☨ ☩☣ ☘ † ❂ ⚕ ᴈᴑᴎ ☠ ☢ ⚔ ⚓♰☯☭

STEPHEN's POV

I couldn't help but to stare at Kelly who was sitting right in front of me. We're currently sitting on the floor while busy playing cards. I didn't know what to think about the big changed in Kelly's behavior since after that incident in her room earlier today.

When we were at the restaurant while eating dinner, she suddenly suggested for us to have a truce to enjoy our vacation in Hawaii. I agreed.

She'd been awfully cheerful since a while ago and looked like she was having fun defeating me. I couldn't concentrate of playing because I couldn't help but to get mesmerized by her laugh and smiles. She looked so enchanting.

It has been so long since I last saw her smile and laugh like this and it felt great.

After we had our dinner at the nearby restaurant, we decided to go back to the beach house right away because the weather wasn't good and it looked like it was about to rain.

When we arrived home, she suddenly asked me to play cards with her. Of course, I got surprised because she was smiling sweetly as she asked me to play with her.

"5-O! Oh, my gosh! I didn't know that you're such a loser in this kind of game" she said while laughing at me. Damn! This was the reason why I couldn't even win! Her cheerful face was distracting the hell out of me!

"Well, I didn't expect you love playing games like this" I said with a smile. Everything between us suddenly became lighter and brighter.

"Well, you still have a lot of things that you don't know about me and I am the same when it comes to you. We only had a three-month span of relationship before. It was just short so we didn't really have enough time to know each other that well" she answered nonchalantly as she pushed the cards towards me. I gathered the cards and then reshuffled them.

I was about to distribute again when she stopped me.

"Wait. Why don't we change the rules of the game?" my eyebrows creased as my hand stopped in mid-air.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how about this. Whoever wins get the chance to ask question to the loser and the loser is obligated to answer truthfully whatever the question is. What do you think?" I stared at her intently. What is she planning? Why's she all of a sudden acting weird like this? Well...

"Game!" I answered, agreeing to her. Her face brightened up but I saw something that passed through her eyes that I couldn't pinpoint. What are you up to, xuxu?

We decided to play old maid this time even though there's only two of us playing. I distributed the cards and then after that, we began playing.

I couldn't help but to smile inwardly when I saw my cards. There were just 3 odd ones and the rest were already paired. I put down the 2 of hearts that was one of the unpaired ones. Kelly didn't take it, instead, she drew a card from the stack of cards. We continued playing quietly and I could almost feel the air begin to thicken as the game approaches the ending.

It was Kelly's turn to draw a card from my cards and I was holding my breath as she picked from my two remaining cards. It was already obvious that the odd card was the A of hearts. I wanted to laugh when she got the A of hearts.

I saw the irritation on her face. She reshuffled her cards and then let me pick from hers. She was staring at me intently as I was trying to decide which one to draw. When I've made up my mind and picked one, a gasp came out of her lips and that's when I realized that I won.

I couldn't hold my amused grin because of her reaction. When she realized that I was staring at her, she cleared her throat and then gathered herself together.

"Okay. Ask away. What is the question that you prepared for me?" we stared into each other's eyes before I threw my question.

"Why do you suddenly act like this?" her eyebrows knitted together. Yes, we both agreed to have a truce and stay civil towards each other but I've never expected for her to act like this. It felt nice and weird at the same time. My gut feel was telling me that she's cooking up something.

"What do you mean?"

"Like this. You look like you're happy being with me all of a sudden. Ever since I started my job as your bodyguard, I've never seen you act like this and it's puzzling me. Why the sudden change?" to my surprise, she suddenly laughed while shaking her head.

"Why? Don't you want it? I mean, I just realized that I'm tired of arguing with you all the time. I came here because I wanted to relax and forget about what has been happening to my life lately and I don't want to spoil this vacation by having a fight with you. We're both adults and I think we should act like one" she answered matter-of-factly as she raked her fingers through her silky hair.

"So, are you satisfied with my answer?" I shrugged my shoulders and then nodded my head. I knew that she's up to something because I could feel it deep in my heart. I just need to play along to unveil her real intentions. We continued playing and I won again because I tried my best to concentrate and didn't take a look at her face.

"How have you been these past three years?" I knew my question was kinda lame but I wanted to throw the more serious ones if I won again later. Her one eyebrow cocked up.

"Well, everything was normal. I attended school while working part time" my forehead knitted.

"Part time?" I swore that she suddenly looked like she was caught off guard but her expression changed just like that in a blink of an eye.

"Yes! I worked part-time while studying. It was just a normal job at a local restaurant" that didn't convince me one bit because it was impossible. Knowing how wealthy and influential her family was, it was impossible for them to allow her to work a part-time job while studying.

Even though I wanted to ask another question, I couldn't because we agreed that one question per win.

In the next round, I almost lost but I won anyway. Kelly was obviously getting pissed off because she already lost three consecutive times.

"C'mon, what is your question?" my eyes zeroed on her lovely face, thinking if I would throw the question that was on my mind since a while ago but then I decided to ask anyway.

"Are you still mad at me?" I noticed her take a deep breath as she obviously forced a smile, trying to appear calm and fine.

"Why are you bringing about the past all of a sudden?" I didn't break our eye contact.

"Because I want to know what you really feel"

"What if I'd say yes, what would you do?" she asked daringly as she raised her chin, her smile faded. A pang of pain suddenly attacked my chest. I gritted my teeth. I couldn't help but to remember about the past again. I didn't know what to say. I was at lost for words.

Then to my surprise, Kelly suddenly burst into a laugh.

"You don't have to be so serious, you know. Okay. Why don't we change our game? Maybe we can play tong-its?" I couldn't read what's on her mind but I could tell that something was off.

"But there's only two of us" she shrugged her shoulders.

"That's fine. We don't have another player so we have no choice" I heaved a sigh.

"Okay. Let's change the game to tong-its but let's change the rules as well. The winner still has to ask the loser a question but if the winner doesn't want to answer the question, the loser could make the winner do something. For example, the winner could ask the loser to dance like a crazy person, etc. What do you think?" she pursed her lips while thinking about my suggestion.

I just hoped that she wouldn't notice that I was just trying to play safe.

She then shrugged her shoulders again and then answered.

"Sure. Why not?" she then distributed the cards and after that, we became silent while playing.

"Oh, my! It's hot in here" I heard her say which made me look at her. She angled her head and fanned herself with her hand. I almost choke with my own spit when my eyes went to her exposed neck. I gulped inaudibly and I couldn't help but to get affected of that sight.

"Oh, my god! I win!" I blinked for a couple of seconds when I heard her enthusiastic voice. Damn! I lost my focus!

"Okay. I am the loser this time. What is your question?" she didn't answer right away. She just stared at me for a couple of seconds as her face slowly became serious.

"Why did you come back?" I was caught off guard because I didn't expect her to ask me that. But I already knew what to do.

"It's not that I came back. More like I got assigned to be your bodyguard. I needed money so I accepted it" I said matter-of-factly as I carefully observe what her reaction would be. The corner of her lips twitched.

"Don't give me that crap, Stephen. We agreed to answer the truth to every question here. Don't try to fool me" the tone of her voice was certain that I was lying. I chuckled.

"But that's the truth" her eyes turned into slits.

"The truth!" she hissed and I almost groaned in frustration. She's really stubborn and persistent! I was about to answer when my phone suddenly rang. It was on the top of the coffee table. We both glanced at my phone which was continuously ringing.

"I need to answer that" I stood up and picked up the phone. When I saw who it was, I decided to go out.

"I'll just go out for a minute" I informed Kelly before I strode my way out of the beach house.

"What is it?" I asked the moment I answered the call. I went to the back of the house, which was the garden, to make sure that Kelly won't hear me.

"I have a good news, bud. I already got an information about the Black Jackals" Cyrus informed me.

"Maybe we shouldn't discuss this on the phone. Someone might intercept our conversation"

"No worries, T. The new software that Hunter gave me allows us to converse here on the phone without feely without worrying about spies"

"Alright. Tell me the information that you found out then"

"They are a secret organization under the government and they're the ones who handles big fishes in the underworld. But the interesting thing is, the gun man that you're looking for is one of them" overwhelming anger suddenly engulfed my whole being. My hand tightened around the phone that I was holding.

"Who is he?"

"I am not sure yet but there are two people who appears to be there that night at the bar during that shootout. But I'm sure that one of them was the one who---"

"Who are they?"

"They're known in the underworld as Thunder and Ronin. One of them was the gunman that night" my body was slightly trembling as overwhelming anger in me intensified.

"Do you know their real identities? What about their faces?"

"I already have their pictures. I'll send them to you but don't you dare do anything yet because we need to make sure who between these two is the real gunman"

"Okay" Cyrus ended the call and then after a couple of seconds, my phone beeped. I opened the file and my eyes widened when I saw the pictures. One of the two men looked familiar. Then I suddenly remembered where I saw him.

"That guy at the party..." my fists tightened. If I've known earlier, I would've killed him right at that moment. Don't you dare do anything yet because we need to make sure whom between these two is the real gunman...The voice of Cyrus echoed in my head but then the events during that night three years ago replayed in my head like an old movie.

The smell of blood, so much blood. His voice that keeps on haunting me in my dreams...

"Damn it! F*ck! F*ck!" I couldn't control my wrath. I punched the branch of the tree in front of me a couple of times. I needed to do it because I couldn't control myself anymore. I needed to let out the anger within me.

It's been three years and now, they're just nearby but I can't even do anything just yet. Even though I wanted to kill them right away, I couldn't. I couldn't afford to be reckless.

"What the hell are you doing?! Are you crazy?!" The angry but worried voice of Kelly broke the silence of the night. She approached me with long and heavy strides and then stopped me by pulling my right hands which were already bleeding.

"Leave me for now, Kelly. I need to be alone" I uttered but I couldn't even look her in the eyes.

"No! You're going to hurt yourself again if I leave you here"

"Kelly. Don't be hardheaded. Go inside the house now"

"I said no! I won't go back inside without you" she insisted. I gritted my teeth. I didn't want her to see the monster in me so I tried my best to calm down but it was so difficult.

"Kelly..." I said as I closed my eyes.

"No!"

"I said go inside! Now!" I roared thunderously at her as my control broke. I saw the shock on her face as she almost jumped in surprise. I saw the fear that registered in her eyes but it was just for a second because it disappeared right away. Her face turned stoic.

"I'm sorry, Kelly. I didn't mean to shout at you"

"Let's go inside. I'll treat your bleeding knuckles" her voice was cold and distant. I groaned inwardly. Sh*t! Of all people, Kelly was the one who saw me like that. F*ck it!

I stared at her. I suddenly realized something. The guy in the picture that Cyrus sent me was the guy that she was talking to at the terrace in her grandparents' house during the night of the party. My teeth clenched tightly. Is she really....

I mentally shook my head. I need to play this game wisely.

☨ ☩☣ ☘ † ❂ ⚕ ᴈᴑᴎ ☠ ☢ ⚔ ⚓♰☯☭

Do you have any idea why Stephen is up for revenge like this?

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