Suddenly, a few knocks on the door seized his attention. Dean's head shot up to turn to the doorway. As the door cracked open, one of the guides walked in. "Boss, there is a man who has been coming to the casino for the third time now since the last few days. He wouldn't tell us his name. But, he has been demanding to speak to you every time he comes here. If I remember correctly, he is the same man who we captured last time."
Dean cocked one brow in pondering before he gave a nod. "Let him in."
It didn't take long until that old man got sent into the room after getting searched up by the guides. Dean's eyes shot up from his hands to focus on the man at the doorway. A shock was almost displayed on his face as he rose from his chair. "What are you doing here?" His voice came out rougher than anticipated as he eyed his target sharply.
Richard Chu took several steps into the room, feeling relief at the sight of Dean.
"Stop right there," Dean said when noticing Giselle's father coming in his direction. "I won't hold back this time if you dare to touch me." His tone turned bitter as he gave a warning after recalling the last encounter with the old man.
Richard paused in his step as commanded while he opened his dry lips to speak. "I have something to discuss with you." His face turned serious.
"If you are talking about your daughter's matter, then I have nothing left to explain to you. I am setting you free as she had asked. It is the last thing that I can give her. But, if you are asking me to give her life back, I am afraid I can't. She's gone. And, you need to accept that." Dean took a step forward slowly as he stared at the old man observantly. "Even after what I did to your daughter... you're still having the gut to show yourself in front of me. Do you not afraid of me cutting you up? After all, I have always been bad blood inside your eyes. Or, are you here to arrest me again?" Dean's lip twitched, almost pulling into a wicked smile. "You've lost your chance of imprisoning me after that day. If you're having a change of mind about coming in here, then you may leave now as it is yet to be too late. It won't look too good if any more of my men caught sight of you."
"That's not what I am here for. And, I don't care what you want to do to me. I don't care if your men find me suspicious. I have important information that I want to inform you of... before my time is up. Can't you just talk normally for once without having to provoke me?"
"Provoke? Back then... Even when I did not provoke you, you were never actually treating me right. I am just reacting to you... as how I should have. When I was being nice... you acted as if I was some mere animal that you wouldn't even allow near your daughter. You even dared to beat me up..."
Richard nodded slightly as a frown displayed on his lips. "I... It was my fault. But, as a father, I was just doing my job of keeping my family safe. There was nothing wrong with that. If you aren't in a mafia, then maybe I wouldn't have reacted the same way as I always did to you. For now... can you just listen to me? I won't take up too much of your time." Dean tilted his head a bit to sharpen his look as he anticipated the old man across from him to finish his words. "The reason that... Kevinskey captured her, it was because of me." Dean stayed silent. "I... You see that I have..."
Hearing the nonstop stuttering of the old man, Dean decided to interrupt. "If you haven't made up your mind on what you are trying to tell me, then maybe we can talk at another time. I have to go back to my place. It's late now." Quickly he started to circle his way around Richard Chu.
The old man hurried to block Dean's way before he could walk past him. Dean raised his head higher when Richard suddenly started to unbutton his shirt.
"What the hell are you doing?" Dean blurted as Richard opened up his shirt, revealing his upper torso.
"If you look closely, you will see the fainted color of the old tattoo that I used to have."
Dean narrowed his eyes at Richard Chu suspiciously before scanning the torso to find the evidence as told. The ink mark was barely there. There were only a few dark red scars that embarked on the flesh, curving into almost a familiar shape. Dean did not say anything besides trying to study the familiar fainted figure. "I don't know what you are trying to tell me," Dean murmured as he took a step back to lean against the table.
"I was once a made man for the Singaporean mob... I quitted that life..." Richard said at the same time that he exhaled loudly. "... but I have failed to cut it out completely."
Dean took a step closer as he said, "You're fucking playing with me." He inclined his head a bit as he cast a sharp gaze down at Richard. "I am not even surprised that you are one of us. You had always made yourself look so obvious by attending all of those social events... I have always doubted that there was something that did not seem right when it comes to you and Kevinskey at the event that was not even held for common people."
He shook his head slightly. "I worked for the government... but I had always been associated with the mob. I kept it all away from my family since I did not want any of them to be harmed. I did not have any sons, that was one main reason that the boss let us go. I wanted to protect them... but... it backfired on me."
"Protecting your family does not sound right to me. Why would you bring them to those social gatherings knowing that shit could hit the fan at any time with these people around you? You're just playing victim to make yourself less guilty." Dean corrected bluntly as he gritted his teeth.
Richard nodded his head, not wanting to argue. He tried to keep his composure as he came here with the need of Dean's help. Seeing the hatred gaze burning with flame rose inside Dean's gaze, he continued to explain before things could go wrong. "Months ago, your brother sent men to search my house and his men took Giselle out that night... I chose to act like a fool since my daughter was returned with no harm. I tried to keep everything silent as I did not want to get involved in this fucking shit life again... but I was too fucking naive. The damn Singaporean mob boss thought I am working for the fucking Cobra... His men saw your men entered my house that night. They had been keeping a closer watch on my fucking family since then..." He paused as he could feel his heart speed up in anger, which would not be so helpful at this moment. Especially with Dean, showing his temper, as usual, would not be the wisest act if he wanted the support that he came to look for. Richard bit his teeth a bit as he took a deep breath to calm himself down. "And with the fact that you ended up going out with my daughter... it was only proving their misbelief towards me as me working for the Cobra. They thought I was fucking betraying them to work for all of you... They thought the mere reason of your father hating me was something that we used to deceive them. As you have already witnessed, your father's car got exploded and my house got bombed. It was all done by the Singaporean boss. I thought leaving my wife and daughter at the house would be the safest choice up until now but I was fucking mistaken. Kevinskey was sent in place of the Singaporean mob as they did not want the public to discover my association with them. But, you chose to interfere. And because of what you did to save my fucking petty life, Giselle was their last object that they had to use against me."
The flame started to burn in Dean's eyes after hearing the unexpected story from Richard Chu. He was almost walked up to punch Richard Chu in his fucking face in that brief moment. He thought he would make Giselle happy by saving her father. But, now hearing the sickening truth, made Dean's blood boil in rage. He wanted to fucking put a bullet in Richard Chu immediately when knowing that saving him was a damn mistake. Giselle would have been just fine if only Dean was not trying to act up on his hope to become a good person. If only he had left that man to rot in Kevinskey's house that day, Giselle would've been left with no harm. Dean's heart pounded against his rib cage while his fingers trembled slightly, triggering him to pull out a knife and slice Richard Chu's throat. But, Dean was not sure if killing him would bring him any worth. He did not want to face the terrible consequences of touching this low scum bag in front of him ever again. For every single time that he hurt Richard Chu, he felt himself getting even more distanced from Giselle. But, for one time that he saved this man, he had to lose his possession, his most valuable woman that could never be replaced. Dean closed his hand into a fist to prevent it from doing the things he wanted to do to Richard Chu. He turned to face the table and then slapped both of his hands onto the flat hard surface forcefully and loudly.
He gritted his teeth as he tried to control his breathing. After several seconds he decided to question, "You're not fucking blaming me... are you?" His back was still facing Richard Chu as he tilted his head down to stare at his hands. "You know damn well that if only you told me all of this earlier... Giselle would not have to fucking die in your place."
"She is not dead," Richard said, grabbing Dean's attention immediately.
Dean spun on his feet to shoot Richard a deadly glare. He was not sure if he had heard it right. Or, was he imagining things again? He knew that sometimes the medicine he takes would produce unpleasant effects on his train of thought. But he did not need that foggy brain at this very moment. He wanted to fucking be fully present in his most right mind. He tried to tame his temper and anger, knowing how he could let it loose easily. Breaking Richard Chu before he confessed all of the damn wicked sins that he committed would be the last thing that Dean wanted to do. Not now, at least. Dean took a step closer to Richard as he murmured, "Repeat what you've just said." His heart bounced harder at the thought of hearing the confirmation. He swore that everything felt like a dream to him. There were too many things that he had just heard. He was trying so hard to be sane especially with all of these fucked up games that Richard Chu had been playing with him.
"She just woke up yesterday. She was sent out of the ICU this morning."
"You're fucking kidding me..." His voice became low as he took another step closer. "Don't fuck with me... Don't use Giselle to fucking manipulate me. Use a better excuse or anything, but her. She doesn't deserve a fucking father like you. Not after what you did to her. I watched her with my own fucking eyes... cutting herself... How dare of you to make up a fucking lie?"
"If you don't believe me, then go see her yourself." Richard hissed before he took a deep breath to maintain his composure once again. "I've kept her in one of the rooms on the seventh floor at the hospital she used to work at. You go check on her... in place of me."
"In place of you... as in you want me to go there, walk into your fucking trap, and get myself killed." Dean corrected angrily.
"I won't last until tomorrow. The Singaporean mob won't leave me... They have been following me around for a few days now. I have been trying to meet you... because once I am gone, Giselle will be left with no protection. And, you are the only person that I could think of, who could give her what she needs, Dean." Richard frowned as his eyes grew redder. "I won't be able to see her again. I had her transferred to a room that nobody knows. I have requested the hospital to keep her in private. I can no longer visit her because I don't want to risk bringing those Singaporean mob to my daughter again. You are the only person that I entrust to take her back home. Please, Dean... You said you love her. Now, prove to me, that you still are. Please marry my daughter as soon as you can... In the name of your wife, they will not touch her. They will not dare to come any closer to her, Dean."
Dean could feel his heart skip a beat as butterflies began to fill his stomach. The unexpected news almost brought a smile to his lips. Just hearing that she had always been safe, Dean could feel tons of weight being lifted off his shoulders. The only thing that was in his mind at this very second was to bring her back home to him. The eagerness to possess and love her rose inside his chest so greatly and purely that it almost make him cry in joy. His brows that were tensed started to become relaxed as he stared at the man in front of him.
His voice was still serious as he said, "Hold up. You don't need to remind me of how I feel towards her. Wasn't it you who always tried so hard to keep me away from her? Now that you fucked up her life, you're dared to come all the way here to beg for me to save hers. I have given you the chance of becoming good. But, you chose to never do so. Not only you fucked up my life, but you also fucked up your family's lives. Fortunately, I am still alive... because I could have fucking died with my father due to your solely fucking mistake. If not Giselle, I won't even have mercy on you." Taking steps closer to Richard Chu, Dean pulled the old man's collars up with one hand. He leaned down a bit as he said through his gritted teeth. "I may have some mercy in the past, but today... You have managed to bring me back to my feet... by fueling onto my fucking temper. But, I will not kill you with my own hands because that would be the last thing that Giselle wanted to hear from me." Instantly, he shoved Richard Chu away with full force. "And, you don't have the damn right to tell me to fucking wed her. Because I will only wed her from the pure feeling that I have towards her. You can't fucking look down on my feeling. There will be no agreement between you and me regarding our marriage... You must remember that my wedding with Giselle is solely on me, whether that is love or to make her one of my possessions. I don't act on your command but my own. I do as I wished. You don't fucking tell me what to do... especially not telling me to marry her when I have already fucking proposed to her. Whatever decision I make, you're still someone that I am not willing to protect. You do realize that, don't you?"
Richard nodded. "I don't need your protection... because I should pay for my own sins."
"Sometimes your life alone can't wash away all of the sins that you have committed to other people's life. It might just not be valuable enough. In the past, I thought you could earn my respect after seeing you being all overprotective over your own daughter. I thought you were a great father at least... but you have failed me miserably. I am fucking extremely disappointed in you..."
Richard could feel his heart race as anger surged. He did not like the way Dean talked to him one bit but he could not do anything besides just nodding his head. He clenched his teeth as he took a deep breath. He reminded himself quietly that he came here for his daughter. He knew that there would be nobody else besides Dean who could keep her safe after him. No matter how much Dean's words sharply cut him, Richard chose to stay calm as he tried to make a peace treaty before he could breathe his last breath. If only he chose to speak up and fight with Dean, as usual, he knew that the result would not turn out great. With the fact that soon he would lose his life, the thought of leaving his only daughter behind with no guides left him unsettled and thrilled.
Richard gazed at Dean with a softer look as he changed subject to confess his last sin. "The day that your mother died, it was not the Cobra's enemies that killed her. It was the Singaporean mob who came after me the day after I walked out of this life." Richard looked at Dean's eyes, searching for the usual reaction that Dean used to give him whenever he mentioned his mother. Instead, Dean stayed composed and silent. "As for tonight, I will pay for everything that I've done wrong with my life. You don't need to get my blood on your hands..."
Dean tightened his lips, feeling speechless of what needed to be said, as he turned his back to face Richard Chu again. No emotion like in the past resurfaced his heart. He wondered if he was already numb to hearing the same thing about his mother. In the end, there was no attachment in the relationship as a son to a mother. All that was in Dean's head was Giselle and Giselle. He could not wait to bring her home. He could not wait to see her again. His mind did not seem to be bothered by what Richard was trying to tell him about his mother. The only sound that faded into his head was the sound of his heartbeat which was drumming loudly in excitement and anticipation for Giselle only. "I am done talking for tonight. You may help escort yourself back out." He murmured. After that, he waited patiently for a long moment, until he could hear the sound of the door opening and then closing. Dean stared at the clock on the wall across from him. He stayed silent for a very long time as if he was mourning for Richard Chu, knowing that would be the last night he would have to see his long hated enemy.