Uncle Woo handed her the baked goodies. She held the bag in her arms and said, “Thank you, Uncle. We are sorry for coming out of the blue…”
“Oh please, dear. You are always welcome here, dear,” Uncle Woo smiles. “You can make your little friends you guys second home.”
“It’s such a surprise that you accept…them also,” Melody glances at Damian and the others talking.
The old man chuckles, “I know they are mafia.”
“You do?” She arches her eyebrows.
“Dear, who wouldn’t know Damian D’ Angelo?” Uncle Woo smirks. Then, he glanced at those people, “Besides, he seems to… be taking care of you so well.”
“Is that why you didn’t ask too many questions?” Melody asks.
“Yup. Seeing the way he’s looking at you, I can see that he cares so much about you. He just seems like a bad man from outside,” Uncle Woo winks.
“He can be obnoxious too,” Melody whispers.
He chuckles, “You can’t say like that about your husband.”
“It’s true-wait. How did you know…” she frowns.
“I might be an old man but I can see everything, dear,” he smiles. “You can’t fool this old man.”
Melody stares at him then chuckles. She hugs him, and the old man wraps his arms around her. He knows this girl is having a hard time right now. He doesn’t have to ask any questions.
His hand pats her head. “I feel glad that you got someone to take care of you, dear. You got a good family with you.”
Melody couldn’t hold the tears that brimming in her eyes. It has been so long since she hasn’t felt this fatherly hug.
To be honest, this hug makes her remember her father.
“Well, just come here if you need anything,” Uncle Woo pats her back.
“Sure,” Melody nods without looking at him. She tried her best to hide her tears.
Damian noticed her existence. His eyes catch on the tears that are brimming in her eyes. He understands what is happening right now.
“Thank you, we appreciate your help,” Damian bowed his head.
“No worries, young man. Take care of your wife,” Uncle Woo smiles.
“Young man? Uncle, he is already 29-Argh!” Matthew grunts in pain when Celestia steps on his foot.
She smiles in apology before pulling Matthew out with her. Victor shakes his head slightly before walking after them. Damian looks down at Melody who keeps her head down.
“We will be off now,” Damian announced before wrapping his arms around her shoulder.
They leave the store and go straight to the car. Melody didn’t say anything and just got inside the car. Uncle Woo is standing outside the store watching the car drive away from his store.
“So, we are going to Riccardo?” Matthew asks who is driving right now.
“Yes. We have no place to go except there,” Damian said.
“Can we trust him though? I’m not sure about that guy,” Matthew speaks up.
Victor rolls his eyes, “Can you shut your mouth and just keep driving?”
“Excuse me? I’m a driver so I have the right to speak up,” he scoffs.
“As if it is,” Celestia mumbles.
“I heard it!” Matthew glares at her from the mirror.
Damian ignored their conversation. He turns to his side, seeing Melody just looking down at her fingers. She fiddles with her fingers, seems like she’s thinking of something. He knows what she thinks of.
“Are you okay?” He whispers.
She didn’t answer.
“Mel,” Damian slightly nudged her. She flinches and looks at him, “I ask, are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine.” Melody answers.
“You seem not,”
Melody sighs. She didn’t feel like talking about it. Her head leans on his shoulders, Damian automatically reaches for her hands, intertwines their fingers. He knows she’s feeling down right now.
“I miss my dad…” she mumbles.
“I can see it in your eyes,” he mumbles.
“I know it’s random but…I just can’t help it,” Melody sighs. “Do you know that kind of feeling?”
Damian paused for a moment, “Not really. I still have my parents. You know what? You are not alone. You still have my parent. They are your parents too.”
“I know…” she mumbles.
“How about…we visit his grave after everything is done?” Damian suggested.
“Really?”
He nods. “It seems like I have to list down everything that I promised you to.”
She chuckles and snuggles on his chest. Damian’s hand reached her hair, stroking it slightly. A small smile appeared on his face seeing her giggles.
They finally arrived at Riccardo’s base. Matthew pulled the brakes. Melody looks outside the window and is amazed by how big and luxurious his base is.
“Wow…” she mumbles.
Damian scoffs, “Mine is better.”
They get out of the car. Riccardo came out of the mansion, he got a surprised expression on his face. He didn’t expect Damian to come here without being asked.
“Hey! Riccardo!!” Melody beams and waves her hands.
They walk towards him. Damian just looks deadpan with his hands inside his pocket.
“Hey, little flower. It’s such a…surprised to see all of you here,” Riccardo smiles.
“We need your help,” Melody speaks.
He looks at Damian for confirmation, “Yes, we need your help.” Damian nods.
“Oh…um…okay. I-I mean, come in,” Riccardo invites.
Matthew rushed in, causing all of them to be confused. “I need to pee!!” He yells.
They just ignore him as they are used to his weird act. Riccardo led them to the living room while he called a maid.
“Prepared the drinks for them,” he demands.
The maid nods and goes to the kitchen. Melody takes a seat on the couch with Damian beside her. He put his arms behind her head, staring at Riccardo with firm gazes. He looks at them one by one.
“So… you need my help?” Riccardo arches his eyebrows.
“Yes. It’s about Matthias. How did he know about my secret base?” Damian inquired.
“I’m not sure about that. There must be a traitor in your clan,” he frowns. “Why? What happened?”
“We got ambushed and we got nowhere to go,” Victor added.
“Ambushed!?” His eyes widen.
Damian scoffs, “You act like you didn’t know it.”
“Because I do DIDN’T know about it,” he firmly speaks.
“Yeah right,” Damian rolls his eyes.
Riccardo narrows his eyes on him, “You speak like it was I who told them your location.”
“Yes because you are the only one who knows my secret base. No one else,” Damian glares at him.
“Dam-“Melody stops talking when he shuts her off.
“No, Mel. Who else other than him!?” He added.
Riccardo gritted his teeth in anger. He had enough of Damian blaming and accusing him for something he didn’t do. He tries his best to be patient with him but all of this is already reaching his limit.
He gets up, “Dam, I told you one last time. I had nothing to do with Matthias’s plan. You have to stop your accusing.”
“And let you destroy everything? I don’t think so,” Damian firmly speaks.
“If I want to kill Melody or you, I have already done it the first time we met. I already pointed my gun at Melody’s head if I want to,” Riccardo scowls.
“I bet you were. I shouldn’t have let you be close with my wife,” Damian chuckles in sarcasm.
Suddenly, Riccardo pulls out his gun and points at Melody. She stiffened at her place. Victor and Celestia pull out their gun and point at Riccardo. Meanwhile, Damian didn’t do anything, just staring at him.
“I will do this the first time I met her. I will do this when I meet you at the hotel. I have a lot of chances to kill all of you but I didn’t.”
“Why? Because I’m not my father, Dam. I had enough of you blaming and accusing me. It makes me sick.”
Melody reaches her fingers to the gun and slightly pokes it. She is distracted by the gun, not even afraid of it. She knows Riccardo wouldn’t shoot her or anyone here. He just tired of all the blaming and accusing by Damian.
“If you don’t believe me…I can leave this place and go back to my outstation. If that’s what makes you feel relief,” Riccardo lowered his gun.
Damian signs the others to lower their gun as well. There’s a pause of tensions in the atmosphere. No one speaks. Damian and Riccardo are staring at each other as if they are communicating through eyes.
Matthew, who just finished his business in the bathroom, walks into the living room. “That was a relief…” he sighs in relief.
His steps halt when he notices something in the living room. The tensions in the room were too strong.
“I guess it’s not the right time…” he mumbles.
Damian lets out a sigh. He pushed his hair backward. He didn’t want to say when he realised how much he put the pressure on Riccardo. This whole time, he just thought of himself, the pain he brought to his shoulder without thinking about Riccardo.
He crossed his arms on his chest, “It must be hard for both of us…”
“Is that the only thing you can say?” Melody frowns.
He pinches her cheeks, “Don’t interrupt the conversation.”
“I’m sorry…” she whines.
Riccardo put his gun in the pocket, “It is. I’m sorry-I…too emotional today.”
“I should be the one saying that. I shouldn’t have…think of myself only.” Damian looks away, didn’t like the fact that he talking about his feelings.
“I came here asking for your help but…instead of that, I did the opposite stuff,”
“How about we talk about this later and talk about what we should do next?” Matthew suggested. “It’s not like I want to interrupt this beautiful moment.”
Riccardo nods, “He was right. What can I do?”
“We need to go to Matthias and end all of this,” Damian said.
“We can’t just go to him like that. Don’t you guys have a plan or something?” Riccardo arches his eyebrows.
“That’s why we came for help,” he added.
Melody just sits there and listens. Riccardo’s eyes fell on her, “He’s targeting her, didn’t he?”
“Yes. Because he knows, once he got her, he has the full power over me,” Damian’s eyes darkened. “And no. We wouldn’t make her as a bait.”
Suddenly, the sounds of gunshots are heard from outside.