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The next day was a Saturday, which meant that Parker didn't have any classes. Paris took this as an opportunity to spend time with him, take him out to eat, and to also update him with everything that was going on lately. Paris believed that Parker was old enough to know the truth, and there was no point in concealing any secrets to him. It would only cause a turmoil and more misunderstandings, and Paris wanted to prevent that from happening.
Kai tagged along with them and drove them to the restaurant and also payed for their order. Paris didn't want her to do that, but Kai insisted. She was ashamed of her father's wrongdoings, and this was the only thing she could do for both of them at the moment.
Yesterday, Paris found out that she was fooled by Kai's father. He was involved with the death case of her parents, hiding it away from her for so long, and helping her out of pity because of his own mistakes.
All of this enraged Paris a whole lot, to the point that she didn't want to see anyone's face for the entire rest of the day. She locked herself inside the dorm, and didn't go out until this morning that she was finally able to calm down a bit.
When she left the dorm, Kai immediately went to her to talk things through again. Paris assured to her that she wasn't angry anymore, but that she needed some space. Kai understood and suggested her the idea of going out with Parker to free their minds from the troubles going on recently. Paris agreed to it and that's how the three of them ended up in a Japanese restaurant in the afternoon, eating the typical Japanese plates: Sushi, Ramen, and cooked salmon along with a bowl of plain white rice.
Paris took her time to explain everything to Parker as they ate their food calmly. She told him from the beginning to the end, all the things she found out about, leaving him speechless, just like she was yesterday. Yet, his reaction wasn't overly dramatic. He was just shock and didn't know what to say for a while. He needed some time to process everything that he was being told, that's all.
Parker doesn't remember his parents clearly since they passed away when he was four years old. The memories he recalls from them are very indistinct and that's why he doesn't hold much resentment, but it still hurts him to know that they have been fooled all along. He was grateful to Kai though, who was trying her best to compensate them even though she had nothing to do with any of this.
And when Paris mentioned that Kyle was the one who revealed to them the secret, Parker could feel his heart sting, just like if needles were piercing through him. He didn't know what to assume anymore when it came to Kyle.
Kyle left him behind without explaining anything to him. It hurt Parker to the bone. He wanted to know why Kyle would do such a thing.
Why would Kyle leave him bawling on the ground like that? Why would he hide things away from him? And why would he kiss him and spend time with him if he didn't have any feelings for him from the start? Or did he? Was there reason for him to do all of that?
Parker wanted to give Kyle a chance to explain himself, but he never came back to tell him a single thing, neither contact him. Parker was deeply hurt, and all he wanted now was to move on, or else it will affect him even further. He knew that he needed to move on for the best.
"If you don't feel comfortable staying in the mansion anymore after this, then you can just go back to our old house. I would go back with you, but I have a girlfriend now, and I should stay by her side." Paris said to Parker while lightly patting his shoulder.
Parker shook his head and responded with his natural soft-tone of voice, "It's alright. I'm actually fine at the mansion. I just want to be near you. We have been apart for so long and all I need for now is to have you close." He shifted his gaze towards Kai and added, "I also want to see you happy with your girlfriend, at peace, and enjoy our time together, as a family, just like we are doing right now. That's all that matters to me." He gave them a warm smile at the last part.
Both Kai and Paris turned their heads to glance at each other for a second, with pouted lips and puppy eyes on their faces. They could feel the warmth in Parker's words, and couldn't help but to feel moved by it. Why did Parker had to be this adorable, huh?
"Thank you, Parker. I feel more relieved now after telling you all of this." Paris returned him the gentle smile. "I also want to have you near and spend more time like this together. Just like you mentioned, as a family, right Kai?"
Kai nodded, curving up her lips too. "Right, we are a family. You can count on me for anything, Parker. Not only Paris is important to me, but you are as well. Both of you mean the world to me. I hope you know that."
The smile on Parker's face widened even more after hearing this. Tears were subconsciously forming in his eyes by how content he was. He felt lucky to have them both in his life.
Paris let out a laugh and smacked his nape with a hand, "Don't start crying now. We are at a restaurant, hahaha!"
"I'm not crying! Some dust just got into my eyes." Parker lied with a pout as he stroked the back of his neck.
Kai shook her head seeing this, that little smile still on her face. "You two are so alike. Two cry babies indeed."
"I'm not a cry baby!" Paris and Parker denied at the same time.
Kai covered her lips with a fist and laughed slightly, "Fine, fine. Whatever you guys say. I'm still not convinced though."
Paris rolled her eyes and continue to munch the food from her plate. Japanese dishes are indeed a delight. Parker followed behind her and ate the last two pieces of sushi that were left on his own plate. Everything was exquisite.
"Do you guys want to order some more?" Kai asked them with lifted brows. There was not a single crumb left in their plates, and she was kind of worried that they were still hungry.
"I'm stuffed. I think I can eat no more." Paris said before taking a few sips from the glass of water.
Kai, "And you, Parker?"
Parker shook his head, rubbing the round tummy he got after eating so much, "I'm also full."
"Okay, then. The food is payed already. We can leave whenever you guys want." Kai told them.
"Actually, I have to run to the bathroom real quick before we leave. Can you guys wait for me?" Parker asked them as he stood up from his seat.
"Yeah, go ahead. We'll wait for you outside at the entrance." Paris replied, getting off the chair too while holding Kai's hand.
As Parker went to the bathroom, Kai and Paris walked out of the restaurant together and waited for him outside. The weather was pleasant that afternoon. It wasn't too warm neither too cold. Just a little cloudy but it was perfect. Getting some fresh air felt invigorating.
Now that they were alone for a moment, Paris took this as a chance and she leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss on Kai's cheek. "Thank you, Babe. For taking me out today with Parker. Although, you really didn't have to do it."
Kai was a little taken aback by this and a grin appeared on her face, showing off her flawless white teeth. "There's no need to thank me. This is the least I can do for you guys. After all the trouble that my father has caused you, I feel like this is not enough."
Paris tightened the grasp around their hands and shook her head slightly, "I don't blame you for anything, Kai. I know that this has nothing to do with you." There was a short pause in her words before she added, "I also don't want to hold any resentment towards your Father, but I can't help it. I'm hurt by what he has done. It's going to take me a while to forgive him, but I want to do it, because I want to be by your side. And to be able to do that, I will also have to be in good terms with him."
Kai contemplated Paris with tender eyes, falling in love with her again and again. The way Paris makes her feel is so extraordinary that she can't even describe it herself. Such a magical and fluttering sensation. She knew that this was the woman that she wanted to take care of for the rest of her life.
"Don't pressure yourself too much. You don't have to forgive him if you don't want to. But I really appreciate your effort. It means a lot to me." Kai bent down a little, resting their foreheads against each other. "I know that staying in this business is not easy, and that it has caused you a lot of problems since the very beginning. But thank you for staying by my side. Having you with me is enough. You don't have to worry about doing anything else."
They were both with their eyes closed, warm breaths brushing against their cheeks as they slowly leaned in for a peck on the lips. Then two. And then three. Until their mouths parted a bit for a deeper kiss.
Paris stood on her tippy-toes while wrapping her arms around Kai's nape, pulling her closer. She slid her tongue into her mouth to taste the sweetness from inside. She will never get tired of kissing her passionately.
Kai was holding Paris by the waist with both of her hands, not leaving any space in between them. Their lips opened and closed slowly, tongues caressing one another lightly. They only separated again after feeling out of breath.
"No matter what happens, from now on, I promise you that I will never leave your side, okay?" Paris murmured with a breathy voice.
Kai nodded with a smile. She was about to open her mouth to say something but a loud noise suddenly interrupted them.
*HONK! HONK!*
It was the resonating sound of a horn. It came from a black vehicle that had stationed right in front of them. They instantly recognized it. This was one of the cars from the major family. What could've happened now?
The driver's door opened and a bodyguard dressed in uniform got out to open the door from the back seats. A middle-aged man in a navy suit went out from there, it was the leader of the major family. Did he come all the way over here to see them?
What was so urgent that he needed to come all of a sudden?
"Is there something wrong, Father?" Kai asked him with a perplexed expression.
Paris was gazing at the ground quietly, not wanting to make eye contact with the mafia leader who was staring at them with those mysterious eyes that were difficult to read through. He walked up to them with an expressionless face.
"I only came here to give something to Paris. I'm going to leave immediately after this." The leader was speaking in a neutral tone. "This is the picture of the driver who hit the car from her parents." He explained as he handed Kai a medium-sized photograph.
Hearing this, Paris couldn't help but to raise her head to glance at the photograph. In the picture, there was an old man that appeared to be around sixty or seventy. Grey haired and with glasses. Nothing out of the ordinary.
There was silence for a while as Paris and Kai examined the photograph with full attention. They turn their gaze to stare at each other for a split second and then shifted their eyes back to the mafia leader in front of them.
"Why are you giving this to me?" Paris asked him while creasing her brows in confusion.
"The reason why I didn't tell you about this sooner is because I felt guilty and I wanted to avoid talking about it." The leader aimed at the picture and continued, "Consider this as my apology for hiding things away from you. There's an address behind that picture. You can do whatever you want with it." He was telling this to Paris.
The mafia leader turned around after saying this. With no further comments, he got back inside of the black car. The bodyguard once again opened and closed the door for him before getting inside of the vehicle himself. He came all the way over here just to give them this? It was unbelievable!
Kai and Paris followed the vehicle with their eyes, seeing it fade away in the distance, leaving them alone once again. They glanced at each other and then back at the photograph, turning it around to check the home address that was written on the back with black ink.
Did the leader just handed them the picture of the friend that he has been shielding all this time? Was he serious right now? What kind of friend would do such a thing? Didn't he at least feel bad that something wrong could happen to his friend?
Paris didn't know whether to take this seriously or not, but when she stared at the elder in the picture, there were many emotions piling up inside of her, making her heart become restless. She clenched her fists tightly, trying to compose herself back to normal.
There was resentment, hatred, vengeance, so much that she was feeling at once. She didn't know what she wanted to do with the photograph yet. Could they perhaps make a good use of it? Or should they just ignore it?
"What do we do with this?" Asked Kai as she handed the photograph to Paris.
Paris took another glimpse at the picture with furrowed brows before she folded it in half and bury it inside of her purse. "Let's leave Parker home first and then we can go to the home address after."
Kai stared at her with some concern reflecting in her eyes. "Are you sure that you want to do this?"
Paris didn't respond and only remained silent. She clenched her fists harder, to the point that her knuckles became white. She couldn't answer to the question because she also didn't know what she wanted to do. The only thing she knew was that she wanted to revenge for the death of her parents and for the years of suffering that she had to go through, but she didn't know how she was going to do all of that.
"I'm back guys!" Parker's voice suddenly sounded behind them as he got out of the restaurant and approached them. "Sorry for taking so long. I think the sushi was too much for my stomach."
Both Kai and Paris turned around at the same time, slightly startled by Parker's abrupt appearance, but they pretended not to be surprised, as if nothing had happened.
"Oh, shit. I forgot that sushi is made of seafood, and your stomach is delicate with those kinds of foods. Are you feeling alright?" Paris asked worried, resting a hand on his shoulder.
Parker nodded with a smile, "Yeah, I'm feeling better now."
"That's a relief. Next time we can go eat to a steakhouse instead." Kai said as they walked up to the car and drove back home after that
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It was late in the afternoon when Parker was dropped back to the mansion. Paris and Kai were now driving to the mysterious home address that was given to them by the leader of the major family.
The house was not that far away, and it didn't took them long to arrive. They got there in less than thirty minutes with the GPS. Kai stationed the vehicle far enough for it not to look suspicious and in a way where it wouldn't invade anyone's property.
It was a serene neighborhood. All the houses seemed to belong to elderly people and that could explain why no one was outside. The majority of elders tend to spend their time indoors, relaxing, taking naps, and watching television, while the minority likes to take walks when the climate calls for it.
There was dead silence inside of the car. Paris was holding a gun in one hand, and the photograph in the other hand. She was trying to figure out what to do with it. What step to take next. This was her only chance to revenge. Should she take advantage of it?
Kai could only stare at her with concern, her brows furrowed, not knowing what exactly Paris was planning to do. She was sure that Paris wouldn't dare to kill someone out of resentment. That was just not how she was. The Paris she knew would never do that.
"Have you really made up your mind about this?" Kai asked her, placing a hand on top of hers, holding down the gun in between their grasp.
Paris was quiet for a second before responding, "I don't know...I don't know what I want to do. But something deep inside of me is telling me to do something about it now that I have the chance..."
"Then, do you want me to go with you? We can knock on the door and-" Kai couldn't finish what she was saying because Paris cut her off abruptly.
"Shh! Hold on. The door of the house is opening." Paris hushed, placing a finger on her own lips.
They both watched attentively through the front window of the car. There was an old man coming out of the house with a little girl that appeared to be around five. It was probably his grandchild.
That old man was identical to the one from the picture. It was really him. He was the one who caused the accident. The one behind everything. The person who killed Paris' parents.
There was tension slowly building up as Kai and Paris tightened their grip around the gun that they were holding at the same time.
The elder was smiling to the little girl, and the girl smiled back at him. There was so much warmth in their expressions, looking gleeful as they both watered the plants together with the long hose. Soft smiles and laughter between them.
That was it.
Witnessing this made Paris realize what she was doing and she made her final decision.
She put the gun away.
Paris couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to do such a heartless thing. Murdering a grandfather and then feel relief about it was not human. It will not make her feel any better because she knows how it feels to lose a family. That innocent girl has no fault for the things her grandfather has done in the past, and Paris doesn't want her to go through the same thing she had to go through.
If Paris killed the old man today, she was certain that she would never forgive herself for traumatizing that little girl for the rest of her life. It would turn her into a horrible monster.
Letting out a deep sigh, Paris closed her eyes and gulped down with difficulty. She didn't know why her chest was aching so much, but tears were already rolling down her cheeks.
'I was being so selfish just now. Only thinking of myself and of my own pain. I didn't think of how this man's family could feel if he dies. It's so heartless to think that way. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't want to be like this.' These words echoed inside of Paris' mind.
Kai interlocked their fingers together before comforting, "It's okay, Paris. You made the right decision. I'm sure your mother and father would be proud of you. They wouldn't want you to kill someone because of them. They just want you to be happy. And me too. I'm also proud of you."
Paris couldn't help but to pull Kai into a tight embrace in that sitting position. Her breathing was shaking, sobbing and choking on her own tears. Those words that Kai just told her made her tremble, making her feel as frail as a crystal. She really needed this hug right now.
Kai felt her own heart compressing as she heard Paris weeping in her arms. She stroked Paris' head gently with a hand and continue to console, "From now on, we'll have no more secrets between us. I won't allow anyone to hurt you like this ever again. I'm here, Paris. To listen to you whenever you need me. As your lover, and as your confidant."
Let's go back home.
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Author's Note: Another Kiss Scene between Kai and Paris has been unlocked in this chapter!💋