170: Three promises

Three promises

For Bear, Felice and Vicenzo were his saviors. He owed his life to those pairs, devoting his life to them and their beloved daughter, Hera. However, even if Felice and Vicenzo were his saviors, their sins and crimes were facts this world would never disregard.  1

Only a few years after that incident, Vicenzo's bad habits bit him, taking his life without mercy. He left his wife and child, and since then, Felice took charge of the organization. Even when she was grieving the loss of her husband, Felice had no other choice but to stand up for her daughter.

Felice was not in a position where she had the luxury of entertaining her grief. Vicenzo's death was bad news for her, but for many, it was a situation worthy of celebration. His death raised their enemies' morals, attacking the organization from all directions. 

If Felice was even a tiny bit incompetent, all of them would've died. However, not only Felice protected the organization, she made it even stronger than ever. She lived for as long as she could, watching her daughter grow up into a lovely young lady until an unfortunate event took her life. 

With the loss of her mother at the young age of sixteen, Hera continued her mother's legacy. Despite Felice's efforts, Hera stayed in her hazardous life, the same life that had taken her parents. 

Bear witnessed all of it. 

He was there since the beginning, watching Felice and Vicenzo's love story unfold. He was there when the two tied the knot, even becoming his boss's best man, and until their love born fruit two years after their wedding. He stayed on the sideline as they raised their child together, present at both of his boss's funerals and even until their child claimed the bloody throne they left vacant.

Bear watched Hera since she was a child until she grew up into a mischievous little girl and then into a sweet teen. He saw firsthand how the bright smile on her face slowly disappeared, replaced by nothing but coldness and emptiness. 

Funny, he thought, that he attended his boss's funeral, and then his boss's wife's funeral, before lastly burying the remains of his boss's daughter. He unwillingly fulfilled his promise to live as long as he could, but there were times, he couldn't help but question himself. 

Did the Cruel Family hate him?

How could they die one after another, letting him bury their remains and leaving him all alone in this world? Or maybe they were just all too selfish they wanted at least one person to grieve their deaths and remember them as proof they once existed. 

Either way, those three were what kept Bear going. He wanted to fulfill the promises he made to those people. His promise to Vicenzo to age like a don, a promise to live as long as he could as Felice instructed, and lastly, his promise to Hera to live a mundane life different from what they had. 

Who would have thought? That those three promises that kept him going, unexpectedly, led him in crossing paths with Heaven Liu. 

[PRESENT TIME]

'Heaven Liu…'Bear swirled the rum, sitting by the bar counter in a small pub situated on the outskirt of the city. 'What a strange woman.'

"Five years." Suddenly, a voice came to his side as a person took up the stool beside him. "Five years since her death, and you're still grieving? Man. That's some dedication."

Bear blinked ever so tenderly, sliding his eyes to the corner. He didn't speak even after recognizing the man's familiar scar across the cheek, setting his attention back on the drink he was holding. 

"Though I'm a bit surprised. I didn't expect you to reach out — after all that messy breakups we had." The man grinned, raising a finger to get the bartender's attention. "The usual."

The bartender nodded at their regular customer, making his drink, which was bourbon on the rocks. As the man waited for his drink, he leaned his side against the counter with his eyes fixed on Bear's wide physique.

His eyes studied Bear, chuckling. 

"Look at you! Your suit looks fancy. Is that your uniform? It brings back some memories from the good old times." The man grinned as he remembered how Bear always dressed well when they were still working under the same person. "It's definitely a much better uniform than the previous one you were wearing — a soldier's uniform doesn't suit you at all."

The man with a scar across his cheek shook his head playfully, almost disgusted at some particular memory. "So, how was your new job? I heard you are now a bodyguard of some wealthy businessman. Was the pay grade much better than when you were in the military? The General was quite fond of you, so I'm a bit surprised he just let you go and even recommended you to this gig."

"It pays better for sure," Bear replied with disinterest, keeping his eyes on the melting ice in the glass he was holding. "Ten times higher just to look after a woman."

"Wow… is it his mistress? Come on, tell me something spicy." the man excitedly perked up, only to frown when Bear ignored him.

"The trophy wife?" he guessed but then frowned. "It's the legal wife, huh? Well, that's a bummer, albeit surprising. If your current employer is rich, how come he doesn't have a mistress?"

"Not everyone is as fucked up as you."

"Ouch." The man sported an uglier frown, casting the bartender a look as the latter served the drink. "Well, if she's the wife, tell me. Is she hot? On a scale of ten, how hot is she?"

This time, Bear cast the man a death glare, making the man raise his hands in surrender.

"Goodness, gracious. Look at your temper — is this part of aging?" the man clicked his tongue continuously under Bear's death glare. "Fine, fine. I won't ask such things anymore, but what's with the long face? If your new job is paying you well, why do you look like the world is on your shoulders?"

Bear sighed, looking away as he swirled the rum mildly. "Because of that woman."

"Your boss's wife? Oh, ho! Don't tell me she's your type?"

"She reminds me of someone." Bear ignored the nonsense his old friend was spewing, recalling the first order Heaven gave him. "Their resemblance in personality is so uncanny. It makes me wonder if I just missed her. That's why I'm having such strange thoughts."

"Huh?" The man arched a brow. "She resembled someone? Who?"

Bear took a moment before he answered, "Her."

HER.

Even without a name, the man with a scar across his cheek immediately knew who was this woman Bear was talking about. His brows furrowed, now intrigued by the person Bear mentioned. After all, there was never a person who would ever come close to that woman in their memory. 

Hera was unparalleled. Not just with her beauty, but also her wits and skills. For Bear, who had dedicated all his life to that woman, to claim that his new employer resembled their previous boss's, there must be reasonable grounds. 

Interesting.

"I need you to do something for me, Moose." Bear faced the man called Moose, watching the latter furrow his brows.

"You're asking me for a favor? Well, that's unexpected." Moose smirked. Intrigue flickered across his russet brown eyes. "I wonder what it is?"

Bear let out another deep sigh before his eyes slowly sharpened, telling Moose what he needed that made the latter laugh out loud. 

pqdm.com