Go Investigate

Quietness returned to the lab room once the middle-aged man stepped out. As he strolled down the hall in large steps, the loudness of his footsteps gradually increased, as if to tell someone he was arriving. However, he suddenly stopped and stood still for a few minutes. His eyes stared down the quiet, dull hallway.

'I told Justin and his father to hide for a while. They shouldn't have been caught by the Clovers. Unless they disobeyed me, went outside and got caught? But could there be such coincidences? Hmm...' His expression darkened as he realized something crucial.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed an out-of-state number. Within seconds, the other party picked up the call. The middle-aged man said in a frustrated tone, "go investigate what happened to Justin and Jordan before they got killed."

A hint of uneasiness spread as he thought about how easily the Clovers captured Justin and Jordan. Doubts arose but were quickly brushed off his mind. Once he finished giving instructions over the phone, he hung up and continued walking down the hallway with heavy steps.

A few minutes later, he reached his destination. Without knocking, he rotated the golden knob. Sighing, he took out a bunch of keys, searched for the right one and unlocked the door from outside. The strong smell of alcohol made him cover the bottom half of his face instantly. His sagged skin scrunched into an ugly expression as he stepped into the spacious room.

Carefully tiptoeing his way over to the drunk figure by the wall, he left out a loud hmph. Piles of scattered wine bottles occupied the space all over the room. Some were standing by the wall like bowling pins waiting to get knocked down. Other bottles were messily lying on the floor.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Look at this mess! This is a disgrace. Wake up and wash up. You can't stay like this forever! Are you throwing all your effort and achievements away for one girl? She was only a girl. You're sticking to one tree when there is a whole forest out there for you to discover!" The middle-aged man massaged his temples as he kicked a nearby bottle away.

His words were useless against the young man who was drunk against the wall. The only time he reacted was when he heard the bottle of wine rolling away. Hugging a random bottle in his arms, the young man whimpered, "I'm sorry..Selina..I'm so sorry.."

Annoyed, the middle-aged man forcibly snatched the bottle away from his arms. "Open your damn eyes and look at this wine bottle! This is not her. That woman is dead! She's been dead! You saw the corpse yourself and her DNA report! Can you wake up already, Antonio? I haven't even complained about the doctor's daily visit just to give you necessary nutrients!"

Drowsily, Antonio lifted his head to face the middle-aged man's helpless gaze. A smirk tilted on his lips even though he didn't open his eyes to look at his father. From the way he was speaking, Antonio could already figure out what the man was thinking.

Purposely mocking him, Antonio forced his eyes to open a small gap. "What is Mister Liam doing here? I remember clearly that my door was locked. Ah, right. I forgot you had control over everything! From the minute I was conceived, everything was in your control. Whether it is the schools, I'll be attending or the one I'll have to marry. Are you happy that your son became such a loser?"

Bending one knee upwards, Antonio found a replacement bottle and held it in his hand. A drip of tears fell down his cheeks, wetting the corner of his lips. "If you have nothing else to say, then leave. Don't disturb my time with her. At least I can see her in my dreams and repent."

Antonio's father, Edward Liam shot a malicious glance at Antonio. "You useless punk, did I raise you to be this useless? Isn't it just one woman who committed suicide?? What's that big of a deal about her? Wake the fuck up. Right now, you need to clean yourself and go back to Sin corps! Peter Sin has been missing and now it is you? Get yourself together and go to work. I need the connections. Justin and his father are terminated from their post."

Shaking his head slowly, Antonio let out a hysterical laugh. "The one who has to wake up is you. Give up. I won't marry whoever Miss. Clover is. I know what you've wanted all along and I don't plan on giving it to you. A loveless marriage is not what I aim for. I won't ruin another woman's happiness for the sake of fulfilling my father's greedy need."

Perhaps Antonio's throat was dehydrated, his rasped voice choked as he confessed. "Because of your stubbornness, the woman I fell in love with died before I could confess to her. I knew what that Shirley bitch did to the documents, yet I didn't clear up the misunderstanding. If I did, maybe Selina wouldn't have died. It was because of my second of hesitation and greed...that she jumped off that bridge. Because I couldn't stand seeing her treat Peter so loyally and there's him taking credit for it."

"Every single day..." He slammed his palm against his chest, wrinkling his shirt. Clenching his fingers in a ball, he knocked his head lightly on the wall. "..There isn't a moment where my chest wouldn't ache. I went back and checked the cameras after he accused her. I saw how heartbroken she was. It was I... I was the one who killed her. I'm the culprit." Tears trailed down his face as he gasped a few breaths.

Edward grabbed his collar, violently pulling Antonio's body close to his. "Listen up, you weren't the one who stabbed her nor the one who pushed her off that bridge. What is there to cry about? What is there to whine for? Right now, our goal is in front of us! Right there. It is just this one step, son. Wake up and work for it. We've waited years, and this is the moment we stand up for ourselves."

Antonio laughed, shaking his head with a runny nose. One by one, he pried the man's fingers off his shirt. Antonio looked straight into his eyes. "No, father. It is you who wanted all this. Not me. I only wanted to find a girl I love, and she loves me back. I just want to live simply and have a family. I don't need anything you've mentioned. I've told you plentiful times, but you've never listened to me. Yes, I am not the one who pushed her nor stabbed her, but I am the person who didn't speak up the truth. I knew Shirley's scheme and Peter's stupidity. But because I really wanted to have a chance with her, I let my greed take over. Also because of this split-second decision, it made me lose her forever."

"If I have another chance, I will definitely protect her. I will tell the truth even if she is hugging another man. If I am given another chance to remake my decision, I will not let my greed take over again. I would rather see her healthily smiling at me with a simple morning greeting than not see her ever again." Antonio stood up from the floor as he made his way to the bathroom.

Edward scoffed at his response. "Even if it means she will never be yours, you'll choose..." His question was cut off when Antonio turned around and looked at him with a faint smile.

"Yes. Even if I am nothing but a friend, coworker or even a dust particle in her eyes...I will choose to stand on her side. But this is impossible now because I've made a terrible mistake. So, don't put any hopes in me helping you achieve your goal. Nothing matters to me anymore. As for Sin Corps, don't worry. I will still go to work because this was the company she left behind."