Frankie Lam.
The sides of his face were red and swollen. The edge of his mouth contained traces of blood. And from the looks of his rumpled clothing, there were many other unseen wounds.
"Mr. Chou told us to deliver this man to Mr. Chen," the older of the two men said.
Mr. Chou, or more widely known as Jay Chou, leader of the Black Dragons, was an acquaintance Edison had made a few years back. The Black Dragons held enormous influence in all of Asia, second to no one. Edison's association with them was purely business. In situations when he could not be publicly involved, he enlisted their help. The only requirement was a hefty fee that hardly scratched his wallet.
Recognizing the importance of finding Frankie Lam, he had made a call to the elusive Jay Chou earlier, right after receiving the urgent call from his father-in-law. And now, as promised the traitor was delivered.
He rose from his seat in front of the large mahogany desk and reached into the inner pocket of his leather jacket, pulling some bills out between his index and middle fingers. All the while, his eyes remained firmly planted on the haggard man in the center. "Thank you gentleman, please give my thanks to Mr. Chou." Then added, "When the resort is completed. I'll be sure to have a room reserved for Mr. Chou's pleasure."
Compensation in terms of dollar amounts would be too easily sought out by law enforcement. It was therefore a much safer bet to reimburse using other means, such as fringe benefits; be it a free luxury suite on occasion, or the privilege to purchase newly built condos before the general public was offered, ensuring a fast buck.
The two men dropped Frankie Lam on to the Persian rug and took the money, giving a small bow before exiting the den along with the maid.
Roughed up pretty badly, the traitor staggered tiredly to his feet. Slouched over with his right hand pressed to his stomach and left arm waving unsteadily to keep balance, the tan-skinned middle age man rambled for forgiveness and begged for mercy. But none of the faces in the room were sympathetic.
Betrayal was a sin.
Betrayal of a friend was an unforgivable sin.
His father-in-law's jaw gritted angrily, rising from his seat followed by his brother-in-law. "Who put you up to it? Who paid you to sabotage us?"
Though there was no actual proof, being seasoned and intelligent businessmen, it was only common sense to them that money was involved.
"I...I'm so sorry, Mr. Chung. I had no choice. The loan sharks were after me. They said they would kill me and rape my wife if I didn't repay the money," the rambling continued to their impatience.
"Cut the bull, Frankie. Who told you to sabotage us?"
"I can't say. Or...or else they will kill me," the beaten man hesitated.
Precious time was wasting. And they were not any closer to an answer. Edison took it as an invitation to step into the interrogation. A quick scan of his father-in-law's desk proved rewarding. Taking the metal letter opener into custody, he then took quick steps toward the disheveled man and pulled him up by the collar, holding the sharp point to his neck. "If you don't answer, you'll die now."
His cold eyes and menacing tone send shivers down his captive's back, turning all his words into nervous stutters. "No...no...you wouldn't."
"Try me." His simple answer was accompanied by a slight push of the opener. The action was just enough to cause a superficial wound at the base of the other man's neck.
If there was anything his father had taught him early on in business, it was to be ruthless -- Mercy was its own undoing.
Edison had already assessed the type of man that Frankie Lam was, cunning but without honor. He was a coward. It was only a matter of time before he would cave.
Frankie screamed.
"Mr. Chung! Mr. Chung!"
The cries were first directed to his father-in-law then brother-in-law but both continued to look on angrily, neither showed any signs of weakening.
He smirked. "Well?"
Slowly, the look of remorse disappeared from the bruised man. "I can tell you but in return I want a million dollars."
"Fat chance!" Edison traced the sharp point further down to where the Adam's apple was. One hard shovel and Frankie Lam would be a dead man. That was chilling knowledge that they both were only too aware of.
Would he have actually killed the man?
Probably not.
Edison considered himself vicious but not cold-blooded. And surely, this man was hardly worth it. All he wanted was to rattle him enough to spill. And from the looks of the heavy beads of sweat streaming down the man's tan face, he knew the moment would not be far.
Frankie swallowed fearfully. "It was the Tses -- Simon Tse and Nicholas Tse of Tse International."
Edison was right.
But at the mention of Nicholas Tse, his gaze instinctively turned toward his brother-in-law, who looked at first in shock then flaming mad. It was the same with his father-in-law. He was shocked too but refused to let on in front of Frankie Lam. In the face of an adversary, he knew he had to keep a clear head. "What proof do you have? How do I know you're not just looking for scapegoats?"
"I...I recorded the conversation."
The elder Chung stepped forward. "Where's the recording?"
"In my jacket pocket -- a small cassette. It can prove that Simon Tse had bribe me to sabotage the beams."
Edison pulled the cassette out of the suit jacket and threw it to his brother-in-law. Kenny quickly put the cassette into the player and within seconds the voice of Simon Tse could be heard through the scratchy recording.
If there had been doubts in any of their minds, the recording had quickly put them away. In explicit terms, Simon Tse expressed his willingness to pay Frankie Lam a large sum if the man agreed to sabotage the main beams.
In the midst of anger, with a harsh push, Edison sent the despicable man scrawling onto the Persian rug once again. "Tell me! Why? Why are they sabotaging the project?"
"I...I don't know," the injured man cried fearfully, using his palm to cover his neck wound but thin lines of blood were spilling out from the cracks of his stubby fingers. "I really don't know. I only did as they told me. Please let me go. Please."
"This cassette. You made it to blackmail the Tses in the future, didn't you?" Kenny looked accusingly at the man still scrawled on the floor.
"No doubt. And if somehow the plan fell out, he could use it to strike a deal with the DA for a lesser penalty. Perhaps even no jail time," Edison remarked casually then turned to Frankie.
"Are there other plans? Are they going to try anything else?"
"I...I don't know."
It was true that the contract protected Tse International from financial losses if the finish date was delayed but the hit to their reputation would be great. The public would lose confidence in the company. The results could mean a drop in their stock price. It was one loss after another, what would be the motive?
It just did not make sense.
*
"Morning Nancy," Charlene gave her assistant a bright smile before continuing her way from the storefront, where rows of her designs were displayed, to her office in the back. Entwined with her slender hand was the small chubby one of Timmy's.
Her adopted son.
The overhead lights took a second to come on after she tapped on the smooth white two-way switch. The monotone decorated room felt familiar and yet foreign as a result of her infrequent attendance to work in the last few months.
From the embedded skylights to the slanted sketching table, each item had been carefully chosen by Kenny and herself. Countless hours had been spent in various furniture shops all over Hong Kong until they finally found the perfect-sized shelves that matched both the color scheme of the room and suited her needs. It would come as a surprise to many how rare it was for certain pieces of furniture to come in just solid black.
The color scheme had been Kenny's idea. The theory behind it was that the monotone background would allow her to focus on the colors of her design without outside intrusion affecting her eyes. And of course he had been right, even though she had not totally agreed at first but the benefit had become evident quickly.
What the furnishing lacked in color, the various textured colored fabrics scattered over her desk and filled the black shelves that were against the white walls made up. Then there were also the randomly placed mannequins that took up most of the space in front of her desk. Each was dressed in her latest designs, mostly colorful chiffon articles.
Fashion design had always been her dream. A result of having been called a tomboy a few times too many in her younger years. Growing up, she had been conscious of keeping her appearance soft and feminine, from her short feathery hair to her flirty girlish choice in clothing. Her fashion expertise slowly evolved into a professional passion. Funded by her husband, the boutique had been an opportunity to realize her dream. It was ashamed that after three years of hard work she had to close it down. But since she had already decided to leave Hong Kong, there really were no other options.
She led Timmy to the black coffee table adjacent to a two-piece black couch set where small meetings were usually conducted. "Here Timmy, you color here while I take care of some things. Okay?"
Timmy nodded obediently with a contagious smile, already opening his small book bag to reach for his coloring book and crayons. Unable to resist his babyish charm, she ran a hand over his short straight hair.
Where would she be without him?
He was her anchor in the midst of the turbulent sea.
The last month had been spent running around the legal departments to get the adoption finalized. The time she had spent volunteering at the orphanage turned out to pay off in a big way. The orphanage board voted unanimously to her request and granted her custody earlier than most adoption applications.
It was ironic that despite her marriage of three years, this was the way she became a parent. Kenny had wanted children early on but it had been her wish to postpone until a later time. Charlene could not help feeling a twinge of regret.
Kenny would be a wonderful father.
But she had denied him the opportunity.
The busy month had done her much good. It had afforded her time away from useless dwelling on the past, regrets that could never be corrected. It was time to let go.
All the things she should have done but did not.
All the things she did but should not have.
Kenny.
Her heart would always be indebted to him. His love was more than she could ever dream for. He had appeared like a knight in shining armors during her most hopeless moments. It was her own stupidity that had lead to their misery. She had wronged him.
Nicholas.
There was a time that she had loved him more than life itself. But he had become no more than a stranger to her now. She could not accept that the easy-going young man that had once stolen her heart had become a ruthless businessman with little conscience.
Perhaps had she never met Kenny she would not be as disappointed in Nicholas. But she had met Kenny. And she was disappointed in Nicholas.
Their importance in her life could never be erased. But she had come to accept their meeting had been ill fated since the very beginning.
The asymmetric handkerchief hem of her soft lime skirt swayed from side to side as she made way to the sleek black desk. With pen and pad ready at hand, she prepared herself for the long iterations of voicemails that had not been checked for over a month. It had taken approximately ten minutes to listen through over fifteen voicemails. The previously clean page of her pad was now filled with scribbles notating the calls she had received and the necessity to return them. As luck would have it, most had been invitations to fashion shows and store openings. None of which required more than a gift basket. Two or more were simply hang-ups in which the caller had left neither name nor number. That coincidentally had been occurring quite often with the voicemail on her mobile phone. But figuring that the caller must have realized they had reached the wrong number, Charlene did not heed any more attention than necessary.
The long black hand against the white background of the round black clock hung over the opposite wall made several rotations and soon more than three hours had passed.
A smile of satisfaction reached Charlene's lips when she called to Timmy. "Honey, time to pack up."
With their hands entwined, Charlene exchanged a few parting words with her assistant then lead Timmy out the front door. "Hungry yet, Timmy?"
He nodded bringing another smile to her beautiful round face. "What do you want to eat?"
His eyes lit up. "McDonalds."
In response to his innocence, her giggles rang like bells. "Okay, McDonalds it is."
The mother and son happily continued down the street, too oblivious in their happiness to notice the pair of eyes following them from the insides of a ruby red Ferrari.
To let go of someone you love takes a lot of courage.
Courage that not everyone possesses.
*
Gillian's eyes opened in time to meet the handsome features of her husband. "Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty."
Her lips automatically curved into a sweet smile when he gently help her sit up, propping a pillow behind her. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Almost eight hours," her husband replied, holding a small porcelain bowl to her.
Her expressive eyes recognized the white liquidly substance immediately. "Congee?"
"Your mom especially made this for you. She said you shouldn't eat anything oily while you're still unwell."
She nodded then turned to her husband again. "Have you eaten yet?"
The sight of the small bowl in her husband's strong hands while he carefully skimmed spoonful of congee from the surface made her heart warm.
"We had lunch a few hours ago," he said, bringing a spoonful of rice porridge to her lips.
The delicious taste made her mouth water. "Congee with pork. My favorite."
After several more spoons, her husband passed the bowl to her and turned to retrieve the ringing mobile phone from his front pant pockets. "Uncle Nick..."
Gillian's gaze turned curious when two familiar names escaped her husband's lips -- Simon Tse and Nicholas Tse. From the context of the conversation, her husband was asking his uncle to investigate the Tses for him.
Not quite explainable, she automatically felt a connection between the inquiry and the reason for their sudden visit to her parents' home.
Her lips pursed together momentarily after he snapped the phone shut. "Why are you suddenly checking up on the Tses?"
She continued to press. "Is it related to the resort?"
"Didn't you promise to trust me?"
"I do," she insisted softly. "I'm just curious."
Still, the expression on her husband's face was unreadable. "We found Frankie Lam."
The small bowl in her hand was entirely forgotten. "The architect? What did he say?"
"He said Simon Tse and Nicholas Tse paid him to sabotage the resort."
"But why would they do that? They are our partners in the project."
"I'm not sure either."
"That's why you are checking them out?"
He nodded.
The Tses were behind the sabotage?
"What was Kenny's reaction?"
If it really was the Tses then her brother more than anyone else should be angered. After all, Nicholas Tse had been the culprit that broken up his marriage. Gillian could not help wondering now if somehow that had been deliberate.
"Nothing in particular. Just shocked."
Her husband must have noticed her worry. Despite his cold exterior, he always seemed in tuned with her emotions. "I won't let him do anything rash."
"Thank you," she smiled gratefully but worry had not entirely abandoned her heart.
If the Tses were involved, another person would likely be a suspect as well. Daniel.
"Okay, spill it. What else is in that pretty head of yours?" Her husband's tone became lighthearted and playful.
Gillian hesitated momentarily, hoping her request would not spoil his mood. But knew it was impossible. "Can you promise me if Daniel is somehow involved that you would let him go?"
Her husband had been furious when the reason for her disappearance yesterday slowly escaped her lips. He wanted to give her former fiance a lesson that he would never forget. But she could not and would not allow that. It was after all her fault for the situation they were in. After much reassuring and convincing, Edison finally agreed to let the incident pass. But she knew it was far from forgotten.
To request once again for his lenience was far from fair but she owed Daniel too much.
It would pain her to know that he was involved but she could not dismiss the suspiciousness of his sudden coupling with Tse International. And the various times he had tried to coax company information from her. But yet, if it were not for her, someone as upstanding and righteous as him would never participate in anything so illegal and devious.
The chiseled jaw line of her husband grew hard. "Finish the congee."
"Please."
Both were men that held important places in her heart. One was a man whom had literally taken her under his wing during her most desperate moments. One was a man whom she loved and wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The last thing she ever wanted to see was the two standing on opposing sides.
Her husband finally responded with a reluctant nod. "I promise."
His love for her was beyond doubt.
Her love for him was beyond reason.
Would that be enough to live happily ever after?
*
The first Sunday rays had already invaded the entire bedroom but motionless with his body against the firm queen-sized mattress and legs hung off the side of the bed, crushing the deep blue bed skirts that his wife had chosen when they first married, Kenny's eyes stared straight into the white ceiling. Finally for the first time in days, there was a quiet moment for him to confront the cycle of infuriation and disbelief that had been eating at him.
While his father and brother-in-law had been preoccupied with finding new investors, to ensure funding for the continuation of the resort, Kenny had been rushing in and out of the office, meeting with disgruntled developers whom were not particularly thrilled about having to tear down the existing structure and rebuild, and answering to angry board members, whom were rightfully upset with that status of the project. With some of the rotten attitudes he had seen in certain men, he would have decked them had he been a lesser man. But being the man that he was, he simply restated their current position and took the heat.
But now all alone in his room, he no longer had to continue the pretense of being calm and determined. His anger was exploding in waves.
How could a man he treated as a friend betray him so easily?
And yet, Frankie had admitted to the act himself. Even snitching on the people that had bribed him.
The Tses.
But why? Why had the Tses paid Frankie Lam to sabotage the project?
The very question had haunted him day and night without conclusion.
Anger and helplessness made his blood want to boil. Since the moment Nicholas Tse had walked into his life, the man had stopped at nothing to tear him apart; ruining everything he treasured; first, his marriage and now, Chung Enterprises.
Kenny wanted nothing more than to beat him to a bloody gulp.
On the small nightstand to his right, a sleek silver mobile phone began to ring, bringing his mind back to the present, away from murderous thoughts. With sluggish movements, he reached for the phone. His lips pursed into a slight frown at the name displayed on the small LCD screen.
Cecilia.
Lowering his thumb on the 'end' button, the phone immediately slipped into dormant sleep.
It was not the first time he had avoided her calls in the last few days. There was just too much on his mind without her constant pressure to add to his shoulders. He liked Cecilia very much, even loved her. They had grown up together, had many happy times. But he was not in love with her. There was only one woman in his heart.
Charlene.
He had only accepted Cecilia because he could not bear to hurt her. But he could no longer lie to her or himself. He needed to tell her the truth.
Just not now.
Not when the future of Chung Enterprises was still so uncertain.
It took great effort to pull himself off of the comforting embrace of the large bed. The bed he had once shared with his wife. Desperate for a breath of fresh air, he made his way out of the room, into the hall, and down the stairs. His stomping feet came to an abrupt stop at the sound of his brother-in-law's voice.
"I've been wondering when you'll be up."
Kenny turned to the living room area where his brother-in-law was seated on the large Victorian-styled sofa. He immediately noticed the absence of his sister. "Where's Gillian?"
"She's at the doctor's with your mom," he replied, strolling to his side. "I have something to show you."
"What?"
"This," a large manila envelope produced from the younger man's hand while his eyes twinkled with seriousness. "I asked my uncle to look up information on the Tses. You might find it interesting. Especially the section on Nicholas Tse."
Kenny took the envelope hesitantly and removed a large stack of papers. Uncertain of what to make of the information, his legs slowly made their way back to the sofa where his brother-in-law had occupied just before and spread the document over the clean coffee table.
The first set of the documents contained detailed information on assets owned Tse International and other privately owned assets by the Tses. According to his tally, the Tses were rich enough to buy up the entire Hong Kong and probably more.
The second set of documents explicated Simon Tse's life from birth to the present, even a detailed history of his career achievements and love life. It seemed Nicholas Tse's philandering ways had been inherited from his father. But despite many high-profile relationships, Simon Tse had never married.
The piece of information made Kenny's brows furrow.
While there had never been a Mrs. Tse to his knowledge, he had always assumed that Nicholas Tse was the product of a previous marriage. But now, it seemed more likely he was a product of an affair.
His eyes continued down the document then stopped. In the middle of 1985, Simon Tse adopted the orphaned son of his secretary, whom had died in a tragic car accident.
Nicholas Tsang.
His heart immediately felt uneasy. Unable to continue with the rest of Simon Tse's profile, quickly Kenny turned to the next set of documents, the ones that pertained to the life of Nicholas Tse. His hands froze and face paled immediately on the first page -- a photocopy of a birth certificate. Nicholas Tsang, born 1977 in Hong Kong Hospital to Margie Tsang and Tony Chung.
Tony Chung.
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