Chapter 27:

Jiyong’s P.O.V

                “Why did you call me here?” I propped up my hands and laced my fingers together, looking at her seriously.

                She looked up and chuckled. “Kwon Jiyong, there is no need to be stiff when talking to me,” she said. I sighed and nodded. There was no winning to this girl anyway.

                We met here in a café because she said she’s going to give me something. Something that matters to me or was it something that proves me wrong, it was either of the two. She called me early in the morning, so, I didn’t remember what she said to me.

                “What are you going to give me?”

                She nodded. “So, you now know that your mom is one of us and that she was in Italy when she was sick.”

                I nodded in response. “And that you all treated her when she was sick,” I said not mad and not even happy. It was so-so, I guess. And that Leigh was my mother’s personal doctor when she was still alive.

                She nodded and pushed an album towards me. I looked at her strangely then glanced back at the album. “What is this,” I asked while pointing at it.

                She chuckled and said, “It’s an album.”

                 I looked at her in disbelief. Did I look like I didn’t know what an album is? I’m neither blind nor stupid not to know it. “What I want right now is the bracelet I gave my mother?” I stared at her firmly.

                 She sighed and shook her head on me. “Jiyong, that bracelet can’t be given to you. It is something your mother left for her,” she stated.

                 “Cara, I want that bracelet,” I said again and ignored what she said.

                 Cara closed her eyes and groaned. “Leigh will not give it to you,” she declared. “Even I want you to have that bracelet but Leigh will not give it to you even if you force her.” She said like she was fighting with something desperately.

                 “Did my mother give it to her then?”

                 “Yes,” Cara replied short. “Anyway, Leigh said that this is the last request she had from your mother. She even said that forgive your mother. She never missed one special occasion of your life. She never did.” She stood up and bowed.

                 What was she talking about? Of course, she missed everything. Nobody knows where she went for the past years. She never did try to contact me, not once.

                 I tilted my head when I saw a piece of paper taped in front of the album. It had a message written on it. Try looking at it. Just a few pages will do. I recognized the handwriting. It was hers definitely. Then why didn’t she come here instead of Cara? Did she really cut all the ties to me?

                 Even in the party, Leigh didn’t even look my way. She was either talking to a waiter or a man taking interest at her. I wanted to kill those bastards but what made me angry was she was entertaining them and she was smiling so politely at them. TOP even went there and was teasing her like how Min-ho . Am I the one who lied? Why was I the one suffering?

                 “Why are you doing this to me,” I grumbled and ran my hand in my hair in frustration.

                 “Boss,” Top called. I looked up. “We will have to assist Kumiko together with Sohee to a coffee shop,” he reported.

                 I nodded in response, gave him the album, and then walked out of this coffee shop. One coffee shop down, one more to go. What was this coffee shop day?

                 “Is this the coffee shop you want to go?” Sohee asked cheerfully.

                 Why was Sohee with us anyway? Everyone looked annoyed with her. Even I was irritated already but I let her since I hated babysitting the most. Kumiko looks like she was enjoying the company of Sohee. W-O-W, wow! Someone was enjoying with that mouth of hers for the first time. She should be a great tour guide. Should I suggest that to uncle to get rid of her?

                 I then heard Kumiko’s ‘ah’ and Sohee’s hissed. I looked to where they were looking at and saw her. But she was not looking at the girls or at our direction. She looked out, her gaze blank. She was like not herself and she was pale too.

                 “Leigh, eat the carrot sticks already.” If I was right that was Bom, her unnie. She grabbed Leigh’s hand and gave her a stick.

                 Leigh didn’t even look at it and munched on it. Dara, her other unnie, and Bom stared at her sorrowfully then sighed. “Shall we get our seats?” Kumiko said and smiled innocently. No one in this kind of business would be innocent even if she smiles as sweet as angel.

                 We were about to walked past them but Sohee’s mouth was unstoppable. “What is a mafia...” She stopped there and it was like she was testing them. All heads turned around, their expressions unfathomable. She pounded her palms on their table. This girl was really asking for a fight.

                 “Are you a rabbit now? Is that’s why you are eating carrots now?” Sohee taunted.

                 Leigh only