The sins of the sons

"There she is."

RAyNe’s voice was barely above a whisper, yet it carried a weight that made Gianni shift uncomfortably beside him.

The crisp autumn air of Université Saint-Laurent in France carried the laughter and chatter of students heading out of the campus gates. Some hurried past, engrossed in their own worlds, while others lingered in small groups, sharing inside jokes.

But RAyNe’s world had narrowed to one person.

Across the street, a young woman stood with a backpack slung over her shoulder. She was beautiful…delicate, almost fragile…but there was something deeply unsettling about her appearance. She was thin, too thin. Her skin was pale, her cheekbones pronounced, and her eyes…

Hollow. Haunted. Terrified.

Her gaze darted around, her fingers tightening on the strap of her bag as if she expected something…someone…to appear and drag her away.

RAyNe clenched his jaw so hard his teeth hurt.

What the fuck happened to her?

"You’re gonna give me away if you keep standing like that," he murmured, not taking his eyes off her.

Gianni exhaled but sat down on the bench beside him. "I don’t like this, boss. If she’s in trouble, we should…"

"Not yet," RAyNe cut him off. "I show up out of nowhere claiming to be her brother? She’ll freak the fuck out."

His fists tightened on his thighs as he watched her cautiously weave through the campus crowd.

Then it happened.

A group of students approached her. Four of them. Two guys, two girls.

At first, it looked like a normal conversation, but then he saw it…the shift in her posture, the way her shoulders tensed, how she subtly shrank back.

And then…the shove.

She stumbled, dropping her bag. The girls laughed while one of the guys grabbed her wrist roughly, whispering something in her ear that made her flinch.

She didn’t fight back. She didn’t even try.

She just stood there, silent tears rolling down her face.

RAyNe saw red.

He was already moving before he realized it.

The first guy barely had time to react before RAyNe’s fist collided with his face. A sickening crunch echoed in the air as the boy crumpled to the ground, clutching his now-broken nose.

The second one lunged at him, but Gianni intercepted, landing a brutal knee to his ribs before tossing him aside like garbage.

The girls screamed.

"You…do you even know who my father is?!" one of the guys choked out, spitting blood onto the pavement. "He’s the reason RAyNe St. Trinity is locked up like a fucking animal! I should have him throw you in there with…"

RAyNe didn’t let him finish.

A sharp, vicious kick to his stomach sent the guy rolling on the ground in agony.

"Your father’s an idiot," RAyNe said coldly, cracking his knuckles. "And so are you."

The remaining bullies scrambled away in terror, leaving only the girl still lying on the ground.

RAyNe turned to her, his breathing heavy, his anger barely contained.

For a moment, they just stared at each other.

He crouched down, reaching out a hand. "Hey, it’s okay. Let me…"

She flinched violently, scrambling backward like a wounded animal.

RAyNe froze.

Her wide, fearful eyes met his before she clumsily got to her feet and ran.

She didn’t even grab her bag.

She just ran.

RAyNe watched, his heart hammering in his chest.

"What the fuck is going on?" His voice was eerily calm, but Gianni could hear the barely restrained rage underneath.

"I don’t know," Gianni admitted.

RAyNe’s gaze remained fixed on the spot where she had disappeared.

"Find out," he said darkly. "I want every damn thing you can get. Every detail, every fucking shadow in her life—everything."

Gianni nodded grimly.

RAyNe’s hands curled into fists.

Why was she so afraid of being touched? Why did she look so pale, so fragile…like someone had been starving her?

His stomach twisted.

Only abused people flinch like that.

Only people who’ve suffered know that kind of fear.

And whoever had done this to her..whoever had made his own blood too afraid to even let him help her..

They were already fucking dead.

"Find me everything on that bastard who said his father had me locked up."

RAyNe's voice was calm…too calm. Gianni knew that tone. It was the kind that preceded a storm, the kind that meant someone was about to bleed.

Gianni didn't hesitate. He pulled out his phone, already making the necessary calls. If RAyNe wanted information, he'd get it in minutes.

RAyNe, meanwhile, leaned back on the bench, lighting a cigarette. He exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on the last place his sister had been before she ran from him.

His sister. His fucking sister.

That piece of shit had bullied his sister and boasted about his father locking RAyNe up like a rabid dog.

How many people had feared that little shit? How many had suffered because of him?

The thought made his blood boil.

A few minutes later, Gianni’s phone beeped. He scanned the message before looking up with a smirk.

"His name’s Laurent Dufort. Daddy’s name is Pascal Dufort…owner of Dufort Hotel Group, one of France’s biggest luxury hotel chains."

RAyNe chuckled darkly, tossing his cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his shoe.

"Biggest? Compared to who? Me?" His eyes gleamed with cruel amusement.

Gianni smirked. "Not even close."

RAyNe rolled his shoulders, flexing his fingers as he stood. "Let's go pay Monsieur Pascal a visit, shall we?"

Pascal Dufort was sipping his expensive wine when his office doors burst open.

His assistant let out a startled yelp, stepping back as a group of men in all black flooded the room, led by a tall, deadly-looking man with silver rings on his fingers.

Pascal’s blood ran cold. He recognized that man instantly.

RAyNe St. Trinity.

The ghost. The devil. The nightmare they all whispered about.

The wine glass slipped from his fingers, shattering against the floor.

"Mon Dieu…" he breathed.

RAyNe grinned. "Bonjour, Monsieur Dufort."

Pascal pushed back from his desk, sweat forming at his temples. "M-Mr. St. Trinity… What…what a surprise…"

"Is it?" RAyNe cut in, strolling towards him. "Is it really a surprise, Pascal?"

His voice was casual, almost amused. Too amused.

Gianni shut the doors behind them, locking them. The other men spread out, their presence suffocating.

Pascal gulped.

"If this is about money…"

RAyNe laughed. "Oh, it is. But not the kind you think."

He perched on the edge of Pascal’s desk, tapping his fingers against the polished wood. "Your son, Laurent, ran his fucking mouth today. Boasting that you locked me up."

Pascal paled. "My son…?"

"Yeah," RAyNe tilted his head mockingly. "That little piece of shit? He’s been terrorizing people. Including…" His voice dipped dangerously low. "—someone very important to me."

"I-I didn't…"

RAyNe didn't let him finish. His hand shot out, grabbing Pascal by the collar, yanking him close.

"You know that old saying, Pascal?" His lips curled. "‘The sins of the fathers shall be punished upon the children’?"

Pascal’s eyes widened.

RAyNe leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. "Well, today? It’s the other way around."

And then…the beating began.

RAyNe didn't even have to do it himself. His men knew exactly what to do. Fists. Kicks. Ruthless blows.

Pascal screamed, choking on his own blood as he was dragged out of his luxurious office and thrown down the grand staircase like fucking trash.

RAyNe adjusted his sleeves, stepping over the groaning man without a second glance.

"Laurent is done. If I hear his name again, you won’t be so lucky next time."

He turned to Gianni. "Burn their accounts. Every last cent."

Gianni smirked. "With pleasure, boss."

After leaving destruction in his wake, RAyNe did something he always did after spilling blood.

He gave back.

The orphanage outside Paris was quiet and peaceful. A stark contrast to the world he lived in.

Sister Beatrice, an old nun with kind eyes, greeted him at the door.

"You came again," she said, smiling warmly.

"Didn’t I promise?" RAyNe replied, handing over the bags of clothes, food, and gifts.

She took them gratefully. "You're a kind man, RAyNe."

He scoffed. "Don't say that, Sister."

"But you are," she insisted. "Troubled, but kind."

He didn’t reply, just watched as the children ran up to him, their laughter filling the air as they hugged his legs.

This was his peace. This was the only place that still felt… pure.

But peace never lasted long.

His phone buzzed. A message from Gianni.

"Got everything on your sister Boss."

*You're going to want to see this."

RAyNe exhaled, the warmth in his chest turning ice cold.

What the fuck did they do to her?