555: [Bonus chapter]If this isn’t fate, I don’t know what is!

[Bonus chapter]If this isn’t fate, I don’t know what is!

"You really are something else, Axel. I mean, I admire your strong will in this chosen passion of yours! Even after getting bullied in Cakewalk County by those rogues, you still haven't given up on your dream. That's really amazing, isn't it?"1

Axel instinctively held his breath as his irises slowly dilated. What did Silas say just now? He slowly turned on his heel, barely blinking, his expression plain. 

"What did you say?" he asked under his breath. "Silas Zhu, how did you know about that?"

The cunning and playful smirk on Silas's face stretched. His eyes glinted with malice, making Axel's heart thud in anger.

"Silas Zhu!" Axel roared, grabbing Silas's collar as he aggressively slammed the man's back against the wall. "I'm asking you. How did you know about that?"

"What do you think?" Unfazed, Silas tilted his head to the side. "Why not use that brain for once, Axel? How do you think I know about that?"

Axel's eyes burned in anger as his breath turned jagged. The memory of that night was already buried deep in a place where he wouldn't recall on normal days. With the help of the therapy — as Heaven's advice — Axel was able to fight the demons that memory created in his mind. 

How did Silas know about that incident?

It was impossible for Heaven to tell him. Heaven kept that as a secret between the two of them; it was one of the things he was thankful for her. It was also impossible for Bear to snitch on them as well, and Moose was too carefree to care about it. 

There were only one or two things Axel could think of about how Silas knew about this incident. It was either Silas knew those rogues or Silas was involved in that incident. Either way, this raised all the emergency bells in Axel's mind. 

"You," Axel breathed out after a moment of pondering. "Don't tell me... you are behind that incident?"

Silas pressed his mouth together as he hummed. When he smacked his lips, he said, "Took you long enough to realize."

The second that indirect confession flew out of Silas's mouth, Axel dragged his collar to slam the man against the wall once again. However, Silas didn't show signs of getting hurt. Axel's chest shook as his grip on Silas's collar tightened until his hands turned white. 

"I'm going to kill you," Axel announced under his breath, raising his fist as he could only see nothing but red. Peace? Forgiveness? He tried — did his best. He wanted to ignore Silas, but the man was asking for this. 

Silas just got out of the hospital last week, but he was asking to be sent back to the hospital again. Axel would happily do so then. But alas, as Axel threw his fist, Silas swiftly grabbed his wrist and turned the tables. 

Silas twisted Axel's hand, pushing the latter's shoulder to take off his balance. In a blink of an eye, he held Axel's arm on his back, pinning Axel's front against the wall this time. 

"Axel, Axel." He laughed as Axel struggled, but he kept his hand locked on his back while pinning him against the wall. "Seriously, my little brother. Did you really try to assault me?"

"Let me go!" Axel wiggled, but he couldn't move. 

"You should listen to me and squeeze martial arts training into your schedule," Silas suggested languidly, as if he didn't need extra effort to contain his cousin. "Even if that punch lands on my face, it wouldn't feel a thing. I know because I can tell by your posture. This is what I've been telling your brother and Uncle Lionel. They shouldn't have spoiled you so much. Look at you now! So pathetic."

His mouth stretched, pleased to see Axel struggle but to no avail. He leaned forward to whisper in his ear. 

"Axel, you shouldn't push your luck so much, you know? I will let you bullshit on me most of the time, but remember." Silas's eyes slid into the corner to look at the burning eyes mirroring him. "I can end your dream if I want to. I don't need to raise my fist and beat you up. All I need is to release that clip, and your life is over."

Axel's entire body froze as his eyes went wide. He could see a bit of Silas's face, and this only proved he wasn't wrong all these years. This was the real Silas, the man's true face. He didn't look like Dominic at all, but a devil in human skin. 

"You..." Axel ground his teeth, wiggling his body aggressively but to no avail. "Do you think you can get away from this? I'm sure this entire thing is being recorded right now."

"It is, but if they watched it, they'd see it was you who assaulted me first," Silas smirked. "Do you think if we present this to the board, who do you think they will side with? Hmm?"

"You bastard!" Tired of struggling, Axel roared his lungs out. "Is that why you purposely provoked me?! You're really your father's son! You guys only know to attack when there are no people around."

"Hah. Axel, can't you think of other ways to trigger me? Using that man over and over is so overused now." Silas shook his head, laughing through his closed lips. "You should —"

DING!

Silas abruptly stopped when he heard the elevator door opening. That was quick, he thought. Only a few people used this elevator and mostly, they were higher-ups. This elevator was an exclusive lift for important people in the company. Since they were already on the middle floor of the building, it was impossible that a higher-up would still ride it because most of their office was on the top floors. 

"Well, well, well. If this isn't fate, I don't know what is! My first day after my suspension, and I see you fucking around again, Director Zhu!"

The expression on Silas's face died instantly upon hearing the voice. He would never mistake this cocky voice. When he turned his head, he confirmed the person standing outside the lift. 

Tiger. 

pqdm.com