Chapter 9: The Proposal

Yuan's bed was a battlefield of scattered photographs, crumpled newspapers, and a thick folder of reports. The chaos was deliberate, and each piece was meticulously gathered for one purpose: to track and eliminate Lucio Hernandez and the man who had been helping him hide all these years.

TARGET NAME: LUCIO HERNANDEZ, AGED 36

DESIGNATION: ASSASSIN, DRAGON COMPANY

STATUS: NOTORIOUS.

Black-and-white photos of Dragon Brotherhood members lay interspersed with the clippings, the faces of nameless men who had crossed into his path of vengeance.

Yuan's focus sharpened as his eyes darted between the information, mentally weaving the threads of their organization into a map he could destroy. Sighing, he leaned back against the headboard, his hand instinctively brushing the bandages on his left arm. The basin of blood-streaked water on his desk was a stark reminder of their last encounter—Lucio Hernandez had left more than just scars on Yuan's body.

"Lucio Hernandez," he muttered, the name bitter on his tongue.

His mind replayed the image of the man: the scar slicing down his left cheek, his cold, calculating eyes. A smirk of triumph crept onto Yuan's face. "That bastard could've killed the Alphas if I hadn't stopped him that night."

Yuan's jaw tightened as he strode to the small board on the wall where Lucio's photograph was pinned. He grabbed and hurled the dagger on his desk without a second thought. The blade struck home, embedding itself directly between Lucio's printed eyes.

Smirking, Yuan sat back on his bed, but his thoughts drifted. The last conversation with Don Arnulfo replayed in his mind, its implications heavier than any dagger he could throw.

"You will help my daughter with this mission, Yuan."

"And what do I get in return?" Yuan had asked, his voice sharp with skepticism.

The Don's silence was heavy. Instead of answering, he gestured for Yuan to follow him to the Wall of Fame in the Alpha Chambers. The wall was adorned with portraits of powerful men—generations of Del Cargadors who had ruled the Alpha Brotherhood with an iron fist.

"Tell me, Yuan," the Don said. "Do you desire to rule the Brotherhood?"

Yuan stiffened. The question was unexpected, and he fumbled for a response. "W-why would you ask that?"

The Don's gaze bore into him as if seeing through his hesitation. "I know what burns in your heart, Yuan. I see it in your eyes. You crave power. You want to lead the Brotherhood, even if you don't admit it out loud."

Yuan shifted uncomfortably. "And why can't I? I'm your son, old man. I have every right to—"

Before he could finish, the Don seized him by the collar, his voice low and venomous. "No one in the Brotherhood knows that you're my bastard, and it must stay that way. If the Alphas find out, do you think they'd accept you? They'd kill both of us, boy. Do you understand?"

The Don released him with a shove, his tone softening into something almost persuasive. "I can't give you the title outright. But I can give you something just as powerful."

Yuan frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"My daughter," the Don said in a steady voice.

Yuan recoiled, disgust flashing across his face. "You're insane. You want me to marry Tiffany? My own sister? Do you know how sick that sounds?"

"It's the only way to secure the bloodline," the Don pressed. "With her by your side, you'll lead the Brotherhood together. And the Alphas—those old fools—will favor you because you're a man. You'll hold the real power."

Yuan let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "You're delusional. Even if I agreed, Tiffany wouldn't. She's too smart for that."

The Don smirked. "Do you really think she'll succeed in this mission?"

Yuan bristled. "Yes. She's capable. She's stronger than you think."

"As I've said, women are weak creatures. They're meant to breed, not lead," the Don said dismissively. "It's natural for them to fail."

Yuan clenched his fists, the weight of his father's words bearing down on him. He despised the man's twisted logic but couldn't deny the truth in some of it. Leadership in the Alpha Brotherhood meant wealth, power, and respect—the very things he had spent his life chasing.

The Don leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Think about it, Yuan. Marry Tiffany, secure your position in the Brotherhood leadership and continue the bloodline. She's beautiful, intelligent, and skilled. What more could you ask for?"

Yuan stared at the floor, torn between revulsion and temptation. He liked Tiffany, but not in the way the Don envisioned. She was striking, but she wasn't someone he could ever love romantically.

Still, the prospect of ruling the Brotherhood tugged at him. To rise above the Alphas, to have his name spoken with fear and respect, to finally step out of the shadows of being an illegitimate son—it was a dream he couldn't quite shake.

"What do you say, young man?" the Don prompted, his voice calm but insistent.

Yuan hesitated, his thoughts still swirling with possibilities and consequences. "What about Tiffany?"

The Don shrugged. "Leave her to me. I just want you to think about my offer."

Yuan swallowed hard, the weight of the decision pressing down on him.

"Everything I've done, I've done for you. To reveal our relationship would be suicide—for both of us. But if you make the right choice, you can have everything. Power requires sacrifice, Yuan. Even sacrifices that twist the soul."

Yuan looked up, his gaze hard. "I understand," he said quietly, his voice tinged with resignation and defiance.

"Good," the Don replied with a satisfied grin. "Don't squander this chance."

As the memory faded, Yuan sat in silence, staring at the photo of Lucio Hernandez with the dagger still lodged in its center. His father's voice echoed in his mind. 'Power requires sacrifice.'

Yuan wasn't sure yet what—or who—he was willing to sacrifice.