Chapter 33

Reaching for the glass of water in front of me, I gulp down a mouthful to quell the choking, While I do this, I try to come up with an excuse as to why I am in Taiwan. I can't say I'm here on business since I work in English publishing.

Looks like I'm caught.

Neither can I say I'm here on holiday because who in their right mind would be in the mood to go on a holiday after almost being kidnapped to make that story even more unbelievable, I hate flying and the three of them know it. The eyes on the table eyed me carefully as I wrack my brains to come up with an answer but Mr Lee beats me to it.

"I don't care what reason she has," He huffs, waving his hand at his son. "I want know how I can help her."

"爸, 从一年前开始你不再是辛迪加的领导者了, 我才是. (Dad since a year ago you are no longer the syndicate's leader, I am)," Eugene reminds him, brushing off his father's words. "I just asked a simple question, it doesn't matter whether or not you want to know the answer."

Oh crab, he's going to get it from Mr Lee now.

Before I can say anything to stop the brewing argument between the father and son, Mr Lee whacks the back of Eugene's head with his hand, his wise brown eyes livid as he glares at his eldest child.

"你这个没道理,没用 的臭小子! (You unmannered, useless, rotten child!)" Mr Lee shouts infuriated, banging his fist down on the table so hard that the glasses quake in fear from the strength. "你是不是忘记我是你的父亲吗? 我对小蝴蝶法师过不论是什么我或是我的儿孙会帮她. 作为男人我们不能违背承诺. (Have you forgotten that I am your father? I swore to Little Butterfly that no matter what I or my descendants will help her. As men, we cannot break our word.)"

Angela is silent as she watches her older brother succumb to her father's dominance. Her cool brown eyes shift slowly to meet my gaze as I continue to observe her. While the men of the household battle it out using their words, the women sit idly by warring with their eyes and subtle body language.

The true Asian way of battling things out, I learnt a while back.

We cannot throw Alexander to the wolves. These people have men all over the damn world, my subconscious hisses as she mirrors Anglea's cold, examining gaze. All we have to do is mention his name and the peace we've been laying low for will be broken.

Or, it will be enhanced beyond what peace we have already achieved all these years, I argue back. It will ensure protection for Alexander and Danny. Mr Lee is on our side, and Eugene is also on our side, it's just that he's suspicious of us because our story doesn't add up.

My subconscious turns to look at me incredulously.

That was an oversight on my part. I didn't think my cover thoroughly enough.

"I am here with my fiance," I relent a beat after Angela raises her brow in question as if she heard my thoughts. "He's Alexader Holt. He's got business here and a function tomorrow evening. We're here for four days. He knows nothing about my past involvements in Hierarchy. I prefer to believe he knows nothing about it."

"Alexander Holt?" Eugene asks unsurely, sharing looks with Angela who's eyebrows are so high they are reaching her hairline and his father who looks if not as shocked as Angela then more so. "The Alexander Holt?"

"Why? Do you guys know him or something?" I ask, observing between the three Lees. "Why are all of you looking at me like that?"

Clearing his throat, Mr Lee gives both his children stern looks before picking up his chopsticks, dipping the dumpling into a vinegar and ginger concoction before placing the dim sum into his mouth.

Ah.

It doesn't take his children nor me long enough to get the hint to drop the subject. Mr Lee has his reasons for not speaking any further on the subject of my fiance but unlike his children, I won't have the opportunity to question him after the meal.

Damn it, I curse soundlessly in my head as we eat. Alexander's response to my question circles the walls in my head, the response sounding more and more suspicious. Words that assuaged my guilt now feed the fire that is my doubt.

'I wouldn't tell you more than you need to know.'

Thankfully I am not one of his children, so I press, "What do you know about Alexander that I don't?"

"小蝴蝶， 你知道我不会向你隐瞒任何事情 (Little butterfly, you know I wouldn't hide anything from you),"  Mr Lee begins, setting his chopsticks down as he places his elbows on the table resting his upper lip on his knitted hands. "但对于这件事情，老夫没有能力告诉你。(But regarding this situation, I cannot tell you.)"

"为什么? (Why?)," I ask exasperatedly, leaning back into my chair with my arms crossed over my abdomen. "  这件事情不是关于我的未婚夫吗？您知道关于他的是我不知道的。您不说他也不说。我问都不能问。不是最后傻的是我吗？（Isn't this about my fiancé? You know something about him that I don't. If you don't tell me and he doesn't tell me. Wouldn't I be the stupid one in the end?)"

"小蝴蝶不是这样的。(Little butterfly, it isn't like that)," Mr Lee insists, picking up his chopsticks once more. "他会有自己的原因，大夫也有自己的原因。我不是故意要瞒着你的。这件事最好是他跟你解释比较好。相信大夫吧。我不想提你的未婚夫的事了。吃饭。(He has his reasons as do I. I am not hiding anything from you on purpose. In this situation, he should tell you. Trust me. I don't want to speak about this topic any further. Eat.) "

"可是-(But-)," I start only to get cut off by Eugene.

"你可有和他说你小的时候做的事吗？(Have you told him about your past?)"

"没有但是- (No, but-)"

"那为什么他的事情你要爸告诉你呢？(Then why should my father have to tell you about your fiancé's things?)," Eugene cuts me off again, not looking at me as he speaks.

"Eugene!" Angela hisses, a clear warning for him to stop talking but he continues anyway.

"你想一下吧。比如说我们是认识他的，我不是说我们认识我只是如果而已，你会欣赏我们揭示你的过去吗？(Think about it. If we knew him and I am saying if only, would you appreciate it if we told him about your past?)"

"My past has nothing to do with him!"I shout, standing up. "It is not the same thing."

"But it is," Eugene challenges as he stands, turning to face me. "And your past does have something to do with him. You currently have a price on your head, what makes you think it doesn't involve Alexander Holt and his child? And yet, you haven't said anything about it to them?"

"Enough," Mr Lee snaps, smacking the back of Eugene's head. "快点对她道歉。 男的有没说的原因，女的也有没说的原因。两位都错。让他们自己搞定不到你受的算。(Apologise to her. He has his reasons for not saying anything but so does she. Both are at fault. It's up to the two of them to settle it. It is not your place to say.)"

"Dad, "Eugene huffs, still standing eye-to-eye with me. "She started it."

A snort from the other side of the table has both of us breaking eye contact to see Angela covering her mouth with her hand as she chuckles, "That is your comeback? That she started it?"

The tension in the room breaks as Eugene and I laugh at that realisation, Mr Lee has a look of momentary confusion before a smile breaks over his lips. Once the laughter dies down and apologies have been exchanged, the meal resumes and the topic is not revisited for the remainder of dinner; though other topics were touched. After all, it has been fourteen years since they last saw me.

Wrapping up the meal as soon as the last morsel of mango pudding doused in condensed milk is consumed, Mr Lee delicately suggests that Eugene sees me back to the hotel as he will be retiring for the night. Angela follows suit stating that she has work in the morning, leaving Eugene and me at the foyer.

"Just so you know, "I tell him as we wait for the diver to pull the car over. "I was expecting your Dad to bring up the topic of your marriage but it didn't happen."

"Don't start, "He sighs, ruffling his hair. "He had intended to ask you if you were available. There's been nothing on his mind the last month other than my prospective bride."

"No candidates good enough for the great Eugene Lee?"I tease as the car pulls up in front of us.

Opening the car door for me, Eugene responds, "None of them are comparable to you."

"If I were available, you would ask me to marry you?" I counter as I fold my body to get into the car. "I doubt we'd make a good couple."

Leaning over the hood of the car, Eugene replies, "I doubt your doubt."

Shutting the car door before I can respond, I wait for Eugene to round the front of the car to get into the passenger seat next to me which he does eventually after he speaks a few words to the driver.

"We'd wreak your Dad's house with our marital fights if we were married," I comment, continuing our conversation.

"We did almost burn the mansion down when we were younger," He relents, smiling softly at the memory. "Do you remember the time you smashed two of Dad's five million hand-painted vintage vases from the Qin dynasty?"

I laugh just recalling the memories, replying, "I wouldn't have smashed it if the gun you passed me wasn't loaded like you said it was."

"The look on Dad's face when he heard the gunshot and came running only to see his prized vase in pieces," He chuckles, shaking his head at our stupidity. "In the end, I was the only one beaten for it, you tattled."

"显而易见。 (The truth is readily apparent if you have a clear mind and an unbiased perspective)," I reply, shrugging my shoulders making Eugene laugh.

"Do you ever think you'll back into the game?" Eugene asks once his daughter dies. "Even if I can't have you as a bride, I would love to work with you again as a colleague."

"No, "I state firmly. "After being adopted, I stopped all that stuff. I haven't touched a blade, let alone a gun since either."

"Says the woman with a gun in her purse," He scoffs knowingly, eyeing the black clutch. "Did you think I wouldn't know?"

"It was a precaution, doesn't mean I planned to use it at all tonight, "I defend myself.

"Considering it has been well over ten years since you last saw me,  I did have a hunch that you would have thought I turned into the monster that my father was before you came into our lives."

"I would say that you haven't, "I reply, looking out the window, noticing that the route we are taking is not the same as the one we took when we left the hotel. "Unless you are planning right now to kidnap me instead of bringing me back to my hotel."

"Well, I figured that I should let you see some sights before going back," He replies just as some of Taiwan's most iconic tourist spots come into view. "The old man may need to turn in early but to us, the night is still young is it not?

I let out a laugh as the car pulled up below the tallest building in Taiwan.