Chapter 64 Do you love my daughter?
Danieru could only hang his head weakly, unable to use his brain right now. Camilla was missing, his heart ached at the news that another man wanted his wife, and worse than all... he couldn't do anything. He sat silently in the corner of the room, leaning his head against the wall, contemplating how to get Camilla back.
Every avenue he'd tried had been a dead end, and he truly didn't know who else to turn to for help in this situation. Reporting this to the police? That seemed impossible. The police were certainly no match for the mafia, and he was also aware that the police would only make the kidnapper hide his whereabouts even further.
But... if he reported this to Jay or Golden Snake, things would only get worse. He feared Camilla's life would be ruined, and he was also afraid that others would be dragged into this mess.
Danieru pulled at his hair, feeling increasingly crazed by the current situation. What should he do? Should he really give up? No... he definitely didn't want to give up. He wanted to be with Camilla, and he desperately wanted to spend time with her.
“Do you love my daughter?”
The question suddenly occurred to Danieru, and he swallowed hard, thinking back to the question he'd received some time ago from his in-laws.
Does he love Camilla? If so... why do his feelings for Rachel still linger, and why do he feel doubtful when he thinks about his feelings for Camilla?
Danieru felt his chest tighten at the thought of Camilla. He couldn't accept the reality of her being out of his sight. He slowly stood up; he had to hurry and get help.
Click...
Danieru's bedroom door opened, and Danieru, who had just stood up, stared at the entrance.
“Need help?” asked someone who was still standing in front of the door. The person smirked, looking at Danieru with disdain.
Danieru, who saw the person's arrival, was stunned. He hadn't expected Jay to act so quickly without him even having to contact him.
“I told you, didn't I? If you're now Cancri's slave, your business is also the Golden Snake's business.” Jay stepped inside and stared at the messy room. He stopped just a few steps away from Danieru, crossing his arms and taking a shaky breath.
"How did you know this much?" Danieru asked.
"Did you forget about the chip in your body?" Jay asked back. The man looked around again and smiled slightly when he saw Danieru and Camilla's wedding photo.
Danieru, hearing Jay's words, immediately realized that Lady Luck was truly on his side. He began to see a glimmer of light, his heart began to hope for more, and his heart raced with happiness.
"Follow me," Jay said without further ado. He immediately turned and left the room.
Danieru no longer considered his decision; he immediately followed Jay, who also left his room. Camilla... that was the only name he could think of now; the only person named Camilla he wanted.
...
Zinan remained standing in front of his mother's grave, not even caring when the rain fell again, soaking his body. He was thinking about many things. About his love for Camilla, his past mistakes, and the responsibility his father had given him.
Zinan knew that trouble was about to strike, and he also knew that this time, he had no choice but to make a choice. Should he side with his father, who was clearly in the wrong, or should he side with the Golden Snake and save the Xrezone family from the wrath of the other eight great families?
As a child, Zinan felt incredibly burdened; he had to put aside his heart and responsibilities. The man took another breath and immediately raised his head and stared at the rain-pour-like sky.
“God... are you really there?” Zinan murmured. He closed his eyes, the raindrops pounding against his face.
After Zinan was satisfied with the feel of the rain pounding on his face, he returned to his mother's grave. “What do you think I should do, Mom?”
Thunder sounded slightly louder after Zinan asked that question. The wind grew rougher, the rain heavier, and lightning flashed overhead. But Zinan remained unafraid, standing still, waiting for an answer he clearly would never receive.
“Zinan,” someone called out.
Zinan, startled by the sound of the voice, quickly turned his attention and met his father's gaze, standing about two meters away. The old man held a black umbrella in his right hand, his face slightly pale, and his eyes filled with sadness.
"Why do you have to leave a warm place? Do you want to die early, Dad?"
Hearing his son's words made Mr. Xrezone chuckle. He then walked over and stopped in front of Zinan. I don't know... today was the first time he'd visited his wife's grave since her funeral years earlier. He'd even forgotten what love felt like after she was gone.
"I think Dad took the wrong path. How did you end up here?" Zinan asked again.
Mr. Xrezone exhaled softly. "Because I wanted to see my wife. Is that wrong?"
Zinan looked away. "Not at all. That's Dad's right, and I can't restrict it."
"Zinan, will you protect your uncle and your cousin if I'm no longer the leader of the Xrezone family?" Mr. Xrezone asked suddenly.
Zinan was silent; he'd said it countless times and was tired of repeating himself. The man stared at his father, curious to see what the old man would say next. He also didn't know what the man's intentions were for continuing to ask him about this.
"At least give me an answer," Mr. Xrezone said again.
"Has the poison started to damage your brain, Father?" Zinan asked without thinking.
"I just want to hear your answer, Zinan."
Zinan took a deep breath, then exhaled somewhat roughly. "I already said I can protect them. But... I clearly can't fulfill their wishes. The grudge they have is their own business; they should resolve it themselves without involving the Xrezone family. If they're disturbed without me interfering, I'll do my duty. But otherwise, I'll just stand by, watch, and ignore it."
"At least let them live, Zinan."
"Father, I'm not someone who can control life and death."
Mr. Xrezone, hearing his son's words, simply nodded. He then let go of the umbrella in his hand, letting it drift in the wind, unconcerned as his body began to get wet from the rain.
Zinan, watching his father's behavior, remained silent, waiting to see what the man would do next.
"Have you been doing something wrong all this time? I only wanted to protect what's important to your brother," Mr. Xrezone said.
"Very wrong. You could destroy the Xrezone family just because of a promise to a dead person. Now let me ask you a question, Father."
Mr. Xrezone looked at Zinan.
"Do you think everything you've done has been right?" Zinan asked.
Mr. Xrezone remained silent. If he remembered everything as right or wrong, the answer was wrong. What he had done all this time was completely contrary to his youthful resolve.
"Why are you silent, Father?" Zinan asked. He didn't seem to care if everything he did hurt his father; he just wanted the man he loved to stop clinging to his promise to a dead man. Because of his father's kindness and excessive affection, he was now like a puppet, only able to obey Hatsu and Mr. Malaike's wishes.
Mr. Xrezone averted his gaze. "It was all wrong, and I don't regret it."
Zinan grinned. "It seems the father and son pair have succeeded in tearing us apart."
Hearing his son's words, Mr. Xrezone nodded. He couldn't deny it now; what Zinan had said was true, and unfortunately, that fact made him look utterly foolish.
Zinan, watching his father remain silent, waited to see what else the man would do or say.
"Zinan, can you tell me all your pain?" Mr. Xrezone asked suddenly.
Zinan, hearing his father's words, glanced at him. "Is it something so important?"
"Yes, because Dad wants to make amends."
Zinan smiled slightly. "Come in, Dad will get sick if you stay out too long in this weather."
Mr. Xrezone pulled a pistol from under his shirt. The man took Zinan's hand, then put the gun down and looked at his son.
Zinan, seeing and being treated like this, was confused. He truly didn't understand, and right now, he needed clarity.
"Will you atone for all your mistakes, Dad? To your mother, to your child, and to that woman?" Mr. Xrezone smiled sincerely.
"What are you doing, Dad?" Zinan asked with a frown.
"Zinan, shoot me dead."
"What?" Zinan was increasingly confused by the old man's thoughts. He was about to pull his hand away, but his father held him back.
"I want to die today. Isn't this the day it all happened? The death of your mother, your child, and the day you had to let the woman you love leave your side."
Zinan trembled, he couldn't believe his father still remembered this day. The man swallowed hard, but unfortunately, his heart ached even more.
“I want you to atone for all my mistakes, make things right, and make this family much better. If you ask me what made me change, I won’t tell you. What’s certain is… this is a deep, torturous regret. I did everything just for an unfulfilled promise, and I robbed my son of his happiness just for someone else’s.”
“Father…” Zinan looked into his father’s eyes; the man looked serious.
“Don’t let your father do anything crazier, Zinan. Do it. I want to see your mother and my grandson soon.” Mr. Xrezone released his hand and looked at Zinan.
Zinan, having been ordered to kill his own father, wavered slightly, staring at the gun in his hand.
“Should I?” Zinan thought to himself.
“Do it,” Mr. Xrezone said.
Zinan held his breath. “D-Dad... I-I...”
“This is a Xrezone family tradition, you're my son, and I trust you can do it well.”
Zinan couldn't speak; everything felt so torturous now.
“Remember all the bad things I did to you, remember them all, Zinan...”
Zinan closed his eyes, trying not to remember them.
“I cheated on your mother, killed your child, and I didn't care about your mother's death. I ruined the life of Camilla Alistair, your first and perhaps last love.”
Zinan held the gun.
“Zinan, kill me... let me die peacefully at the hands of my own child. I don't want to die from a poison that will never leave my body; I want to die because of you.”
Zinan tried to gain strength, standing up straight and staring at his father, who had retreated a few steps back. He could see the man smiling, looking innocent for making him feel like a disobedient child.
“Is this what you want, Dad?” Zinan asked.
“Yes, this is your final test as a leader. I failed this final test. I killed your grandparents, but I didn’t kill my brother.”
“Father... why did it have to be like this? You can still fix everything.”
“Even with something like this, you can be a good leader. I made a mistake, and that mistake will continue. You can see what's happening now, right? If I had killed my sister, I wouldn't have become a puppet of my affection for her. Because of my past mistakes and deceit, now our family isn't even respected by the other eight great families.”
Zinan prepared to shoot his father; he hadn't been able to disobey the man's orders for a long time. No matter how much he wanted to rebel, he wouldn't last long.
“Shoot,” said Mr. Xrezone.
“Father...”
“Don't hesitate, Zinan. You know, right? It won't last long. You'll obey my orders to do crazy things you never wanted to do. Only by killing me will it all end.”
Zinan bit his lip, thunder echoed again, and lightning ripped through the sky again. The rain grew heavier, his body getting wetter, and the cold chill pierced his bones.
“DO IT NOW!”
“No!”
“THIS IS AN ORDER!”
“No, Dad! I won’t do it.”
“DO IT, SHOOT ME, AND THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE ORDER!”
“DAD!”
“NOW!”
Zinan’s hands trembled even more. He bit his tongue and tasted blood. He swallowed it, tasting slightly fishy but also slightly sweet.
“NOW, ZINAN!” Mr. Xrezone’s voice was loud.
BANG…
Zinan’s eyes widened, and he unconsciously pulled the trigger on his gun. The man immediately dropped the gun from his hand, sat up, and stared at his father lying on the grass. It felt… it hurt so much.
Zinan immediately stood up and walked quickly toward his father. But when he looked at the man’s face again, his father had closed his eyes. His father was gone… and he was the one who killed his own father.
“DAD!”