Two days ago , David left for his business trip. As promised, I packed my things and went to stay with my parents. They welcomed me with open arms, their home a sanctuary during this tumultuous time.
Every day felt like an eternity as I waited for David's return. I tried to keep myself busy, helping my mom around the house and preparing for the baby's arrival, but the uncertainty gnawed at me.
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That evening as David landed in Los Angeles he went straight to his family home.
David's journey from the airport to his family's home was filled with a mix of anxiety and determination. He hadn't been back in years, and the weight of unresolved issues hung heavy in the air. As he approached the familiar gates, memories of his childhood flooded back, but he pushed them aside, focusing on the task at hand.
I rang the door bell, and after a few minutes the butler opened the door and greeted him.
"Welcome back sir." The butler said as David walked in the house, "where's my mother and father?" He asked.
"Wow, look who it is" he sister said as she came down the stairs with a smile on her face, "the star of the show."
"I'm not here to play family, where's our parents?" David asked, "still cold as ever I see." She smirked.
"I don't have time for this, Erica," David replied, his tone clipped. "I need to talk to them now."
Erica's smirk faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. "They're in Dad's study, as usual. I'll take you there."
David followed her through the familiar hallways, the grandeur of the house doing little to ease his tension. As they reached the study, Erica knocked softly before opening the door.
"Mom, Dad, David's here."
"Isn't this a precious surprise!" Mrs.Smith smiled as she opened the door, David looked her bluntly and walked past her.
"I'm not here for bullshit, I'm here to warn you guys to stay away from my woman and my child." He said throwing a cold look at his father.
"What you fucking pulled back there was unreasonable and unwanted!" He added.
"You're still disrespectful as ever, is this how you talk to your parents?" His dad said.
David scoffed, "you're not my parents, neither am I your son. The second I walked out of this house was the second I stopped being your son."
"I thought you were stronger than this, you become like this just because of a little discipline you received growing up?" Mr. Smith remarked.
"You call that discipline, neglecting me my whole life, treating me like an out cast, torturing me day and night just because I didn't reach your expectations?!" David snapped.
"You treated me as if I was not your own child, as if I was your enemy or something."
David took a deep breath and let out a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and threw a cold look at his mom and dad. "Well I don't care about all of that, I now have a family I care about and this is a warning for you and your people."
"Dare to touch my woman and it will be a blood shed, like you said to me father never let the people that ruined your things go easily." He stated as he walked out the office.
David walked briskly down the hallway, the echoes of his footsteps a stark contrast to the heavy silence he left behind in the study. He felt a mix of relief and lingering anger, the confrontation not quite quelling the years of resentment but at least giving him a sense of closure. He had made his position clear, and he hoped his parents would heed his warning.
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That same evening at a warehouse blood was being shed until David walked in wearing his gloves, "did you get anything out of them?" He asked.
"No sir, they won't budge." Assistant Ryu replied.
The warehouse was dimly lit, the air thick with tension and the metallic scent of blood. David surveyed the scene with cold eyes. Several men, bruised and battered, were tied to chairs in the center of the room. His presence commanded attention, and everyone fell silent as he walked in.
"Step aside," David ordered, his voice calm but deadly.
Assistant Ryu moved to the side, giving David full access to the men. David put on his gloves methodically, each snap of the material echoing in the large space. He approached the nearest captive, his expression devoid of any warmth.
"Do you know who I am?" David asked, his voice low and menacing.
The man, bloodied and beaten, looked up with defiance. "We know who you are. And we're not afraid."
David chuckled darkly. "You should be."
He leaned in closer, his eyes boring into the man's. "You see, I have nothing to lose. But you... you have everything to lose."
David gestured to one of his men, who handed him a pair of pliers. He held them up, letting the light glint off the metal. "Now, I'll ask you one more time. Who sent you?"
The man swallowed hard, his bravado faltering. "We... we were hired by a man named Lee. He didn't tell us much, just to find information on you and your family."
David's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly were you supposed to find?"
"Anything we could use against you. Your business dealings, your personal life, your family," the man stammered, fear creeping into his voice.
David's grip tightened on the pliers. "And who is Lee working for?"
"I don't know! I swear, I don't know!" the man pleaded. "He was just a middleman. We never met the real boss."
David studied the man for a moment before nodding to Ryu. "Take him away. And make sure he doesn't remember any of this."
As Ryu and the others dragged the man out, David turned to the remaining captives. "Anyone else want to share some useful information?"
The men shook their heads, their fear palpable. David removed his gloves, tossing them aside.
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Back in Tempa:
As Mary sat in the kitchen watching her mom cook she constantly checked her phone waiting for a call or message from David, "Every thing is going to be okay sweetheart, I'm sure his fine." Her mom said.
"This can't be okay, how is he fine with leaving his 6 month pregnant fiancé?!" She questioned.
Mary's mom stirred the pot on the stove, her expression soft with concern. She turned to Mary, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You should be more patient, I'm sure David had his reasons for all of this."
"Yeah whatever." Mary sighed as she look down at her phon, her mom smiled and turned back to the stove.
A few minutes later Mary's phone started to ring, she quickly looked and it was David calling. She grabbed her phone and walked out of the kitchen as she answered the call.
"Hello." She said, "How are you?" David asked.
"I'm good, when are you coming back?"
"I'll be back soon, I just want you to stay in and not go anywhere for meantime." David added.
"Am I going to be a prisoner in my own parents house too?!" She remarked, David let out a sigh. "This is for your own good, can't you just listen to me once."
"Okay, just hurry back home." She said as she ended the call.
Mary ended the call and took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She walked back into the kitchen, where her mom was still cooking, the comforting smells of home-cooked food filling the air.
"Was that David?" her mom asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"Yeah," Mary replied, sinking into a chair. "He says he'll be back soon and wants me to stay here and not go anywhere."
Her mom gave her a sympathetic look. "I know it's hard, sweetheart. But maybe he's right. Just focus on taking care of yourself and the baby for now."
Mary nodded, though the frustration and worry still gnawed at her. She spent the rest of the day helping her mom and trying to distract herself, but her thoughts kept drifting back to David and what he might be dealing with.
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Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, David was deep in a conversation with Assistant Ryu.
"I want everything handled discreetly," David instructed, his tone firm.
"No loose ends. And make sure my family doesn't get wind of this."
"Understood, sir," Ryu replied, his expression serious.
David nodded, a sense of determination settling over him.
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The next day at Jays school, "mommy will be a bit busy for the next few days, so daddy will pick you up today and you will stay with him for the time being okay." Steph said as she fixed his hair.
Jay smiled and nodded, "be a good boy, don't give daddy a hard time." She said as she carried him out the car and to the school gate where a teacher greeted them.
"I love you." She smiled, "I love you too mommy." He smiled back. She kissed his forehead and headed to the car.
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Meanwhile, Felix was already at work, juggling his responsibilities while making arrangements to ensure he could pick up Jay on time. He glanced at his phone, checking the messages from Stephanie reminding him about the pickup.
"Don't worry, I've got it covered," he texted back, adding a smiley face emoji for reassurance.
The day flew by with meetings and projects, but Felix kept his promise. He left work early, arriving at Jay's school just as classes were ending. Jay's face lit up when he saw his dad waiting for him.
"Daddy!" Jay exclaimed, running into Felix's arms.
"Hey, buddy! How was school?" Felix asked, lifting Jay up and giving him a big hug.
"It was fun! We did painting today," Jay said excitedly, showing off the paint stains on his clothes.
Felix chuckled. "Sounds like you had a great time. Ready to go home?"
"Yeah!" Jay nodded enthusiastically.
As they drove home, Felix chatted with Jay about his day, enjoying the simple joy of spending time with his son.
Once they arrived at Felix's house, Jay immediately started exploring, happy to be in his dad's space.
"Okay, what do you want to do first?" Felix asked, setting down his bags.
"Can we play with my new toys?" Jay asked eagerly.
"Sure thing," Felix agreed, following Jay to the living room.
TBC