Day Twelve.

"Good morning, Lady In Charge." Ezra bitterly mumbled as he walked into Carmen's hotel room.

Carmen only looked up from feeding Malik for a moment, instantly absorbing Ezra's bitter attitude and turning it into her own happiness. She couldn't help but smile and chuckle to herself. She could tell Ezra hated the fact that she had the upper hand for once in their relationship. It was so amusing and satisfying. Ezra didn't even have enough energy to act like he liked Bailey as she ran up to him.

"No. Not today." Ezra muttered as he pushed Bailey off of his leg by placing his hand atop her hand, his fingers landing on top of a sharp tiara. Ezra looked down at Bailey as she pouted, his focus glued to the jewels she was wearing on her head. "Where did you get that?"

Bailey looked towards Carmen, who looked up from Malik to see Ezra pointing at Bailey's crown. Ezra and Carmen's eyes met for a silent moment as they both tried to read each other. Carmen knew she shouldn't give him the real answer. He couldn't know those were real diamonds on Bailey's head or he'd likely rip it out of her hair and steal it. But, Ezra already knew Carmen went to the Tiffany & Co event last night. If she lied, he would be very, very angry with her.

"It's Bailey's. It helps her stop sucking her thumb." Carmen nonchalantly answered before returning her attention back to Malik. She tried to ignore the harsh thumping in her chest as she waited for Ezra's reaction.

"That's not the question I asked you, Carmen." Ezra more firmly spoke, causing Bailey to slightly cower away from him. But, before she got the chance to run back to her mom, Ezra grabbed her arm and forced her to stand still. "Where did you get the tiara, Carmen?"

"Don't grab her like that just to get a response out of me!" Carmen snapped. Her motherly instincts made her instantly rage at the sight of Ezra gripping her tiny daughters arm like he was.

"Then answer the question!" Ezra barked back at her, causing Bailey to flinch and start to cry. She didn't know what was happening but she didn't like the yelling and she didn't like being grabbed so roughly.

"Let go of her first!" Carmen demanded.

Ezra growled and used his free hand to grab Bailey's tiara, ripping it from her hair rough enough to make her scream and cry even louder. Carmen gasped but didn't get a chance to move or speak before Ezra tossed Bailey aside and let her fall to the ground with a scream. Carmen carefully set Malik in his rocker and rushed to Bailey's aid, almost getting a hand on her to help her before Ezra grabbed her and held up the tiara.

"You got this at the event, didn't you?" Ezra seethed. "These are real diamonds."

Carmen tried to yank her arm out of Ezra's grasp but failed. She tried again but Ezra only held on tighter, nearly digging his nails into her skin. "Fine! Yes! What does it matter to you?"

"How did you pay for this, Carmen? You didn't go in with any money on you. Did you memorize the numbers on my cards? Did you steal this tiara?"

"What? No! They were gifts!"

"They?" Ezra asked, visibly taken aback.

Carmen shut her mouth, instantly realizing her mistake. That was all Ezra needed to know, though, as he tossed Carmen aside just like he did with Bailey. Carmen tripped and fell beside Bailey, quickly scrambling to gather the screaming child into her arms as Ezra stormed further into the hotel room. Ezra had no care for Carmen, Bailey, Malik, or any of their belongings and he tore apart the room to find whatever jewels Carmen was hiding.

There was so much chaos between Ezra throwing things, Bailey screaming, and Malik following in sobs that Carmen could feel her anxiety rattling every bone in her body. She tried to yell for Ezra to stop and knock it off but, he didn't listen as he screamed at Carmen to shut herself and the kids up. The situation only became worse when Ezra threw Carmen's nice pair of heels off the foot of the bed, causing them to collide with a mirror and completely shatter it.

Carmen instinctually ducked, curling herself around Bailey to shield her from any flying objects that were a product of Ezra's rage. She only felt bad that she couldn't rush to Malik's aid, who was stuck in his little rocker on the floor and screaming bloody murder. That was, until, Ezra slammed open the door to the bathroom and stormed into that room. His temporary absence gave Carmen enough time to shakily push herself off the ground and carry Bailey to Malik.

"You're okay.. You're okay.." Carmen sniffled back her own sobs as she soothed her babies.

Carmen carefully dragged Malik's rocker towards the farthest wall in the room and behind a chair, prying Bailey from around her torso to keep her beside her brother and hidden from Ezra's rage. This wasn't the first time Ezra had taken out his anger by throwing things across the room and breaking everything. It also wasn't the first time Bailey and Malik were in the room when he did it. Carmen already knew to keep them out of harms way and out of sight until Ezra was done throwing his temper tantrum.

"Quiet, baby. Please, stay quiet for mommy." Carmen weakly begged as she wiped away Bailey's tears. Bailey had lost all control of her emotions, shamelessly belting out screams and cries, just like Malik.

"Ha ha!" Ezra shouted from the bathroom. "I spy, with my little eye..."

Carmen scrambled to her feet and hurried to the door of the bathroom, ready to wrestle Ezra for the jewels before he swung open the door with a loud bang again. Ezra stepped out of the bathroom with the Tiffany bag in hand as he opened a leather-bound box to find a necklace made of diamonds inside. He looked from the necklace to the Tiffany bag, realizing just how many jewels were hidden in all of these boxes.

When Ezra looked up at Carmen, she was completely frozen, save for her wobbly knees and trembling hands. Carmen didn't even get the chance to react before Ezra reared his hand back and swung it full force at her face. The loud sound of skin hitting skin was almost as jarring as the painful sting that it left behind. Carmen's body followed the momentum of his slap, causing her to fall to the ground on her hands and knees.

"Why do you keep lying to me, you worthless bitch!?" Ezra shouted as he grabbed a handful of Carmen's hair and yanked her head up so he could look at her face.

Carmen stared into Ezra's eyes between the messy strands of her hair and tears pooling and pouring from her own eyes. The answer to that question was simple but, Carmen's body was too congested with sobs for her to speak it. Ezra already knew she hated him. He didn't need to hear her say it. Ezra just wanted more. Carmen was growing too cocky for his liking. She was doing things behind his back and lying to him and it outraged him.

"P-Please, don't take them.." Carmen forced the words off her quivering lips.

"Who are you to beg for jewelry, huh?" Ezra shoved Carmen's head as he let go of her hair, still staring down at her as he yelled. "I thought you were done being a gold-digging whore! You said all you'd ever ask for were the kids! You have them, don't you!? Which is it!? Jewelry or your kids!?"

A few sobs broke through Carmen's composure as she stayed with her head hung low on her hands and knees. The diamonds in those piece of jewelry were for her children. She was going to keep those and hide them away until she knew how to escape Ezra. Now, she had to pick between her kids and a way out of this. The choice wasn't hard, though. Carmen didn't want anything more than she wanted her children. Nothing meant more to her than their very existence and every moment that she got to spend with them.

"My babies.." Carmen choked.

"Then, what the fuck are you doing with these, Carmen?" Ezra angrily barked from above her.

Carmen shook her head, unable to answer that question without lying. Telling the truth wasn't even an option. Her refusal to cooperate only made Ezra that much angrier as he threw his foot into her stomach, causing Carmen to tip over and roll on to her back with broken sobs. Luckily, Ezra didn't bother with her any longer as he started towards the door. He didn't get far before he grabbed a stool by the bar in the kitchen and tossed it into the wall.

"Get up! The Lady In Charge still has more work to do!" Ezra yelled over the collective crying of his family. "You have an hour to get ready!"

And then, he was out the door with all of Carmen's diamonds in hand. Carmen took a moment to stare up at the ceiling as tears endlessly poured from her eyes. Listening to her babies cry after Ezra tore through the room and treated her like trash made her absolutely miserable. Being his wife made her absolutely miserable. Carmen loathed herself because of him. She felt like a bad mother because of him. This life was made worthless because of him.

~

"You didn't go for a swim?" Elyse asked as she climbed the stairs to get on the yacht, wearing nothing but a small bikini with a towel thrown over one shoulder and flip flops on her manicured feet.

Zoe looked down at her outfit, knowing that's what had given away the fact that she hadn't even attempted getting in the water. She wore a simple, white sundress with a loose, cream cardigan on top. That wasn't so much a give away as the long white heels that ran all the way up her legs and stopped just above her knee. They weren't exactly shoes you would wear before you went swimming. They were shoes you wore when you still had secret bruises to cover up.

"No, not today." Zoe smiled back at Elyse, looking over the edge of the yacht to peer down at the dock as the rest of the Pomper girls boarded the boat. When she didn't spot Carmen, she looked up at Elyse again.

"Waiting for someone?" Elyse asked as she also peered down at the dock. When a suspicion crawled into her head, she quickly grabbed Zoe's arm as she gasped. "Oh my god! Is your boyfriend finally joining us?"

"No!" Zoe blurted, nervously smiling and giggling as she shyly ducked her head. "No. He's not my boyfriend and he's not coming."

"Oh, what a shame.." Elyse pouted. "Mine isn't coming either."

Zoe curiously looked up, about to ask what she meant before Elyse beat her to the punch. Elyse wasn't the type of girl that had to be coached into talking about her life. She always wanted to talk about herself. Zoe didn't mind, though. Elyse was one of the nicer girls and she didn't ask Zoe too many, invasive questions so, more often than not, they easily got along and could chat with no problem.

"He says it's because he's an actor and he has to work on location so he can't go galavanting around like an Instagram model." Elyse made a bitter, mocking expression as she rolled her eyes. "We got in a whole big fight over the fact that I have to work on location too. Like Coachella. He ended up calling me a high maintenance bitch and I hung up on him."

"Oh.." Zoe awkwardly nodded as she absorbed all of that information. She wasn't so good at talking about this topic. She had never dated a celebrity, or dated at all, so she didn't have experience in this type of problem.

"You know, I think you had a good idea trying to hook up with an average townie." Elyse confessed. "I bet normal guys are way easier to deal with then all these big headed, rich, playboy assholes."

"I-I wasn't trying to hook up with him.. We're just friends." Zoe stammered. "But having normal, townie friends is nice so-"

"That's what I thought." Elyse sighed. "You had a good idea leaving June Dicken's, Zoe, but with my social media status, I just don't know if I could be treated like a normal girl, you know. It's just easier for you. I would be surprised if I wasn't worshipped the moment I stepped foot into whatever school you go to in Idaho."

"Ohio.." Zoe quietly corrected, the rest of her attention going to the annoyance over the fact that every girl in Los Angelos thought a little too highly of themselves.

As much as Zoe liked Elyse, she could be a little much sometimes. They could hold a conversation a long time but, that didn't meant Zoe had anymore in common with her than the others. Elyse was just nicer than the others. She didn't mean to be malicious, she was just too ignorant to notice when some of the things she said was wrong. She meant well. Zoe knew that,

But, yet again, Zoe only went to a normal, public high school because she didn't feel like the girls here. She didn't fit in. She had no interest in being an Instagram model but, in her line of work, she still had to keep up with social media like it was some kind of professional portfolio. When she went to Ohio and enrolled in Hudson High, she didn't think she would be worshipped because of her fame or fortune or beauty. She actually hoped people wouldn't care so much about that stuff because they weren't like the people here.

And luckily, some didn't. Although, Zoe definitely didn't expect to have feelings for the one boy in school that despised her because of all that stuff. Zoe wanted to be a normal high school student and, even when she tried, it still wasn't good enough for Teddy. She knew he would always see her as a spoiled rich brat. That's why they had to get closer. Teddy had to see even more of Zoe to understand she wasn't the girl he convinced himself she was.

"Yeah! You know what?" Zoe more loudly chimed, catching Elyse's attention. "You might be a little too popular and gorgeous for a school that simple. It would probably be a huge headache to be surrounded by people who drool over you and hate you because they're so jealous, you know? I mean, sometimes it's bad for me but, for you, it would be ten times worse."

Elyse absorbed Zoe's claims so easily, her mouth parting as she nodded, as if she was taking in wisdom from an all-knowing owl in a tree. Zoe felt lucky to be talking to someone so full of themselves that they actually believed her when she said stuff like that. Zoe didn't really believe it or care. She just didn't want Elyse growing so infatuated with the possibility that she could also attend a normal high school that she hopped on the bandwagon with Zoe. Hudson Hugh was her territory. She didn't want anyone else intruding on her home away from home.

"That's so true, Zoe.. God, it's so hard being pretty sometimes. I don't know how you survive there.." Elyse shook her head and ended up wondering off, venturing further into the yacht to find the friends she boarded with.

Zoe snorted a laugh and shook her head. Zoe wouldn't call herself ugly, by any means, but she definitely wasn't so pretty that the world was a constant battle. There were bigger things that made everyday a constant battle.

Zoe's thoughts were interrupted, though, when she spotted Carmen waltzing down the dock with Malik on her hip and Bailey excitedly hopping the planks of wood as she followed along side her mother. Zoe instantly lit up with excitement, calling out for Carmen as she waved her hand wildly in the air. Carmen sheepishly waved back, a sad smile on her face as she awaited Zoe instant disappointment.

Because, from right behind Carmen, emerged Ezra. And worse than that, he was chatting happily with Mr. Graham. They even seemed to have two bodyguards trailing behind them.

Zoe's smile instantly dropped as horror and anger filled her to the brim. Carmen approached the bouncer on the dock and announced her name before she also announced her husband. Zoe rushed to the entrance of the yacht and stood at the top of the stairs as she watched the bouncer chat with Mr. Graham, who was obviously smooth-talking the bouncer so Ezra would be allowed on the ship. The bouncer stepped aside for Carmen, Ezra and Mr. Graham to continue on their way onto the boat.

"Excuse me!" Zoe shouted from the yacht, catching the attention of the Carmen, Ezra, Mr. Graham, and the bouncer. "That man is not allowed on this boat! His name isn't on the guest list!"

Carmen looked back over shoulder at Ezra, who had his eyes focused on Zoe as they turned dark and angry. Carmen didn't want to get caught between them so she hurried Bailey up the stairs and squeezed past Zoe until she was stood on the boat. Ezra and Mr. Graham didn't move as the bouncer took a moment to call someone by pressing his finger to his ear and quietly muttering to himself. Zoe could only assumed he was probably calling Kenneth.

"Little Yang!" Mr. Graham happily greeted from the bottom of the stairs. "Come on! Let the man onboard! He's a respected business associate of mine and, I promise, he's a good time!"

Zoe didn't want to stomp her foot like a brat and throw a temper tantrum but, she really, really didn't want Ezra on this boat. She didn't go out of her way to threaten him just so he could weasel his way on board through his other connections. This boat belonged to the Yang's. The party being held this evening was technically a highly exclusive Sensation event. Ezra Zaki was exclusively not allowed on this boat or any Sensation event, at all. That was the one and only rule Zoe was allowed to enforce this year and she wouldn't let it fall apart so easily.

Ezra stared up at Zoe from the bottom of the stairs with a heated glare in his eyes as his fist clenched the metal railing of the stairs. Zoe stared right back at him, fearless and determined. She wasn't scared of Ezra, although, Carmen really wished she was. Zoe was a lot more fragile and valuable than Carmen. It was a bad idea for Zoe to step into the ring with Ezra. At least, Carmen was resilient. No matter how hard Ezra shoved her down, she always stood back up. Zoe might not be as durable, which worried Carmen to no end.

"Mr. Graham!" Kenneth happily greeted as he appeared behind Zoe. He easily yanked Zoe's hand off the edge of the boat so, she was no longer acting as a barrier. "You're always, always, always welcome on board this boat, Mr. Graham. We're excited to be in your company this evening!"

Zoe hopped in front of Kenneth, blocking the entrance again as Ezra took a single step forward. "Mr. Graham, you are always welcome! You, sir-" Zoe pointed to Ezra as she stared him dead in the eyes. "Are not welcome here."

Kenneth grabbed Zoe by her shoulders and forcefully removed her from the entrance. "I apologize for the inconvenience, gentleman. Excuse the little one. Please, come aboard."

Ezra flashed Zoe a smile before he turned to the two body guards and quietly excused them before he continued up the stairs to the boat, Mr. Graham slowly climbing right behind him. Carmen tried to scurry aside and blend in to the background, keeping her eyes down so, she didn't have to be silently scolded by Ezra's glare. She had already been punished enough by him today. She didn't want anymore trouble.

Zoe whipped around to gape at Kenneth in shock. She kept her voice quiet as she seethed. "Kenneth! Mr. Zaki is not allowed into any Sensation events! He is not allowed on this boat! You helped me take his name off the guest list! Why are you letting him in?"

Kenneth was a very tall man so, when Mr. Graham and Ezra slipped by, Kenneth used his large frame to keep Zoe from glaring at anybody. Zoe tried anyways but, Mr. Graham had already distracted Ezra by rambling on about the days when he used to own his own boat. Kenneth had to grab Zoe's arm and drag her a feet feet away, holding her face between his fingers just to make her look him in the eye again since she was so distracted.

"He's with Mr. Graham, Zoe. You know we're not allowed to get in his way. He represents you and your work, Zoe. If you disown a guest he wants to bring aboard, you're only being a disrespectful, spoiled, ungrateful brat! If you make Mr. Graham angry, your father will kill you."

"I don't care!" Zoe barked, her anger getting the better of her.

Zoe tried to smack Kenneth's hand away from her but he was too quick and too strong for her. Kenneth easily clapped a hand over Zoe's mouth, his other hand grabbing the back of her neck to keep her still as he stared into her eyes. Zoe's eyes were wide, her mouth sealed, and small hands gripping his wrist to make sure he didn't hurt her. That wasn't Kenneth's intention, though. He knew better than to inflict any sort of harm on Zoe.

"Knock it off! Don't throw a temper tantrum here! Who are you?" Kenneth quietly seethed.

By the calm tone in Kenneth's question, Zoe knew he was referring to the brand-cuffs that Rin held Zoe by. Zoe is sweet, and kind, and innocent. She always smiles, acts like a lady, and brings light to every room she enters and person she meets.

It was absolutely haunting to be shut down so easily by those words. It was just as frustrating, as well. Zoe wasn't allowed to expressive her emotions or opinions or have passion for anything that wasn't on her parents schedule because, she was nothing but a product of their work. Even when Zoe got a glimpse of free will, it didn't last long. They would only go along with the things she wanted as long as it didn't interfere with their own plans.

Before Zoe could even struggle against Kenneth's grasp and escape him, he was already distracted by another guest approaching the boat. He let go of Zoe and kindly welcomed them, Zoe turning to Carmen and forcing her nerves to calm so she didn't put any tension between them. She was happy to see Carmen. Really, really happy. It was just frustrating that Ezra had managed to weasel his way on board after Zoe decided he wasn't allowed anywhere near these events.

"Hi.." Zoe sadly smiled at Carmen.

"Hello." Carmen chuckled, still a bit of sympathy in her expression from Zoe getting riled up over Ezra. "Sorry, Zo.. I couldn't figure out a way to make him give up and then we ran into Mr. Graham so.."

"No. It's okay. It's not your fault." Zoe's sad smile broadened to look a little more genuine. "I just wanted to protect you."

"I know you did." Carmen stepped forward to wrap an arm around Zoe's shoulders and squeeze her. "You're a very, very sweet girl, Zoe."

Zoe felt a bit more calm in Carmen's arms, the feeling clinging to her even after Carmen let go. Zoe looked down at Bailey, flashing a bright smile and waving at her. Bailey fearfully hugged Carmen's leg for a moment as she carefully stared at Zoe and studied her. After the moment passed, though, Bailey let go of her mothers leg and rushed to Zoe to hold on to her leg. Zoe chuckled and placed her hand atop Bailey'd head, a thought suddenly coming to mind.

"Oh. What happened to her tiara?" Zoe looked up at Carmen with a curious pop of her eyebrow.

Carmen paused for a moment as she tried to think of a convincing lie. Luckily, she was quick on the draw.

"Oh, she's been doing this thing where she wants to suck on her thumb and then gets mad when I tell her not to, because she's wearing her tiara so, she gets frustrated and throws the tiara so she can suck her thumb. And, since we were coming on a boat tonight, I figured it was probably a bad idea to give her something valuable that she could throw into the ocean." Carmen nervously chuckled.

"Oh." Zoe snorted a laugh and looked down at Bailey. "That's probably a good idea, I guess."

Carmen felt a little relieved that Zoe had believed her lie that easily but, she was also very uneasy about the fact that she had to lie. All those jewels were no longer in Carmen's possession. She wished she could confess that to Zoe and offer to pay full price for losing them but, that wasn't exactly what happened. Besides, Carmen got all of her money from Ezra and there was no way he was giving her a dime for awhile.

"Should I give you a tour of the boat?" Zoe excitedly asked Carmen. "It's really so beautiful, Carmen. I bet you'll love it."

"Sure. We can take a look around." Carmen softly smiled and nodded.

Meanwhile, Mr. Graham stepped into the saloon of the boat and boisterously announced his presents. Hiro was the first one up, happy to greet his old friend and welcome him on to his boat with a drink in hand and cigar in the other. Rin stayed seated with her guests, her eyes and attention glued to Ezra as he politely greeted Hiro and the others sat around the saloon. She was the last to be greeted by Ezra.

"Good evening." Ezra hesitantly greeted Rin with his hand politely outstretched to her.

Rin stared sternly up at Ezra, successfully intimidating him as she studied him. One hand was occupied holding her drink on her knee, and since Rin didn't feel like greeting Ezra, she lifted her free hand that was resting beside her to curl her fingers around the other side of the glass. Ezra watched Rin's hand, feeling violently rejected when she silently refused his greeting, and curled his own fingers back into his palm.

Hiro interrupted Ezra and Rin's silent exchange as he threw his arm around his shoulders and welcomed him towards the bar in the saloon. The three men joined a few others by the bar, drunkenly chatting together and asking Ezra question after question to get to know him. Rin watched silently from her seat, her eyes bouncing between Hiro, Ezra, and Mr. Graham. Her mind was racing with a million thoughts, as usual. She couldn't help but question everything and everyone.

Rin did not trust Ezra. Usually, Rin didn't pay much attention to the things Zoe said but, after Ezra appeared, Zoe instantly took issue with him, which forced Rin to pay attention. Zoe knew him, she knew his wife, and even his kids. She had information that Rin didn't, and that's what interested her the most. Zoe had been in Ohio most of the time lately. How did she meet Ezra? What had he done that made Zoe embrace the less-ethical methods that Rin and Hiro lived by? Was it something Rin should investigate or was it not worth Rin's time?

Rin also couldn't help but be bothered with the fact that Ezra and Mr. Graham seemed to have a very close relationship. Mr. Graham was a very friendly old man that took a liking to many people, which is what made him such a valuable asset between the Yang family members but, it was that exact characteristic that worried Rin. Mr. Graham trusted everybody. Rin trusted nobobody. And after Mr. Graham failed to warn Rin about choosing Pepper over Zoe for such a high class gig, which made him ripe for the picking between other greedy personalities, Rin couldn't help but doubt his dedication to her family.

Mr. Graham was now, for the first time since they met, a threat to the Yang's. Rin could no longer trust him. Either, he was too old and forgetting his role in the Yang's lives, or he had let go of his dedication to them and was walking his own path. It didn't matter to Rin. He had already made it to the list of people she didn't trust. And with Ezra on that list as well, their close friendship made them an even bigger target to her.

What bothered Rin the most was that Hiro didn't seem bothered at all. He was such an ignorant man that only cared about sex, drugs, alcohol, and money. When it came to business, he was very good at getting things done, no matter what it took. But, when it came to his personal life, he was reckless and careless and a liability. Unfortunately, Rin couldn't do anything to change that. They had started down this path together, with Zoe, and the outside world adored them for their unbreakable bond as a rich and powerful family.

Rin simply hoped Hiro wouldn't be the one blindly and ignorantly opening the door for those that had ill-intentions. Ezra could very well be on that list, as well, considering his already ill relationship with Zoe. They were cruising just fine for nine years and had a very well known name for themselves. There was so much in front of them. Rin would never let anyone get in the way of her families success and reputation, no matter who they were or how hard they tried.

It was only an hour or so later when the sun went down, the yacht was casually cruising, and almost everyone on board was idly chatting and dancing on the front deck of the ship. Rin was busy conversing with Patricia Claire about switching Zoe back to June Dicken's and out of Hudson High School. She wanted to get her daughter out of that savage school as soon as possible. But, when Rin stepped away to get another drink, Ezra caught her before anyone else got the chance to.

"Mrs. Yang, I just want to let you know-" Ezra politely interjected as he met Rin at the bar. Rin sighed and rolled her eyes before she turned her attention to him. "I'm a huge fan of you and your husbands work. What you've done in only nine years is incredible. I can't wait to see what else you two have in store for the Sensation brand and it would be nothing less of an honor if I was ever granted the privilege to work with your family and the Sensation product."

"Second time meeting and you're already asking if you can work with us." Mrs. Yang forced a grim smile at Ezra. "You're a very bold man, Mr. Zaki."

Ezra awkwardly squirmed and cleared his throat. He could tell since their short meeting at that restaurant that it would be difficult to win Mrs. Yang over but, he had to try. He already made nice with Mr. Yang and that was surprisingly easy. He just needed to win over Mrs. Yang now. Zoe didn't matter. She didn't pose much of a threat to him, even if she tried.

"I simply want to plant the seed, Mrs. Yang. It would be a shame if I missed my shot just because I didn't ask. And besides that, even if I never got to work with you and your husband, simply being in your good graces would be an honor." Ezra explained, still a bit nervous and flustered as he tried not to sound like a total fanboy.

"If you want to be in my good graces, Mr. Zaki, tell me about your relationship with my daughter." Rin calmly demanded as she turned to completely face him and give him all of her attention.

Ezra was thoroughly intimidated, already understanding that the look in Rin's eyes meant he had to be completely honest or there would be consequences. Ezra had worked years and years to be in the same room as the Yang's. He never imagined that it would be this difficult to win them over after being allowed in the same room. He thought the hard part was getting in. Unfortunately, he ran into Zoe before he ran into her parents and, even worse than that, she knew things that he worked to keep private and secure.

"I have only met Zoe once before, Mrs. Yang, and I swear, if I had offended her during our first and only meeting, I sincerely apologize for that." Ezra confessed, staring directly into Rin's eyes, hoping she would read him correctly and accept his apology.

Rin only narrowed her eyes and frowned at him. "You think you might've offended her?"

"Well, maybe.. That's all I can think of since I had never met her before. That night at the restaurant was the first time I had come face to face with either of you."

"And your wife?" Ezra went stiff and nervous. Most people didn't know Ezra was married and, during the few times that Ezra brought Carmen and his children into the spotlight, he didn't let it become the main topic of conversation. "Is she currently aboard this boat, Mr. Zaki? Because, rumor has it, your wife and my daughter as very close friends."

Ezra nervously cleared his throat and nodded. "Y-Yes.. I brought her with me."

"Incorrect, Mr. Zaki." Rin flashed a smug smirk that took Ezra by surprise. "She brought you with her. See, from my understanding, you're not on the guest list. At one point, I'm sure you were but, we very quickly had you removed and replaced with your wife. Now, I don't know you, Mr. Zaki, but I do not take kindly to liars and, so far, you have not proven to be very truth worthy to me."

Rin didn't want to give Ezra anymore of her time so, she casually pushed up from her seat to refill her drink at the bar. Ezra couldn't let their conversation end so coldly, though. So, he stood up and gently grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Please, Mrs. Yang-"

Rin yanked her hand out Ezra's grasp with cat-like reflexes and dropped her empty glass to throw her hand up to Ezra's throat. With ease, Rin pulled him down by his throat and used the momentum of his doubling over figure to throw her knee into his stomach. Any air in Ezra's lungs was instantly forced out of him from the impact of Rin's knee, causing him to groan and wheeze. Rin pushed Ezra's limp, tense body away from her so he fell back against the sofa booths that lined the wall of the saloon.

"You're not making a very good first impression, Mr. Zaki." Rin flashed a smile as she ran her perfectly manicured nails through her silver hair to comb it all back. "Stay away from me, my family, and my business, Mr. Zaki. I have no interest in dealing with you any longer."

"Everything alright over there, my love?" Hiro asked from the bar.

Rin looked up to see her husband sipping his drink, his eyes glued to her over the top of her glass. The other men by the bar were staring, as were the women sat not too far from her and Ezra, that hadn't left the saloon to dance with the others on the front deck of the ship. Rin simply fixed her suit and flashed a friendly smile, as if she wasn't at all bothered by the assault she just inflicted on Ezra.

"Everything's fine. Can I talk to you Portside for a moment, sweetheart?" Rin sweetly asked.

Hiro exchanged brief glances with his guests before he quietly excused himself and followed his wife out of the saloon. As they left, Mr. Graham poured another drink and Ezra pushed himself weakly up from his seat.

"Come drink with us again, Mr. Zaki. It looks like you need it." Mr. Graham offered as he held up the new drink.

Ezra took a deep breath, his hand pressing firmly where Rin had kneed him. Reluctantly, Ezra limped over to Mr. Graham and accepted the drink. He stared at it for a moment, mentally cursing the women in the Yang family as he clenched his teeth.

So far, Zoe was messing with his relationship with his own wife and Rin was treating him like some kind of peasant. This was not how any of this was suppose to go. He worked so hard for so long and somehow, he was doing it all wrong. Either that or the Yang's were a much harder crowd to please than even he was prepared for. It was just frustrating. He had come this far and very, very quickly, he was losing it all.

Mr. Graham was of no use either. He was doing nothing to put in a good name for him. But he was the least of Ezra's worries right now. He couldn't help but be filled with rage over the fact that Zoe started all of this. He saw the way Rin looked at him and how she spoke to him at that restaurant. It was all because Zoe had to open her mouth about Carmen. He still didn't understand their relationship, which annoyed him even more. There was something he was missing and it started with them.

Carmen was keeping secrets from him and that's what made him look like a liar. Zoe knew things he didn't know, which meant Mrs. Yang knew things he didn't know and could easily see right through him, all because of Carmen. She was meeting people and running her mouth behind Ezra's back. He had kept her quiet and hidden in the dark all this time but, when he finally had an amazing opportunity in front of him, she suddenly turned everything around on him so she was suddenly in charge.

This was all Carmen's fault. But, Ezra knew how to fix things. Or, at least, how to get revenge.

"You've taken to Mr. Zaki very quickly, Hiro." Rin calmly spoke as she stepped into the cold wind with her husband. They both stood facing out to the ocean as the wind blew through their hair and clothes, sending a quick shiver up both of their backs. "You know I worry when you befriend people you don't know so easily."

"He's a friend of Mr. Graham's. Any friend of Mr. Graham's is a friend of mine." Hiro shamelessly countered, his attention focused on the ocean.

"I would like to agree with you on that, Hiro, and it was once true for me as well, but things are different now."

"We have only encountered one person that was friends with Mr. Graham while wanting to tear us down, Rin. Don't let that one incident cloud your judgement. If we both did that, we would have nobody to work or celebrate with."

"That one incident almost cost us our daughter." Rin turned to Hiro, one hand rested on the cold metal of the railing beside her. "Mr. Jefferson told us he admired our business and wanted to work with us. He was rich, successful, charming. And the second we challenged his superiority, he became our enemy. You used Zoe to spite him and, what did he do, Hiro? He nearly killed her on her birthday. In one of our cars! If he was even the tiniest bit luckier than he already was, he would have killed our daughter in that accident and tore down everything we had built."

"Yes, yes, yes, I know. I was there. I've heard the story." Hiro rolled his eyes and sighed, leaning against the railing with his glass extended out to the sea. He simply stared out at the waves and watched the moonlight twinkle between them as the music from the front deck echoed in the background. "And, you think Mr. Zaki is going to do the same thing?"

"Yes. Very much." Rin stressed as she stared intensely at the side of Hiro's head.

"Mr. Zaki doesn't even have kids. Or a wife, for that matter. If we don't challenge him, we can keep him at a safe distance. And who's to say he's powerful enough to retaliate even if we did challenge him? So far, Mr. Zaki doesn't pose much of a threat to me."

"Oh, Hiro.." Rin scoffed and shook her head, her hands crossing over her chest. Hiro turned his attention to his wife, confused by the smile on her face. "After all we've been through, you're still this naive?"

"What? What am I missing?" Hiro demanded.

"Mr. Zaki has a wife and kids. And they're on this very boat, Hiro." Rin smugly corrected. "He doesn't wear his ring, didn't bother to introduce them as his family, and used them to get into these events despite Zoe, herself, explicitly demanding he come nowhere near us or this company."

Hiro slowly started to understand why Rin was so suspicious of Mr. Zaki now that he had this extra information. The Yang's were not a very close family unless it had to do with work or publicity but, at least they put up a facade. They were all liable for each other. Mr. Zaki did not take liability for his family. Mr. Jefferson nearly killed Zoe in that car accident because the Yang's had challenged his family. Family against family.

But, Mr. Zaki was different. He didn't seem to care about his family. He could get as far ahead as possible with nothing to lose, if he didn't care about them enough to keep them out of harms way. Hiro didn't like that. That theory made Mr. Zaki out to be a man with no morals, no limits, and no conscience. It was far too similar to Rin and Hiro, who had done very, very bad things to get where they were because they had no morals, no limits, and no conscience. But, they always had something to lose so, they couldn't risk it all like Mr. Zaki could.

That, potentially, made Mr. Zaki even more powerful than the Yang's. He had already made it this far, which made Hiro and Rin wonder just how far he would make it up the ladder if he wasn't stopped.

Hiro anxiously ran a hand through his hair and fixed his suit as he tried to clear his head and think. "What do you mean he used his family to get on to this boat?"

"Zoe wanted Mr. Zaki off the list, remember? She even went as far as to put his wife on the list and put him on the Instant Reject list. At first, I wondered if she had taken after me and felt threatened by another powerful family that was getting a little too close to us but, then I remembered that Zoe should have no idea that Mr. Jefferson caused her car accident. So, why would she feel threatened?"

"Has Mr. Zaki ever done anything to her?"

"Not that I know of, no. All I know is Zoe is close with Mr. Zaki's wife, which means Zoe probably knows the worse parts of him just from his wife spilling their family secrets or whatever. That's all I could think that would explain her determination to potentially punish Mr. Zaki if he stepped out of line. If Zoe takes issue with him, enough to employ one of our methods-"

"She said she wanted to punish him?" Hiro smirked.

Rin reflected her husbands smirk and rested her hand on his arm. "She did. She's following in our footsteps, Hiro. After all these years, she's finally falling into line. But, what worries me, is the fact that she is only falling into line because Mr. Zaki is pushing her to. If she knows that he's a threat, which I think he has proven to be, then I think we should head her warning."

Hiro sighed and looked out to the ocean again. "I agree with you, Rin. If everything you say is true, Zoe is very smart not to trust him and neither should we. I just hate to go against Mr. Graham."

Hiro turned to Rin again when he heard her chuckle, watching as she shook her head and turned her attention to the ocean. "You're hopeless, Hiro. At this rate, you're going to be our downfall. You can't even see that Mr. Graham, himself, is a risk to us, as well."

"Mr. Graham?" Hiro stood up straight now as he glared at his wife. "Mr. Graham has been nothing less than loyal to us, Rin. He has never caused us any trouble. In fact, he's the only useful friend we have in this industry."

"I thought so, too." Rin crossed her arms over her chest as she stared right back at her husband. "You're not so good at staying in the loop, Hiro, so let me help you, okay, sweetheart?"

Hiro rolled his eyes, sighed, and relaxed his twisted expression so he could listen to more of Rin's paranoid rambling.

"Mr. Graham only represented two girls from the Pomper program that Zoe is apart of. It was only her and Pepper Jefferson, which came to a surprise to us, remember? Pepper was her greatest rival when it came to hosting opportunities. And then Mr. Jefferson nearly killed Zoe and we never even blinked an eye at Mr. Graham, who continued to represent Pepper, despite the fact that he was supposedly loyal to us. It's only now that I realize it's pretty fishy that he would represent our daughter and her rival at the same time.

And, I only just found out that because Pepper Jefferson is no longer apart of the Pomper program because she's getting opportunities that far surpass that stupid training wheels program. Mr. Graham has been doing higher favors for the Jefferson's than for us all this time and then he shows up with Mr. Zaki. Instead of handing us an equal rival like the Jeffersons, he handed us a rival who's potentially willing to give up everything we have to get to the top. Don't you find that suspicious?"

Hiro's expression twisted into a deep frown as his hatred for the Jefferson's festered and his suspicion grew. He trusted Mr. Graham but, the very fact that he felt that way worried him. Rin and Hiro never trusted anybody. So, why had he trusted this old man all this time when Mr. Graham was so clearly a neutral player in this game for power? Hiro always thoughts of Mr. Graham as a loyal piece of his side of the chess board but, in actuality, Mr. Graham was a total wild card.

Hiro would have shut down these claims if Mr. Zaki hadn't been introduced through Mr. Graham. If there was no relationship between them, Mr. Graham would be free of these accusations but, it only made sense that Rin was wary of him now. The Jefferson's were not a threat to the Sensation business or the Yang's power but, they were a threat over the Yang family. Mr. Zaki wasn't a threat to the Yang family because he didn't care about family. That was obvious. He most likely only cared about business and power.

It was almost as if Mr. Graham was building a team of threats to take down everything that the Yang's stood for. As if he wanted to attack every aspect of the Yang's lifestyle until they fell with nothing. And now, Hiro was thoroughly convinced of that, thanks to his wife, who was always the smarter one of the two of them.

"You said his wife and kids are on board this boat? With Zoe?" Hiro asked and Rin calmly nodded. "Let's go find them, then, and learn a little more about this potential threat, shall we?"