Chapter 30: Our Next Steps

Mother sobbed even harder, repeatedly apologizing through her tears. I feel guilty, but I don't want to say anything else. I hung up the phone so I would stop blaming my mother, so I would stop being consumed by anger.

I put my phone back in the box, put it back under the bed, and decided to rest.I don't know why problems keep coming, and this one feels difficult to accept. Tears fell; I was too tired even though my heart was so hurt. Without realizing it, I just fell asleep.

The next morning I found emptiness within me. Anne even offered to have breakfast in my room if I'm not feeling well right now. However, I still decided to go downstairs. Staying in my room only makes my mind wander here and there; I need to guide my thoughts to forget my current problems for a little while.

As usual, Dylan will always go to headquarters, and I'll have breakfast alone just like the previous days. Feeling empty, I packed all the food on the table to take to the library, where I practiced martial arts with Mary. Anne followed me, then stopped at the entrance as usual.

"Anne, you can come in this time," I said.

"No, ma'am, please practice comfortably." Anne refused, but I pulled her hand to come in with me. And as usual, Mary was already in the library, waiting while reading a book.

"Did you bring Anne in this time?" Mary asked, getting up from her reading chair and approaching us. Mary also seemed to notice the large plastic bag I'd been holding all this time.

"Come and eat with me." I spread a cloth on the library floor and took out all the food from the bag I was carrying.Mary and Anne didn't immediately sit down; they watched me with confusion.

"Come on, help me arrange the food and finish it all." I asked them to sit down again. Anne and Mary exchanged glances before deciding to sit down with me.

"What's really going on with all of this?" Mary asked.

"I couldn't eat properly at breakfast this morning. I think if I had a friend to eat with, my appetite would come back. Come on, keep me company." I took a piece of sandwich and ate it. Anne and Mary didn't immediately follow my orders; they were probably surprised and bewildered by my behavior today.

"You must be thinking about yesterday, aren't you?" Anne asked, and I just nodded while continuing to eat.

"If that's the case, I'll keep you company while you eat." Anne was the first to touch the food and eat it heartily. Seeing that Anne had also touched the food I brought, Mary also dared to eat with us.

"What's really going on?" Mary asked again, even as her mouth was busy chewing. If you find it difficult to tell me, I'll tell Mary. Anne asked for my permission; I just nodded my head while picking up a piece of chicken thigh and eating it.

"Yesterday, after the examination, Mr. Dylan was again violent toward the lady. Perhaps you still remember and are hurt by yesterday's treatment," Anne said. And hearing Anne's less-than-accurate statement, I couldn't help but correct her.

"Actually, Dylan also said that my father used to be the same as him. He said my father used to be a former mafia boss, more ruthless than him. I called my mother to confirm, and the reality turned out to be difficult for me to accept." I didn't realize I was talking while holding a chicken thigh and crying.

"Dylan said I would be tortured by the information from him. And I really felt it," I continued.

"That's the past. Don't you have a past too? Mistakes and foolishness that need to be corrected. Everyone has that. If we want a chance to fix everything, why won't you give your father a chance?" Mary's words left me speechless; she was absolutely right. I'm too self-righteous, feeling like I've never made a mistake. Why am I so angry at my father?

"Besides, that's in the past. I'll guess that if you didn't know, then your father stopped when you were born into the world. And during his time as a father, did he ever behave like a mafia boss?" Mary asked. I shook my head.

"Never. Father raised me with love, and I rarely saw him scold his employees. He was quite emotionally controlled."

"That means he has already improved himself. For whom? For the sake of you and your mother. Before getting angry, ma'am, you should know the cause and effect of your father's decision to join the mafia and his reasons for quitting."

Right, why am I so unwilling to accept it? I don't even know the beginning of the story of why my father became a mafia, and I'm already so disappointed before hearing everything.

Even though I am also full of flaws and sins, I poured all my mistakes onto my parents, but they were willing to forgive me and welcome me back home.

"Am I too quick to anger?" I asked softly.

"Disappointment is normal, but to become explosive, you need to know the reason first." Damn, everything Mary said felt like a slap in the face. And tears fell again. I had to call my mother and apologize to her, then ask her to tell me about my father's work.

"Damn, you're making me feel guilty toward my father and mother." I cursed at Mary, wiping away my tears. Dan Mary just laughed happily; now she seemed unhesitant to eat the food I brought and ate it heartily.

"You can contact your mother again and apologize," Anne said, and I could only nod my head."But I think I have an idea." Mary suddenly surprised us.

"What?"

"If your father is a former mafia member, then you will have connections with the people who used to work with him." Mary told the story enthusiastically.

"But maybe that was too long ago. Where can we find those people?" This time, hearing my words, Mary suddenly became gloomy and ran out of ideas.

"But maybe there's still some data stored. I'll ask my mother and take that data to find the people under my father's care first." Mary and Anne nodded enthusiastically.

"Thank you for your idea, Mary. We can gather all the fathers people to get their support. If Father is Master Victor's enemy, and Master Mr. Victor has to use someone else to kill Father, I think Father's group is too powerful for Victor's two hands to take down on their own. If we gather them again, we'll be on par with Victor, and we can fight Dylan later."