Currently, we were in that secret hideaway behind the mansion where Sean carried out his mafia-related things, like smothering a man to death. The last memory I have of this place made me shiver but I kept myself focused. An IT expert was sitting between us, working on that chip we found in the necklace for the last two hours diligently.

"It will take me some time to decode this." He finally said.

"How much?" Sean asked threateningly.

"I don't know." The guy's face turned pale as he stared at Sean. "A day. Or two maybe. I can't tell."

"You can stay here until you decode this." Sean responded.

"But I need my tools and my computer setup for that. I'm not comfortable here." The guy, whose name was Ali, replied.

"You can't---"

"Sean," I called his name and nodded at him in reassuring manner. "Let him work. We have wait so much. We can wait some more."

Sean stared at me with doubt. He was anxious to find the contents of that chip and I know he won't sit in silence unless he had figured out whatever truth and proofs that had hidden in it.

To my relief, he stopped terrorizing the poor guy and let him go. Afterwards, we walked out of the hideaway together and made our way towards the house. The weather was pleasant today and I have to admit, the Millers had an excellent gardener. He had decorated the lawn in such a way that nobody could tell it was a gangster's refuge. Instead, it looked like it belonged to a calm artist who loved flowers.

"How can you be so calm?" Sean asked as he found me staring at the flowers.

"What?" I asked in confusion as I saw him observing me with cocked head.

"Aren't you curious to know what's inside that chip?" He asked as he seated himself on a lawn chair and motioned me to sit beside him. I sat down and looked aroud myself. There were Sean's men all around us, making a barrier between us and the outside world. Nobody even dared to give a glance to us.

"Whatever is inside it, my father died for that." I muttered in a low voice.

"Doesn't that make it more worth it?" He asked and I smiled weakly while he looked at me like he was trying to decipher me. "That information may help you avenge his death." he added.

"It won't bring my Dad back." I said, sighing heavily. "And hating you won't bring my Mom back."

A heavy silence fell between us as we both took a deep breath. He tried to speak but everytime he opened his mouth, he closed it immediately, as if he was looking for the right words to say.

"Do you have any questions? About your mother's death?" He finally broke the silence.

"Were you there when she died?" I asked, wrapping my arms around me as a cold breeze grazed my skin.

He took a gulp while his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. I could see the hesitation in his eyes but he answered at last, "Yes. My father, he made me witness his every bad deed since I was 6." There was a slight tremble in his voice and I felt pity on him. What kind of monster does that?

"What happened exactly?" I asked.

"You don't have to listen." He said.

"I want to." I replied.

"I don't remember everything correctly but he..." He took a pause, watching my face with concentration as he struggled to find the right words. "He stabbed her."

My vision started to feel blurry and a wave of nausea hit my stomach. "Why?" I asked.

"Elijah wanted to move away and start a new life with your mother and you. Dad did this to stop him from abandoning the life of crimes." He said softly, moving his chair closer to me, as if to tell me he was there for me.

"Tell me more." I said.

"Your father was a gangster but he wasn't evil. He had principles, unlike Dad. He treated me like his own son. Elijah was more of a father to me than my own father. I was 10 back then but I often wish I could have stopped him." His voice sounded sincere.

"How did your father die?" I asked, changing the topic from my Dad because even his mention hurt me.

"He...." Sean took a pause as he stared at the ground beneath. He wasn't expressive but in the few months we have spent together, ai have figured some of his tells. Like his pinky finger often trembled whenever he was angry or sad. "He shot himself a few years ago." He told me and a shiver shot through my spine.

I extended my arm and held his big hand with my small one. "I am sorry." I said sincerely. I hated that man but I knew how painful it is to lose your father and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemies.

"Don't be. He deserved it. He was a psychopath." He tried to act tough but I know he must be hurt internally.

"He was still your father. You must miss him sometimes." I said.

His face hardened at my persistence and he pulled his hand away. "Let's go inside." He said in an emotionless voice and stood up. I didn't want to trigger him so I stood up silently and followed him inside,

**********

SEAN

No matter how much I push Penelope away, she somehow always manages to break my hard exterior. She makes me vulnerable and that's what scares me the most. I hate that she has this hold on me, that she can make me do anything using those big eyes of her.

My feelings for her were getting stronger and I was finding it difficult to hide it from her and the rest of the world. It was so unlike me to feel all mushy around a woman. That gender used to be just a way to let out my sexual frustration for me. In my world, there was no other use of a female. But everything changed every since I encountered Penny.

I annoyingly walked towards my room and once I entered, my eyes widened. I found Hailey sprawled on my bed, wearing just a pink lingerie set. She was holding her head up with the help of her elbow and throwing lustful glances at me.

"What are you doing inside my room?" I asked.

"I am your fiance. This is going to be our room soon." She smirked and hopped off the bed. She walked towards me and then wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down.

"I am not in mood. Go away." I said and disentangled myself from her.

"What are you in mood for? Having another heart to heart session with that redhead?" She said, her voice laced with venom as her face contorted with jealousy.

"Stop eavesdropping on me." I said and walked towards my desk. "There's nothing between us."

I picked up a file from my cabinet and sat down on the chair to read it. But soon, it was pulled out of my hands. The nerve of this woman!

"Oh really. Then what were you doing in her room last night right after our engagement ring?" She snapped at me. "Do you think I'm fucking blind?"

"Hailey, don't create unnecessary drama. I'm not in mood." I gave her a hard glare, which didn't affect her at all.

My anger had the power to silence huge, muscular men but weirdly, these two hardly 150-pounds women in my life didn't fear me at all.

"Sean, don't fool me. I'm not stupid." She put her hands on her hips and growled at me.

"I am engaged to you now. What more do you want from me?" I shouted as I tried to control myself from throwing her out of the room.

I knew Hailey very well. A bitch would be a small word for her. She was a conniving, manipulative devil in the form of a woman. She was after Penny now and she won't stop unless Penny was out of here. But I wasn't going to let that happen in any way. Penny needed me and to some extent, I needed her so unless she was out of danger, letting her go wasn't an option.

"Hailey, if you are worried about Penelope, you don't have to be. She is not even my type and you know it." I lied to get her mind off her.

"Oh really? I have seen how you look at her." She argued, sitting across me.

"How exactly? Like any man of my age looks at any woman? Seriously, she is not my type. I may feel some lust towards her but that's it. I'm only dealing with her because of a safety threat otherwise I would have thrown that annoying girl out of here a long time ago." I said.

Each word of that sentence was difficult for me and I hated myself for being a hypocrite jerk but that was much needed. It would take her attention of Penny and thus, make Penny's life easier.

"You better not be lying." Her nostrils flared.

"I am not." I said. I was.

"So you love me then?" She asked, sliding closer to me.

"Don't push your luck." I rolled my eyes and her face flushed in embarrassment.

"Fine. Love is overrated anyway." She said and rested her hand on my legs, caressing my inner thigh. "We are both good at sex. That's enough."

"I'm seriously not in mood." I said frustratingly. I wanted her out of here but she wasn't taking any hint.

"I'll make the mood." She said and began unbuttoning my shirt.

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