"Thank you, Dad, thank you, Mom!" The twin siblings said in unison, their voices bright and sweet, full of the innocent joy and carefree nature only children possess. They huddled close together, their small bodies enveloped by the warmth and love of their parents.Dean watched them, a wave of unfamiliar emotion rising within him. He remembered once being like these children, living carefree days surrounded by the love and warmth of his parents. The scene before him now brought an unexpected sense of belonging and affection, as if he were witnessing a part of his own past that had long been buried.After the two children blew out the candles on the birthday cake, they turned and offered the slices to their parents. The boy, with a serious expression, said, "You should eat first, Dad and Mom!" The girl smiled and nodded, her eyes full of love and respect for her parents.The mother looked at the two children, her eyes filled with pride. She smiled gently and said, “Our Sandra and Dean
"I can't... I can't watch this anymore..." Dean murmured, tears silently slipping down his face. A wave of indescribable pain and fury surged within him. He knew, deep down, that he could never escape—his past wounds, the fear he had once endured, would follow him for the rest of his life.However, when he saw the aftermath, his sadness transformed into rage. His parents—those who had once always cared for and protected them—had become so cold, so distant. Ever since the incident, little Dean’s life changed, as though he had been cast from paradise into an abyss. They hadn’t stepped forward to protect their child; instead, they had made the unforgivable choice of betrayal."How could this...?" Dean could hardly catch his breath. For money, his parents had chosen to sell their conscience, their hands stained with filthy transactions. "How could they... abandon their own child for money?" His tears, once again, blurred his vision, as the weight of this betrayal drowned him in despair.T
Just as he clung desperately to the faintest glimmer of hope in the final moments, a sudden, crisp knock echoed from the door. The sound shattered the oppressive stillness of the room, sending Dean’s heart into a wild, pounding rhythm.He hurried toward the door, his steps urgent and almost frantic, driven by an uncontrollable need to confront whatever lay on the other side. A flicker of disbelief lingered in his mind—could it be the salvation he so desperately sought, waiting just beyond this threshold?As the door swung open, there stood Ted, his face adorned with that familiar nonchalant, almost indifferent expression. Dean’s eyes locked onto him, a nervous tension gripping his every muscle. He clung to the faintest thread of hope, his voice trembling ever so slightly as he spoke. “We don’t have to go to the party, right?” His question carried a fragile optimism as if the salvation he had been yearning for might finally arrive at this very moment, hanging on the next words to fall
Dean slowly opened his eyes, his mind clouded as if submerged in a dense fog. He looked around, realizing he was lying in an unfamiliar room. Unlike a hotel, the space was simple yet elegant, but more like a cozy bedroom in a private home. The wooden furniture carried a slightly aged feel, but it was well-kept and comfortable. A few landscape paintings on the walls added a touch of liveliness to the otherwise tranquil atmosphere. A faint scent of perfume lingered in the air, mixed with the heavier, more masculine scent of cologne. It made Dean feel uneasy, a strange sense of discomfort creeping through him. He blinked rapidly, struggling to clear his foggy mind and make sense of his surroundings. "Where am I?" Dean's voice was weak as he pushed himself up, his body trembling with the lingering effects of the drug, making his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. He tried to piece together the fragments of what had happened before—Shawn giving him that drink, the loss of consciousness
"Shut up!" Dean snarled, his body trembling with anger, but Ben's presence was like an impenetrable wall, holding him down with unyielding force.Ben sneered, cutting off any chance for Dean to retort. "You think these are just things of the past? Let me tell you... You're still that same little Dean who only knows how to 'lie down and obey‘, let me tell you the truth about what happened while you were unconscious," his voice dropped suddenly, filled with a provocative edge. "Why are you here? Why aren't you still asleep in the car, but instead brought to my room? Who do you think would willingly bring you here to me?"Dean's eyes widened, his breath quickening. "Shawn..." he struggled to force the name out, and in that moment, the trust he had felt shattered completely.Ben saw the expression on his face and grew even more smug. "My wife and kids are downstairs. The only way to keep them in the dark was to bring you here to me. Think about it—who could it be?" He slowly approached, t
Ben stood rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on Dean, a mixture of probing and helplessness on his face. "You’re not going to jump, are you?" His lips curled into a slight smirk, but his tone dripped with mockery. "It’s a forest down there. You won’t die, but you’ll be broken. You think you can escape me like this?"Dean's knuckles turned white from gripping the knife, fully aware that he couldn't bring himself to jump, but he couldn't let Ben see his weakness. However, Ben's gaze grew more confident, a dangerous smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "Little Dean, you're not trying to hurt yourself. You're just trying to scare me, aren't you?"Dean's fingers tightened further, the edge of the knife pressing more forcefully against his throat. With a roar of pure anger, he shouted, "I said, get the hell away from me!"Ben finally raised his hands in mock surrender, his tone softening. "Alright, I'll step back. If you want to leave, I'll let you go. Just stop backing up toward the e
"Why are you here?" Dean managed to push Dr. Parker's hand away with the last of his strength, his voice hoarse and sharp. His eyes were filled with suspicion and confusion. "Why are you helping me?"Dr. Parker paused at the question, then let out a bitter smile. "Dean, they’re about to catch up. Do you really want to stay here and ask me questions?""Answer me!" Dean gritted his teeth, his voice trembling with anger. Everything that had happened today left him filled with distrust towards everyone. His mind echoed with Shawn's betrayal, Ben's threats, and the humiliation and despair he had just endured.Dr. Parker sighed; his voice steady but tinged with a hint of resignation. "Fine, I'll tell you. After I finished the report, I immediately handed it over to Mr. Hansley, but he didn’t look at it, and I was getting frantic. Then I heard that a good friend of mine was coming to this party tonight, and I had this terrible feeling, so I followed. As soon as I got here, I saw you being ca
Dean's mind was drawn into a whirlpool of memories. Chen's face appeared before him, that gentle and passionate man. He recalled the happiness and contentment he felt when he was with Chen, a pure connection so profound it nearly made him forget all his pain.His thoughts then shifted to Damon. Despite Damon’s domineering and forceful nature, there were those rare, tender moments when Dean couldn’t help but feel an extraordinary sense of peace and reassurance.Yet at that moment, an unexpected image invaded his mind—Shawn. The very person who had once plunged him into the depths of despair now appeared in his memories, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, his eyes carrying a faint trace of tenderness.“Why?” Dean murmured to himself; filled with confusion. He couldn’t understand why Shawn would surface in his thoughts at a moment like this, unbidden and inexplicable.The man in the car glanced at him, as if sensing his inner turmoil, but chose to remain silent. He simply carried on
When he finished washing up and returned to the room, Greg was sitting by the side, casually fiddling with his phone. When he saw Dean walk out, he asked offhandedly, "What’s so funny?"Dean cleared his throat, putting on a nonchalant expression. "Nothing."Greg narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously, but after a moment, he chose not to press further.Dean quickly changed the subject. "Last time, Damon mentioned we were supposed to track down Vander. Any updates on that?"At the mention of Vander, Greg’s expression tightened ever so slightly. He nodded. "We went... we reached his house."Dean immediately sensed something off in Greg's tone and furrowed his brow. "And no one was there?"Greg sighed softly, his voice tinged with a subtle resignation. "Nope, all we found was a note."Dean's brow deepened into a frown. "What did the note say?"Greg’s voice carried a strange undertone as if weighed by something unspoken. "It said, 'You don’t need to look for me. I’ll come to find you.'"A c
Damon chuckled softly, narrowing his eyes as he studied Dean. "Nothing special just wanted to see how you're doing."Dean was momentarily taken aback by the comment, then quickly shifted his gaze. "You are so boring."Damon's eyes wandered around the background of the video, and he noticed the scattered puzzle pieces on the table. He casually asked, "What are you working on?"Dean remembered what he had been doing and, with a shrug, pointed the camera down at the table to show Damon the partially completed image."A puzzle," he said, casually flipping over a piece. "This is what Greg left for me. I don’t even know what it’s supposed to look like when it’s finished."Damon’s eyes lingered on the incomplete smiling face for a moment, his expression subtly shifting."At this point, it’s hard to tell who it is. Could be that self-absorbed senior of mine," Dean muttered as he continued searching through the puzzle pieces.However, Damon fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking, his
After finalizing the arrangements with the others, Dean finally felt a sense of relief. Greg, Damon, Chen, and Shawn were all in agreement—his best course of action was to stay put at Robert’s villa and stay out of the situation with Vander. Each of them had their resources and connections, making their moves far more effective than if he went charging in alone.“Your only job right now is to sit tight,” Greg had said over the call. His tone was teasing, but there was no mistaking the firm resolve beneath it.“We’ll handle Vander,” Damon had added, calm and certain.Even Shawn had chimed in, backing them up. “Yeah, Dean. Just take it easy for once.”And so, with the four of them pressing him from all sides, Dean had no choice but to slip into an unfamiliar state—one of complete inaction.Lying on his bed, he stared up at the ceiling, fingers idly tapping against the edge of the mattress as he pondered what to do with himself. Having so much free time felt oddly unsettling. He was used
Dean clenched his jaw. His mind raced through every detail of the Dragon Gang Massacre. The final pieces of the puzzle snapped into place.Chen had only ever been a younger brother trying to save his family. Damon had only ever been a leader trying to avenge his fallen men.And Vander was the true orchestrator of it all—the one who had cast the longest shadow.Dean took a deep breath, lifting his gaze to Robert. Slowly, he asked, “Uncle Robert… you once said that everyone who worked with him ended up dead?”Robert let out a chuckle, his eyes dark with meaning. “That’s right. If they weren’t outmaneuvered by him, they were erased to cover his tracks. There’s no direct proof, of course… but everyone who met their end had one thing in common—they had dealings with Vander.”Dean fell silent for a few seconds before speaking again, his voice lower this time. “So… you came here to escape him?”For the first time, Robert’s expression softened, something distant and wistful flickering in his
Robert absentmindedly ran his fingers over the table's surface, as if tracing the contours of an old memory. “He drifted between gangs, never pledging true loyalty to any one of them. That’s why so many people tried to win him over—whoever offered him the best deal, he’d work with. If he wasn’t happy? He’d walk away without a second thought.”Dean’s frown deepened, a trace of disbelief flickering in his eyes. “How does someone like that survive in this underworld? The major gangs wouldn’t tolerate an outsider with no allegiance, wandering between them like a free agent.”Robert sighed quietly, his voice carrying a mix of resignation and admiration. “Ordinary men wouldn’t stand a chance. But he wasn’t ordinary.”He slowly raised a finger and tapped it lightly against the table. “First—he was smart. He never positioned himself as a direct threat to any gang. Instead, he made himself indispensable.”Another tap. “Second—what he had to offer was irresistible. Intelligence, strategy, plann
Greg chuckled. “Do you dislike accepting my goodwill that much?”Dean shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. “It’s not that I don’t want to—it’s just that it feels too heavy. Taking such a big help without giving anything in return doesn’t sit right with me.”Greg studied him for a moment as if weighing something in his mind. After a brief pause, he finally spoke. “Alright then… do me a favor.”Dean’s brows furrowed slightly. “What kind of favor?”Greg leaned back lazily in his chair, his voice light and casual. “Go to my room. In the big wardrobe, there’s a locked box. Take care of everything inside and bring it down to me.”Dean looked at him, puzzled. “And what exactly is in it?”Greg’s lips curved into a subtle, enigmatic smile. “You’ll find out once you’ve done it.”The call ended.Dean barely had time to exhale before he was about to head off to find Robert and report that Greg had agreed to take over. But before he could even take a step, his phone b
He spoke leisurely, but his tone showed a trace of helplessness. “She even told me to stay away from you. Said a kid like you had no business getting tangled up with people like us… that you'd only end up getting hurt.”Dean fell silent. He could understand Greg’s mother’s concerns—the Golden Eagle Gang’s reputation was well-known. And back then, he had been just an ordinary student… a little crybaby, even.But then Greg’s tone shifted, tinged with pride. “I proved to her that you weren’t a coward, just someone who knew how to endure. Only then did she agree to help me and speak to that old man. And after that… well, the old man took care of the problem.”So that was it. Everything finally clicked into place.Dean finally found his voice, though there was still disbelief in it. “How did you prove it?”Greg chuckled softly. There was an unmistakable laziness in his voice as he drawled, “I had my guys pretend to go after your family. And you rushed out to protect them. That doesn’t exac
Dean was momentarily stunned, then let out a sigh and smiled. “You truly do know a lot.”Robert lazily waved a hand, his tone carrying a hint of indifference. “Go get some rest…”Dean nodded, stood up, and headed for the door. Just as he reached it, he turned back to glance at Robert, a mix of emotions flickering in his gaze. “Uncle Robert, see you later.”Robert watched his retreating figure, the corners of his lips curling slightly. There was a barely perceptible trace of admiration in his eyes. ‘What a good kid.’Just as Dean was about to step out, Robert suddenly spoke. “By the door, on the left-hand shelf, second tier, second from the right—those antique gold-rimmed cups. Take them. They’re yours.”Dean froze mid-step, turning back in surprise. “I can’t possibly accept that!”Robert’s expression remained unchanged, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority. “Take them. No refusals.”Dean opened his mouth, wanting to protest, but in the end, he simply walked over to the s
Dean furrowed his brow, a sense of unease creeping up his spine. Something in Robert’s words hinted at layers beneath the surface, as though there were truths left unspoken. His fingers tightened slightly as if trying to steady the flutter of uncertainty in his chest. “Like what? How much do you know? How… how far back does it go?”Robert’s gaze remained steady and sharp as he slowly uttered a name. “I know about what happened between you and Benjamin Winston. Does that answer your question?”The air seemed to freeze at that moment. Dean’s usually composed expression cracked, a flicker of shock flashing across his face. His throat tightened, his pupils narrowing slightly. Almost instinctively, he took a small step back, his lips trembling. “You… how could you know?”Robert’s gaze didn’t waver. He still held that unsettling calm, the air around him thick with a sense of unspoken power. But his voice carried a subtle pressure. “Do you know why that bastard stopped?”Dean’s breath caught