One week later

“How dare you?”Ricardo said standing with his fists clenched in the middle of the living room of his mansion. Kaida had never seen him this mad. But it was expected. She had just confessed that she wouldn't complete the mission.

Kaida remained emotionless staring into her adoptive father's eyes. “I stand by what I said, I can't kill him. He doesn't deserve it”

“I'm your father, Kaida. I raised you! I saved you from being burned alive! You are my assassin. I forged you into who you are today!”Ricardo roared loudly, his voice laced with such hatred that Kaida froze. Chills going down her spine. That loud voice… She Knew that voice.

Ricardo had never raised her voice on her before. He had been strict and harsh at times when training her but this was the first time he had spoken so loudly that his voice was echoing in the mansion. There was no way she wouldn't recognise the voice that haunted her nightmares.

“It was you” Kaida breathed, stepping back, her world crumbling apart in that moment.

“What are you saying? What are you talking about, Kaida! Get a grip on yourself!”Ricardo snapped, his voice full of the same hatred she had heard that day. Yes it was truly him… no doubts.

“You were the one behind the mask,” Kaida said, looking into her adoptive father's eyes.

Ricardo’s brown eyes widen, flickering with a range of emotions. “I.. Be reasonable.. What are you even saying?” Ricardo said clearly caught off guard.

“It was you, I know that hateful voice. It was muffled back then but there's no mistaking that loud hateful voice devoid of any humanity.. It was you,"Kaida whispered, her eyes blurry with tears. Her body trembled with agony and fury. The man she had thought had been her savior was the one who murdered her parents. Her entire family.

“Kaida, surely you are mistaken. I wasn't there my child” Ricardo said in a soft coaxing voice, stepping towards her but Kaida wasn't having any of it.

She swiftly pulled out her gun but the men positioned all around the room pointed their guns at her too. She didn't care, there was no way she would lower her gun not until she obtained a logical explanation about why her adoptive father's voice had just sounded like the man in her nightmares. She prayed desperately that maybe just maybe she was mistaken. It's been years since that incident happened. There has to be an explanation but still she remained on her guards.

“Lower your guns, that's my daughter!”Ricardo ordered and though his men hesitated, they eventually obeyed. But Kaida didn't lower hers. Instead she held it tighter, her mind racing. Her heart slowly ripping apart at the possibility that Ricardo might be the mastermind behind her family's murder.

Ricardo faced her once more and stepped closer. “Kaida, my child, it's me..your loving father, I'm not your enemy” He whispered in the same soothing voice he always used when comforting her but she was not having any of it.

“How do you know my mother?”Kaida asked coldly.

When she had questioned Ricardo about how he knew her mother in the past, he had said he was an old friend who was abroad. He had said that he came to Japan for the anniversary but if that was true, how come her mother hadn't uttered a single word about him during all the previous years? She knew all of her father's and mother's friends as a child. But never had she heard of Ricardo. Why wasn't he invited for the previous anniversaries?

She hadn't thought much about it back then considering that she was still processing what had happened to her parents but now as she stared at the man in front of her. She realised how stupid she had been. She should have questioned him. When they left the mansion and Ricardo had taken her away from her birthplace, she should have been more vigilant and on guard. But then again she was a vulnerable seven years old girl who had just lost her parents in the most cruel way possible. She had no one left, all her family members and relatives had been murdered that day.

“I told you, I'm an old friend of-”Ricardo was cut off as Kaida fired at the floor at his feet.

“No bullshit. The truth, Ricardo” Kaida growled watching as Ricardo’s brown eyes darkened.

“I'm your father, Kaida. Lower your gun and we will talk calmly like civilised people” Ricardo said.

“Talk right now or I swear I will kill you. I don't care if your men shoot me. I'll kill you"Kaida growled just when the door to the mansion barged open and Ace entered with dozens of men including Valentino, Alex and Ares.