"The head of the Zhang corporation," the man began, "Liu Min Zhang had two sons. The first was Huang, and the second was Huan. The latter cared less about his father's property while the former cared a lot. He demanded his share when he had come of age and was never seen after that."
"So why are you telling me this?" I asked, surprised. "I don't even know anyone that's Chinese, or even—" I remembered Jong.
"Just listen," the man said to me. "Huang was never seen," he continued, "And he met a woman on the way. He loved her so much that he wished for a life with her, but she chose a different path."
"Wait. Are you trying to say that…"
"I'm Huang?" he got my question. "Yes."
"So who was the lady?"
He rose to his feet and looked down at me. "I'll leave that to you to figure out," he said.
I wondered who the woman he was talking about was, and cracked my head, not feeling the pain of my wound. It was treated. The thought of being in the enemy's nest got me scared again, but I shrugged it off and lay back down.
The Man In A Mask ✦✦✦•
I had brought her here for a purpose. A certain purpose I was yet to make known to the gang. She looked so much like her mother; gentle and so beautiful.
The child with her must have been hers. But wait, how could she be? She looked 25 and like one who was yet to be tied. I doubted if the child could be hers. She might not be.
"What are your plans for the girl, boss?" Hakeem's voice pulled me in.
"The girl… you say?" I turned around to meet his face.
"Yes, the girl,"
"I feel she can be of great help to us, or what do you think?"
"Hm." He said. "The vice president and her team will be searching for her. I bet whatever strategy they're carrying out will lead them right to us."
I smiled. "And Jong?"
"Taiyong?"
"He has a thing for the girl, doesn't he? He'll be at the headquarters by now, don't you think?"
He smirked. "He will."
PISCES HIDEOUT
9:43 PM ∇°∇
The plan to save Kendra proved abortive as Jong stepped into the Pisces den. Once a Pisces, now a loner, the people he saw as his men took hold of him.
"Come to rescue lover girl?" his thought rang as he hung, bound. "Where is lover girl now? Can you see her?'
The sound of laughter got his head up. "Taiyong!" called a guttural voice. "How I've longed for this day," the boss came into sight.
Taiyong gritted, struggling to be set free, and growled as the boss drew closer, spitting on him.
"You've changed," said the boss as he wiped his face. "All because of this one girl!"
"Rot in hell!"
The boss chuckled wildly and moved away from him. Calling one of his men, he instructed him to keep Taiyong busy.
The Next Day•••
The sound of a happy giggle woke Kendra up. She recognized it as Penny's voice. She had almost forgotten about Penelope, jerked up by her voice. She ran out the door, forgetting she wasn't home, as she ran downstairs, bumping into one of the maids.
"Ma'am, you're up,"
She rolled her eyes at the young woman that greeted her. "Who are you?"
"Jan…"
"Janine!" The boss arrived as the maid scurried off. "I see you're up," said the boss. "Good morning." He greeted with a smile. He hasn't smiled like that in years or greeted anybody warmly. He was always harsh and serious in every way. Could it be this one girl changing him?
"Good morning," Kendra replied, scared and unsure if she should look at him. "I just wanted to say thank you," she said.
He lifted her face. "Thank you for what?"
"For saving me…"
"Saving you?"
"Yes," she affirmed. "I'd have been dead if it wasn't for you. You treated my wound, even though you kinda, sorta…"
"Almost killed you?" the boss laughed, taking Kendra by surprise.
"Heh. Yes."
The boss cleared his throat and wore a serious look. "Walk with me—" he said.
**
Born with a silver spoon, raised by a mafia, I grew up to hate mankind, and with ferocity in my heart.

I slew people in cold blood—men, women, children, and all who ever crossed my path;

including my mother. My brother and I were raised by ninjas. Ferocious men, all with wickedness in their hearts. Their anthem was brutality, and blood was what ruled the night whenever they walked. We were made to live under their care, with my father being the head and our supervisor, as violence begot the day.
"Father!!"
"What have we here?"
"It is I, father. I have come to take what belongs to me!"
"Why do you speak like that, son? Have you lost it?"
"No, father…"
"Then speak in a tone that'll make me pleased. What do you seek…?
______
The garden flowers smelt so nice that Kendra sniffed. She looked at Huang and bent to pick a rose, plucking out a petal. The beautiful roses were just what she liked. How she'd inhale their scent at her house, She loved both colours: red and white and made sure they were on each corner of her room.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" rang Huang's voice. He felt an urge to compliment her, too.
"Yes."
"You look—"
Kendra's thought drowned out his voice. She remembered Penelope and the voice she had heard in the mansion. "Penelope," she called. "Where is Penelope?" she looked at the boss.
The boss wondered who Penelope was, and his mind went to the girl he had ahold of. "Penelope is your daughter, isn't she?" he returned her question with another.
"She's not my daughter," Kendra replied. She had her face squeezed, and her fingers itching to have ahold of her.
"Ah, I see. How's your arm, anyway?"
"You mean my shoulder?" Kendra scowled. The bullet wound wasn't her concern, at all, cause she needed to know where Penelope was.
"Yes, your shoulder."
"Take me to Penelope, will you?" Kendra demanded with her arms crossed. She raised her brows, and Huang couldn't help but smile. She looked pretty cute, even when she was mad.
"Fine. I'll take you to her." Huang inched closer, smiling at her.
Kendra moved backwards, unaware of what he had in mind. He had this look that read, 'C'mon, beauty. Let's do this!'
𝓚𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓻𝓪 🦋
I wondered what he was doing, moving backwards. He had this funny look on his face. This grown man doesn't know who he's got here. I just have to give him a piece of my mind. "What do you think you're doing?" I scowled. Our bodies were almost touching.
I realized my back was touching the wall. There was no escape for me.
"You're beautiful,"
I looked away after hearing the compliment. Could he be falling for me?
ℋ𝓊𝒶𝓃𝑔 🖋
Just her mother's daughter. Her mother's daughter indeed.
"You're beautiful," I repeated. I thought she hadn't heard me but she slipped from under me.
"I'd like to see my daughter, please…"
"But you said…"
"Just take me to her!"
I was going to be in big trouble if she found out that I hadn't brought her there, so I needed to devise a plan.
"I'll have the maids bring her to you," Shit! I chided in my mind. The look on her face showed she wasn't pleased—taking her to where the girl was, was going to be the only solution.
PISCES HIDEOUT
12:18
"I heard the boss' coming," said Manuel, one of the men. Sturdy, a little rough—bearded. The Pisces had all assembled in the hall, led by Gabriel. The sound of the door got them on alert, as the click of the boss' shoes hammered on the floor.
Kendra stared with mouth agape, hands wrapped behind. The black and white decorated hall and the lit chandelier were what caught her eyes. Though the boss' men creeped her out with the way they frowned, she bothered not about them but stared at the pictures on the wall.
"Take me to the prisoners," the boss' demand got Kendra's face erect.
Not that cold look again, Kendra thought as she followed him.