Note: This chapter describes Kinn's memories of events that occurred throughout the story.
Kinn's POV – Present (video conference with Lian Wang)
"So you better keep with our deal." Lian Wang blatantly glare at me.
I regret that day at The Diamon Hotel...
That conversation flashes through my mind.
Memories from the past (related to Chapter 9 – Save your ass – original lines in bold, italic)
The Diamond Hotel - Room 1004.
"Pete! Stay away from him!" I point my gun to the man finely dressed in white.
"Of course...." The man raises his arms and slowly stands up.
His face is serene.
Pete is handcuffed to the headboard, unconscious.
"What have you done to him, you bastard!"
"Handcuffs?! Not me."
I threaten to shoot him.
"Pete is just sleeping...nothing to worry about."
"Who the hell are you?!"
"You know who I am...you took my Knight from me." He turns his head to Pete and touches his hair.
"Back off!"
"I know what happens to every member of my clan, Mr. Kinn. You helped Tianshi to get away from Sanya, abandon his mission and leave my clan." He turns to look at me again. "You owe me a white knight...but I'm willing to let it pass if you stay out of my way, "Red King". The friendly tone of his voice changes to a threatening tone.
This is the man Tianshi told me about.
How does he know about me? Maybe Tianshi betrayed me too...I don't know. I couldn't find Tianshi after he escaped that Island.
"I owe you nothing."
"Pete has an assassination order on him. As Red King, I bet you've seen it in trade history. You can't protect Pete as I can. That's why Pete must be returned to our clan."
"I will not negotiate with you."
"Are you sure? Besides saving Pete, I can give you interesting information about your cousin and your lover...don't you want to know what they do every night when you are not looking?!
"..." I feel my finger almost pressing the trigger.
"I want Pete back and you want your sadistic cousin out of your life once and for all...keep me updated with trades against my clan...I'll help you with them."
"How?!"
"Getting Pete from him...."
Is Pete that important to Vegas?! I can't believe it... Pete is just a toy for Vegas to get at me. If I take this deal, I can free Pete from Vegas and also get information I need to get rid of him.
On the other hand, am I taking Pete from one demon to give him to another?
He walks towards me and places his hand on my gun... "Meet me at the Chess Room" He smirks at me.
With his other hand he put an object inside my pocket.
He leaves the room.
By letting him go, tacitly I accept the deal.
I touch my pocket and feel the object...a white chess piece...a white king.
I approach Pete unconscious on the bed.
I touch his wrists bound in those handcuffs.
"Vegas did this to you"
"You allow him do this..."
"Is this what you like, Pete?"
A hidden desire makes me touch Pete's lips.
"My devoted bodyguard..."
"My friend..."
"You chose Vegas over our family..."
"Over your obedience to me..."
"I'm choosing my interests over you, Pete."
"I want Vegas away from Porsche..."
"But...what is it that I never noticed before that makes Vegas so obsessed with you?"
I lean my face over his.
"Why am I so uneasy to know...?!"
"What are you doing?? Don't touch him, you bastard!" Vegas yells.
"Kinn?!" Porsche comes right behind him.
Suddenly Vegas and Porsche enter the room.
(Events described in chapter 9)
...
Kinn's POV – Present (video conference with Lian Wang chapter 68)
"Why keep an agreement with you? I got nothing in return!"
"Saving Pete from death doesn't count?! If it wasn't for us, he would be dead. I thought you cared about him."
I hate Wang cunning smile. I should have killed him at The Dimond hotel that day. But he is right. We saved Pete...
After making that deal with Wang, I discovered Sanya's assistant was actually Wang's loyal commander. Assistant Lee gave me information about Vegas and Porsche daily rotine.
Still, I couldn't bear the idea of handing Pete over to the white clan in that bargain. How to know what they would do with him. The whole white queen thing was very suspicious. Also I checked my father's vault and the red queen key was still there... I was still in the dark about that assassination order. Tankhun was in line of success for the Red Queen. The order was issued by the red queen...but he would never issue an order to have Pete killed...maybe Vegas, but not Pete.
Then I decided to go after Pete at the Minor family mansion to dissuade him from staying with Vegas (refers to: Chapter 22 - Pernicious doubt)
I would take care of his protection myself.
The longer Pete stays with Vegas, the more deluded he becomes by Vegas' supposed love.
Pete has a good heart and doesn't realize that what Vegas has for him is all desire and manipulation.
Vegas will discard Pete like he discarded everyone else after using them to affect me.
I tried to talk to Pete, but he was so fucking blind! Then Vegas arrived and interrupted us.
Seeing them together made me feel so much anger.
I realized that there was no way to separate them other than to let Lian Wang take Pete away.
That same night, it was already late, but Porsche still hadn't arrived.
If Vegas is with Pete, why Porsche is not here yet? I call him. He says he's just finishing a couple of things and would be home.
I decide to connect to the chess room.
Suddenly a notification pops up.
I jolt.
"Red Queen, your assassination order is in progress."
What the hell does it mean?!
I get agitated.
I try to call Pete, but there's no answer.
I ask my bodyguards to get my car prepared. I'm resolute to drive back to the Minor Family Mansion to check on Pete when I see Vegas talking to Macau at the entrance.
My anxiety level skyrockets.
If Vegas is here that means Pete is alone in the mansion.
On impulse or despair, I go back to my office and connect to the chess room again, this time using the white king's invitation card.
Your guest awaits you in the red king's room.
[White King: For you to call me, this is important I presume, Mr. Kinn]
[Red King: "Red Queen, your assassination order is in progress." What does it mean?!?!]
[White King: Since when?]
[Red King: Minutes ago... Is Pete in danger?!]
[White King: I'm sending Lee] (Chapter 27 – three moves)
[Red King: a woman?! What can she do alone?!]
[White King: Lee counts for an army. She's my White Tower.]
[Red King: Fuck this! I'm sending my bodyguards to the...]
[White King: Mr.Kinn...just stay out of the way.]
White King left the room.
Fuck! I throw the white king invitation card against the wall.
Fuck...
Hours later the white king message me through the chess room: Pete is safe and on his way to Taipei along with Arm.
Then I came to know Vegas hijacked Assistant Lee's helicopter and was on their way to Taipei as well, along with Tankhun and Macau.
Should I believe Vegas actually cares enough about Pete to risk himself in enemy territory?!
When he was chasing Porsche not so long ago?!
I feel confused.
Maybe his obsession reached another level.
It can't be love.
He loves no one.
Meanwhile I try to understand why there's a Red Queen order out there trying to kill Pete...but no Red Queen.
I don't believe my father is behind this.
He could have sent P'Chan to kill Pete at any time.
I went to my father's vault to check the red queen's key again.
It was not there.
...
Inheritance recognition verified. Access granted. (refers to Chapter 53 – The Devil inside: Pete and Vegas are back to Bangkok )
Your guest awaits you in the red king's room.
[Red King: I thought you would separate Pete from Vegas. It has been two days since they are back to Bangkok...together.]
[White King: Apparently nothing can stop true love.]
[Red King: Why is Vegas still alive?!]
[White King: When I said I would kill him?! I can't do that!]
[Red King: Are you fucking kidding me?!]
[White King: Absolutely not. I said I would help you to get him out of your way by providing you information. But I can't kill him. I made a promise. I keep my promises]
[Red King: What valuable information?! What fucking promise?! You are playing with all of us all the time]
[White King: Hmm...isn't it a chess game, Mr. Kinn ?!]
I close the room.
That MF!
"Knock Knock, Khun Kinn?!" One of my bodyguards calls for me.
"Enter."
"Excuse me, Khun Kinn. Team one called. They lost track again."
"Can't you do anything right?! Can't anyone follow Vegas and Porsche to their hidden headquarters?!" I yell at my chief bodyguard.
"I apologize, Khun Kinn."
"Get out!"
Fuck.
Nothing works out.
I rub my face in distress.
Suddenly I get a notification from the Chess Room.
You got a message:
[White King: Even though you were rude by shutting the connection in my face, here's an example of valuable information.]
Right after that there was a map and a blinking red dot on that. Someone was being tracked.
An address to an abandoned warehouse.
That could only mean one thing: the secret location of Vegas and Porsche.
But when I got there, they were already gone. (refers to Chapter 55 – Betrayal)
There was no one for me to find...but Pete.
I was sure it was Pete running from that warehouse.
We followed his car.
We parked our car to talk. Pete was looking awful, barely able to hide his injuries.
Yet he was defending that bastard again. It was clear to me at last that I had completely lost Pete to Vegas since the damn day I'd sent him to the Minor Family mansion to spy on him.
Pete told me to trust who we love.
For what? To be betrayed soon later?!
Because that's exactly what happened that very day.
After our conversation, I ordered my bodyguards to continue to follow Pete.
But Pete is smart... he managed to outrun us.
It was night when I received another message from the white king. Another map.
The exact position of a building in a old neighborhood of Bangkok.
Just as we got there, I saw Pete and Assistant Lee.
Ignoring my bodyguards' pleas not to go alone, I followed Pete and Lee's path to the roof of the old building.
Gun in hand.
"Are you sure you want to go further, Khun Kinn?!" Assistant Lee asks when she sees me on the roof.
I can tell she wasn't surprised at all. She was already waiting for me.
"Where's Pete?"
"Just go by that way."
I sneak down the metal stairs and see Pete looking through the balcony's door.
Even from where I was I could see...Vegas and Porsche on bed.
When I saw their kiss, a bitter taste took over my mouth.
And a chest pain.
But unlike Pete who entered the room, I couldn't move.
In seconds I thought of all those Vegas seduced to betray me... especially Tawan that I once loved so much.
But Porsche?!
Even though I was afraid of it, something always told me that this was impossible.
That he was different.
I was in shock.
I jump down the stairs onto the balcony.
I won't be merciful anymore.
It ends here, I thought.
Vegas will die first.
But before I can get through the glass door, Pete appears and snatches the gun from my hand before I can even acknowledge his presence.
He signals for silence and points to the metal stairs.
His gaze is so resolute that even though the hatred was gnawing at me inside, I followed him.
I followed Pete without questioning him.
Only Pete spoke.
"Whatever you're thinking of doing, Khun Kinn...just don't do it."
Hearing that, I felt angry even at Pete.
How in spite of everything...even though Vegas and Porsche have hurt Pete in every way possible today...he still asks me that?!
"..." The only thing I managed to do was frown in disbelief.
After giving me a few seconds, Pete continued to say quietly.
"Killing them might solve a problem...but won't change what you're feeling inside."
"How can you still want to protect Vegas?"
"I'm not protecting Vegas. I'm saying that your peace will die with them."
"They betrayed us!"
"Just play the game, sir."
Pete said this so bluntly that I had no reaction.
He didn't look angry...or even bothered.
"You're not even upset."
"I know what I saw."
"I also know what I saw!"
"So use this information wisely this time."
His words were cold.
Something about Pete was different. His gaze was different.
He turned to go.
"Are you leaving?!"
"I suggest you do the same, sir. Get home before Porsche, pretend it never happened...and work harder to uncover the whole truth."
"Come with me Pete." I grab his wrist and give a step close to him.
I don't know what I'm doing. I just felt like doing that...
But Pete turns his face to the other side.
"It won't make you feel better." He says.
"Pete...I..."
Pete removes my hand from his wrist and walks away.
...
I just can't even think about looking at Porsche today.
I go to a hotel.
I text him that I have a late night meeting and will end up sleeping outside.
Porsche replies, asking me if I don't want some company.
I just tell him to not worry and say goodbye.
I disconnect from everything.
And I stay in the bathtub until the headache goes away.
My phone rings non-stop...texts are being sent, but I don't move.
However, something catches my attention.
My key shines on the table... the red king made of crystal and diamond.
It's the first time I've seen this happen.
I put on a robe and grab my phone. Several alerts from the chess room.
I feel some apprehension.
I enter the chess room.
Your guest awaits you in the red king's room.
[White King: Open the fucking trade history! What happened now?!]
It's the first time I've seen a rude message from the white king.
I open red clan trade history.
I widen my eyes.
Assassination order had changed.
There was a replacement.
[Red King: the target has been changed from the White Knight to White Bishop and White Queen. Does it mean Pete is safe? Who are they? What does it mean?]
[White King: It means our clans are officially at war.]
...
Author's note:
Sorry guys. I could not fisnish it yet.
Thank you so much!