Chase was silent for a while, then finally heaved a long sigh. "Forget it. Miss Pierce, I can tell you if you really want to know. I believe that you’re the only one in this world who truly cares about him and wants him to be happy. I won’t regret it as long as he can resolve that hatred of his. Even if he wants to punish for it, I’m willing to take the risk..." The man abruptly gulped down his beer, then started to talk about their past.
"You know that he was abandoned when he was young, right? After that, he got adopted by a poor couple in that small fishing village. The couple already had a son and a daughter, so they were very reluctant to adopt my boss. Because of that, they used to hit and scold him all the ti, and they also didn’t give him
food and made him do heavy labour every day." Chase had also grown up poor in that small fishing village, but because he was the only son in his family, he had lived a worry-free life.
"When we were young, the boss was very handso, and everyone could easily tell that he was a rich, young heir. He was very popular among our group of youngsters, and we all had a lot of fun together. After a while, he and I beca good friends. Sotis, I would steal
food from ho for him to eat." Chase smiled vaguely as he recalled those mories.
Thank you, Chase. You must have been a ray of light in my brother’s dark childhood. No wonder you both are so close." Joanna saw Chase as her brother’s saviour, so she was very grateful towards him.
"No, the light in your brother’s life back then was Miss Taylor Garcia. Unfortunately, that light was not only his redemption... it was also his destruction. The thorn in his side for all those years was also brought on by Miss Garcia." Many years had passed since then, but
whenever Chase thought of Taylor, complicated emotions bubbled up in him. Love, but also hatred, were among them.
"Taylor Garcia," Joanna echoed slowly. Quinton had always talked about his past in the village, describing his crazy foster father, violent foster mother, and arrogant elder brother...
But he had never ntioned Taylor.
"She was the young daughter of the boss’ foster parents, and was also the only one who saw him as her family..." When Chase talked about Taylor, his gaze softened, like he was talking about sothing wondrous. "Taylor was petite and delicate like a doll, and always
smiled ever so sweetly. Like my boss, she looked like a child from a rich family, so the both of them were quite out of place in that small fishing village. Maybe that was the reason why Taylor and my boss were close. Taylor would use her small body to protect him whenever he was scolded or beaten, and wouldn’t allow anyone to bully him... One ti, my boss had been slashed by his crazy elder brother, and in the middle of the night, Taylor and him
went to every house to beg for help. So cruel fishern drove them away as if they were jinxes, so she kneeled in front of their house to humbly ask for help. In the end, thanks to her, my boss was saved."
"Looks like my brother had a guardian angel protecting him. As his sister, I can’t help but feel ashad." After Joanna heard about Taylor and Quinton’s past, she beca very curious about Taylor. She yearned to et the angelic woman to thank her properly
"Yes, Miss Garcia was wonderful. She was like a pure flower -simple and naive without any malice in her. She was my boss’ motivation to survive. Eventually, he gained enough power to leave the small fishing village, but he suppressed his talent and capabilities just so he could be with her. He stayed in that tiny village and beca a humble fisherman..."
"What happened afterwards? Where did she go? Why didn’t my brother ntion her?"
Joanna had so many questions.
"After that..." Chase frowned and murmured, "That wicked brother of hers bullied her, so my boss beat him up and ran away with Miss Garcia. I was a rebel too back then, so I went with them. We were just broke kids at the ti, so we decided to go to the chaotic Water Dock to survive. We then risked our lives to establish Carmine Pawnshop."
"Quinton really is amazing... All of you were." Joanna could not imagine how three penniless youths established
Carmine Pawnshop in that land of chaos. It was the border of three countries, and was full of savage people.
Only they knew the pain and hardships they had to endure.
"Miss Garcia and I were ordinary, but your brother was sothing else. He was handso and charming, and even though we had nothing, he managed to secure a whole lot of orders, especially ones from female custors. Soon, Carmine Pawnshop grew by leaps and bounds, and his reputation as the Night Demon also grew..."
Chase smiled sadly at the mory. "At that ti, Taylor was our princess, and as her knights, we protected her from the evil in the world. She enjoyed a pampered life without learning the ways of the world, and maybe that was what gave a villain the chance to use her."
"Villain... Who was that?" Joanna had a na in mind, but she prayed and hoped that it wasn’t the case.
"Miss Pierce, you’re not stupid. I’m sure you can guess who it was..." Chase grimaced as he was forced to recall that unfortunate mory. "That year, Carmine Pawnshop was at the peak of its glory, but at so point, it butted heads with the Moran family’s industrial chain.
Ace had just taken over so of his family’s properties at that ti, so he saw Carmine Pawnshop as a way to prove himself. Both parties fought each other for many years, but it was neck and neck...
"The Moran family did well in legitimate businesses, but they weren’t used to underground dealings. They couldn’t fight my boss since he was more experienced in that area, and he had been overtaking them the whole ti, but the situation soon changed... thanks to the cunning Ace. He found my boss’ weakness-Miss Garcia, an innocent and gullible young woman. He approached her and bewitched her until she betrayed my boss."
Chase clenched his fists tightly, his lip curling in anger." Initially, my boss had the upper hand during the great battle at sea that year, but Miss Garcia stabbed my boss to protect Ace before Ace slashed his face. Desperate and downcast, he jumped into the sea, and Miss Garcia went missing after that..."
"What?" Joanna was dumbfounded, and couldn’t believe what she was hearing. "Is Ace...really that cunning and wicked?
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