CHAPTER 7 –TRUTH AND CONFESSIONS 2

"I lost her too, my best friend and my bodyguard. I still couldn't protect her even after all those years she protected me. You must know how it feels too, right? Losing someone close to you, my father."

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"Yes."

"Then why did you first leave his side, as his right-hand man and went into the shadows?"

Jade suddenly felt the urge to ask the one question that had bothered her for years now, since she found out he used to be her father's right-hand man.

She had wondered what had changed, what forced him to make that choice, but no one but her father and the star knew the answer to her question.

"I had a family, my daughter was born. I needed a way to watch over her as well. And that wouldn't have been possible if I was his right-hand man. Besides, your father was the one who made me go into the shadows."

Her eyes popped open as she tilted her head back slightly, not being able to understand her father's decision.

He always lamented to her mother about not having his right-hand man with him again. Back then Jade had thought that he was dead, but upon further inquiry, she found out he decided to go into the shadows.

And now she is hearing from his mouth that her father ordered it. "Interesting!" She found herself bemused by her father's character.

'What a boss he was. I wonder how he kept up with my father's weird request every time.'

"He felt guilty for my wife's death. She was murdered when our baby was four. You see, being with him as his right hand, placed a target tag on me and my family. He had guards protect them, but that wasn't enough as she was shot dead by a sniper while cooking."

"I am so sorry. I never knew."

Jade got up from the bed and made to go to him, but he raised his hands to stop her.

"It is the past now," he replied to her with a smile.

"Where is your daughter now? What is she doing? Does she know about your job?" Jade found herself prying into his private life.

Her curiosity really was another thing entirely.

"You have your mother's curiosity. Only your father's stubbornness could match her and keep her shut."

"I am sorry, I am just…"

"No harm is done. I will tell you. You are my boss after all."

"Thanks." A small smile broke out on her lips as she moved back to sit down.

"Good thing your eyes are dried, but I cannot guarantee they would stay dried after what I am about to tell you."

"Try me."

"I will. You have already met my daughter you see."

"What? I did? When, where, how? Was it when we were young? Why didn't you bring her to come live with us? That way you could have protected her as well."

He lightly shook his head at her and said, "I see where she got it from."

"Enh?" Thinking he may be talking about her mother, she brushed it off. "Please continue."

"When she was five, I found out that she was skilled with weapons and had a great interest in mine, so I personally trained her, made her into the fighting machine I was, only to be on par with me. It was also why Frost asked me to guard you."

"I do not understand. Why would my father ask you to guard me for your daughter?"

"You still haven't figured it out? That aside, unfortunately, I was too late and failed in my duty as a father, to protect her and then I lost her as well."

"Who did that? Who killed her?"

"The very same goons that killed your family."

"I'm sorry for your loss. Did she die on a mission?" Jade asked him solemnly as her eyes stared into his.

"She did, she completed her mission right before I came to save her, but I was too late."

"How long ago was that?" Jade asked, looking at him directly.

Her eyes were now filled with different emotions, pain, anger, sadness, a thirst for revenge.

Since the time he shocked her with his eye change, his cold red eyes reverted back to normal minutes later, but now, at the mention of her last question, they reverted back again to that same deadly red hue.

What he said next, she wouldn't and couldn't have prepared herself for his words. "Today!"

The words felt like a big heavy band of drums echoing in her eardrum…

Today! Today! Today!

Her mind went back instantly to Asia, the look she gave her before she pushed her away. Then the image of the last time she saw her friend when Asia was shot in the back and then she was knocked out by this man, who saved her.

Jade's eyes popped open as the realization hit home.

"Oh my goodness! Your daughter is…"

"Asia, Asia Adamson, your personal bodyguard. I am her father."

Jade's face was ashen with shock. She sat there dumbfounded and unable to speak. It was when he clenched his hands into a fist and he spoke, that she came out of her stupor.

"I will make them all pay for this. I know how you feel young lady Jade and I will avenge your family as well."

"Thank you, umm…" she paused, not knowing what to address him with.

"Call me Arctic, Lady Jade."

"Very well, Arctic. Thank you but I do intend to exact my revenge with my own hands. I know my enemy and he better hide, because I, Jade Frost, are coming."

"I do not intend to stop you. In fact, it would be an honour to serve under you, my lady."

"Thank you. Can I have my father's box?"

"Sure, my lady. I will take you to where I kept it."

"Okay and one other thing, please do not address me as my lady. Jade is fine."

"I am sorry, I cannot do that. I would call you boss. You need to rebuild what your father has worked hard for and for that, some of his people would follow you. They all need to know who is the boss."

"Fine. Call me boss when we are outside and Miss Frost when it is the two of us."

"Very well, Miss Frost, this way please."