Chapter 210 - Gruesome Night

Damien stood in the middle of the living room of William's penthouse. His mind was still so clouded, he didn't bother to look around the place and just let his body slump on the sofa.

William placed two glasses with a shot of scotch on the coffee table and saw Damien staring on the floor deep in his thoughts. He tried to guess what his problem was but they hadn't been on good terms for a decade now so he couldn't think of anything.

A medicine kit was placed next to Damien and he turned to look at the arrogant prick in front of him.

"What? You don't seriously think I will clean you up? You can do it yourself." William picked up a glass of scotch and sat in the armchair opposite Damien who raised a brow, not understanding what was happening.

William pointed at Damien's hand and the latter lowered his eyes only to see that he had cut his hand without even realizing. Blood trickled down his skin but he couldn't feel anything. He was numb.

William clicked his tongue and ushered Damien to wash his hands in the sink before patching up his wound. In the end, William cleaned up his cousin's cut, his brows furrowed the entire time. How did he end up nursing Damien instead of getting lucky that night?

"I'm not saying this because I want you gone fast—you know what, I am saying this because I want you gone fast. You and I are not buddies, so what are you doing here?" William leaned forward in his seat.

Damien ran his uninjured hand down his face and took a long swig of the scotch. "That night…"

"What night?"

"That night about 16 years ago." Damien lifted his gaze and looked at William who straightened up at his words and he was sure they were on the same page.

William shifted his gaze and drank his liquor, brushing off the unpleasant feeling that washed over him. "You're the last person that I expected to bring that up. You shut yourself after that night. Why are you talking about it now?"

"I just need some answers… You're the only one I could ask."

"Are you sure about that?" William glared at Damien, his gaze darkening as he spoke, "Because the last time I remember, the day after that, you punched me in the face when I talked to you about it. Are you itching to punch me again? Is that why you're here?"

Damien scoffed, "Believe me, I have other reasons to break your face, not just that."

William huffed and poured another shot of alcohol to his and Damien's glass. "Spill. What do you want to know?"

"I remember that night didn't go as planned but I didn't really know much about it. What happened?" Damien asked, nursing the glass in his hand as he watched William raise his head and stare at the ceiling, trying to remember what happened that night.

"Hmmm. Because you weren't supposed to be there."

"Uncle Fred forced me to be there!" Damien bit out, clenching his jaw and almost throwing the glass across the room.

William waved a hand, dismissing his cousin as he was pissed that his father always favored Damien over him. Damien's father Lawrence was the head of Park Family before he died, which was preceded by Frederick later. Their family business involved a lot of underhanded dealings and the two cousins were trained since they were young. 

Boys were trained like soldiers. Girls were groomed to be glamorous and be in the upper class with other socialites. 

Damien and William were still young at that age, but growing up in the Park Family, boys fifteen years and older were already considered a man. They weren't usually sent to this kind of mission at that age but if they were, they would be paired up with a senior, guiding them all throughout because the only way to learn is through real experience.

With Frederick's command, Damien and William teamed up along with a tactical unit that were sent to annihilate Mason Young and his family.

Breathing deeply, William continued, "We arrived on time but when we got there, there was another team scouring the area. Not one of ours."

"Who were they?"

"I don't know. I asked my father after that but he wouldn't tell me. Anyway, we were told to proceed at all costs and kill anyone who got in our way."

"And war broke in the middle of it," Damien interrupted, trying to recall that night. The chaos that ensued in that house became a blood bath. Damien got separated from his senior and tried his best to survive that night. 

"That's right." William exchanged looks with Damien and the two of them looked away, knowing full well how they almost didn't get out of it alive.

After some time, Damien finally asked, "How many survivors?" He was referring to the Young Family but he didn't clarify, wanting to avoid telling William about Katherine.

"You really shut yourself, did you? Don't you remember? We lost five people that night. And after that explosion, I doubt anyone else survived inside that house."

Damien had his face in his hands. How could he not have recognized Katherine? And if he had, what would he have done then?

He closed his eyes and buried himself in his thoughts. 

Wait. Six years ago when he saw her for the first time, he did notice her eyes. He had bumped her with his car at night and he got to see her eyes. It was strangely familiar but he never made a connection. After all, for almost a decade, he believed that girl from that night had died in that explosion — he had stopped thinking about that once haunting past.

He never got to see that young girl's face very clearly. Everything happened so fast that he didn't really have the chance to study her features. And honestly, he refused to know any other details of the person he was about to shoot. 

He didn't know her name back then. He didn't know who she was at all. They only followed orders to wipe out everyone in that household that night and Damien didn't know about the mission until the last minute and despite his refusal, he was forced by his uncle. The only thing he knew was that their main target was Mason Young. 

After that gruesome night, he was eaten up by guilt. He shut himself out from the Park Family, refusing to be part of anything else related to their sick 'family business'. Only after thorough insistence did Frederick Park allowed him to sit out. But there was no way that he could be allowed to leave the mansion until he was of legal age. So he stayed there for years, loathing his family the entire time.

At 18 years old, he wanted to leave and cut ties with everyone but Nana stopped him. It was only until a few more years later when William betrayed him that he could no longer stay in Park Estate.

Damien cared about William a lot. And until now, he didn't understand why William did what he did. 

"Are you having nightmares again?" William questioned, seeing that Damien hadn't spoken for a while.

Damien finished his drink and got up from the sofa. No matter how he looked at it. He and his family were at fault.

"Where are you going?" William followed Damien towards the door, shaking his head. "I can't believe you're leaving just like that after barging in here."

Damien's fingers wrapped around the doorknob, gripping it hard as he looked over his shoulder, "Thanks," he said before leaving the penthouse. William was left still confused as to why Damien suddenly came and asked about what happened many years ago.

With still so many questions in Damien's head. The only person he knew who could answer them was the same person who despised him – Katherine Young.