Vegas' POV
"What is this?!" Kinn asks confused.
"This is check-mate." Pete answered with a cunning smile on his face. "...with the white queen."
"Get out of my house" Khun Korn says to Pete enraged.
"Keep the queen's invitation card, please." Lian Wang gazes the white chess piece on the table and then my uncle. "All White Clan's side businesses are managed by the White Queen as the Chess Room rules..."
"That's a dangerous game you're playing Wang. Is the White Council in agreement with this?!" Uncle Korn asks to Wang.
"Hmm...what did they say, Lee?!"
"Do you mean those few left?! I don't recall...what did they say, Phong?!"
"Please, don't kill me." Pete says coldly.
"Oh...yeah. That's all what they said before we killed them" Lee bows to Khun Korn.
"How did you get their real identities?!" Khun Korn asks astonished.
"We have our means. We're not done with cleaning yet, Khun Korn. But don't worry, we will keep doing business together. This is not personal, is it?!." Wang smiles cordially and takes leave, followed by Pete, Lee and the rest of the clan.
"Don't mind us." Pete says to P'Chan. "I can lead us to the exit door." Pete smirks.
My uncle angrily grabs the chess piece and flings it away. He shouts to P'Chan.
"Get me the culprit!"
An alert lights up in my head with this sentence.
It was not him.
It was not Khun Korn who ordered those assassination orders. He could not lose the Island and damage his business. That's why he never messed directly with Pete and always treated his grandparents well.
I need to find out who's behind this.
But first...
I have to talk to Pete!
I don't care about my uncle and his sons staring at me.
I rush out of the conference room after Pete. It might be the last time I get to talk to him in Thailand.
"Vegas, where are you going?!" Porsche yells. "Don't go after him!"
I ignore Porsche.
I ignore everyone.
"PETE! Wait! PETE!" I call for him through the corridors
The staff looks at me.
Pete doesn't turn even once. He keeps walking.
The white clan enters one of the elevators.
Wang gazes me with a smile.
He's really enjoying this.
The door closes.
I get on the other elevator.
"PETE!
When the elevator door opens, I see them exiting through the main entrance where cars are waiting.
I try to get to Pete before he gets in the second limo.
But those same bodyguards with a bird in their lapel place themselves between us.
"Pete, please...don't go."
He turns to me.
"Zhàn zài yībiān." (Stand aside.)
His men move to the side.
After observing us, Wang and Lee get in the first limo. They don't leave yet.
"What can I do for you...Khun Vegas?!"
Pete looks at me blankly.
"Pete...I'm sorry..."
"What do you want me to do with it?!"
"W-what?!"
"What exactly do you expect me to do with your "sorry"?!" He is expressionless.
"I don't expect anything, Pete...even if you don't love me anymore, I will always love you. I wish I could turn back time and..."
Pete gives two steps forward and whispers in my ear...
"...not leave me wounded alone among dark and smoke or carrying our dying baby while you were fucking my best friend in your hidden love nest?!" He speaks calmly.
"What did you say?! I never..." I turn my face to him widening my eyes.
Pete takes two steps back to where he originally stood.
"Do you want me to repeat it out loud?! Are you sure?!"
He glances around.
I notice that Porsche and Kinn are at the entrance to the building.
"Why are you saying this!? I never ...ever...I swear...please...let's talk, but not like this...give me a chance to..."
"Wǒmen zǒu ba" (Let's go)
Pete turns towards the car and his bodyguards push me back.
All cars leave the Main Family Mansion.
I turn to Porsche.
Whatever happened that day.
I can sense that...
...it was his doing.
Once I find out what really happened, I'll show no mercy.
...
Pete's POV
"Xiānshēng, yī wèi kèrén yāoqiú dēng jī " (Sir, a guest has requested to board the plane)."
"Shì shéi?" (Who?!)
My personal bodyguard shows me the videocam outside the jet.
"Ok."
The figure of a tall, handsome man appears in front of me.
A guy I once admired and cherished.
I glance to my men to leave us alone.
And point him to take a seat in front of me.
"Maybe not for you, but it's good to see you, Pete."
"If you already know that, why waste your time and mine?!"
Porsche gives me a faint smile.
"I've came to know how grandma and grandpa are doing. Is Venice okay?!"
"Do you care now?!"
"I do care, Pete. I do care about you too. Whatever happened that day...since our encounter in that warehouse...whatever I did...I just want you to know that it was never my intention to hurt you. You know we are in a damn game, Pete...every move has a reason."
"Was it worth sacrificing several pawns to get close to the old king, Red Queen?!"
He pauses for a moment wondering how much I know of his secrets.
"No! I would never do that! I would never hurt innocent people...your family...a child. I didn't know about Chumphon Island...about Grandma Jui and Khun Korn...those orders."
"Whatever you say means nothing to me, Porsche. Whatever you did, ultimately, you did it for your own benefit."
"This is not true, Pete..."
"Just embrace your true self as I have embraced mine."
I point to my guards to escort Porsche out.
"I didn't want it to end like this."
"But I want it to end this way. Make yourself useful. Send this message to your mother, the former Red Queen."
"...w-what?!..."
"Yeah...I know about that bitch...who gave you the red queen key...I know it all."
"Why are you talking about my mother like this?! she has nothing to do with it...she can't even remember who she is..." Porsche grits his teeth.
"Just pass the message, will you?! She'll understand it better than you."
"..."
"The White Queen is declaring war."
"What are you saying, Pete?!..."
"And I won't spare anyone..."
"You are committing a mistake..."
"...not even a fucking whore like you..."
"...!..."
Porsche clenches his fists.
I think I got him mad.
I don't give a fuck.
"Escort yourself out before I settle scores with you right now. Be aware, though. I won't risk damaging my suit in a hand-to-hand fight." I put my gun on the table. "And as far as I know you are not bulletproof."
Porsche looks at me in astonishment.
"I'm sorry things turned out like this, Pete."
"You and Vegas are alike...y'all and your pathetic 'sorry' as it could solve anything. Just do me a favor. Get your fake ass out of my sight."
As he didn't move, my men pushed him out.
Porsche made intentions to fight back but withdrew.
That coward won't risk his neck right now.
I wish he had been more insistent.
It would be fun wiping my jet's floor with that disgusting face of his.
The message must be delivered, though.
I smile pleased.
...
Vegas' POV
I get the black box from the vault and access the Chess Room.
I enter the private room.
No answer at all to any of my messages.
The anonymous participant didn't answer me anymore.
After seeing Pete today, I make a decision I've put off until now out of respect for Pete.
Bags are packed in a hurry.
I access my father's vault to get some money and keep the black velvet box there.
I don't know if it might be the last time I'm here. So I go back to looking at the things my dad put in the safe about me and Macau. I pull out each item to look and read again.
He loved us. He did what he had to do to protect us. But he hurt us a lot by choosing that path. He got hurt too. We could have lived less, but maybe we could have lived happily for a while.
I've been doing the same. I thought keeping Pete in the dark would spare him from greater pain. But it was quite the opposite. I killed his warm smile. Now he has only cold smiles to give, just like me before I fell in love with him.
I take the black king key from inside the black velvet box and try to keep the box inside the vault when it slips out of my hand.
The back of the box comes off.
A picture of three beautiful young women falls. They seem to be friends.
I look closely at the photo. I immediately recognize every face.
The one on the left is my mom. I will never forget her sweet eyes looking at me.
The one on the right is Namphueng, Porsches' mother. She hasn't aged much actually.
I widen my eyes in surprise.
The one in the middle, with a beautiful smile and delicate features...she looks exactly like Pete.
Is this a coincidence?!?!
I turn the picture. There's no names but this sentence: "Lovely Queens"
It seems to be my father's handwriting.
Fuck Dad.
Don't tell me he had a thing for the three of them?!
I sigh.
I can't put up with those old secrets anymore.
How do they know Pete's mom?!
I take the box apart and find nothing else.
I put the picture inside my bag.
Then I go downstairs, finding Macau and Arm worriedly looking at me.
Probably someone already told Arm, who told Macau what happened today in the Main Family House.
"We are going with you" Macau firmly says.
I see that his bags are even packed.
"How do you know I'm going...?!"
"Since Phi left with Venice, my bags are packed. I thought you would do this that very night."
"This is something I have to do alone."
"You can't! It's dangerous! Cousin said..." He covers his mouth.
"What did Tankhun say?!"
"He said Phi is not Phi anymore. He confronted Uncle Korn and ..."
"And...?!"
"He doesn't love you anymore."
"He didn't say he doesn't love me."
"Cousin said Pete hates all of us."
"I told you to not listen to Khun Noo, Macau! He exaggerates sometimes..." Arm intervened.
"Pol told me he could see in Phi's eyes he despises all Theerapanyakul Family. Is it not true, brother?!"
"...I don't know, Macau...I really don't know...but I'll find out."
"So we are going with you!"
"No! You can't!"
"But..."
"You said I should believe our family is alive and fine. And today Pete left out they are with the Wang Family. Let me try to get the other half of our family back without risking to lose the half I already have here." I glance to Arm too. "Do you trust me?!"
"I do, brother, but I don't want you to die."
"I won't die. I'm better than that. So listen to me. If I do not return in 30 days, you can come after me, okay?!"
"30 days, hia. Not a day more."
"You sound like Pete." I join our foreheads.
"Phi is not bossy..."
"He was today..."
"Cool" Macau smiled.
"I'll bring our family back. I promise. Things will be like before."
"Yeah...dinner time...to laugh and talk."
"Yes...exactly this" I kiss his forehead and glance to Arm, that nods to me.
"Take care, Khun Vegas"
"Bring them back, brother."
"I will." (1)
...
Lian's POV
Upon arriving at the Wang family estate, Pete goes to the garden to meet his family.
Lee and I watch from the balcony.
"Hey, buddy! Is grandpa teaching you how to fight?!"
Pete's face changes as he takes his son in his arms.
He smiles brigthly to his son.
"Grandpa is strong, daddy."
Uncle Tai is teaching new bodyguards Thai boxing style. He's still pretty strong. None of them can beat him. Everyone is having a good time.
Aunt Jui hugs the two. She also waves to me and Lee.
"Are you alright, child?!" aunt Jui asks Pete with a worried expression.
"Everything was fine. Don't worry anymore, Grandma."
She just nods and glances at me.
Aunt Jui is not a fool. She knows how things work in a mafia clan.
"Why can't life be like this for a while?!" Lee asks me, in a disapproving tone.
"Because life isn't all about happy moments, Lee."
"But we barely have them. Are you making this a 'three-nation' war?!"
"Not me. Phong."
...
Author's note:
We have reached the end of the third part.Next chapter is the final part: Back to Taiwan.There will be more chapters in this fourth and final part, which is about Pete's new era and his reunion with Vegas.I don't know how many chapters there will be.Thank you so much for coming this far with us.
Reference:
(1) This is an arc to ArmMacau side story. You will understand why as plot progresses there.
VP NC 18 + next chapter. I promise.