It took Dante 20 minutes to reach the hospital. During the entire ride, he was wondering why they had to do this much for a woman that they had never heard about. He parked the car near the entrance and let his brother carry the little girl. It was a weird situation, for both of them.

That kid was so little compared to them, and they were not used to deal with children. Their younger brothers were grown men now and boys, not the weak and frail type like that little girl.

Gabriel was sure that he could break one of her bones just with a bit of pressure of his hand. Dante had that sensation too when he stopped her to run away. She was like a little rabbit trapped in the lion's mouth. Dante spotted his father sitting in the waiting area.

Dante: Dad, we brought your package.

Salvatore: (He stood up.) Is she Fumiko's daughter? Why is she sleeping? Is she sick? Does she faint because of the news?

Gabriel laid down the little girl on the sofa and Salvatore approached.

Gabriel: Yes, she is her daughter. Dante had to control her, she was agitated, and scared. She tried to leave, normal reaction when two strangers barge into your house in the middle of the night.

Salvatore: Thanks for taking her here.

Dante: Now that this job is done, you can maybe tell us a bit more about that woman. Is she your mistress? I didn't know that you had a collection of girls in addition to your official partner.

Salvatore: Shut up, it's nothing like that! What do you take your father for? Show some respect!

Gabriel: That woman is not that much older than me, how do you know her? You seem worried about her condition...

Salvatore: (He sighed.) We met around 12 years ago, few months after your mother passed away. (He felt his sons' tension.) I am not proud of it, but we had a relationship during few weeks.

Dante: You slept with a girl barely older than your son, few months after losing your wife, the mother of your children, great!

Gabriel didn't comment on his father's words. He was putting the pieces together. 12 years ago. He looked at the little girl asleep. She was small and must be around 10 years old. No traces of a husband, her eyes color so particular for her origin... Could that kid be her father's child? He stared at his father few seconds. Was he aware of it or did he hide it from them all those years? No chance that his father knew he had a child somewhere and let her live like that, without financial support.

Salvatore: I understand that you don't approve, and I told you, I am not proud of my behavior, but I was sad and needed a futile comfort at the time.

Gabriel: She was 21. (His tone was cold.)

Salvatore: I have no excuses.

Gabriel: It was almost 12 years ago, what happened after? Why were you with her tonight?

Salvatore: We stopped seeing each other, and she disappeared. I saw her for the first time tonight in years at that bar, she works here. That's all I know for now. I asked information to our guys.

Gabriel had his answer, his father didn't suspect anything, and Dante hadn't paid attention to that little girl. It was maybe better at the view of his reaction regarding their father's relationship with that Fumiko. They stayed silent for a moment after that beginning of explanation, until a doctor showed up.

Doctor: Mr Smith, the nurse informed me that you are waiting for an update on Miss Tanaka's state?

Salvatore: Exactly, how is she doing? Did you do the surgery?

Doctor: We proceeded with an emergency surgery, but her condition is critical. We did our maximum and now, we have to wait and see how things evolve. Does she have a family that we can contact?

Salvatore: Her daughter is here. (He nodded toward the sofa.)

Doctor: We had to put her in an artificial coma. I will ask the nurse to call the child protection service to take care of her daughter.

The doctor left after that short and not really reassuring update. Salvatore was lost in his thoughts. He did his best to help but he was not sure to be able to do anything more. He was still waiting for information about Fumiko. Dante, on his side, thought that they had done more than enough, and he wanted to leave that place.

Gabriel had excused himself after the doctor's departure. He had a call to make.

Dante: Everything is settled now; we can go home.

Salvatore: You can leave, I need to wait a little, I can't let that kid alone after taking her here.

Dante: You don't even know her, why do you care! She is better here than in that creepy neighborhood alone, in an insecure building! Let the doc take care of the rest.

Salvatore: Dante, I don't want to argue with you at this hour.

Dante: I am only stating facts. You did what you thought was good, that's enough. We are not angels doing volunteering!

The father and son were staring at each other. They didn't notice that Suki had woken up from her force nap and that she silently left while they were arguing.

Gabriel: Where is the kid?

Salvatore: What do you mean, she is... (He turned himself and discovered the empty sofa.) Fu**, where is she?

Dante: You see, she is a brat that can't stay in place.

Gabriel: She mustn't have gone far. I was near the entrance and didn't see her. (He looked around and saw the double door leading toward the hospitalization rooms, still moving.) Over there.

Gabriel walked toward the double doors. It was the middle of the night and there was very few medical staff. In fact, that hospital security sucked. Salvatore followed his eldest son and Dante too, even if he didn't really want to be here.

The corridor had dim lights, to favor the tranquility of the patients. Some beeps resonated, proof that people were still alive.

Dante: I hate hospitals...

Salvatore: The kid is probably looking for her mother.

Gabriel: You were both there and you didn't notice that she was awake and had left.

There was nothing to answer, Gabriel was right. The trio wandered in the corridors without issues. They saw two nurses talking in an office and a woman cleaning a room but nothing else.

They arrived at the end of the main corridor. Salvatore looked at the right corridor and he saw her. She was standing in front of a room, staring inside through the window door. Her hands were resting on the door, she was trembling.

Salvatore: She is here. (He walked slowly toward her.) Suki... (She flinched and stepped back, looking down.) Don't be afraid, I am a friend of your mom. They are my sons, I asked them to take you here. (He got closer, and she stepped back again.) Your mommy is inside? The doctor did a surgery on her, she needs to rest for now.

Suki was not receptive at all at Salvatore's kindness. She didn't trust them, they kidnapped her, after all. Dante made a step ahead, but Gabriel blocked him with his arm.

Gabriel: Suki, your mother is sleeping because of the medicine but I am sure that if you go inside and talk to her, she will feel your presence. Do you want to go inside?

Gabriel's tone was as soft as possible and it seemed to work, the little girl lifted her head. She nodded at his proposition, exposing her beautiful but sadly tearing eyes. Like an electroshock, Salvatore's heart tightened. She was beautiful, just like her mother, but her eyes... those blue-green eyes... how was it possible? Gabriel understood that his father was shocked by Suki's appearance.

Gabriel: I will open the door for you so you can see her better, okay? (She nodded.) Don't be afraid, we are only here to help you and your mother. No one will hurt you.

Gabriel opened the door and stepped back. Suki immediately sneaked inside. The young man had a very small smile for a second before closing the door. He turned himself to face his father and brother. They needed to talk.

Gabriel: Father, I guess we are thinking about the same thing.

Salvatore: No, it's not possible...

Dante: What did I miss? Dad, why are you so freaked out?

Gabriel: You slept with her mother around 12 years ago. She must be around 10/11, no trace of a husband, with a very particular eyes color... it's not difficult to understand.

Gabriel was not showing annoyance or anger. The pieces of the puzzle seemed to snap into place in Dante's head too.

Dante: You are not saying that this kid is yours, right?

Salvatore: It must be a coincidence, don't jump to a conclusion.

Gabriel: We will have the answer soon, I asked a friend of mine who works here to do a DNA test.

Salvatore: How...

Gabriel: I had suspicions as soon as I saw her. Her eyes and the timing were concordant too and I don't believe in coincidences. I had some of her hair on my jacket, so I called that friend. With my saliva sample and few of her hair, we should receive an answer in less than an hour.

A long silence followed. Dante was not accepting this possibility. Salvatore was shocked, not sure about what to think of all of this. Only Gabriel stayed composed, as usual, dealing with the facts, reacting in consequence. If his guess was true, it would be a huge tsunami in their lives.

He looked inside the room through the window, Suki was holding her mother's hand, crying. Would that frail woman be able to wake up? His thoughts were interrupted by the doctor in charge, passably annoyed to see the three men in front of his patient's bedroom door.

Doctor: Mr Smith, what are you doing here? Patients can't be visited in the middle of the night, even more in her state. Someone is coming for the child, where is she?

Salvatore: She is inside, she needed to see her mother.

Doctor: I will let it pass exceptionally. The person from child protection will be there in few minutes. I will indicate to him that she is here. You should all leave now, I have your contact information, I can call you if her state changes.

Salvatore: Thank you doctor. (The doctor left to continue his round.)

Gabriel: You are not going to leave her with a stranger before knowing if she is indeed your daughter, right?

Salvatore: I... I don't know... I don't know anything! I can't think straight, I don't understand how all of this is possible!

The head of the American Mafia didn't seem powerful or strong at that instant. He was struggling with a lot of questions and a guilty feeling. Gabriel didn't know what to think of his father's reaction. He never was in his position, so he refused to hold a judgement. Dante didn't want to wait anymore. He entered in the room, surprising Suki who stood up.

Dante: Eh you, where is your father? What's his name?! Answer me!

Salvatore and his eldest son entered into the room too and Gabriel dragged Dante outside unceremoniously. Salvatore saw the fear on the little girl's face.

Salvatore: Suki, I'm sorry. My son was a bit rude but... we have questions about you and your mother. (He sat on a chair.) Can you tell me your full name?

Suki: (She hesitated but said with a shy voice.) Suki... Tanaka.

Salvatore: Great, that's great. You were alone at home at this late hour. Is your father at work? (She shook her head.) Does he live in another city, country?

Suki: (She looked down.) I don't have... a father.

Salvatore: Your mom must have told you something about him, right? Did they separate or did he pass away?

Suki: She never said anything... it's just the two of us... (She turned to take her mother's hand.) Sir... when Mom is going to wake up?

Salvatore: I don't know, soon, I hope. Thanks for answering my questions. I'm going out now, if you need something, ask me.

Out of the room, Gabriel had pushed Dante against the wall, keeping him in respect, imposing his authority.

Gabriel: What the fu** were you thinking?!

Dante: It's good, let me go!

Gabriel: She is only a kid! Her mother is lying on that bed, not even sure to survive and you are taking out your anger to your father on her!! (He saw his brother calming and released him.)

Dante: I only asked her a question.

Salvatore: (He closed the door.) She doesn't know anything about her father. She has her mother's name and for her, it's just the two of them, that's all.

Dante sighed. He needed to calm down. He glared at his father.

Dante: How did you end up sleeping with that girl? Was she a call-girl or something? She was maybe after your money!

Salvatore: No, she is not like that. She was a brilliant student.

Gabriel: How did you meet her? How a Mafia like you had a relationship with a 21 years old student?

Salvatore: (He let escape a long sigh.) The car accident, your mother was not the only victim, Fumiko's mother also died that day. We met while I was digging into the cause of the accident. We were grieving, and in need of comfort. Two lonely and sad souls... but we both agreed that it was not a serious relationship, and things ended like that.

Dante: If she slept with an old man like you, she could have slept with a lot of other guys at university!

Salvatore: She was a serious and very smart girl. She could have done anything that she wanted, but she was not that type of girl.

Gabriel: And her family? Do you know anything about them?

Salvatore looked at his son with a proud gaze. Gabriel was a smart one. He was proud of him, of his composure, of his mind.

Salvatore: I never looked at it too much. All I know is that her father is from a traditional Japanese family and her mother is not the official wife... Fumiko is an illegitimate child, a shame for them.

Dante tensed a bit at the evocation of his mother's accident. They were interrupted in their discussion by the arrival of the social worker, a middle-aged man who was probably sleeping an hour ago.

Social Worker: Excuse me, I'm looking for a child, Suki Tanaka? I am Mr Park, from the child protection services.

Salvatore: Salvatore Smith, a friend of her mother. The child is inside with her mother. What are you going to do with her?

Social Worker: At this hour, I'm going to take her to an emergency center where she will be able to rest. Tomorrow, my department will try to find relatives. Depending on the evolution of the situation regarding her mother's health status, she can be placed in her family, a temporary house in a host family or an orphanage. (He looked at his watch.) Time is running, please excuse me.

Gabriel: Father. (He nodded in direction of Mr Park and took his phone.)

Salvatore: Hold on a second Mr Park. Suki is a bit shocked by what happened, can't she stay here tonight? I can keep an eye on her.

Gabriel was calling his friend to know if the DNA test results was out. Dante stayed silent. He didn't want to be involved in that story.

Social Worker: Mr Smith, it's not how things work. I can't let a child with someone that I haven't made investigations about. It is very kind of you to make this offer, but it is better for Suki to go to the child center.

The social worker entered in the room. He smiled at the little girl who stood up at that new man who didn't look like a doctor.

He introduced himself and explained what was going to happen. Suki didn't let go of her mother's hand. She didn't want to follow that man and let her mother alone in that room.

Salvatore stayed outside but he was watching the social worker and the little girl by the window of the door. He noticed that she was not at ease at all. But she was not more at ease with them.

The head of the Smith family heard footsteps on his back and when he turned himself, he spotted a young man in a white blouse holding a piece of paper. The truth about that kid's origin was noted on that paper.

Adam: Gabriel, you owe me one! Here, what you asked for... (He smiled.) You're lucky that I am on duty tonight and that the girl from the lab is not insensible to my charms...

Gabriel: Yeah, anything that you want, just ask. (He looked at the paper and handed it to his father.) Your answer!

Salvatore grabbed the test and looked down to the percentage indicated. 97%. The two samples had 97% of chance to be related.

At the two men's silence, Dante understood that the result must be positive. Which meant that the little girl behind that door was blood related to him. He could have been happy if he hadn't felt so much anger. He didn't want another sibling, even more of her age, from another woman than his mother. He felt betrayed by his own father. And Dante will for sure not be the only one to feel that way. His younger brothers will also be affected by that news. Salvatore thanked Gabriel's friend before entering Fumiko's room.

Salvatore: Mr Park, there is something new that we need to talk about.

Mr Park looked at Salvatore with annoyance. He had to come here in the middle of the night, and he was not keen to listen to that man.

Social Worker: Mr Smith, we can schedule a meeting tomorrow. Suki, let's go, the center is waiting for us.

Salvatore's eyes became darker. He was not used to meet people not listening to him, but he had to keep his calm because of that little girl. He didn't want to scare her more than she already was. Salvatore looked at her for a second and her eyes locked with his. She was staring at him with pleading eyes. She was silently asking him to not let that man taking her away from her mother.

Salvatore: Mr Park, as I said, we need to talk. (He kept the door open.) It is in everyone's interest.

Social Worker: Suki, say goodbye to your mother and join me outside. Everything is going to be okay.

Mr Park went out and Salvatore closed the door.

Social Worker: What is so important and couldn't wait?

Salvatore: Take a look at this, it's the proof that we are Suki's relatives, so we can take care of her until her mother wakes up.

Social Worker: (He took the paper.) Even if this information is true, it's not how it works. You don't have legal rights on that child. You are not registered as her legal guardian. You can start a procedure tomorrow with the appropriate service. Until then, I have to take Suki to the children's center.

Salvatore's menacing aura was rising, and he was not the only one.

Gabriel: Mr Park, I called our lawyer, and he will do all the necessary, but until then we ask for your cooperation in yours and that kid's interest.

Social Worker : (He frowned.) Are you threatening me?

Salvatore: Mr Park, I am sure that we can find a solution that will give everyone satisfaction. I could call a judge right now and ask for Suki's custody, but you could lose your job in the process.

The social worker stared at the three men in front of him, then he turned his head to look at that child through the window. He was already regretting to have been assigned to that case.

Social Worker : (He sighed.) I will ask her if she prefers to come with me to the center or to stay with you. And if she wants to leave, don't try to stop us or I call the police.

Salvatore: Sure.

Even if the 2 minutes given by Mr Park to Suki to gather her stuffs had passed, the little girl was still not coming out. Mr Park opened the door and she tensed.

Social Worker : Suki, I asked you to come out to go, why are you still inside? (She stayed silent.) I know that the situation is difficult for you but think about what your mom would want for you. She would be worried if she knew that you are not in a safe place.

Salvatore: Mr Park! (His tone was snapping.)

Suki startled at Salvatore's voice. She felt the three men's stares on her. The other man, the scary one for her, had stayed in the corridor.

Social Worker : Those men seem to be your relatives, but your safety and well-being are my priority, so I am asking you. Do you prefer to go with me to the children's center or do you want to stay with them?

Suki looked at the social worker who was waiting for her answer and at the two men who, strangely, had the same eyes than her. It was something that surprised her as soon as that tall man stood up in front of her at her home.

Suki: I want... to stay with Mom...

Social Worker: Suki, that is not what I asked.

Salvatore: She answered you; she wants to stay here with her mother, and I can make that possible. We had a deal.

Social Worker: She can't stay here for the rest of the night.

The tension between Mr Park and Salvatore was palpable. Gabriel intervened with a softer tone.

Gabriel: Suki, can you please confirm to Mr Park that you want to stay with us.

Social Worker: You have to choose between going to the children's center for the night before finding a more suitable solution for you or staying with Mr Smith and his family. In every case, you can not stay in the hospital all night. It's not a place for a child.

Suki felt trapped. She didn't want to go anywhere with anyone. The only place she wanted to be was with her mother. She exchanged a quick look with Salvatore, then with Gabriel. Their eyes seemed to say "Trust us" but if her mother taught her one thing, it was to not trust anyone. She had to think quickly about what was the best option for her. Who will help her to stay with her mother?

Suki: I prefer... to stay... With Mr Smith... please...

Salvatore: (He smiled.) Gabriel, can you stay here with Suki while Mr Park and I finalize one or two things...