“What’s the matter?”
“I went home today and didn’t see Colin.”
“She is probably staying at some other places.”
“Impossible, If Gillian comes back, she would be back, too. But I didn’t see her at all. That’s weird.”
“That’s no big deal if you didn’t see her. What? Is it because it’s been a long time you didn’t bully her and now miss her?”
Kevin felt sleepy with his voice softening.
“No, I’ve been thinking whether she has died… ”
“This idea is dark…
“It was Gillian who said so. She said it was because of me who ruined her family. So who was ruined? She must refer to her dad, her mom and herself when she said family.”
“If she is actually dead, that will be better. She needs to take the consequence of her own folly.”
“If you are available tomorrow, go ask Master White, he will know.”
“Ok, you should go to bed, it’s late…”
The next day Kevin did go to visit Master White. Except for asking something about Colin, Kevin talked about Master White’s son with him.
While Kevin got back at home at night, Bella hurried to ask him, “How was it going? Any news about Colin?”
Kevin nodded, “Yes.”
“Where is she?”
“You guessed right.”
“She is dead?” Bella shocked with her hands covering her mouth.
“Yeah.”
“Come on, tell me what was going on?”
Though it was within Bella’s prediction, she still found it was quite inconceivable when hearing the news that Colin was actually dead.
“She was dead two years ago. Back then Colin and her mother had gone to M City. One night, the men of Master White had a dispute with another gang and accidentally shot Colin to death who was just passing by. Master White had a soft and kind heart. He took in Gillian who had no one to rely on in this world. Five months later, Gillian suddenly suggested to marry him. Master White thought it was improper. But out of guilt to Gillian’s mother, he said yes.
So that was the case. Bella was enlightened all of a sudden. She couldn’t figure out how did Gillian know someone like Master White and also didn’t know how she plotted her way to marry him. It turned out that this bizarre marriage was based on human life.
“She might think that if I hadn’t forced them to leave B City, her mother wouldn’t have died of the accident.”
“Why do I think it is because she was an evil-doer?”
“So do I…”
Kevin was still as busy as usual. He was competing with Hilary while investigating Master White’s son. So was Hilary. She was working against Kevin while looking for Master White’s son. But Kevin was very low key while she was making a big deal out of it.
She posted a notice on every possible place, TV, newspaper, the Internet. People who could help her find Master White’s son or provide clues would receive a generous reward.
On this day, an unexpected guest came to Kevin’s office.
And few days later, Kevin called Alvin to come to the company.
“Mr. Jones-Sharp, what can I do for you?”
Kevin looked away from the computer and gestured to the sofa, “Have a seat.”
Alvin was stunned. Apparently, he was confused that why Kevin asked him to sit down first. Usually, Kevin would assign tasks to him and let him leave when there is nothing to do. Today his act was abnormal.
Alvin sat on the sofa, feeling weird. Soon, Kevin joined him.
There was a faxed file in Kevin’s hand. Alvin hadn’t seen it yet, so he didn’t know what the file was all about.
“You had laser surgery.”
Kevin’s words, seemingly inadvertent, stirred a huge turmoil in Alvin’s mind. He looked up shockingly with his brain buzzing. After a while, he finally asked, “How did you know?”
Kevin passed that fax to him. It was the information Kevin had collected about when and where Alvin had a what kind of operation.
“I want to know why you hide this?”
Alvin remained silent. Kevin continued, “Let me tell you, because you have known that you are Master White’s son a year ago and you’ve known that he was looking for you, as a result, you secretly removed that birthmark.”
“Am I right?” Alvin didn’t deny it.
“How did you know?”
“Your first girlfriend, Winifred, came to see me the other day. She saw the notice that Hilary had posted and associated it with the same birthmark on your leg. Winifred thought about you often and even knew that Hilary and I were on bad terms. She worried that Hilary might be bad for you so she came to ask me what was going on. She was intended to ask you in person but worried that you wouldn’t see her because she had cheated on you. She didn’t want to make fool of herself.”
Alvin didn’t speak and looked very upset.
“She asked me to give you a message, you are the only man she ever loved, she will remember you forever.”
“Don’t mention her anymore.”
Alvin didn’t want to recall that terrible relationship, waving his hands impatiently.
“Ok, then tell me why you lied to me? If I remember correctly, this was your first time in the last ten years that you lied to me.”
Kevin recalled that when he asked Alvin whether he had the birthmark that afternoon, he said no without thinking. And Alvin even didn’t ask why Kevin asked that bizarre question. Kevin didn’t take it seriously then, but now it seemed very unusual.
At least, it was not the way Alvin was.
“Because I don’t need a father like him.”
After a long silence, Alvin spat out this sentence.
“Why?”
“I’m used to being an orphan.”
“Stoping lying. Maybe you have some misunderstanding about him? Nobody would get used to being an orphan. ”
“If you were me, would you want someone to be your father, who was a Mafia, lost his child, led his wife to commit suicide and later married a woman who was twenty years younger than him? ”
Kevin suddenly understood why Alvin held grudge against Master White, “So you’ve already known that Gillian married Master White a year ago?”
“Yes. And I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you this news at first considering the relationship between me and him. And because that was not the task you had assigned to me. It was the dean of the orphanage where I once lived there called me. He said there were a bunch of people inquiring that whether they’ve taken in a boy with a birthmark on his leg. The dean thought that those people looked like bad guys so he didn’t tell them but told me. After that, I started to investigate my family background and was sure that I was the one that Master White was looking for. But after I’ve known what kind of person he was, I removed the birthmark without hesitation. I don’t need a father like him, so I want him never to find me.”
“No wonder that every time I asked you to join me to visit Master White, you always found excuses to refuse.”
Kevin couldn’t help nodding, “My wife is sort of a prophet… She insists that you are the son of Master White. And she even suggested to let you and Master White do the DNA identification.”
“Mr. Kevin, you’ve known why I keep this as a secret. You won’t tell anyone?”
Hilary went out all her way to search Master White’s son. If she knew that she was actually doing my favor, her reaction would be very interesting.”
“You won’t undermine my interests for beating down Hilary, right? ”
Alvin seemed nervous.
“Actually, you might hold some misunderstanding about your father. He is a mafia indeed, but he is not that evil.”
“So you’re going to flatter Master White by telling him that I’m his son and then take down Hilary?”
“I’m glad that you’ve found your father, but why it was Master White…?” Kevin rubbed his forehead, “If you admit that he is your father, wouldn’t you and my sister have to call Gillian mom? My sister hates that woman so much, if she needs to call Gillian mom, she definitely wouldn’t marry you. Even if she loves you so much that she is willing to take that insult, but Gillian and my wife are sisters, in this logic, Master White and I are brothers, you have to call me and my wife uncle and aunt. These relationships are really messy. It would be very difficult for you and would be the pain in the ass for me…”