Daniel wrestled with the fiercest emotions he’d ever felt, torn between wanting to take Claire and run and shoving his uncle in front of a moving car. How dare he? How dare he show up at one of the most integral moments of his life and it up? Why did he and his father have to ruin absolutely everything good that happened to him? His anger raged like an inferno until Claire tugging on his sleeve pulled him out of his thoughts. If she hadn’t been there, he probably would have attacked the man. 

    “Hello, Daniel. I’m sorry to interrupt you, but, you’re not returning any of my calls,” he said, his voice laced with humor. He thought this was funny? After lying to him about his brother and siding with his father? Jung In was dead and he wasn’t even given the chance to properly mourn him before they started filling his head with lies. 

    “You have a lot of nerve,” he said, his voice deep and leaden with warning. Whatever good mood Claire had put him in, his appearance had ruined. In Ho recognized the anger on his face and slipped his hands into his pockets, instinctively taking a step backward just in case his hotheaded nephew lashed out at him. He knew he was taking a chance by following him, but he’d left him with no choice. Time was running out. He had to get him to listen before all hell broke loose.

    “I would apologize, but it would only make you angrier. Look, I’m not here to interfere, only to pass on a warning. You’re running out of time, kid,” he said. If it was even possible, the boys form coiled even tighter as he shifted closer to the woman behind him. He was overprotective, yet another trait he’d inherited from his father, and it looked like it was going to be the end of him. The last thing he wanted, or needed for that matter, was for Daniel to get attached to someone. His life wasn’t his own to live, not so long as his very existence depended on him being able to drop everything and run at a moments notice. “They’ve found you.”

    “I already told you that I don’t give a . I’m not running from them. Not now. Not ever again,” he growled. He could feel Claire moving closer to him, driven by instinct to diffuse his anger before he caused an altercation on the street. He wanted to turn to her, to beg her to plug her ears and not listen to anything his bastard uncle had to say. But the cat was clawing to get out of the bag. Everything he’d neglected to tell her was about to come to light. And it tore him apart inside. He’d lied to her. Maybe not straightforwardly, but he hadn’t been completely honest, and she wasn’t going to be happy about that. Would he lose her now? After everything they’d gone through? “Leave.” The command was so dark it startled even him. His uncle’s eyes widened. 

    “Everything we do, we do for your benefit, Daniel. If this is about the woman we can find a way to keep her safe in your absence. Just go, please, long enough to throw them off your trail.”

    “Don’t. Don’t you dare try to drag her into this.”

    “She’s already a part of it, Daniel! You made her a part of it,” he snapped back. Daniel took a menacing step towards him, but Claire held onto his sleeve.

    “Daniel!” she called, wrapping her arms around him and digging her heels in when he attempted to continue his hellbent path towards his uncle. He stopped, his heart thudding hard against his chest underneath her hands. He was absolutely furious! But why? She remembered him mentioning his father wanting him to return to Korea. Did his uncle have something to do with that plot? What did he mean his time was up? Who was after him? Questions she knew she would probably never get the answer to swarmed her until she was almost dizzy. If he was in trouble, why didn’t he tell her? 

    “Just listen to me for once in your life. We are your family and we will do anything to make you happy—!”

    “Then leave me the hell alone!” he shouted loud enough to draw the attention of pedestrians who bustled past them. Suddenly people were stopping to watch, their eyes wide as they reached for their cellphones to record what looked like the start of a street brawl. In Ho sighed. 

    “Anything but that. We’re not going to leave you here to throw your life away, Daniel. Despite how you may feel right now, your father and I love you. We’ve devoted our lives to keeping you safe.”

    “No. Uncle. You haven’t. You’ve devoted your lives to secrecy, lies and cowardice,” he retorted. “And I don’t want that to be my life anymore.”

    “Daniel. Just talk to me, that’s all I want. Somewhere private. Somewhere safe,” In Ho said, eyeing the people that gathered around them. Daniel was seconds away from telling him to