(I'm glad to see you, Ben Owens. And I just want to tell you that
Life is paid with life, isn't it?)
-423-
Mark kneaded the paper into small lumps and tossed it under the table. His eyes stared intently at his first child who was standing in front of his power table. Ben was there, just got home from college and went to see his father to tell him about the threatening letter he received this morning.
"Where did you find that?" Mark asked.
Ben swallowed hard, "In my locker. I was just about to pick up my assignment revision at the locker and I already found it there," Ben replied.
"Damn it! He sneaked his men into your campus?!"
Ben nodded his head stiffly. Confused about how to find out who the insider was able to sneak the letter into his locker.
"Have you seen the CCTV in the corridor?"
"Sure," Ben pulled out the chair across from Mark's desk and sat there, "but there's something odd about the tape. I found the letter when I was about to go to morning class around eight o'clock. I noticed no one had approached my locker before. But at exactly seven thirty-five minutes, the cctv in the corridor went off and came back on ten minutes later. I guess that person put this letter in my locker when the cctv didn't work," explained Ben.
Mark fell silent after hearing Ben's explanation. He did not expect that this person could easily control CCTV in his son's campus area. And that reality hit him again. Ben and Sophia are in the same university environment. Even though Mark hides Sophia's identity as Ben Owens' younger sister in the university environment, he still worries about her.
"Have you made sure Sophia is safe?"
Ben nodded, "Yes, Dad. Sophia is safe with her friends."
Mark tapped his ballpoint pen on the table several times at a regular pace. He never knew his youngest daughter's college life because Mark didn't want to take the risk that his enemy knew Sophia's whereabouts. So far they have slickly erased the traces of Sophia's existence from their dark mafia world. Even some of the lower-level subordinates in Phoenix, his mafia group, did not know that their boss had Sophia as a second child. Mark deliberately removed Sophia's name from his family tree to protect Sophia from the enemies and other werewolves colony they often have contact with.
"Have you confirmed who her friends are?"
Ben frowned, "You mean, Dad?"
"Are her friends clean?"
"Oh! Of course. The medical school students are all clean. Some of her friends are also from the family of doctors in general. I'm sure Sophia is safe."
Mark nodded in understanding with his eldest son's explanation. He was quite grateful that Sophia studied well to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor all this time. Sometimes he also felt sorry for Sophia because neither he nor Julia were present at the homeroom meeting representing Sophia.
Sophia had never protested if he had asked RoselynㅡSophia's personal maid since childhoodㅡto attend all those meetings. But Mark is sure that there must be a little disappointment and sadness in the Sophia's heart because she feels that her parents have never accompanied her in everything. But back to the original problem, Mark only wanted to protect Sophia.
"I'm taking Sophia and your mother away from Los Angeles until the new year is over," Mark said.
"What?"
"We have to keep Sophia out of the country until we find out who the people behind sending these letters are," Mark explained.
"But where?" Ask Ben.
"Alonzo has booked a flight departure for this week. And I've decided to send Sophia to France for a vacation until next year," Mark removed his rolex watch and placed it on the table, "Aren't the exams over?"
Ben thought for a moment to remember his sister's exam schedule, "I think the exams are over today. So tomorrow she's on free. If she doesn't have any business on campus."
Mark nodded in understanding, "Go home.. I'll be home at dinner."
Ben grabbed his bag which he had placed beside his chair and stood up, "See you later, Dad."
..
..
Mark was right when he said he would come home for dinner. He entered the dining room where Julia and her two children were already there. Mark approached the youngest and hugged her from behind while giving her small kisses on her left cheek.
"Ah Daddy! Stop it! Don't kiss me in front of Mom," she muttered. Mark chuckled and ruffled his daughter's shoulder-length ebony mane.
Mark pulled up the chair in front of Ben and sat there. His eyes caught Ben who was serious about his business science book, "Ben!" Call him.
Ben looked up at his father who was also looking at him.
"You haven't finished your exam yet?"
"Not yet, tomorrow is the last."
Mark nodded in understanding and turned his attention to Sophia, who was voraciously churning out Julia's clam soup.
"Hey sweetie. Don't stir it, it'll taste weird," said Mark.
Julia who was frying something immediately turned to her youngest child after hearing Mark's reprimand.
"Sophia Owens, don't stir it up," Julia joined in. She wondered why Sophia could have such a bad habit of churning food like that until it was unsightly.
Meanwhile, those who were reprimanded started to sulk and folded their hands on the table.
Mark chuckled. Then he took something out of his briefcase which he placed beside his feet. His lips smiled at the two tickets to the trip to France.
"Look what I've got here for you," Mark handed Sophia the two tickets. Sophia stared at the ticket in bewilderment, though in the end she still accepted the ticket from her father.
"What is this, Dad? France? Who's going to France?" she asked with her eyes fixed on the ticket.
Julia who had finished frying the fish immediately joined in and sat beside Mark.
"That's a vacation ticket, dear. A present for you for doing well on your exams," Mark replied.
Sophia's clear brown eyes widened in disbelief. Holiday? It was the first time in twenty-two years that her father had given her a ticket for an overseas vacation so far. Usually Mark would just give Sophia a vacation ticket to another state like New York or Texas, but now her dad was giving her a trip to Europe.
"But why only two? Who's going with me? Ben?" Sophia turned to her brother. Ben shook his head to answer his sister's question.
"I still have an exam tomorrow."
"Then?"
"Sophia is going with mom," answered Julia.
Sophia looked at Julia with a twinkle in her eye. She rarely spends time with her mother. And now she will spend the holidays with her mother. This is very rare.
"Woah?! Really?! Haaa! I'm so happy! How long are we in France?"
"Eumm.." Mark acted as if he was thinking, "How long do you want it for?" Ask Mark.
Sophia also poses as she is thinking, "Erm.. one month? Until the new year. Because I want to spend the new year in front of the Eiffel tower. How?"
"Call!" Mark held out his hand to invite his youngest daughter to shake hands. But Sophia just rolled her eyes in disbelief when her father complied with her request. She thought it would be impossible to take a month's vacation without her father, but her father readily agreed to her request.
"Are you serious, Dad?! I'm actually going to be in France for a month?" Sophia asked for sure.
Mark nodded and put on a big smile, "Of course dear."
Sophia smiled widely. Then the girl ran to Mark and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Dad! You are the best! I love you!" She said repeatedly.
"You're welcome dear.."
Mark smiled a little at Sophia. But slowly his smile disappeared as a bad thought crossed his mind. His eyes stared at the youngest child who was laughing happily with a blank look. His mind wandered, imagining all the worst things that might happen to Sophia in the future.
'Daddy won't let that deal happen, Sophia. And I will do anything to protect you.'