Butterfly Effect

Chapter 22 - Truths

"Understand what?"

"Why do you keep doing this? You treat me right and the next second you push me away." She stated gesturing with her hands.

“Miss Hong, I…” his voice trailed off, he didn't even know where to start, there was so much to explain, thoughts were running wildly inside his head.

Cha Young made a sign to stop him from continuing. “I give up okay? If you can't explain yourself then I give up.”

Vincenzo frowned in confusion. "What?" he questioned.

“On you, on us, on whatever this is.”

The lawyer quickly grabbed her coat, bag and shoes and prepared to get out of there as quickly as possible without meeting his eyes.

Vincenzo breathed in, feeling a wave of courage run through his body, he knew well that regret was one of the worst sensations, he himself had said it to the lawyer, so if he was going to lose her, at least he wouldn't regret not telling her the truth.

“Cha Young wait.” He moved to take her arm before she headed for the door.

Cha Young moved on her heels in disbelief, her vision still blurred from her tears, but not believing that he had called her by her first name, Vincenzo was a gentleman, a man of principles, since they met he had never done so , or so she thought.

“Do you want to know why? Do you want to know everything?” he questioned and she quickly nodded her head.

“Very well, I will tell you everything from the beginning.” He inhaled and exhaled quickly gathering the courage he had felt before, which now, seemed to fade every time Vincenzo looked into her eyes.

“My mum dropped me off at the orphanage when I was 8, she promised she would come back for me, but she never did.” Vincenzo paused for a few seconds before continuing, his throat feeling dry and his eyes burning. “We didn't live badly, from what I remember, my mother didn't have a lot of money, but it wasn't bad, she was affectionate and I was happy, at least I remember her laughter and hugs.”

This time it was Cha Young who felt like crying, her heart tightened when she heard that and she just wanted to pull him into a hug, completely forgetting the anger she felt a few minutes before. “Money can't buy happiness and I'm sure of that, but now I know why she didn't come back, she couldn't.” He coughed, clearing his throat. “My mother is one of your clients, Miss Oh.” He stated, looking directly at her, expecting a reaction of surprise, astonishment or even hurt for never having told her, but none of that happened, Cha Young's features did not change, she kept looking at him with kind and understanding eyes, expressing pity with a few tears falling occasionally.

"I already knew." Cha Young answered and it was Vincenzo's turn to be surprised.

"What? But how?"

“I put the pieces together.” She said sniffling. “You present at all the trials, your angry reaction when Mrs Oh was sentenced, only a son would feel so much frustration at that moment, she also told me about her son, the year coincided with the year you went
to Italy.” Vincenzo listened intently, nodding to each piece of information, unable to help but feel proud that she was so smart. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner, I thought it was a touchy subject."

“It's okay Miss Hong.” He cracked a small smile and lightly squeezed her arm that he hadn't let go of since the beginning of the conversation, Cha Young tried to smile back but couldn't help the feeling in the pit of her stomach when he didn't refer to her by her first name again .

“Well, hmmm, moving on, when I arrived in Italy, everything was so different, the food, the culture, the language, it wasn't easy, my parents, brother and grandmother were very nice and patient with me, but other people weren't, I suffered a lot of prejudice from everyone, people in the family, on the street, at school.” He sighed remembering those times. "That's why I started self-defense classes, but I only found out that my father was the head of one of the most dangerous families in the Italian mafia when I turned 18, they always tried to hide everything from me, my brother was the close to becoming the boss, but my father always trusted me more, because my brother broke the family rule several times, don't hurt women and children."

Vincenzo felt Cha Young shudder when listening to the last part, he took some time to continue, thinking about whether he should tell the whole truth, but he soon came to the conclusion that he should, so she would get away from him and be protected.

"My father stopped trusting him completely, he only confided his business to me, so yes Miss Hong I am the next head of the Cassano family, that's why I can't stay in Korea"

Cha Young nodded, looking away from him and staring at the ground, with more tears streaming down her eyes.

"I understand, but that doesn't stop us from sticking together." She replied.

Vincenzo snorted preventing the corners of his mouth from turning into a smile, it wasn't the right time for that but he couldn't help it, he loved how stubborn that woman was.

"Miss Hong I killed, many times, I tortured many people in ways you can't imagine, yes they deserved it but even so I know how wrong and inhumane it is, I have nightmares almost every night about the people I killed , a person like you can't be with someone like me."

"You're the one saying that, not me."

He sighed again, this woman really didn't give up.

"Do you know why I bought the plaza?" He questioned and she shook her head.

"To hide gold, under the temple there are several gold bars, that was the only reason I came back."

Cha Young was pale, her legs were shaking and at this moment she cursed herself for not eating more.

Of course she knew there was a reason he bought the building but she had no idea what it was.

Swallowing her pride and curiosity she replied "Doesn't seem like a reason to push me away."

"All my life I've seen mafia members and bosses lose their girlfriends and wives." He replied with a shaky voice and Cha Young frowned, not understanding where this was coming from.

"In the mafia our enemies use our weak points to attack us, that's why they invaded your house that time."

"Am I your weakness?" Cha Young questioned.

Vincenzo looked down sheepishly and gave a small smile.

"Our weak point is the people we love. The mafia won't stop chasing you if we stick together, Miss Hong."

Love? That word echoed in Cha Young's head like a banque, did he love her? He didn't mean it, did he?

"You protected me that time, you can protect me again." She answered as if it were obvious.

"What if I can't?" Vincenzo questioned feeling his eyes fill with tears.

"You can't live your whole life in fear, then you'll never be happy." She cupped his face in her hands.

"I don't deserve to be happy." A few tears rolled down his face and Cha Young wiped them away.

"Stop saying those things, you deserve to be happy, you're not a bad person." Vicenzo shook his head. "Look at me." Cha Young lifted his face to meet her gaze. "Do you believe in me?"

"I believe, you are the person I trust the most."

Cha Young couldn't help it when the corners of her mouth widened and turned into a smile.

"I am?"

"Of course." he whispered.

"So please believe that you deserve to be happy and please allow yourself to be happy."

"I'll try, I promise." He sniffled. "If you agree to be happy with me."

Cha Young felt her heart beat rapidly, the only thing her ears heard was the heartbeat as if her heart was trapped in her head, with the apartment silent Cha Young was sure that Vincenzo was listening too.

"I accept." She replied smiling shyly.

Vincenzo pulled her gently around the waist as another hand cupped her neck and brought her lips together, her breath fresh with a mixture of salty tears.

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Sorry for the delay but I had a writer's block so it was kind of hard to write, so to make it up to you I wrote a long chapter :)