Chapter Fifty-Eight-2

"What is—" "Hands in the air. All of you!" Victor yells. "Close the door or I shoot." Without a breath, Lee follows his instructions, his eyes wary and making sure I'm okay as his phone drops to the floor. Mark looks terrified as he walks in, eyes wide as he follows Lee's footsteps and shuts the door behind him with his arms up. I look around. Brent will be coming. Candy is coming. Daniel. Suddenly, I almost want to throw up at the irony. Everyone I love is coming to support nme and here I am, letting them walk in on danger and risking their life. I look at the stories in the room. A mother, a grandmother. Two best friends with a past. There is family, friendship, and life on the line. And it's all my fault. My one lie catapulted all of this. I will never forgive myself. "Well, well, isn't this nice," Victor says. His voice reminds me of slime. "So many familiar faces. Wow, Mark has grown. Lee, sorry about your father's death! He was a dick." I see Lee's jaw clenching. "You two have always been needless troublemakers. But all of us just can't stop being connected, huh?" "Who are you?" Lee asks, his voice close to a growl, his tone low and demanding despite the fear that should be instilled in him. "Don't act as if you know me or my father." "Don't worry about it, Lee," Victor says as if he wants to spit on Lee's name. "You are only of concern when I let you be. Otherwise, shut up or I will kill everyone in this room." He turns to Mark. "Hmm, I have so many heirs and fortunes in this room. The net worth in assets and fortune in this room could pay for a luxurious life for at least everyone in a small country alone. I certainly didn't expect so many choices." "Name your price," Mark speaks up. I haven't seen him forever. This is how we meet again. There are gaps where he should have been in my life and now there might be a gap in his chest because of me and this crazy criminal. I'm sorry, I apologize as if he can hear me. "Oh, no no no," Victor sings. He swiftly removes the gun from my father's head and quickly turns it to Madam Jin's head. "Before, I had just planned to kidnap Nate once he came to see his dead wife and then get money from this old hag. I realize my vengeance is just as important as money is to me. I have a hole that can only be filled by Nate's death or an unfathomable amount of money. Or both. And that was the plan. But now that we have so many options in the room, I think I'll skip killing Nate if I can get all of you to chip in." In a split second, he walks around and points the gun to Lee's head. I gasp, jumping without meaning to. I want to wrap my hands around Victor's neck and give him more scars to add. My father, who I haven't heard in years, finally speaks. "Stop this, Victor." His voice sounds like it's been dragged through years of turmoil and stress. He sounds broken. Victor, suddenly ignited more than ever, raises his voice turning to my father but pressing the gun to Lee's forehead. "SHUT UP. You speak again and I will kill someone in this room indefinitely. You will lose a mother or a daughter today if you act up again." He turns back to Lee, who stands unwavered. Lee stands fearless. "Now," Victor chirps. "As of current date, you are the richest person in the room. Congratulations. You recently surpassed Madam Jin, your lifelong friend and business partner. And now you can pay the price." Before anything happens, Lee's phone rings and buzzes on the marble floors. Victor's jaw clenches. A nuisance to his not-so-perfect plan. "Pick it up." "I can't. You have a gun pressed to my head," Lee says, looking unamused. I want to tell Lee to stop egging Victor on. Victor's scarred eye twitches for one second before he takes the gun and uses the back to slam it into Lee's face. I shout before the gun quickly turns to me. "Quiet." Lee's face is bruised from cheek to jaw and I'm surprised he didn't pass out. His lip is also cut open, blood pooling down his chin. Lee wipes it with his black handkerchief in nonchalance. "Pick up the phone, boy." Lee bends and retrieves the phone in perfect grace, answering it as if it's a normal day. "Richardson. Talk to me." Whatever response being said can't be heard. Victor remains to hold the gun to Lee's face. "Yeah. I see. Give me a second." He presses the phone to his chest, covering the microphone. "It's my guards downstairs. They have Daniel and Candy and are asking permission to escort them up." "I don't know nor do I care who they are," Victor replies. He pushes the gun further into Lee's face. "Tell them not right now." Lee closes his eyes. "Keep them down for a second. Tell them it'll be a few more minutes before they can come up...." Lee pauses as if he might let loose a secret code or something to signal our trouble. "Don't pull anything, boy," Victor whispers like a viper hissing at his prey. "Remember what I can do." "That's all," Lee concludes. He hangs up without releasing anything that could save us. Victor smirks. "It appears time is running out." He trails his gun down Lee's jet black suit and settles it on his heart. I feel my heart squeezing in return. "And I choose you." "Stop! Don't hurt him!" I interject. I don't realize I'm crying until I hear my voice. Lee looks at me, his face shifting for the first time in emotion. "Ivory, no," he whispers.