The scenarios we often conjure up in our heads deeming them impossible can be thrown into our paths transforming them into a reality. When I imagined Nicholas in the same room as Lucien when a feud between them began I expected bullets to be flying, screams, yelling and blood.

Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of the gang leader lounging in a seat of the living-room looking completely relaxed despite being in enemy territory.

No one had said a word; I was too anxious to go quietly into the night so I took a seat and watched him. Equally taking him in as much as he had been. The piercing look he directed my way would've made me squirm in discomfort but the last thing I wanted was to ever let him see how much of my feathers he ruffled.

"Does she have to be here?" he frowned not bothered in the least to voice out his issue with me being there but I didn't care. After all the troubles we had overcome due to his insistence on ridding us I can't stress this enough even now how much I didn't give a damn.

"You're in our home, you're in our territory. Do you really want us to sit here and waste time fretting over minor issues?" Nicky muttered wearing a bored expression that irked Lucien if his frown deepening was any indication of how he felt. "Fair enough, after all I had been set on destroying you if it hadn't been for –"

"Damian," he interrupted leaning forward. The name one Nicky had mentioned before when we had been exposed to the contents of that file. Lucien's firm nod concluded the quest in showing what had pushed him to come here.

Damian unlike most was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Bred off of private school education and being raised by nannies it was unfortunate after his parents passed in a tragic accident that filled with grief he managed to waste his family's fortune on liquor and women.

Stuck in an endless pit of debt it had been a miracle to say the least when he met Jasmine who was a clerk at a local club he managed to work at as a bouncer. Their connection was instant. Their love strong that it led to the birth of two children.

The family was plagued with problems that often arose from Damian's new habit to gamble. Those gambling problems wouldn't only affect Lucien nor his sister, Ophelia but even Nicholas. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you were with him?" Lucien seethed. The tactic to be intimidating failed on Nicky who merely scoffed, "You didn't bother visiting him or taking any of his calls. And do I have to remind you that we're fucking enemies."

"You of ALL PEOPLE should know how hard it is to see a man you grew up idolizing in such a state," he stressed, "and I went to see him eventually. I admit the shit he said didn't sit right with me," he grumbled rubbing his temples in frustration after having discovered the truth.

"What?" Nicky mocked, "Is it hard to come to terms with the fact you were directing your fucking tantrum on the wrong guy?"

"Hey!" Lucien warned raising his hand, "I'm not apologizing for shit. You can't blame me for how I acted, I wanted more than revenge – I wanted to fucking destroy those who I believed put him away. And I'd like to think you want the same thing," he smirked awaiting any possible objections from Nicholas but he didn't say a thing. To be honest it was hard to believe just how much you may suddenly share with the person you deem a foe. I still struggled to wrap my head around it.

"I won't sit here and pretend it's not affecting me. But don't think I will forget all the bullshit you tried to pull," he stood up advancing menacingly towards him; Lucien moved towards the edge of his seat prepared to lunge towards him should Nicky take the lethal plunge.

Taking my eyes off the bickering men for a brief moment to consider the utter fact Lucien obviously came to Nicky for a reason, the plot was thickening right before us. The waters were growing more tumultuous such that we had two choices – either sink or swim.

In as much as I detested it, as much as I didn't want to swallow the pill I opened my mouth and finally spoke, "In 1931 when Japan invaded China," the argument ceased between them and I didn't even need to look in their direction to know they were watching me in confusion as to where I was going with the train of thought, "they did so for a number of reasons. But in as much as I would love to delve deeper into the history of what went on when the Japanese army advanced into China's territory what prohibited Japan from winning the Second Sino-Japanese war was the fact that the Nationalists and Communists decided to join forces..." Glancing up to see them, I leaned back soaking in the comfort of the couch. "And if I must be frank Lucien, you're not fooling anyone by trying to make us think you came here to have a simple heart to heart. So the more you two bicker the longer the real enemy continues to thrive off of the belief they've won," concluding on that note I waited patiently for either of them to react.

Nicky crossed his arms across his chest whilst Lucien remained rooted in his seat quietly until the corners of his lips tilted upwards showcasing an amused smile, "Well aren't you full of surprises," he noted rubbing his chin.

"Your habit of making assumptions will easily lead to your downfall. Now stop wasting time and figure out a way to both get what you want. As much as I don't particularly like the idea of you two working together, we're not really spoiled for choice," I replied finding a troubled look appear on Nicky's face that contorted in annoyance. I knew he didn't like the notion of placing all their bad blood aside. When he opened his mouth I wasn't startled by the harsh words he spat, "I'm not working with this fucker!"

"You weren't exactly my first choice either, asshole," Lucien bit back with nothing but malice. Holding back the urge to roll my eyes I stood up closing the distance between us and tapped Nicky's shoulder indicating I needed to talk to him in private.

Grumbling behind me like a spoiled child dragging his feet the second we entered the kitchen he spoke once again, "I know what you're about to say and my answer is still n –"

"You met Damian in prison correct?" I asked ignoring his refusal completely. His eyebrows scrunched at the question but he regained his composure and answered with a simple, "Yes, I already told you that."

"It took me a while to see it but when you got out I could tell there was something different about you. Indeed no one can leave prison the same but I know it must have taken a lot for Damian to confess what he did, what more having Lucien here."

"A lot of shit wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for Damian's actions in the first place," he gave a reasonable point.

Due to Damian's habit to gamble he had dug his family into a hole and had owed money to the wrong person who used him. "You said so yourself that he was forced into it. And you know there was a real possibility that he could have kept his mouth shut but he chose to tell you. He chose to give you the choice in deciding what it is you want to do now armed with the truth. Now Lucien is here, sure he hasn't admitted out loud he was wrong but he's here because just like you, he knows the real enemy won't be taken down so easily," I replied, he clasped his eyes tightly shut reaching up to run both his hands through his hair. The inner turmoil brewed just beneath his skin and it pained me there was nothing I could really do to repress it. "It's n-not easy for me to accept it. What if there's been some mistake and it's no –"

"Then see this as an opportunity to find out if Damian is being honest. The last thing you want to do to yourself is look that person in the face and not know for sure if they're really your friend," I urged wrapping my arms around his waist settling against his chest listening attentively to the sound of his heart. He took in a deep breath returning the intimate gesture, "I know this isn't easy, if I was in your position I'd be in denial about it too but I'm going to be there with you every step of the way."

"You know most would have walked out by now," he chuckled squeezing me but not to the point it would elicit any discomfort. I looked up at him caught up in a trance like state between realism and a dream sated by the fact that I was where I was meant to be, "Well... when you lov –"

"Hey! Time is of the essence," Lucien's voice rang reminding us that we weren't completely alone. Though I was disappointed I had to prolong the torture by holding it in he placed his forehead against mine mumbling lowly in order for me to be the only recipient to his words, "I'll work with him... you win," he grumbled pecking my cheek.

"This wasn't a competition," I responded feeling him release me before walking towards the door to inform his enemy about the alliance. But I was left a bubbling mess when he threw a smile my way as he said, "Your aim to make me feel better is one of the many reasons why I fucking love you, Liyah."