Chapter 18

 

Tiffany quickly wiped her tears away as the elderly man opened his arms. Laughing & crying at the same time, she ran & threw herself into his warm hug, face buried in his chest. He soothed her hair, cooing her like a baby. The choking sob clogged in . She rubbed her face against his black long sleeve, button-front shirt, not believing that the man she hasn’t touch but seen for eight years was finally holding her like a baby, “There now, I’m back. Hush, sweetheart, or you’ll ruin that pretty face of yours.” Mr. Hwang placed a kiss on her hair & smiled for the first time out of prison, “Let me see the face of this daughter of mine.” He pulled back a little, cupped her cheeks into his stiff palms & shook his head, “You had changed so much. Much more prettier. Now, who’s this that I’m looking at? I can’t seem to recall. Princess Stephanie? Or my brighter than jewel Tiffany?”

 

Tiffany laughed, shaking her head. She threw herself into his arms again, afraid to let go. Mr. Hwang patted her head gently, “It’s my precious brighter than jewel Tiffany. I remember her little shining tears.” He smiled sadly & cupped her face into his palm again, “Where’s your mom & sister? Why aren’t they here with you? I was looking forward to meeting the whole family at the same time.” He pretended to pout & as his daughter’s glossy pink lips trembled again, she jumped back to covered her face into his chest. He frowned but smiled, “I was just joking, sweetheart. Now, I know that you miss me but don’t cry that much now. I’m back for good.” He kissed her forehead, “Let’s go home. I want to meet your mom & sister.” He pulled her to the side but she resisted, “It’s been this long, huh?” He sighed & closed his eyes as his eyes gleamed with tears, “I miss you, too. I miss all of you.”

 

“I...I’m sor...sorry, da...dad.”

 

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” He pulled away gradually & tilted her chin up, “I’m the one who should be sorry for not being a reliable man to my family. I caused a lot of trouble to you, your sister & mom but now that I’m back, I want us to live happier than before. I didn’t pay much attention to any of you. Now, I’m a different man. I’ve learned a lot of responsibility during my time in prison & now I’m back to fix everything over again. How about that?” Tiffany nodded with a shaky smile on, “That’s my girl.” He leaned in & kissed the top of her head, “I’m hungry for some of your mother’s home cook meal & I can’t wait to hear you sing & Stephanie playing on the flute. Now.” He took a hold of her small hand, “Let’s go home.”

 

Tiffany pressed her lips down at the mention of her sister’s name. She swallowed hard, held her father’s hand tightly & walked out by his side. The smile on his face brightened as he sniffed the air of freedom, “Smells good, doesn’t it?” Tiffany lifted up one corner of her lips melancholy. If only he knew, he wouldn’t be feeling the freedom that he was seeing right now but she wasn’t going to tell him yet. He needed his rest first. She wanted him to meet his wife again. A surprise for her mother wouldn’t hurt.

 

She entered the pink BMW mini cooper car & started the engine. Mr. Hwang laughed & patted his knee good-naturedly. She hadn’t see him this happy since years ago, not even when they were children & not even when he had developed a new chip or a new designed computer. Every now & then, her eyes would shift over to look at him as he stare out at the world of San Francisco.

 

“Tell me, what have been going on? How’s your mother? Is she doing well? Have she been ill? Does she still take her fiber pills? & what about my princess Stephanie? Has she had any boyfriend? Fiance? Or is she married already & you just haven’t told me yet?”

 

“Everyone is fine, dad. Mom haven’t been ill. She’s doing just fine.” Tiffany answered slowly, ignoring the questions about Stephanie’s whereabouts.

 

“What about Stephanie?”

 

Her heart sank low, “She’s doing fine, dad. Just fine.”

 

He laughed, patting his knees hard again, “I’m a jolly man today, darling, & how about you? Have you found any man yet that I would love to debate with?”

 

The corner of her lips lifted up, “Not yet, dad.”

 

“What does that suppose to mean?” He winked at her, “Does that mean you have a man in mind? Come on, tell me. I promise I won’t tease you.”

 

Tiffany shook her head, the smile now gone from her face, “I just worded it wrong, dad. I’m not planning to go away when you have just come back home. I want to spend my time with you & mom.” She sighed, remembering the time when she had absolutely broken her loving relationship with her mother.

 

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ll always be in our mind no matter what.” He cleared his throat, “How did you get that folder, honey? The court said…”

 

“It’s not important, dad. Forget what the court said. You weren’t the one outlaw; you were the victim. They were wrong eight years ago.” She swallowed again, “They didn’t believed you. Foolish people.” She took a glance at him & turned right, “We’re going to get our business back.”

 

Mr. Hwang was silent. He turned his head as she stopped before a small house. Gates surrounded the small yard. There were multiple houses that looked the same as the one he was now gazing upon. An old oak tree was at the side of the house. The green roof was slanted downward. The porch was small but large enough for a whole family.

 

His eyes gleamed, “So, we lost our nice house, too.” Mr. Hwang shook his head slowly & got out. He placed his hand onto the hood of the car & turned to look at his daughter, “I’m not planning to take back our business, honey.” His eyes frowned in concern as she questioned him with her eyes, “I want to start everything over again, even rebuilding my own business. Maybe I’ll make it a partnership this time instead of just a sole proprietorship. I want stockholders to believe in investing business with me.”

 

“But dad, you had worked so hard on everything in that building. How can you just give everything up? Chin Ho Kim took everything from you. You can get it back. The court & authority have the folder in their hands now. Even the Kim’s can’t stop you.”

 

“I know.” Mr. Hwang walked over & took her gentle hands into his, “But I told you that I want to start everything over again. They can keep the business that I had started. It’s not important to me anymore.” He smiled, “How about this? When I become a new entrepreneur again, I’ll make you a partner of everything.” Tiffany looked deep into her father’s eyes. He had really changed. There were no competition with others shining in his eyes any longer. He had really meant what he had just said. She can’t back him out of it. Her birth of stubborn was from him. Smiling without any enthusiasm, Tiffany nodded her head, “Alright, deal. You better make me a partner or I’ll place you back in prison again.”

 

Mr. Hwang threw his head back & roared out with laughter. Tiffany smiled lightly & grunted as he squeezed her into his arm. His knuckles dug into her hair, “Dad! Stop that! Ouch! Alright, alright! I give up! Dad!” She screamed, like a kid which she hadn’t done since eight years ago. When she was able to dodge out of his arm & knuckles, she ran towards the porch, “You can’t catch me, dad.” As his laughter came nearer, she ran until she got to the porch & stopped as she came to the door. Her fingers lay upon her lips to quiet her father down, “I haven’t told mom yet. I wanted to surprise her.”

 

“You’re a bad daughter.” He teased, shaking his index finger at her.

 

Tiffany laughed & quickly covered , “Quiet now, dad, mom must have heard us.” She took the keys out & unlocked the door.

 

“Your mother is still afraid of burglars even at daylight?” Tiffany smiled at her dad & nodded. He shook his head & followed her in quietly, “I think we’re burglars ourselves. No wonder your mother is afraid.” Tiffany waved her hands to silent him. She made a turn to the right & stopped before a door.

 

“Mom’s room.” She whispered. Very gently, her hands ajar the door & then opened it wider.

 

“Tiffany, honey. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back home? I would have.”

 

Her soft, motherly words trailed off. Mrs. Hwang raised her hands, dropping the scarf that she have been making & covered as they began to tremble. Her eyes narrowed as tears misted in them. She stood up gradually from the rocking chair. Just as Tiffany looked back at her father, he moved forward to support his wife. She pressed her lips together, stepped back & closed the door as husband pulled wife into his arm.

 

Tiffany inhaled deeply. Eyes closed briefly, her feet led her upstairs to her room. She fell down onto the bed & leaned back. Soon enough, her father would learn her lies of Stephanie’s whereabouts. She didn’t want to lie but to tell the truth & to talk about her twin’s death to a lovable father would only break her soul.

 

Tears rolled down her eyes & onto her cheeks. She sniffed softly, grabbed her totoro from the side & buried her face into its belly. Seeing the look on her mother’s face had made her knees go weak & seeing the look on her father’s face, she had almost collapsed. Was this her loving side or her weak side of truth?

 

Now that she had gotten her father out of jail, her intention was to go back & find the real reason of her sister’s death. She hadn’t done a nice job at it since her stay at his place. She had only ashamed herself upon the eyes of her twin from above. He wouldn’t be able to woo her again. To that, she promised & if her promise lies deep inside of her, her body would be back to her renewed family with revenge taken & forgotten.

 

As a hand lay on her shoulders, Tiffany yanked her head up & gazed into the eyes of her father. How long had she been half-asleep, she couldn’t tell. Sniffing heavily again, her fingers shakily wiped her tears away, “How long have you been in here, dad?” She cleared & with tears gone, her eyes clearly focused on the red eyes of her father, “Dad.”

 

She changed her position, put her legs down to the side of the bed as he sat down. Mr. Hwang looked down at his hands in his lap & then looked up & straight at the wall. The silence disappeared as he spoke, “Your mother told me.” He paused, “Why didn’t you tell me when you visited me at the prison?” As she didn’t answer, he reached over & squeezed her hand, “It was my fault for leaving you, your sister & mother in such a bad condition. I’m so sorry, honey.”

 

Choking in tears, Tiffany suddenly circled her arms around her father’s neck. She buried her face into his chest, unable to speak. He her hair as if she was still his little baby girl, “I understand, sweetheart. I understand.” He closed his eyes & kissed her hair, “It’s alright.” He took in a deep breath as tears swelled up in his eyes, “I miss her, too. My princess Stephanie.” Taking in a deep breath, he pulled back & held her head up, “She married the Jung’s son?” Tiffany nodded her head, eyes half closed, “Was she happy with them, honey?”

 

“I...I don’t know, dad.” Hiccups escaped through her lips as she spoke, “Stephanie ha...had always wro...wrote to me. She...She said that her li...life was ha...happy. I nev...never believed her.”

 

Tiffany stood up, walked blindly to the drawers & pulled opened the top one. As she turned around, in her hands were full of envelopes. She wiped her tears away madly & handed them over to her father. He stared at it & then peered up at her, “The let...letters Ste...Stephanie sent to me, dad.”

 

Mr. Hwang pressed his thin lips together. Standing up, he walked slowly over, took the letters into his hands, placed it back onto the drawer & pulled his daughter into his arm. He cried, a thing he had never done for years until now. He hugged his daughter’s small body close, afraid to let go of another one again, especially one that resembled his other daughter so much.

 

Jaejoong entered the nightclub in disguise in his best baggy clothes which he rarely had in his closet. The loud music running into his ear hardly had an effect. He was used to it. Brushing his messy hair back, he pushed through the crowd over to the bar. His eyes scanned the room before he settled down onto the stool. A small detested smile thinned across his lips as the woman next to him gave him an aggressive look, sipping on her drink. His eyes followed the glass as she set it down, though her eyes were fully on him. He narrowed his eyes as a hand reached out from the dark, dropped a pinch of narcotic drug into her drink.

 

‘Foolish woman.’ Jaejoong thought, with thinning lips. He reached out as she was about to sip on the drink again, & stopped her, “I’ll buy you another drink, how about it?”

 

“I’m not in the mood for it tonight.”

 

He grimaced, placing his cigarette between his lips, “You better watch what you’re drinking woman.” He turned his head, spotted her going up the stairs & stood up. A hand clasped around his wrist. Jaejoong angled his head to glare at her impatiently.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Staring at her for a few seconds, he finally nodded his head with the thin smile still on. Her hold loosened around his wrist. He stalked away, making his way through the mad crowd & then the dance floor. His eyes glanced up from time to time. She had already entered his room. He snarled lowly under his breath & fastened his pace. Taking three steps up the stairs at a time, he stalked to the right only to slow down as two guards smiled hungrily.

 

“Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Kim. What do you want?” The buffer one muttered.

 

Jaejoong took a huge intake of his cigarette & threw it onto the metal walkway. He laid his foot over it, killing the spark, “Your boss sent for me.”

 

“Sorry.” The other one said, “We weren’t informed. Make another appointment, pretty boy.”

 

Jaejoong grunted. To take both men out would mean killing himself before he can even kill one of them. He haven’t had a nice workout since months ago. Looking up from glancing at his feet, he tilted his head in a coaxing way, “Look, boys, why don’t we?” He lashed his fist upon the larger guard, not having time to curse at the pain of his hand & planted his feet into the stomach of the other. Grabbing both nauseated men’s head into his palm, he smashed their heads together. Not unconscious yet but had fallen down onto the ground, Jaejoong reached out & opened the unlock door. He took one quick glance at the two shocked people, stepped inside, slammed the door shut & locked the two locks without losing eye contact with Kyuhyun.

 

“Hi.” Jaejoong greeted calmly, cursing inwardly at his bruised fist.

 

Kyuhyun stood up abruptly, “What the hell are you doing here?!”

 

“Why else would I be here but to turn you into the authority?” Jaejoong chuckled as Kyuhyun flinched slightly. He moved away from the door as the two guards outside thrashed their bodies against the door, “Easily frightened, I see.”

 

Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes on him, “What do you want?”

 

“Nothing much.” Jaejoong took a small glance at the pistol lying on the table. Any minute now, the guards would be bursting into the room. He would have no chance against him. His eyes looked from the pistol to the woman next to Kyuhyun, “I would want the woman to leave the room but to do that, your guards would be freed to come in.” He took a step forward, making sure he can grab the pistol before Kyuhyun have the chance to. The man probably doesn’t even realized that the gun was lying there, “Fany isn’t the woman easily to be mess with, Kyuhyun. I told you before to leave her alone.”

 

A smile curved up his lips slightly with interest, “You’re here to talk about her?” Jaejoong’s face hardened. Kyuhyun laughed, throwing his head back, “Can’t a man be interested in a woman, especially the twin of a woman who used to come in here every Friday?”

 

Jaejoong jerked back & through gritted teeth, he muttered, “I promise you she won’t be coming back to that little cafe every day during lunch.”

 

“Took you long enough to figure it out that we have been meeting there ever since some weeks after Stephanie died. She’s a sweetheart. I listen to her every word of heartbreak that her twin sister’s husband had killed his own wife. Poor dear, I wanted to comfort her more than just listened to her cries. She’s got the body of a…” “Lay even one finger on her you’ll regret it forever.” Jaejoong interrupted, face growing darker every second.

 

Kyuhyun raised a brow, “I thought that she was your wife’s twin. Is she now your mistress?”

 

The banging on the door increased. Jaejoong glanced over his shoulder & then back at Kyuhyun. The door was halfway broken. He focused his gaze on the pistol. His risk of staying in the room any longer was more of a danger to his life than to have followed the woman into the room but the last time he checked, she was Yunho’s girlfriend. The woman had a sense of unsolved mystery he had seen before. In fact, she had the sense of abstruseness just like his Fany.

 

Jaejoong looked up & saw Kyuhyun’s eyes following his. He cursed & ran towards the pistol just as the man lurched forward at the same time. His right hand received a cutting blow from Kyuhyun as he stretched for the gun. In alerting another kick from him, Jaejoong quickly stepped back. He grabbed the man’s hand as Kyuhyun reached out for the pistol but doing so, he received a fist hitting the side of his jaw. His own solid clenched hand stretch out & punched him on the stomach, causing Kyuhyun to stumble back. In caution of the breaking door, Jaejoong snatched the pistol into his hands, only to have it knock out of his hand by a kick. His curse came spattering out as he fell onto the floor by another kick with his eyes closed. The pain of the fall ran through his back.

 

“You tried too hard, Jaejoong.”

Jaejoong opened his eyes, seeing Kyuhyun leaning over from above, smiling. His eyes closed briefly again, as a pain stabbed his back.

 

“Touch the gun & I’ll shoot.”

 

He angled his head, looking up at Rinnie. His eyes narrowed as a surprise, seeing her holding a pistol in her right hand. She seemed too confident in shooting anything that would get in her way. How she was posing at the time with a gun in her hand was too different from the woman he had met with his brother. She looked like an undercover cop with her long legs spread out, ready for action.

 

“Step away from the gun & see to it that your hands are up!” Yuri commanded, eyes narrowed at Kyuhyun. She signaled him with the gun, seeing that he was still leaning halfway down for the pistol. His dark eyes aimed sharply at her as he stepped back with his hands up in the air. His breath heaved.

 

“What the hell are you doing?!”

 

“A surprise for it, Oppa.” Yuri smirked, winking at him.

 

He snarled, “I should have known that you were an undercover cop.”

 

“Did I say that I was one?”

 

Relieved, Jaejoong grunted, rolled over & grabbed the pistol on the floor. Even though the pain was still lying heavily on his back, it was worth it to have been saved from a woman. He stood up & aimed the gun at the door just as it burst open.

 

“Took you two long enough just to fetch eight people to break that door open.” He nodded his head as a signal, “Make way please.” One glare from their boss, they stepped in slowly, “How about being our hostage, Kyuhyun?” Jaejoong continued, eyes fully on the guards, “Or would you prefer to let us out of here without any disruption to your pretty nightclub?”

 

Kyuhyun grunt, “You’re in luck this time.”

 

“Lovely answer.” Jaejoong glanced back at Yuri & then started to walked out of the room with her following from behind. He walked down the stairs, glancing up several times to make sure that his guards weren’t following them. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, letting her lead the way through the dance floor. If it weren’t for her, his life would have ended up there.

 

The fresh air outside was a breeze to him. He frowned from behind her back, “Hey.”

 

Yuri turned around, a thin smile on her glossy pink plump lips, “Your welcome.”

 

Jaejoong grimaced, “Thank you.” He handed the gun over to her. She stared at it, peered up at him & finally took it, “You didn’t arrest him.”

 

“Who says that I was a cop?” She her lips & threw both guns into her pocketbook.

 

He raised a questioning eyebrow but ditched the subject as he sensed her impatience, “What were you doing up there? You & Yun are still dating, right?”

 

Yuri grunted & bit her bottom lips, “We broke up long ago.” He saw a gleam in her eyes before she turned around & started to walk to her blue BMW Z4 car, “Did he not tell you?”

 

“No, but…”

 

“Sorry. I can’t chat. You owe me nothing. I didn’t save your life because I wanted to.” She opened the car door after unlocking it, “You just needed a little help there. Be careful next time if you want to mess with him again.” She entered the car & slammed the door shut. He stepped back as she started the engine. Not a moment that had passed, she scrolled the window down, “This Fany woman, you must really love her to defend her like that. Good luck.” With one smile at him, she pulled out of the parking space.