The Rhyme of the Depositary

036 - SEASON 2

The exam?

Alice jerked herself from Klayver's embrace and looked at Violin in disbelief. Is this all a test? Of what?

"I told you I'd hate you if you made the same mistake again, Mom. Do you think my words are just a blank bluff?"

Violin looked at Klayver without any remorse. He raised his shoulders stubbornly.

"I have to do all this, Son. I just want to know how much he loves you."

Kalyver raised his anger emotions. He grasped Alice's arm firmly and pulled her closer.

"Let's go back to Manhattan. Coming here was a mistake."

Alice was pulled a little rough by Klayver. He flinched for a moment before finally realizing Klayver's intention and walked quickly towards the upper room to pick up their luggage.

"Wait, Klayver. Don't do this." James blocked Klayver's path, blocking his son's arm before they walked too far.

"Your wife is causing trouble, Dad. If anyone is to blame, she is your own wife." the corner of Klayver's eyes glanced at Violin who stood expressionless .

"I'm just trying to do what's best for you" Violin explained. There was no lie from his face.

"Stop your bullshit. I'm sick of this family."

"Klayver, please listen to Dad just this once. Your mother must have had a good reason. You better talk in private. Understand position. Perhaps that way, he can also understand your position." James advised. Before Klayver refused, James turned to look at Alice and asked gently.

"Alice. We need to talk too. Will you?"

Alice shriveled behind her husband's sturdy body. He wasn't sure how to respond to James. He just got a gun, by the way. Psychically, his brain is still not working perfectly.

"You can't force him. We're going back to Manhattan. Please don't disturb our lives anymore."

"Klayvers. Give us a chance one last time. You talk to your mother and I'll talk to Alice. If your opinion is still bad about us, you can leave this family again. Forever." James this time was no joke. Kalyver is never half. If this time goes away, it means forever. It would be better for James to bet as well.

"I'm not—"

"Klayvers. Its alright. It's good we talk to them for a minute." Alice calms. He gently rubbed Klayver's muscular arm and tried to persuade her.

"James, let's talk." Alice broke free and walked over to her father-in-law.

This family is not perfect. Lots of flaws here and there. Cruelty has become a way for them to behave. But at least, Alice still saw genuine concern from each other. It would be better for him to give them a gap to explain the sitting matter.

Alice just wanted to contribute a little to Klayver. Hopefully his actions will not bring disaster. Deep down, he wanted to be the go-between between Klayver and Liecester's family.

Alice followed James into the man's study. Seeing the departure of his wife, Klayver inevitably looked at Violin and gave a small snort.

"We need to talk, Klayver!" Violin reminded. His eyes began to be fragile, imagining the possibility of losing his son once again.

The three Kalyver brothers could only be observers in the situation. They want to act, but it is certainly not wise to interfere with sensitive matters.

…

Alice sat on a soft, leather-lined chair with high arms. He confronted James. The man looks old now. His facial lines are clearly getting clearer.

"Alice, I want to tell you a story" James began. He pinched his nose slowly, trying to string word for word.

"The Liecester family is a family that has long participated in many illegal transactions. Say, we're dark business people. Although now we are slowly abandoning all that, but our name is still quite influential in the dark world."

James stopped, took a cigarette from one of the desk drawers and pointed it at Alice, asking for an opinion on whether the woman objected or not if she smoked.

Alice smiled slightly and let James out. He immediately picked up a lighter, lit the tip of his cigarette and began sipping tobacco smoke into his lungs.

"All of us, my wife and children, grew up with strong instinctive acumen. We are determined to train our children in such a way that he can take care of himself in every situation. But of all people, Klayver is most keen on his intuition and has a talent in disguise."

James recalled those days. When her children turned eight, she trained them in martial arts and mixed with nature. When they were fifteen, he secretly introduced his son to these types of weapons.

He never thought, Klayver grew beyond them all. At twenty years old, he decided to become a hitman and received many forbidden missions.

If the Klayver brothers were stars, then Kalyver itself was the full moon that had the most perfect rays.

"He has been eyes evil since he was twenty. Then, trouble began to come."

James felt a pent-up rage recalling the incident and threw the cigarette butts on the floor carelessly. He stomped on the cigarette under his black shoes and grunted it vigorously to vent his anger.

"When he was twenty-one, Klayver knew a Latin American girl. From Brazil. His name is Holy."

Alice held her breath as this passage began to be brought up in the subject. His heart was a little disturbed.

"They're crazy about each other. But my wife and I are not too sure of the sincerity of the Holy. Love can strengthen and bring down. If Klayver falls for the wrong person, he could be destroyed at any time."

If Klayver is crazy about someone, she must be a perfect woman. Latin women with copper skin and classic faces are amazingly charming. Alice imagined all that and her heart started to get inflamed.

"Klayver loves him too much and considers Holy to be the center of the world. He looked after the woman like he was guarding the rarest of the most expensive diamonds. What we never thought we'd be."

"Because we didn't approve of their relationship, Klayver married secretly. Half a year later Holy was pregnant. That was when Violin took drastic measures. He came to Holy alone, when Klayver was not with him and revealed who Klayver really was."

Alice frowned. So as long as their relationship lasted, Klayver covered up her identity neatly. Such a relationship is only a superficial relationship that does not have a strong foundation. Shouldn't a marriage keep no lies at all?

"Why don't you agree with their relationship?" alice began to feel suspicious.

"Me and Violin have strong instincts. Holy looks like a shallow woman who is infatuated with treasures and lacks pure sincerity. Unfortunately, Klayver was too blinded. So we can't wake him up. The only thing that could resuscitate him was to act boldly by giving him a heavy blow."

James changed his sitting position, leaning more and more and looking closely at Alice's reaction. This woman was already quite shaken to hear everything. But they have not yet come to the core story.

"The Holy Medatangi Violin, says that Klayver is a hitman from a family who operates many dark activities and begins to threaten him."

"As he did to me a moment ago?" guess Alice is starting to understand.

"Yes. Less more. He explained how dangerous Holy would be if it stayed with Klayver. His life could be ruined at any time being the target of Klayver's enemies. So, my wife offered me a huge sum of money to make him disappear from Klayver's life."

James tapped the tips of the fingers on the mahogany table.

"Guess what that woman did? He snatched the money the Violin offered without a second thought and fled in to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Klayver, knowing the actions of Violin, soon followed Holy to Sao Paulo. Who would have thought there, the woman was found aborting the womb and tragically ending up dying of severe bleeding."

"Is Violin the one who told Holy to abort the womb?"

James who heard this question could only sigh softly. His wife always acted rude. But he has enough limits.

"No. Of course not. Violin simply told Holy to leave Klayver's life and give birth to the child safely. After the child was born, he intended to take care of the child in the Liecester family without Holy interference. But Holy acts on his own initiative to kill the fetus that is in his womb. Maybe she didn't want to give birth to Klayver's child, or maybe she was burdened enough to continue her pregnancy. Clearly, she was found dead in the abortion process."

Alice looked down inside. Don't know what to respond to. Losing a wife and child must have been hard enough for Klayver. It's only right if he hates Violin. Because in his eyes, it was Violin who had encouraged Holy's drastic actions.

"Klayver was furious. He broke off relations with the Liecester family and left for eight years. Today is his first day back after the tragedy."

Alice stood up from her seat, finding it hard to digest all of this. Violin has made a big mistake. Their relationship had just re-established but foolishly, the woman made the same mistake again. Pointing a gun at Alice and telling her to leave Klayver's life. Didn't Violin learn from the same mistakes? She's smart, but pretty stupid too.

"Violin shouldn't interfere too much in Klayver's affairs."

Alice said slowly. If Violin had not encouraged Holy to leave his son, perhaps they could still have a good and harmonious relationship. But if that happens, it means Alice and Klayver never had a chance to be together. Klayver has her own perfect family.

"Violin is guilty. But look at this problem from another point of view. If Holy loved Klayver enough, he would stick with him no matter who Klayver was and where his background was. If he really loved my son, he wouldn't have taken the money Violin offered and ran away to Brazil. If she had enough morality as a good woman, she would not have been found to have an abortion and died horribly. Violin doesn't do all that. He was just pushing Holy out his true disposition."

"Violin was just trying to open Klayver's eyes about who Holy really was. Klayver's therapy just goes like an injured animal."

James stood up from his seat, walking back and forth around the large table in the middle of the room.

James approached Alice, flipped his shoulders to face them and said something seriously.

"If he loves Klayver, he'll do the same thing you did. Refuse firmly whatever Violin offers even if it means you could lose your own life. That is the true meaning of love. Will still choose to stand at the end point, even though it must be bloody."

Alice was caught off guard by James' explanation. Of all the actions he had taken, did that mean he had begun to cultivate strong feelings towards Klayver?

Faced with this possibility made Alice flinch. He stared at James's sharp netra and blinked a few times. The water began to flow freely. Could he love Klayver? Is that what happened?

Their marriage was only a temporary marriage. What happens if Alice falls into a terrifying valley called love? It's all too scary to think about.

"So, Violin did intend to test me?" alice asked trembling among the tears that were pouring down.

"Yes. He just wanted to know how far Klayver meant to you. You show how much love and determination you have. I, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being willing to accept Klayver. You are a great gift to him. It is not easy to find someone who is ready to die in the name of love. You amaze me, Alice."

James gently wiped his daughter-in-law's tears with a knuckle. He patted Alice's shoulder. His gaze was filled with affection. Alice felt a new warmth from the way James interacted.

"James," said Alice stammering. He looked into the eyes of the father who was right in front of him. Alice's two hands gripped the man's arm tightly. His face was filled with despair.

"Is there a problem?" asked James gently.

'Big problem. What if I told you our marriage was just a superficial transaction and could end at any time. There will never be any love from Klayver for me.'

Alice screamed inwardly, but held all of that on her own. In the eyes of the Liecester family, she was Klayver's wife. Alice could not drop her own value by admitting as low as what the value of the marriage she had with Klayver.

"none. I'm just a little shaken to know all this."

Deeply shaken to realize the seedling of love was beginning to develop uncontrollably from his heart. How appalling.

Oh God. He's starting to love Klayver. Just be right.

…

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Make me @Diajeng Sandra, thanks for the insightful comment. I didn't think anyone would care that much.❤❤

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