to act weak and sick.
Then, during the cyber attack, he also made sure to get Chaeyoung inside this bunker. He was sure that Mason was Henry's main target. He knew about that all along. He also knew that Henry hated Chaeyoung and had tried to attack her for a lot of times before. With that information in his hands, he knew that Henry might also attack Chaeyoung. Especially, if they were in the same room. He took advantage of all the information that he got and waited… patiently waited for Claire to show herself and try to protect her daughter.
"Why do you want to kill my mother?
Gideon instantly chuckled mockingly at Chaeyoung's words. "Oh, please spare me… A lot of people will be thankful to me if I kill her right on the spot. They might even throw a party if I show them her dead body."
"Who are those people?" She asked, her stance vigilant, ready to fight.
"You know, seeing you protect this criminal really hurts me…" Gideon shook his head. "Come here and sit beside me. I don't want Simon to accidentally hurt even a single hair of yours."
"Criminal?" Chaeyoung glared at Gideon when she noticed her mother shaking. "You and the Lee Family are the real criminals! Tell me! Why do you want to kill my mother?!"
"Well... let's just say she is a loose end. She should have died a long time ago. Because of her…" Gideon hesitated. "Mason left the family! Because of this woman, he left the people who truly loved him!"
"Now... once again... Come here! Stand by my side! You are from the Lee Family! You are born to rule this country!" Gideon exclaimed.
Chaeyoung scoffed at his words. "So stupid! Do you really think that I will abandon my mother for this coun..."
"STOP CALLING HER 'MOTHER'!" Gideon's extreme reaction instantly made Chaeyoung froze.
"She doesn't deserve to be called 'mother'! Not after what she has done!"
"What do you mean? What has she done?" She asked curiously. "She ran away to protect me from you and the Lee family! No matter what, she is my mother!"
"Is that was she has told you?" Gideon let out a low laugh. "And you believed her? I have always thought that you were a smart person… tsk… tsk…" Gideon shook his head displeased.
"Come on, Claire… stop hiding behind your daughter's back and tell your daughter why you actually left!"
"Go on… tell her how you have killed those children in cold blood! Tell her how you did not even flinch when you press that…"
"Stop…" Claire lowered her head as she shouted that word.
"What? Can't you face the truth? Huh? You are nothing but a coward woman! You have killed those kids, Claire! Face it…"
"I SAID STOP!" Claire pushed Chaeyoung away from her as she took a step closer to Gideon. "Stop it! If you want to, then kill me! Kill me right now."
"Mother what are you doing?" Chaeyoung instantly held her mother's arm, holding her back from taking another step towards Gideon.
"Huh… so you don't want your child to know that you are nothing but a criminal? Are you embarrassed now, Claire?"
"I am not a criminal!"
"Is that so?" Gideon snickered. "Foolish woman! You have manipulated Mason into killing those people! You are a liar and a criminal! Why are you unwilling to let your daughter know about your sins before you die?" Gideon provoked. This woman was a loose end. She was Mason's weakness. She was his heaven and hell. She must be killed. There was no other way.
The whole family knew that this woman was Mason's weakness. Because of that, the whole Lee Family had planned a very well-thought trap to capture and kill her.
Even if that meant using Chaeyoung.
The Lee family had planned everything, from confusing Chaeyoung to giving her half-truths. They wanted her to be present in Luxembourg. They also took advantage of Henry's anger towards Mason and asked him to come to Luxembourg to spend some time with the Lee Family. They knew that this would provoke Henry into siding with the Zhou Family.
"I said I am not a criminal! I did not know that I… I would not have… I…. I did not know that there were children out there! It was an order! I had to follow their orders!" Claire shouted while trying to suppress all the emotions that were going to burst out at any moment. Then, she looked at Chaeyoung, her eyes full of tears. "I didn't mean to kill them... I swear... I have evidence... I can prove my innocence... I…"
"Innocence?" Gideon ridiculed her. "Claire... stop lying... You and Henry are the only people left from your team. Henry is dying while you... Well, you will follow him after a while too. The people who you have offended back then have ordered us to kill both of you. Do you really think that you can still show that evidence to the world after this?"
"Foolish woman..."
....