***
Claire smiled at her daughter before taking a deep breath. Chaeyoung was extremely talented. She was sure that the Vercellos had already had their eyes on her. What she needed to do from then on was to guide Chaeyoung and stop lying to her.
The recent mishap with Gideon made her realize that hiding everything from her daughter was wrong. It was extremely foolish of her to think that she was protecting her that way.
"Let me tell you everything about the Vercello Family." She started. "At first… I wanted to become one of them. I will not deny the truth. I was weak and the power that they offered was enticing. So, when someone talked to me, I did not hesitate to try and train myself to become excellent. I did missions with... With the person that I was supposed to marry."
Chaeyoung instantly raised an eyebrow at her mother's words. However, she chose to not say anything.
"Anyway… I did a little research and found out how evil that organization or family was. So, I decided to avoid them. I ummm… joined another organization with your father. That organization is something that the Vercellos fear… maybe." She shrugged. "However, I never left the military. So, even though I was already a member of that organization, I still did a lot of missions with Henry and my friends. It was my responsibility to my father."
"So… I met your father on one of my missions. When we realized that we are members of the same organization, we… we got a little closer. And the rest is history." She let out a sigh. "Anyway… when our organization got to know that we are in a relationship they asked us to marry each other."
"You mean?"
"Yes… we are legally married in another country. Your wife is even wearing your father's wedding ring." Claire let out a light chuckle when she saw the duo's reaction. "I and your father loved each other. I… we really do."
"This ring… the symbol."
"That is our organization's symbol. However, I can't disclose the name of our organization. I'm sorry. But… I believe this organization will contact you soon. Especially, when you have your father's ring. They will eventually know that we are related."
After Chaeyoung and Lisa heard Claire's words, both of them started pondering. They remembered Gideon's words. He told them that Lisa's ring was special. Was that the reason he wanted Lisa and Chaeyoung to side with the Lee Family?
Did they know about Mason and Claire's organization that could rival the Vercello Family?
"Mother… the Lee Family seem to have ties to the Vercellos… do you think they wanted to have Lisa's ring?" Chaeyoung asked.
This time, Claire's face instantly turned into a scowl. "Who told you that? Did someone told you about these rings?"
"Gideon said that… I'm not sure if he was lying though. But he said something about this ring being important." Lisa said while removing the ring from her finger. She then gave it to Chaeyoung.
"Then, it's best for you to stop wearing it." Claire said in a serious tone.
"Why?"
"It would only attract more danger." Claire said. "If the Vercellos know that you have this ring… then… they will come after Lisa sooner or later."
Both Chaeyoung and Lisa's faces were contorted as they continued to listen to Claire's words.
"Mother... I don't wanna be rude. But… I want to know... Are you sure about this? Please, don't give me some lies again, Mother. I… at this point, lies can be really harmful." Chaeyoung said in a pleading tone. If her mother was still lying, then it could be devastating. She needed a plan, a proper and deliberate plan that would keep her and her loved ones safe.
"Chae, I know I have made a lot of mistakes before. But this time, I am really telling the truth. I won't lie about something as important as this. If you are telling the truth about the Vercellos backing the Lee's, then it can also be one of the reasons your father has left. Mason is not that dumb to fall for Gideon's tricks. He won't easily run off somewhere if he is not certain about things. I know him. He is not as careless as me."
Once again, Chaeyoung turned silent. She lowered her head in contemplation. According to Claire, the Vercello Family should also know about that ring. The reason they coveted it was that Mason had a special rank in his organization. He was supposed to be the next leader before he left to look for Claire. According to her mother, Mason had given her that ring because he wanted her to be safe.
At that time, Mason had no idea about who Claire really was. All he knew was that Claire was excellent in painting and computers. Hence, he gave his ring to her, so she could do whatever she wanted with the organization's resources, while she gave him her ring in return. With Mason's ring, Claire had been able to command some of the organization's experts. She took advantage of that opportunity and used some people to find out about what had happened during the explosion.
That was the reason she was able to find out about the kids and that the one who had ordered the explosion had something to do with the Vercellos. At that point, Claire already knew of the Vercello Family's evil deeds. The only thing that she did not expect was for someone to deliberately follow her around after she started investigating the matter.
The only thing that had been bugging Chaeyoung was the fact that the Vercello Family seemed to hate her mother. She was supposed to be an heir. So, why did they hate her? Was it because… she did not marry the man she was supposed to?
"Mom... one more question, can you tell me the identity of the person that you were supposed to marry?" She asked curiosity laced her tone.
"It's… Wang Bolin."
Her words seemed to strike Chaeyoung like thunder. Wang Bolin? Wang Bolin that she knew?
"But…"
"Unexpected, right?" Claire laughed. "Wang Bolin is the person that I trust the most. I will trust him with my life. I trusted him more than I trusted your father."
"He became my bodyguard to be close to me." Claire continued. "When I was working with the Military… he also joined me. He has been helping me since then… When I... After I chose to marry your father... he left and went back to your grandfather."
"Does he know… everything about you and father and the organization?" Lisa asked. Her impression of Wang Bolin was actually not that much. In fact, she found him forgettable. Someone that would disappear and almost no one would look for him.
"Yes. He does. He was a member of our organization too." Claire smiled. "Wang Bolin is my best friend."
"Mother, what did the Vercello Family say when you married father?"
"They don't know. The only thing that they know is that Wang Bolin chose to give up on leading them and accompanied me as my bodyguard. So, they did not pursue the matter. However, I was disqualified to be the heir."
"Disqualified? You mean...??? There are still other people vying for that position?"
"Of course!" Claire answered. "The Vercellos has been around for decades. It is only natural that some people want to become the Matriarch of the family."
"Mother, I have a question. Do you know why… you really need to marry the person who the Vercellos have chosen for you?" Asked Lisa.
"Power, Lisa... that's the only thing that the Vercellos ever wanted. More power and influence. Those people came from powerful families. They always were at the top of the food chain." Claire explained. "If… you announce your marriage, and the person who Chae was supposed to marry is really influential and want to compete, then they can easily ask someone to kill Lisa, so he can replace her and be Chae's husband instead."
"I hope you understand that this is the reason I don't want you to shine. I have tried to protect you from this type of world before," she added, before holding Chaeyoung's hand. "Now that you already know this… I suggest you stay as low-key as possible. Wait for them to approach you and politely tell them that you are not interested in the Matriarch position."
"That way, the people who are vying for the position will not disturb you and will give you some peace." Claire said.
"Mother… where do you think my father is?" Chaeyoung asked, ignoring her mother's cowardly words.
"He should be in the West right now. If my guess is right, then he is building his own Empire and is preparing to fight with the Vercello Family." She answered directly. "I assume, he had already occupied his role as the leader of our organization back then. He must have figured out everything and at this moment is preparing his army," Claire scoffed.
"What's wrong? Don't you want him to fight? For you? For us?" Chaeyoung frowned. From her mother's tone, it was very obvious that she did not approve of what her father was doing.
"And then what?" Claire got up from her seat and walked towards the window. "If he beats the Vercello Family what will happen after that? Did he think that we can have a peaceful life?"
"Chae... I ran away because I got tired of this dark world." Claire tilted her head to look at Chaeyoung. "This world is cruel, Chae… I had my fair share of it. You might think that I am a coward for running and for doing what I did… but I was trying to protect you from that dark world. I gave you a normal father. Not someone who runs an underworld crime organization. It was because I didn't want you to become like me. To fear my enemies even while I sleep! I don't want a life like that. I don't want you to have a life like that!"
"I don't want you to fear to eat the food given by your friends nor fear that every drink that you have could be drugged. "
"Did your father think that by doing this we will stop living in the shadows?"
"No, Chae… after this, we will still have enemies. The children of those people that we have killed will come looking for us. The wives of the husbands that we have shot will come, knocking at our door, sooner or later demanding revenge. It will never end."
Chaeyoung let out a chuckle, surprising both her mother and Lisa. "So, this is the initial reason you ran away and tried to hide things away from me?" She then walked towards her mother and stand in front of her. "If you were not my mother, I would have slapped you right now."
"I understand why you did what you did… but don't give me this talk right now. Not after everything that has happened." Chaeyoung narrowed her eyes at her mother. "Your first mistake was hiding this from me when we first met in Japan. Your second mistake was thinking that I am like you. I am not… and I will never be like you."
"Your third mistake was being a hypocrite." Chaeyoung gave her mother a mocking smile. "Do you like the feeling of having father chase after you every time you run away?"
"Do you like the feeling of him facing your enemies instead of you?"
"Did you even think of his feelings? Did you even consider that he loved you to the extent to choose you over his family every time? To run after you even after years of not knowing if you were already dead or not?"
Claire's expression was extremely unsightly when she watched Chaeyoung take a step in front of her, her face was less than a foot away from her. "Mother… If you continue thinking about this even after what has happened, then sooner or later you will lose all the people whom you consider as a family."
"You chose this life… be prepared to face the consequences of your choice. Be a man and stand up to your ground. Stop running away!" Chaeyoung turned her back to her mother and was about to walk away from her when Claire suddenly grabbed her daughter's arms.
"What are you planning to do?" She asked.
"I will find my father." Chaeyoung answered. Her eyes never leaving her mother's.
"You can't."
"Why not?" Chaeyoung challenged. She raised an eyebrow at her mother.
"He… If the Vercellos…"
"Oh, mother! Screw the Vercellos…!!! Don't worry, I will not join them." She was about to add that she was planning to destroy them instead but chose to maintain her silence. She then shrugged off her mother's hand and went to sit next to Lisa. "I will finish everything that you have started and clean up the mess that you have made." Her voice was not loud, yet both Claire and Lisa heard the tinge of stubbornness that laced her words.
...
"So, what will happen to Henry now?" Lisa asked while they were looking at Henry who was lying peacefully behind the glass window.
"If you are asking me… whether I have forgiven him or not, then the answer is no." Chaeyoung said. "I will talk to him once he wakes up." She then stared at the man who was said to resemble her father. The argument earlier with her mother made Chaeyoung agitated.
It would be a lie if she said that she was not affected by her mother's cowardice. In fact, she hated it. She hated how her mother created a mess, then ran away in hope to live a peaceful life. However, at one point, she also understood her actions.
She was a mother. And just like every mother, Claire did her best to protect her. However, for Chaeyoung, her mother took the wrong approach to protect her. She withheld important information, which could have saved Chaeyoung's life. That alone was something that was already very wrong.
Chaeyoung felt Lisa squeeze her hands and she immediately turned her head towards her, meeting her gentle gaze. She was certain that the woman knew what she was feeling right now. However, Lisa chose not to say anything and tried to ease her worries with her actions.
She gave Lisa a half-hearted smile before she hooped her arms towards her. She then leaned on Lisa's shoulder and closed her eyes. After this, she would face another deadly enemy. The only thing that was giving Chaeyoung strength at that moment was the fact that Lisa was with her.
Without this woman, Chaeyoung could not imagine the mess that she would be in at that time. "I want to announce our marriage… soon." She softly said.
"However, I am afraid that they will do something horrible to you." She added. Chaeyoung shamelessly accepted that right now, the attention that her persona had was too much. Her talents and skills were something that her enemies should be aware of.
Because of that, there was a big possibility that they would not let go of her easily. The person who she was supposed to marry might scheme to kill Lisa. "I want to end the Vercello Family." She declared after a couple of minutes of silence. "Are you with me on this?"
"Of course!" Lisa answered without batting an eyelid. Chaeyoung could tell Lisa that she wanted to conquer the world and Lisa would still support her. She could say that she wanted to kill all her enemies and Lisa would be there, making sure that the bodies were all buried. She could say that she wanted to burn this world and Lisa would be there to make sure that she did not burn herself in the process.
Lisa then felt Chaeyoung put on the ring on her finger. "This is yours, my Queen." Lisa heard her mutter before she felt her hot lips on her neck.
After the couple spent some time with Henry, they went to Claire to tell her not to leave this place. Of course, both of them knew that the possibility of her leaving was bigger than her listening to their words.
Because of that, Chaeyoung also told her that it's okay if she left as long as she informed her about that because she would always worry about her mother's safety. Her enemies knew that she was alive so they might not stop looking for ways to entrap her. They also asked for Claire's evidence that would point out the person who had made the order.
Chaeyoung was actually surprised that her mother was able to give her a lot of proof. Apparently, the Vercello Family was making potent drugs and was using an orphanage to test them on the children living there. They were also using a lot of hospitals to sell their products. She was able to give them a proof about the officials and other prominent families in Germany that had been backing those operations for years.
But she was not able to give Chaeyoung something that would prove the Vercello Family's involvement in those operations. It was like… everyone knew that they were involved but no one could actually prove it.
"One more thing." Claire said defeat was apparent in her eyes. "Chanyeol… is someone from the Vercello Family."
Chaeyoung's eyes widened, her mouth agape from her mother's explosive words.
"He chose to leave the family and become my student." Claire continued. "When he disappeared, I bet that was because the Vercello Family got a hold of his skills and wanted him back. If he is smart, then he should be with your father right now."
"I'm sure you know that he was last seen in Luxembourg. If my guess is right, he should have been there to meet with your father." She ended her sentence as she stared outside the window. "I will leave once Henry wakes up."
....
Chaeyoung and Lisa left the island after making sure that Claire and Henry were well-guarded and safe from the public's eyes. The couple did not even spend a night at the island, mainly because of Chaeyoung and Claire's argument.
Chaeyoung decided to go to the Zhou Empire's base and start realizing all her plans to meet with her father.
According to Claire, her father should be the leader of an organization that was also based in Germany. However, getting inside that organization would be extremely difficult, as most people didn't even know its real name.
Chaeyoung always found that aspect very silly. Why would somebody even join an organization if they didn't even know the name of it? That was so stupid! And just like what she expected, Claire did not tell her about it. That instantly pissed Chaeyoung off. How could her mother do that to her? Again! Why was she continuously withholding information from her?
At the end of the day, Chaeyoung and Claire came to a standstill as they did not talk to each other anymore until Chaeyoung and Lisa left the island.
....
"She is still hiding something." Chaeyoung said. They were now on their way to an island, which was where the Zhou Empire resided.
"There is no use in sulking and thinking about it anymore. We can always find it out ourselves." Lisa stated.
"Have your men already seized the island?" Chaeyoung asked. Lisa was right. They would find out about that sooner or later.
"Yes. That Wang Bolin is extremely skilled. I let him lead my people and they did not get any injuries."
"Really?" Chaeyoung raised an eyebrow at him. Her mother told them that she was supposed to marry Wang Bolin. It could only mean that Wang Bolin's background was not that simple at all. Chaeyoung wondered, how did her mother attract the attention of men like Mason, Henry, and Wang Bolin.
"Yes. Even the leader of my troops complimented him." Lisa said. The moment Ashton gave them full access to all of the Zhou Family's properties in the underworld, he immediately asked Wang Bolin to lead a group of his people and sieve the island from the Zhou Family's people. He also made sure to instruct the latter not to hurt anyone on the island, but instead, show them the documents that Ashton had signed.
"Alright. Did your men found anything?"
"Yes... Actually, the Zhou Family's men were already captured when they arrived on the island. " Lisa answered. "A local gang was able to subdue them."
"A local gang?" Chaeyoung turned silent. How could a local gang do that? Things like that were only possible if someone stronger was backing them.
"Someone is backing them but they refuse to talk." Lisa added. "The network of the Vercello Family runs really deep. It is only reasonable for them to fear the Vercellos"
Chaeyoung remained silent before she lifted her head and looked at Lisa. "I want to attract father's attention." She declared.
"How are you going to do that?"
"Create troubles…?!"
"You are just going to make your name even more famous, aren't you?" Lisa shook her head. "The Vercello Family might feel a threat coming from you. They might do something that will endanger you."
Chaeyoung slowly nodded her head. Lisa was actually right. The Vercello Family might approach her if they felt that Chaeyoung was being aggressive in the underworld. "What do you think I should do?"
"Let him approach you." Lisa said. "I have a plan."
.....