He must have returned for lunch. Elder Master Ken preferred to have his meals at home if his schedule was not tight.

"Son, I understand how you feel but you've been carrying that baggage for so long now. It's time that you take out those weights off your body. I can tell that your wife loves you and I'm sure she'll understand you. All you need to do is be honest with her, tell her everything and how you truly feel. With those years we've been together, I'm confident how big Cecile's heart is and how broadminded she is. I'm sure she'll understand everything... It's not your fault. All you did is to love her by all means on your own ways..." Elder Master Ken said smoothly as he smiled to his son.

Though he often said things by bantering at most, however it's his way of reminding his son to take and seek every opportunity he had to let out those secrets he was keeping in his heart for a long time.

There were even times that he wanted to spill everything out to help his son. However, he wanted Karl to have that courage on his own and so he waited and observed him through years.

He witnessed everything about his son. Loving someone and keeping a secret was a real pain and definitely one of the main reasons for unfruitful relations.h.i.+p and worst the failure of marriage. And he did not want that to happen, not to Karl because his son did not deserve that.

He recalled the day when it all started…

That time, he was not aware with the personal life of his son during his school days…

=

That night he was in his room when Butler Omni rushed and said that Sarah called. She was crying hard on the telephone as she said that she was in emergency room because Karl was rushed to the hospital.

Karl was unconscious up and wasn't able to wake. According to the doctor, his body was not responding and in a critical condition. There's even a high chance of him not waking up.

He was so furious and at rage when she asked Sarah. "What the h.e.l.l happened? I thought you'll just attend a party? How come your brother ended up like this?"

Sarah was still sobbing. She was blaming herself for being careless. She knew she had low tolerance on alcohol but she still drunk too much. She pa.s.sed out and woke up after an hour.

The first thing she did was to look for his big bro and he found him unconscious. She tried to wake him up but he was not moving at all and that time she panicked and asked for help so they could bring him to the hospital.

"For Christ sake Sarah! Stop crying and tell me what's going on!" Elder Master Ken said angrily.

Sarah composed herself and told her dad everything, she did not miss a sing thing even Karl's love for Cecile.

Elder Master Ken immediately mobilised his people to look and investigate on the matter.

That same night, he also saw Mr. Go and his family at the emergency room of the hospital. He had heard that M. Go's son was proclaimed dead on arrival because of gunshots.

The next morning, he had found out that everything was connected.

Since he knew the Go Family, he helped them took care of everything.

While the Go Family mourned for the death of their son Aldrin. Everything about Aldrin's death was shut down by the Go's. No one could tell what really happened that night.

Mr. Go wanted everything that happened to their son a secret so Elder Master Ken him with that.

He made sure that all responsible for his son's death Aldrin will be punished. Same with the people involved for why his son Karl was in a critical condition.

And as soon as Elder Master Ken had found out the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds that responsible for the drug that almost killed his son, he immediately made his moves not wasting any second to bring corresponding punishments for those who were involved in the incident.

However that same day, the main perpetrator, Diana, Aldrin's ex girlfriend was missing and was nowhere to be found but one of her accomplice talked and said that there's a hundred percent chance that Diana will get back to Cecile who was still at the hospital that time.

True enough they found Diana in Cecile's room. They arrived just in time to save Cecile's life.

So those involved received Elder Master Ken's wrath.

Diana on the other hand was killed that same day. The latter struggled and tried hard to escape so she was shot dead under his instruction; kill the girl as soon as she resisted and tried to escape.

Elder Master Ken knew different types of people from experience. Just looking at Diana as she was being dragged out from Cecile's room and that moment he knew that there's no hope for her. That type of person was better dead because if not, she will come back at every opportunity to hara.s.s others and will not stop until she succeeds.

==

As soon as Karl woke up in the hospital, the first thing he did was look for Cecile.

However, Cecile was already discharged from the hospital. Elder Master Ken tried to look on her whereabouts for Karl but the girl disappeared.

According to her family, Cecile just left a letter saying she needed time for herself alone. She told her family not to worry since she was safe and all she wanted that time was to be alone for a while. She also requested her family to not look for her.

Every now and then, his son Karl will visit Cecile's family to ask news about her, making sure that she was really in good hands and doing fine wherever she was. Cecile did send letters to her family every month, reporting her whereabouts and making sure that they will not worry.

By that time, Cecile's family became close with the Kens and because Elder Master Ken knew how his son truly felt about Cecile he helped Karl on how they could get Cecile's family to agree for an arranged marriage between their daughter and his son.

Cecile was informed by her family about the matter and the latter accepted the marriage offer by letter. But she requested to give her some more time.

Karl was willing to wait. He did not push the matter and let Cecile decide on things regarding the marriage.

So to put things simply Karl and Cecile were engaged, it's an engagement that took one year.

In that on year span, Cecile returned home for the preparation of her marriage to his son Karl...

=====

Elder Master Ken sighed and then he looked closely to Cecile who seemed very relax as she paints. This was the first time he had seen her daughter-in-law paint.

Then he shook his head...

He only found out later about Cecile's secret when he became suspicious on her unusual att.i.tude on forcing Laila Go to Ryu. It's not that he was against to Laila Go because the Go Family was closed to them. However, he smelled something was going on because it was not into Cecile's character to force her son Ryu on things he did not wants.

Ryu turned down Laila for several times but Cecile even threatened Ryu about her health just to make sure he agreed to accept Laila and the arranged marriage between families.

So he investigated the matter in secret and had found out how the Go Family, Mr. Go in particular, was blackmailing Cecile for Ryu's marriage to his daughter Laila in exchange for Cecile's dark secret during her disappearance.

Cecile was under Mr. Go's protection after the incident so he knew her secret and Mr. Go was basically responsible for everything that had happened to Cecile during the time she was in hiding.

He and Mr. Go had a good business relations.h.i.+p and Elder Master Ken was really offended with his cunning tricks. His daughter Laila basically grew up with the boys, Ryu and Dean. They were childhood friends so he let the Go family be forgiven in blackmailing Cecile...

But he made sure that Mr. Go understood everything, that if he ever touch or laid another finger to any of his family again, he will make sure that the Go Family will experience h.e.l.l without mercy.

He truly admired his daughter-in-law. She was a strong woman indeed after the entire things she had gone through… She deserved to be happy…

Both Karl and Cecile must be freed from their pasts because they both deserved to be happy…

Karl felt the gentle taps of his father on his shoulder before he left. It was a touch of encouragement as if Elder Master Ken was trying to transfer some confidence in him.

Karl inhaled and exhaled, he cleared his mind and the tingling feeling in his chest before he walked towards Cecile's direction…

He was nervous that he could feel his hands were both cold.

His father was right. He should not delay things further. He must accept how Cecile would react.

If it's positive then he it's his lucky day…

If it's negative then he must accept it and as Butler Omni said, 'Love, risk it all, take chances, get hurt, get back up and try it again.'

He would definitely get back and try to win Cecile's heart no matter what…