After dwelling in the agonising memories from her past for a moment, Mia snapped back to the present, her eyes, red-rimmed and still glassy from unshed tears as her gaze focused once more on Sarah and Samuel.
Mia continued her story, her words heavy with the weight of her past. "That was the moment when we decided to seek revenge for the deaths of our loved ones. One year had passed since the tragedy. In the same year, we had another child, a baby girl." As Mia spoke, her gaze turned towards Sarah, a small smile appearing on her face.
"And do you know who that baby girl was?"
Sarah and Samuel exchanged glances, their eyes flickering from each other to Mia, anxiously anticipating her revelation.
Mia's gaze remained locked on Sarah as she continued, "It was you, Sarah."
Hearing the unexpected words, Sarah was completely paralyzed with shock. She sat there, her body unresponsive, her gaze fixated on Mia as if her entire world had been turned upside down. The revelation seemed too inconceivable to accept, and she was left reeling, struggling to make sense of her own identity.
Samuel, too, was stunned, his eyes locked on Sarah, struggling to internalise the information Mia had just revealed. He was in a state of disbelief, unable to fully process the magnitude of Mia's words.
Then, struggling to connect the pieces of the puzzle, he turned to Mia. "If Kim Minho is my dad, you are his wife, and Sarah is his daughter, then what about Jia? And does that mean we're siblings?"
"No!" Mia's response was immediate.
Samuel found a fleeting sense of relief, but Mia continued, "But in a way, yes. Step siblings."
Samuel's confusion only deepened as he asked, "But how?"
Mia continued her explanation, the weight of their past decisions tangible in her words.
"When Sarah was born we named her Jia, and we placed her with a Korean family who had dual Italian citizenship and lived in Italy. We did this for her safety, and to separate her from us. And as we had handed over Sarah to another family, that family changed Sarah's name from Jia to Sarah. After that Minho and I started living separately as well, to keep our relationship concealed. And when Minho and I lived apart, Minho adopted a child from an orphanage to play the role of single father to the world ...."
"By that time we had become such that we didn't care about anyone else's child, as for the safety of our own child Sarah we gave her to someone else, but to play a role in front of the world, Minho adopted that child because it would not matter to us if that child went into danger, a child whose parents had passed away shortly after his birth…."
"That child was you, Samuel."
Samuel's mind raced, processing the details of his own identity. His thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and revelation, as he grappled with the reality of his parentage.He found himself speechless, his mind struggling to find words to express the myriad of emotions coursing through him.
Mia continued her story, her words filled with a sense of cold determination. "In this way, we continued plotting our revenge, and I formed a close relationship with a family whose member was involved with Jitoku Shin in the death of our loved ones. That gang member eventually left Jitoku Shin's gang two years later and joined another. And do you know which family I am talking about?"
Mia's gaze was fixed on Sarah and Samuel, as if gauging their reaction. The two of them were still reeling from the shock of her revelation and remained silent, as if unable to form any words in response.
"That family was Kang Jia's," Mia continued, her voice cold and resolute. "And the most ironic part of it all was that Jia's father was also involved in the death of my family, but neither he ever saw me or Minho. This was an advantage for me in seeking revenge. Over time, I forged a close bond with Jia's family. And one day, when the opportunity presented itself, Minho killed Jia's parents in front of her eyes when she was just 8 while I pretended to kill Minho. And then I kept Jia as a puppet, distancing her from her remaining family members. But do you know why I didn't kill these children?"
Her eyes fixed on Samuel and Sarah, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I wanted them to live a lifetime of anguish and sorrow, just as Minho and I did when we lost our parents. I wanted them to suffer the same pain we had endured."
Mia continued, "Afterwards, we gradually established our own mafia organisation, naming it 'Omnipotent.' During this time, Minho had undergone facial plastic surgery to conceal his identity even further."
Samuel stared at her, a mix of disbelief and confusion on his face.
Seeing his reaction, Mia chuckled mockingly, "You're probably thinking that Minho told you he had a major facial injury in an accident, that's why he did plastic surgery, right? But that's not the true story. The real reason why Minho had plastic surgery was to further keep his identity a secret. The story about an injury was just a cover-up to you."
"As time went on, we methodically sought revenge on our enemies one by one," Mia continued. "And here's a new revelation for you: Do you know who Jitoku Shin really is?"
A moment of silence.
"He's Daisy's father."
"Daisy, Jackson, Daniel - they're all part of this mafia family and are also mafiosos. There's even a mafioso king known as Venom, but we're not certain yet if it's Jitoku Jae. And they're currently searching for us to take their revenge on us. Do you know why?"
she asked, her voice dripping with contempt. And then Mia continued, with a calculating tone, "After many years of planning, Minho and I devised a game to play with Jitoku Shin. We sent a message to Jitoku Shin that we could eliminate everyone, but we were giving him the opportunity to save particular individuals within his family…."
"We offered this deal with the condition that they allow us to kill all the children of their family like Jackson, Daniel, Daisy, and his son, as well as Jitoku Jae, whom we doubt was just a shield for his real Son and at till that time we didn't know that Daisy was also Jitoku Shin's real daughter. And if Jitoku Shin would agree to this deal then we would spare the adults. And we did this because we wanted them to experience the same despair we felt in losing our loved ones, losing their own children in the process. However, Jitoku Shin was initially unwilling to accept our deal,"
Mia continued. "So we began to blackmail him in the same manner he had done to us. In the end, we presented Jitoku Shin with another condition, giving him two options. The first option was his own son, and the second option was the rest of his family's children. We told him to choose the option he wanted to spare. Strangely enough, Jitoku Shin chose the first option, which meant he wanted to save his own son. Even though Jitoku Shin was more powerful than us at that time, we managed to put him under pressure and took advantage of the fact that his mind would shut down when it came to his family. Using this, we gave him an opportunity to save his own son, while we planned to kill the rest of his family's children. So tell me, are we good or bad?"
Mia asked, her tone challenging. "Despite everything Jitoku Shin had done to us, we still showed him mercy by offering him this deal."
Samuel and Sarah weren't responding to her, their stiffness was visible as they both were just staring at Mia.
"But then, just like in a story, there was a surprising twist," Mia continued. "Jitoku Shin's own son, to this day we don't know the name of Jitoku Shin's real son. And his son contacted Minho, proposing an offer. He said that if Jitoku Shin had chosen him, his death would cause Jitoku Shin even more anguish. Therefore, Minho should target him rather than the other children. Somehow, Jitoku Shin's son had bewitched Minho, and Minho quickly agreed to the plan. Minho was telling me that there was something special about Jitoku Shin's son, like his son spell something on him and that he wanted us to fulfil our revenge, but only against Jitoku Shin himself, not his entire family and since we had set this condition, so we should choose to target him because he was the most valuable to the Jitoku family."
"But. But. But. I had qualms about this plan. While it was true that Jitoku Shin had wiped out our entire family, targeting only his one son who had come to Minho himself to ask to be killed didn't sit well with me," Mia continued. "We didn't know the whereabouts of the Jitoku family, so we waited for the day they would leave their security zone, and we could confront them near the centre of the city, where they were preparing for their son's coronation. That day came, and it proved to be a huge mistake on their part. Minho had fulfilled his promise of sparing the other children and killing Jitoku Shin's son, but I sent my own men to the coronation site to kill all the adults except children without telling Minho. Even my own men became martyrs in the process."
"Afterward, Minho became quite angry with me knowing this, but I was satisfied. That's when I wanted to take things further and finish Jitoku Shin's genes, meaning his daughter, as well as the shield of his son, who was alive even after the death of Jitoku Shin's son and had now taken over as the mafia king. We weren't aware of who the shield was among Jitoku Shin's family's children, nor did we know who his daughter was because we had heard that Jitoku Shin had hidden her and had never kept her within the family. This was the reason why, after all these years, we hadn't been able to locate Jitoku Shin's daughter and the shield, as we were steadfast in our principles, focusing on targeting only those who were our intended targets. As a result, it took us years to learn anything about Jitoku Shin's daughter."
"To think we believed a rumour all these years, that Jitoku Shin had hidden his daughter and not kept her within the family," Mia chuckled amusingly. "It turns out that Jitoku Shin's daughter is none other than Daisy herself, and now we also suspect that Jitoku Jae is the shield and the mafia king. And you know what? It was quite a challenge convincing Minho to target them, as he kept insisting that our revenge was already complete. However, I managed to persuade him because I felt the revenge was incomplete. And this is the reason why Daisy, Daniel, Jackson, and the mafia king, Venom, are pursuing us to take revenge. It's funny how we know their identities but they don't know ours."
"Isn't it funny? One more interesting thing is that I brought Bella from Canada to Korea as Jia's bodyguard two and half years ago. And guess what?" Mia paused dramatically.
"Bella is also a Canadian mafia queen of Crimson Hawks organisation and Jia's blood sister." Mia leaned back in the chair.
"You might be wondering why I took the risk to reunite them after keeping them apart for so many years. The truth is, I was just bored and craved some excitement in my life. I wanted to see if the sisters would recognize each other and would recognize my true identity, and if they did, what tactics they would use to exact their revenge on me. Unfortunately, Bella had already discovered my real identity a year and a half ago but she didn't take action against me, that was a boring thing. But now, in the present, Jia has abandoned her acting career, which tells me that she has also discovered my true identity,"
Mia continued. "Isn't it amusing? What an unexpected turn of events, don't you think? I can't wait to see how this drama unfolds. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you about Kang Myung. You must have known about him, he was a well-known young businessman who has passed away. And he was actually Jia's stepbrother, whom I had brainwashed since childhood to work for me. Myung developed a deep hatred for his sisters and began working for me. In a funny twist, Jitoku Jae was also one of Myung's business rivals."
"It's odd how everything seems to revolve around members of the Jitoku family. Myung had a fierce rivalry with Jae, and they were even ready to kill each other. Once, Myung even sent a sniper to kill Leo. You both must know him as Jae's cousin but unfortunately, Leo survived,"
Mia continued. "Later, I discovered that Myung's death was caused by the mafia king, Venom, which made me feel quite sad because Myung had been loyal to me. Now, I've decided to avenge Myung's death, and since he wanted to kill Leo, I'll make sure to take care of that too. It's going to be quite fun," Mia added with a smirk then took a very deep breath.
"That was quite a long story, wasn't it? You both must have gone through an emotional rollercoaster ride." Mia mocked Samuel and Sarah, who sat quietly watching her. They were silent as if every word Mia spoke had robbed them of their ability to speak.
"I think I've answered all the questions that were going through your minds earlier, right?---oh, there's one more thing I forgot to mention," Mia continued. "I used to send flowers to Sarah with my address because I missed my daughter, but I had become so engrossed in playing the thrill games that I wanted Sarah to find me on her own and then sit down like this to tell her the whole story, like in a movie. However, it turned out that I got a pleasant surprise because Samuel has also come here without any extra effort, which is quite nice."
Saying this Mia started laughing maniacally, her laugh echoed throughout the room, creating a chilling atmosphere.
Sarah and Samuel watched in silence as Mia's laughter filled the air. Their eyes locked onto her, fully comprehending that Mia had gone completely insane during the process of seeking revenge, becoming a psycho that no one could rehabilitate. They were trapped in a room with a complete psychopath, with no chance of escape or intervention.
Mia suddenly stood up from her chair and began walking around Samuel and Sarah's chair, mockingly taunting them with her gaze. The sound of her footsteps echoed eerily throughout the room, further intensifying the tense atmosphere.
"Why are you both so quiet? And Sarah, why aren't you saying anything? I thought you'd be happy to find out that I'm your mother," Mia mocked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
At that moment, Sarah chuckled, then it rapidly transformed into a loud, uncontrollable laugh, her voice filling the empty room. Samuel and Mia both stared at her in surprise as Sarah continued to laugh hysterically, struggling to contain herself.
Through her laughter, she managed to say, "You're saying that you gave me to another family for my own safety? What a joke!"
As Sarah laughed, Samuel looked on in a mix of apprehension and fear. With a mocking tone, Sarah continued, "The family you sent me to was abusive. They treated me horribly, to the point where I ran away from home and started living alone. And you say that you looked after my safety? This is the biggest joke in the world."
Mia stood frozen in place, her gaze fixed on Sarah, who was struggling to catch her breath from all the laughing.
Samuel couldn't believe what he was hearing either, the revelation leaving him utterly stunned. Samuel tried to speak, but his voice seemed to have been taken away by the shocking news. He watched Sarah with a mix of shock and concern, unable to comprehend the extent of the abuse she had endured.
And then Sarah's laughter quickly turned into heart-wrenching sobs, and she dropped to the ground in her chair, letting her body go limp. She continued crying on the floor, her tears flowing nonstop.
Samuel, watching from his seat, felt his heart ache deeply for Sarah.
He immediately got up from his chair and knelt down beside her, comforting her by gently rubbing her back.
Between sobs, Sarah managed to utter the words, "You don't have any explanation for this, do you? Because you've become a complete psycho, my so-called mother. I wish I had never discovered the truth about my identity, I wish I could go back to being blissfully ignorant. All the people around me have their own secrets, and even my friends are involved in something dangerous. I didn't even know who I really was in this world."
Sarah's words were punctuated by sobs and deep, shaking breaths. Samuel continued to rub her back gently, trying his best to comfort her in this difficult moment.
Mia began pacing again, her expression betraying no remorse for the sight of her daughter in tears. It was clear that there was no shred of compassion left in her. As she walked towards the door in that room she entered from, she paused and turned to face Samuel and Sarah.
With a hint of arrogance in her voice, she spoke, "There's no point in crying now. The truth always comes to light eventually. Imagine if Jitoku Shin hadn't done that to us in the start. Our family would have been a happy one, and perhaps you would have stayed with us all along. Do you think we did wrong in seeking revenge, Sarah?"
Samuel and Sarah sat silently, listening to Mia's words. Sarah eventually stopped crying, now her sobs were only audible. They could sense the coldness in Mia's voice, and the absence of any empathy for the pain Sarah was experiencing. Samuel's expression remained stoic, hiding the anger and resentment bubbling inside him.
Mia's voice cut through the heavy atmosphere in the room once again as she spoke, "Sarah, I have an offer for you. If you come to me now, you'll have to do everything I say. But if you don't, I can't let you both leave alive after what you've learned today."
Hearing this Samuel seethed with anger, quickly snapped at her, "Keep your nonsense offer to yourself."
Despite Samuel's furious outburst, Mia continued to gaze at Sarah, impatiently demanding a response. "Sarah, you need to make a decision. Do you want to save yourself and Samuel, or do you want to refuse my offer?"
Sarah sat silently on the floor, her unfocused gaze fixed on the floor in front of her. She seemed lost in her thoughts, struggling to process the overwhelming events and the choices she now faced.
Samuel turned his attention to Sarah, desperation in his eyes. "Sarah, don't listen to her. If we're destined to die, we'll do it together, but you won't be going with her. Understand?" Samuel clutched Sarah's shoulders, imploring her to understand his words.
Sarah, however, silently looked at Samuel with an unfocused gaze, her eyes conveying a sense of darkness and detachment that Samuels hadn't seen before. It was as if something had taken hold of Sarah, leaving Samuels feeling increasingly anxious about her well-being.
Samuel urgently shook Sarah's body, pleading for her attention. "Sarah, are you understanding what I'm saying?" However, Sarah seemed detached, her gaze unfocused on him.
Just then, Mia spoke from behind, a smirk on her face. "Sarah, come to me. Joining me is the best decision you can make. You can save Samuel, and yourself as well."
Listening to her words Samuel shook Sarah again, his voice desperate. "Sarah, you can't listen to her. You're not like her, you're a good girl. Going towards her means going towards the evil path. And you hate evil, right?"
Sarah continued to sit silently, her eyes still unfocused and distant. Mia's words hung in the air, attempting to tempt Sarah towards her. Samuel's words echoed with urgency, trying to appeal to Sarah's goodness and discourage her from following Mia's lead.
Mia called out again, demanding Sarah's choice. "Sarah, come to me. Do you want to save your and Samuel's life or not?"
Sarah finally turned her gaze towards Mia and began to stand up.
Seeing this, Samuel quickly grabbed Sarah, trying to stop her. "Sarah, what are you doing? I know you're feeling sad right now, but you shouldn't make any decisions while you're sad. Why can't you understand?"
However, Sarah stood up shakily, her face tear-streaked and conflicted. Samuel continued to hold onto her, determined to keep her from making a decision she might regret.
Meanwhile, Mia watched the scene with an amused smirk, seemingly enjoying the desperation in Samuel's voice.
Sarah looked at Samuel and forcefully pushed him away, releasing her from his grip. Samuel watched helplessly as Sarah began walking towards Mia, his desperation and confusion only growing.
Just as he was about to take a step forward to stop her again, Mia shouted, "Portalo via da qui!"
The door burst open, and two men rushed in, grabbing Samuel from both sides. Samuel struggled to break free, his eyes fixed on Sarah.
Desperately, he called out her name, yelling, "Sarah, what happened to you? Why aren't you listening to me? Sarah!!!"
However, Sarah didn't turn around to look back at him. Samuel continued struggling against the men's grip, his fear and helplessness mounting as he watched Sarah walk away without even acknowledging him.
As Sarah reached Mia, Mia smirked, watching Sarah approach. Then Sarah opened the door in front of which Mia was standing and then entered inside the door without saying a word, leaving Samuel outside, still shouting her name desperately.
Meanwhile, Mia, who had been watching Sarah, turned to him and said, "If you want Sarah to stay safe and avoid any danger, you better keep your mouth shut. Consider this a warning from me." With that, Mia entered the room, leaving Samuel stranded with the two thugs.
In that moment, Samuel felt a sense of emptiness inside, as if he had lost Sarah. Her without saying a word and without turning back before leaving caused his heart to ache strangely. It was a dark feeling that he had never experienced before in Sarah, even when being surrounded by Sarah's positive aura.
He realised that Sarah was now far away, just within a single day, in a single room, conversation between three people. Samuel never thought something like this would happen, but now what?
Samuel let his body go limp, and the two men started pulling him away, but Samuel's gaze remained fixed on the door through which Sarah had disappeared. He couldn't help but feel a pang of helplessness and despair as he was forcefully taken away, wondering if he ever will forget that room.
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Some days passed.
The air inside the car was filled with a comfortable silence as Jae continued to drive, keeping his eyes focused on the road ahead. Jia gazed out the window, her eyes tracing the familiar night skyline of the crowded city they were travelling through. The busy streets were lit up in a sea of flickering neon lights, casting a vibrant glow across the landscape.
As the car came to a stop at a traffic light, they both silently waited for the green signal. Jae glanced at Jia, his gaze filled with a warm affection, and he continued to admire her silently.
All of a sudden, Max appeared at Jia's side's window like a ghost, causing Jia to flinch and move backwards in surprise. Max was breathing heavily, clearly winded from running. Jae, equally surprised, also turned to look at Max.
Jia placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm herself down, and asked him, "You scared me. What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Max responded, still catching his breath, "I'm glad I ran into you two here. I don't have any cash on me, and my phone battery is dead, so I can't book a taxi online. Could you guys give me a ride? I'd really appreciate it."
Hearing his words, Jia immediately replied, "No problem, come on, get in the car."
Max smiled gratefully and quickly climbed into the backseat of the car. As Max settled into the backseat, he handed his phone to Jae with a request. "Jae, can you charge my phone please?"
Without hesitation, Jae took the phone from Max's hand and plugged it into the car's charger. Max took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down as the traffic light turned green and Jae resumed the driving.
Jia turned towards him and chuckled, asking, "Where did you come from?"
Max, still winded, explained, "I had a meeting at a restaurant, but it ended up taking much longer than I thought. I didn't bring my car, thinking it would be quick, but here I am."
Listening to Max's explanation, Jia chuckled and teased him, saying, "That's what they call the consequences of being careless."
Max chuckled at Jia's comment and asked, "You're right, well where are you two headed?"
"We just had dinner and are now on our way home." Jia replied.
And Max leaned back comfortably in his seat and sighed, saying, "I don't know when I'll finally transition from single to mingle."
Jia giggled and asked, "So you've no girlfriend?"
Max looked at her with a disappointed expression and said, "Never had one in my entire life."
Hearing this, Jia couldn't help but chuckle and turn back to forward in her seat while laughing, asking curiously, "How is that possible? You're so handsome."
As Jia complimented Max's appearance, Jae couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy. He unconsciously began undoing the top buttons of his shirt but didn't say anything, simply continued to concentrate on driving while listening to their conversation.
"Actually," Max continued, "I never found the time to be in a relationship."
Jia chuckled and said, "No worries, I'm sure girls must be checking you out all the time."
Max blushed shyly and chuckled, "Don't flatter me."
Meanwhile, Jae, feeling uncomfortable with Jia's full attention on Max, interjected, "Max, I think your phone is ringing."
Max and Jia both looked at Jae, slightly confused. Max replied, "But my phone is dead. You charged it, remember?"
After Max's remark, Jae facepalmed in his mind but quickly covered it up by saying, "I think someone's trying to call you. Check your phone just to make sure."
Max and Jia looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders in agreement. Max then said, "Fine, give me my phone." Jae promptly handed Max's phone to him, trying to control his jealousy.
He poked his tongue inside his cheek, taking a deep breath as he saw Jia still focused on Max. To draw her attention, Jae cleared his throat, pretending to be adjusting his collar. Despite Jae's attempts to get her attention, Jia continued to focus on Max. Frustrated, Jae started pretending to clear his throat again and again, but Jia still didn't look his way.
More frustrated, he continued his act until he was actually forced to clear his throat and began coughing profusely.
Finally, Jia turned to look at him, concerned, and said, "Wait, I'll get you some water."
She reached into her bag to get the water bottle. Jae suddenly said, "No water, I need something soft."
That instantly froze Jia, who turned to look at him in disbelief. Her eyes shifted to check if Max had overheard their conversation, but Max was too busy trying to turn on his switched off phone.
She looked back at Jae, her disbelief still evident on her face. "W-what do you mean?" she exclaimed, trying to keep her voice low to prevent Max from noticing.
Jae leaned in closer, a playful smile on his face as he briefly looked at her lips, and whispered, "You know exactly what I mean, Jia."
Jia's cheeks turned a slight pink as she realised what he was implying. She quickly glanced at Max again to make sure he was still distracted before responding in a hushed tone, "Yes I get it. You need water."
She promptly took out a water bottle from her bag and placed it on Jae's lap. The sight of her reaction only widened Jae's smirk, prompting him to murmur softly, "Well I didn't need this, anyway eyes on me."
Saying this, he finally sat back down properly in his seat and started to focus on the road. The air in the car seemed to grow slightly tenser as the two exchanged subtle hints and glances, with an unspoken understanding between them. Meanwhile, Max continued to focus on his phone, seemingly oblivious to the subtle tension.
Just then, Max's concerned voice broke the silence. As he was looking down at his phone, a hint of worry evident on his face. "Jae, you were right," Max said, glancing briefly at his phone. "Leo has called me multiple times."
As Max mentioned this, Leo's call appeared on Max's phone screen once again. Both Jia and Jae turned their attention towards Max, and he immediately answered the call, still looking concerned.
He placed the phone against his ear, and said, "Hello Leo!"
As soon as he said he was compelled to listen intently to the voice on the other end. As he heard the full extent of the situation, Max's eyes widened in horror and concern.
He urgently spoke into the phone, "Leo, don't worry, I'm on my way. Just keep your eyes open and try to handle yourself, okay? I'll be there as fast as I can. Please stay on the line." The intensity in his voice reflected his desperation.
Jia and Jae couldn't help but feel a sense of concern after witnessing Max's panicked state.
As Max turned to brief them, the words he spoke sent shockwaves through them. "Jae," Max said, his voice filled with urgency, "Leo's been attacked. Someone stabbed him multiple times. We have to hurry and get there right now."
The realisation of the seriousness of the situation dawned upon Jia and Jae, their faces reflecting a mix of shock and concern.
"Where is he?" Jae responded, as he quickly reacted to the situation, his voice filled with determination.
Jia looked at Max, her own concern etched across her face.
Without further delay, Max immediately told them, "Deserted alley some distance away from the Ellui club."
Jae immediately increased his car speed, driving it as fast as possible to reach Leo's location.
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