Chapter 496 - 496: Flashback: 18 Years Ago

"WHAT?!! Who dares kidnap my Kitten?! I will kill them." Black Shadow suddenly burst out.

Spike: "..."

Sherlock: "..."

Phantom: "..."

Others: "..."

James massaged the space between his brows and said, "Black, you are in no condition to kill someone right now. Recover first." James said, emphasizing that Black Shadow was still an injured man.

Then suddenly Erick's voice was also heard inside the room.

"When did my wife become your Kitten?" Erick asked Black Shadow with disbelief then he turned to Spike. "And your Queen?"

Black Shadow was taken aback by Erick's sharp gaze. But he still managed to answer him.

"She's Catseye. So there's a cat in her alias so I called her Kitten." Black Shadow explained to Erick.

Spike also spoke up. "She's Supremo's fiancee so we call her our Queen."

James squinted his eyes at Spike. He knew that Erick won't be happy to hear that.

Brother Yu and Brother Yan exchanged meaningful glances with each other, thinking about one thing.

'Why do I smell some vinegar here?'

Phantom decided to interfere. "Son, this is not the proper time to get jealous. We have to plan out how to rescue my daughter. We need to confirm first if the Dark Knight Organization is the one responsible for this."

"I know, Father. I'm not jealous," Erick said, denying it.

"Okay, let's wait. If my guess is right then I think the culprit might call you. Since they didn't know her real identity I could tell that this action was related to Erick," Phantom said, deducing the real motive of this incident.

Everyone sat down inside the conference room, waiting for the culprits to call Erick. His phone was placed on the table. Everyone was silent, focusing their taxes on the phone. Thirty minutes had passed but no one called him yet.

Then the door of the conference room was opened. Three people emerged from it. They were Brother Ling, Charles, and Brother Lu.

Phantom stood up, frowning at them. "Why are you all here?"

Brother Ling was the one assigned by Phantom to take care of Charles and Brother Lu in Dr. Clara's clinic. 

But instead of answering Phantom, Charles asked him. "Master, is it true? Elle was taken as a hostage? Someone kidnapped her?"

Charles's face was painted with worries and concerns for Elle, the same with Brother Lu's expression.

"Master, my sister Elle… Is she okay? I… I want to do something. I want to rescue my Lady Boss." Brother Lu said in his weak voice.

Phantom massaged his temples. These two were not supposed to be there. They were supposed to recuperate and rest in the clinic.

Phantom could tell that they heard the news from Brother Ling. 

"Master, I'm sorry. Brother Charles and Brother Lu threw a tantrum a while ago, threatening me. They wanted to see you, that's why I brought them here," Brother Ling apologized to Phantom.

Brother Yan and Brother Yu just looked at Brother Ling helplessly, pitying him because they knew that Charles and Brother Lu might have given him a hard time so that he would succ.u.mb to their wishes.

It did not take long when another person came inside. It was Mr. Carter.

"I've heard the news. How's Elle? Did they contact you already?"

Everyone shook their heads as a response to his query.

**********

~ At Dark Knight Organization Headquarters ~

Meanwhile, Elle couldn't help but reminisce about everything that happened in the past. Meeting Alfonso again triggered her to recall the unpleasant memories that caused her misery.

[ 18 years ago: Flashback… ]

"This is what you are going to do: I want you to stab your parents. Right through the heart. In exchange, you get to live, just like your father wanted."

Alfonso told her that it was not just her father that would get what he wanted. Elle's wish about not letting them torture her parents would come true too. She would save her parents from them, by killing her parents with her own hands.

The men laughed as they heard Alfonso. The shock was visible in Elle's face. Her world crumbled again. The little hope she had popped like a bubble.

The little Elle did not know what to say. She just stood there like a statue. Her mind was blank. Elle came back to reality when she heard her father's voice.

"Elliese, do it! Do what he says," he shouted.

"This is the only way. We want you to live. I love you, my little princess. You must live no matter what happens. You must survive!"

"What a loving father. Oh well," Alfonso said. He walked over to Elle and placed the knife in her small hands.

"No father! No! I can't! No, don't say that. I need you and Mom. I want to save you!" Elle said hysterically.

"Please... Elliese, do it! For our sake and your own sake. Remember what you promised me for my birthday. You said that someday you will fulfill one of my requests," her father said to her.

"Please father, not like this!" she begged.

"Elliese, be strong! We will always be there for you, guiding you. We love you, our princess. This is my wish. This is the only way for you to survive. Remember this is not your fault. Do it!"

Elle closed her eyes as her grip on the knife tightened. Alfonso and his gang started shouting in unison as if they were just cheering a basketball team to win a game.

"Kill him! Kill him! Kill your father!"

"Stab him in the heart! Kill him!"

It did not take long when Elle opened her eyes again. She looked at them with her bloodshot eyes. She already made up her mind.

'No Dad. If you and Mom are going to die today then I will follow you. But before that, I must kill this man,' Elle thought to herself before fixing her gaze to Alfonso.

With her trembling hands, she held the knife tightly. In a brief moment, Elle charged forward. But she's not aiming at her father, she was rushing in Alfonso's direction. Before Alfonso and his men realized what happened, he felt a cold metal buried in his stomach.

Elle stabbed him. But since Elle was still young and weak at that time, the knife barely reached Alfonso's stomach. His wound was not deep. Alfonso pushed her and snatched the knife in her hands.

"Elleise!" Agent Falcon called her out.

Alfonso had gone mad after seeing his wound and his blood. He wanted to kill Elle at that time. Without thinking twice, Alfonso approached the young Elle, raising the knife to stab her. 

But before it would happen Agent Falcon interfered, hugging Elle as he shielded her from the incoming attack from Alfonso. Alfonso didn't care anymore. He just stabbed Agent Falcon's back multiple times until he got tired.

Agent Falcon just hugged Elle in his arms. After a while, Elle got to see her father looking at her with love and gentleness as he pulled an eight-inch knife from his lower back. Alfonso had finally stopped.

They both fell on their knees and her father touched her face to wipe her tears while smiling at her.

Then her father hugged her again and said "My princess, everything will be okay. Promise me that you will stay alive no matter what. Even without us, you must survive!"

Elle's tears were dropping on her face like rain. She couldn't speak and she was in shock. Her heart seemed like it would explode any moment from the various emotions within.

After a while, her father collapsed in her arms. Her arms were now covered with her father's blood and then peals of laughter erupted in the entire house.

Elle took all her remaining strength to curse and scream against those persons who were enjoying the tragic scene of father and daughter in front of them.

Elle also wanted to die at that moment. She couldn't take it anymore. Alfonso walked over to make sure if Agent Falcon was already dead. Elle picked up the knife on the floor to attack Alfonso but this time he was prepared.

He was able to stop her. He grabbed her little hands and twisted them, causing her to drop the knife. Alfonso felt no sympathy nor even mercy to the young girl. 

He was furious because this girl was able to hurt him. So he picked up the knife and this time he stabbed Elle several times in her back. He was doing that as he let her see his father who was lying dead on the floor. That's where Elle got her marks at her back.

"This is your wish, so die with them. Hahaha."