332 Since When Did You Know?

"How fascinating, our fates are entangled with that much. Was she also kidnapped because of a jealous person?" Amber asked.

"It was a jealous person indeed but a guy who was jealous of your father's achievement that he wants him to go and back out from a business deal," Oliver still answered.

'Wow, Ashton is that you? Why must you have the same fate as my father? Though yours was the tragic end,' Amber lamented in her heart.

"I see," was all she said on the outside.

What else must she say then, it was not like that was a touching story. It was even a tragic one for he had once kidnapped her mother for his own good.

Oliver didn't say anything again, he didn't even know why he told her about that.

"With your current look, I can see that you are not scared even if your life is forfeited today. With your standing, I thought you would be someone who loved his life," Amber then added.

"I love my life but I also know how the underworld works. With my capture, being killed was already being lenient," was all Oliver said before he once again dropped his head no longer intending to say anything.

Amber felt that it must be because he was the boos of the underworld that he knows this the best. She had heard that no matter what kind of threat or what kind of torturing they do, Oliver Cleaves just wouldn't show any sign of weakness.

"I really don't understand why you accepted that mission just to do so many illegal things and I know that I will never understand. But I do hope that when there is such thing as rebirth or next life, you would still suffer. Even for the next ones, I wish for you to suffer over and over again."

Seeing as these were the last words from her, Michael pushed her out of that place.

He can feel that she was feeling down after meeting Oliver Cleaves.

"No matter when, whether it was a year ago after Carl died or now that I have met those who physically killed my parents. I just don't understand why people kill those who didn't do anything to them. Why shed blood when you were not wronged at all."

Amber's words were heavy and Michael who had lived in the underworld knew he too was not someone who could cast those words away, for he too didn't know how many he had killed.

Whether they wronged him or not.

"It is not like I was also clean but that those whom I knew was killed while being innocent. Just what did Carl do? He lived as a righteous person. What did my parents do? They were just born in such a family."

Amber continued as she was being pushed back to his office.

"I guess this is something I will never understand until the day I die," was all she bitterly said in the end.

She knew why her uncle didn't say anything, it was all because he too was somehow just like them.

She also knew Ashton and the others were the same, the underworld was the same. They would kill those who might be innocent or people close to those even though they were innocent.

Oliver Cleaves family may have some innocent people in them but because of what Oliver Cleaves has done, they too were implicated.

That is the nature of this things, so even if she laments or complains or question. An answer will never be revealed. Any answer will have their flaws in the end.

She took a deep breath and looked back at her uncle who remained silent all this time.

"And I also know that there would come a time where I too might end up doing the same. I might pull someone in and cause them their deaths despite being innocent, despite not knowing that they were killed because of their relatives."

"In a world of dog eat dog, with such high competition, once we venture in this dark side, we will never come out clean. We can only move forward."

As Michael looked at his niece he now understands the worries of her brothers when he first spoke to them and told them just who he was.

~"She had matured so much that we worry too much that she no longer needs us. With everything that she had experienced, we may no longer have the chance to protect her for all this time after reuniting with her, she had been the one protecting us."~

~"But maybe with you, with someone as strong as you, maybe you would be able to protect her as well. That no matter how much she run rampant, you would be there behind her together with Ashton. Both of you would be able to openly protect her."~

Their words pierced through his heart for he can see the pain in their eyes. All they could do was protect her secretly, to stay away from her.

Even with the kidnapping this time, all they could do was rely on Ashton to save her. Even though they themselves wanted to run to her and helped her, they just couldn't.

"You should... talk to your brothers."

After remembering this, he couldn't help but say.

Amber looked at him in confusion.

Michael smiled and placed a hand on top of her head, "You grew up too fast. You matured so much that it hurts them just seeing you protect them while all they can do is to stay away from you and not do anything else about you."

Amber's lips parted as this news was shocking to her, she had always told them that they were helping her and just being there was enough for her. Yet they were actually still being hurt for being unable to stood by her side.

She then sighed, "I shall go and meet them then."

Michael nodded as he pushed her out of that place and at the back of the restaurant. Amber, on the other hand, after seeing that it was already close to dusk gave Ashton a call. Just in time for him to say that he was close.

"Thank you for today and for what you told me, I am glad that I could get the chance to actually meet my uncle again."

Michael smiled at her as he bid her and Ashton goodbye.

"Truly, you have such wonderful children Sarah," he looked up to the sky and said.

With what he heard of their past, it wouldn't be too much if the brothers also hated their sister. Even with hearing her say a few words on their behalf, it was still the same for they were still left behind because of her.

But instead of being mad, they were instead worried of her all through out their lives.

"I shall protect them on your stead, I shall stand as their parent and make sure that they will have a beautiful tomorrow," he added as his eyes showed the resolve he currently have.

****

"Since when did you know?" Amber asked as the two of them travelled back home.

She already asked for Xander to come again if he can tonight, she wanted to speak to them as soon as possible for she didn't expect that they would actually have those heavy feelings within them.

"I have a hunch when I first saw his face and noticed some resemblance with your brothers. After a while of trying to look into him, I found clues of who he truly is," Ashton replied understanding instantly what she was asking.

Amber nodded before she looked outside the window and watched the scenery of the road.

"How do you feel now?" Ashton asked this time.

"Complicated, I didn't feel much satisfaction after seeing Oliver Cleaves in that state. Maybe it is because of the fact that in the end he wouldn't have his gang kill my parents if not for the Price Empire issuing the mission," she replied as she propped her head on her hand.

Ashton reached out and held her hand without saying anything.

"How about on your side then? I know you have won but how does he look?" she changed the subject and asked instead.

"He looks like he was ready to throw a fit," Ashton replied with a smirk.

When Glenn saw him he was already glaring at him then when he won, Glenn was looking at him as if he was ready to kill him on that spot.

There might be a lot of hotels on that place since it was close to the beach but the hotel Ashton proposed has so much more that he was able to win the land.

Even though they were bidding with different constructions on mind, it was still up to how profitable it would be for the people around that place, whether their proposition would be approved or not.

Mall may be a big plus for people on vacation would try to shop and all but getting stalls to be there and hiring people would take too much time.

Hotels, on the other hand, were always fully booked around two to three times a year and the amount of income was vast. It was also a good investment when you wanted it as soon as possible.

And that is why he had won the bidding in the end.