The Manipulated Villainess

For the next few minutes, all Leon did was sitting beside his mother, holding her hands or hugged her. He finds it so hard to believe that he would touch her face once in a while just to prove that it was real. His mother was still alive!

"How is this possible?" He finally spoke up again, breaking the long silence. His gaze was shifted back and forth between his mother and Shara, seeking an answer from the two women. How did a dead person come back to life?

"We should leave this place first. When the Prime Minister heard about this, he will come right away," Shara said. "Leon, I will explain everything but we must take your mother to somewhere safe first."

"Aria is right," Aston promptly supported his sister. "This place is not safe."

"Aria?" Leon's mother said and looked at Shara. "Is he the younger twin you're talking about?"

Shara nodded and Norina Lee's eyes trailed to the actor and look at him with a warm and loving gaze. This took Aston by surprise but he slightly bowed. "I'm Aston Ka... Aston Min." He had lived as Aston Kang for too long and it had become a habit to introduced himself as Aston Kang.

Leon's mother nodded once but a warm smile never left her face. Then Leon spoke up. "Let's leave first then. We will need a place where my father won't be able to guess."

A safe place. They all fell silent, thinking of such a place until Aston said, "Let's take her to Nicole's house first. There is a secret room and your mother will be safe there. We can come up with a plan later."

Leon gave a quick thought and then said, "Alright. That will do for now." Then they all retreated from the villa in a hurry.

* * *

Nicole was in her office but when Aston informed her about the news, she cancelled all her schedules for the rest of the day and rushed home with Edwin. When she reached her house, she waited for Aston and others to arrive.

In fact, she was taken aback when she heard about Leon's mother. She had never seen the woman and only saw her photos from the family portrait in the Jung family mansion. She was still alive? It was Peter Jung's doing?

To proclaim his wife as dead and hid her for ten whole years... what kind of monster was he?! It made her realized that this two-faced man will be much worse than she could imagine! Now that she was going up against him, she should raise her guard even higher!

When Aston and the others finally reached her house, it was already 3 in the evening. By this time, all the other members of the Blackhood had returned to the base. Leon and Shara helped the mother in and Aston was following them inside.

When Aston saw Nicole who approached them, he felt a sense of relief. He was glad to see her as the latter would surely be worried again. She already started worrying last night but she never asked him not to go and he was grateful for that. She always understood him though he knew that it wasn't easy.

"You're Nicole Yang, right?" Leon's mother said to Nicole with her usual warm smile. She must have been guarded and locked up in that villa for 10 years but there was a television there. She always watched the news because her son appeared at times and she didn't want to miss her only chance to see him though it wasn't in person. As such, she also saw this young Chairwoman a few times with her son.

"Yes," Nicole said with a smile and slightly bowed. "I'm so glad to meet you."

"Me too," Norina Lee promptly said. "It seems like I will be troubling you for a while."

"Please don't say that. You're Leon's mother and that means you're a family. I'm happy to have someone to live with."

"Your heart is also beautiful like your face," the mother remarked and Nicole smiled in return.

Leon was amazed by his mother's calmness. She will surely have a tough time while being locked up there. Though he knew that his mother was always a tough woman, he didn't think he would be able to behave the same if he was in her shoes! He was even afraid thinking if she only behaved this way not to make him worry. She did that throughout his childhood!

After making some arrangements, they decided to let Leon's mother stay in the guest room for a while. If anything happened, there were guards to take her to the secret room. So, everything must be fine.

Shara also said that she will stay to look after her. Besides, Peter Jung will also be looking for her soon.

*

Leon just walked out of the guest room after spending some time with his mother. It wasn't time for dinner but his mother had already fallen asleep. As such, he joined Shara, Aston and Nicole in the living room.

He was now more than curious about the truth. What happened ten years ago which he wasn't aware of? Why did Shara knew everything and... how did his father use against her?

Now, just thinking of his father was too tormenting for the young potter! Was he even a human? How can he do this?!

"I think it's time for me to know the truth," he said to Shara as he sat beside her. "All this time, you know that my mother is alive and you keep it from me, her only son. However, I won't judge you, Shara. First, I need to know the truth."

Aston and Nicole who were sitting opposite them were also curious. They wondered how someone who was supposed to be dead ten years ago was still alive. This was indeed a miracle. A miracle created by someone's sin.

Shara remained quiet for a while before she finally started talking about the things that happened ten years ago.

"One night ten years ago, I happened to hear your father talking with someone on the phone. It was late and I look after your mother who was severely ill at that time. Your father was in his study and I try to tell him that his sick wife is asleep now but... I really don't expect to hear such a cruel plan."

Shara paused and looked at Leon who was listening to her attentively. "Your mother's sickness at that time was caused by your father, Leon.

"She was poisoned and each day, the poison in her body take away her health little by little. I heard that the poison didn't take effect immediately and to kill a person, one has to take it regularly for years."

"Are you saying that my mother was poisoned for years?" Leon uttered. Tightly clenching his fist, it was more than hard for him to stay calm!

Shara nodded with a bit of hesitation.

"Why?" Leon snapped but the possible reason crossed his mind right away. "To acquire my mother's wealth?"

"You also know about your parent's story, Leon. Though they never said anything, they don't love each other." Shara paused before she said, "From the very beginning, your father's purpose was to possess your mother's wealth. That's why he poisoned her for years. He never cared about your mother."

Leon always knew this but nothing about the poisoning issue or his father going after his mother's wealth from the very beginning. Though his father always tried to act kind and warm towards his mother, it didn't work most of the time. As a child, he could never understand them.

"What about the plan that you heard?" He asked Shara.

Shara recalled the plan she heard, the exact thing that ruined her life. However, she didn't regret it at all. She was grateful that she could save Leon's mother who was a saviour for her. She was the one who gave a new life to an orphan like her.

"Your father had become impatient and he really needs your mother's wealth. So, he decided to use a stronger poison that will kill her within three days. He said that because she had been sick for too long, no one will have suspicions. Even your family doctor was on his side. That's the plan I heard. He discussed with Colin Park on the phone."

Colin Park? Nicole's eyes flickered. "Director Park was involved?" Those two men didn't have limits at all!

"Yes," Shara said. "Those two combined would do anything to gain power and wealth. They always work together in everything."

"If that's the case, I'm sure that Colin Park is also involved in our father's death," Aston firmly said. It's more than time to end the two men!

Shara didn't say anything and only looked at Leon, studying his expression. She could feel how he was boiling with rage on the inside! After staying beside him for more than ten years, she was very good at reading him. She was scared. What if that rage turned him into a different person? While she was thinking of this, Leon spoke up.

"You submit yourself to my father in exchange for my mother's life. Is this true?" Leon Jung asked. He still didn't know how his father made a deal with Shara and how her mother's death was faked yet his face already turned darker than ever.....