NEW LIFE : A SECOND CHANCE

Derek had stopped Samantha from seeking comfort from Kyle as he was getting worried. Would Samantha do what was needed to be done? They already had the talk, and she appeared to have agreed then but now ... he wasn't so sure anymore.

He could see how much the kid meant to her and it appeared as if he was the oasis to calm her after the death of her father.

He got lost in the memories of when he had just arrived.

The plane landed just at the break of dawn. Immediately upon disembarking, he tried to call Richard but there was no answer. He hoped he wasn't too late, but he knew he was.

When he finally reached the Mansion, he had to go through that insane security before finally being let through. Even though he was Richard's brother, he was not spared from the usual procedure. Richard was that paranoid ... and that distrustful of his own sibling.

Derek had just reached outside Richard's bedroom door when he heard the wailing inside. He sighed then stopped the bodyguards who were outside, from going in. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he entered. His heart clenched to see the girl that was crying in despair at the side of the bed.

His eyes roamed the entire room before taking a step inside.

Nothing seemed out of place. The windows were closed. The furniture was all in place. The blanket near the sofa was on the floor. Then, his eyes narrowed as he saw the tell-tale black card on the table. He walked there first, and stood there for a while as he studied what was on the table.

A plane ticket and a torn -up picture. He took a brief glance at it before stuffing it all in his pocket. He then made his way to Samantha, while looking around the room. He had to make sure that there was nothing in the room that could implicate the Greene's in any matter, as the police would soon have to be called.

Once he got near, he noted the card on Richard's chest.

He took it, as well as putting on hand on Samantha's shoulder.

When she looked up at him, he steeled himself. As much as he wanted to comfort her, what was needed was a firm control over the situation. Right now, damage control was needed. He had to make sure Samantha would not say the wrong thing.

Still, he spared her a soft glance and continued patting her shoulder. The Greene's were never into the showing of any intimacy and love, so just this small act was already a big deal. Samantha understood, and she steadied herself, cherishing this small act of kindness and warmth from her uncle.

"Samantha, we have to talk," Derek said, "I know the grief is there but we have to make sure our stories are straight before calling the police."

"What stories?!" Samantha hissed, standing up, "It was Ice! From Black Dragon!! Just sic those police on them!!"

Derek looked at Samantha in the eyes, noting the anger and grief there and sighed.

"That is an area that we cannot afford to tread, Samantha," Derek cautioned, "They are an existence that should not be messed with."

"NONSENSE. They are evil. What are the police for then?! They must pay for what they did to my father! My poor, innocent father ..." Samantha sobbed, wiping her eyes.

Derek shut his eyes in sorrow and pain, then opened them again.

"Samantha, this is the worst timing ever, but ... you need to know the truth about your father," Derek said.

He had to reveal everything to Samantha, even though she was consumed by grief. It was because she was so consumed, that she would most likely do something stupid that would seal her fate.

Worse, their fates.

His instructions and the ticket Samantha got were clear indications that the Black Dragons would leave Samantha alone. So long as she left this life behind and lived a normal life with him. She was to stay out of the family business while he took over.

However, if she was intent on revenge, or to have Black Dragon 'pay the price', she would end up paying the ultimate price. Worse, she may drag the entire Greene family into the war.

He couldn't have that.

So even though what he was going to tell her would hit her bad, at a time when she was already in so much pain, it had to be done.

Samatha just sat there as she listened to her uncle. After a while, she felt like the words just went in one ear and out the next. Who is this person her uncle was talking about? Surely it couldn't be her father. Yes, he was a distant father but he wasn't bad. Not really.

He was hardly around, but he cared.

Samantha shook her head, putting up her hands to close her ears and said, "No no no no ... you're lying! LYING! My father was not like that!!"

Derek took her hands firmly, forcing them apart. Unlike Richard, who tended to pamper his daughter and would never do anything to hurt her, Derek had no such qualms. Sometimes, one had to be cruel to be kind.

"I can show you pictures, if you want," Derek said uncaringly, "I have plenty, and some even have Richard right next to the victims."

Why did Derek have such pictures? Courtesy of Black Dragon. Nitocris's style of rule was simple. He always gave a reason for all the things that he did. He wasn't a dictator but he was neither a pushover nor a negotiator. He lay the law and enforced it.

Richard was a dictator and thus, could not understand Nitocris's style - brandishing him as a weak leader. Hence, the cause of his downfall.

Derek wasn't as stupid or egotistical as his brother.

Samantha heard her uncle's question and shook her head. She looked at her father, who looked so kind and couldn't believe the things he had done.

"No matter what he did," Derek continued, "He was still your father. To him, you were his world. He would never have hurt you ... but he wasn't a nice man, Samantha."

She lowered her head, her sobbing so hard that her breath was coming in gasps.

Derek went on, for he had to make his point clear, "What Richard did was directly against the Black Dragon's code. They may not be angels but they had rules. Break them, then pay the price."

Samantha listened, her heart cold.

"So what ..?" Samantha whispered, unable to finish the sentence.

"Never involve children," Derek said, "To be more specific, never force them. You can sell drugs to kids but you can't trick them to get them addicted. You can have child prostitutes, but you can't kidnap and **** them. In other words, if the children are willing, it's fine."

"But Richard made his entire fortune from selling children," Derek said with a sigh, "It's a lucrative, untapped market that a lot of people would pay good money for. He'd make his prostitutes have children, take the babies and sell them. Either for parts or for the more peverted reasons.* He did so much more ..."

"Okay, stop. Just ... stop," Samantha begged, "I get it. I get it."

Derek sighed loudly, hugging Samantha to him.

"For now, we'll keep the Black Dragon's involvement out," Derek said, "Eventually, the autopsy will show that Richard died from unnatural causes, and I'll show them Ice's card then. But in your case, you must never. EVER. tell them about it."

Samantha looked up at him, blinking rapidly. She just remembered the card. She hardly registered what else was with the card. She now started trembling.

"Wha..wha..what is it that they want me to do?" she whispered, scared out of her mind.

Derek took out the items.

"First, they want you to live with me," Derek said, giving her the plane ticket. She studied it and noted the place and date of the flight. Two weeks from now, to Uncle Derek's place. Two weeks ... just enough time to bury her father and get things done.

"And the other?" Samantha asked since Uncle Derek had said 'first'.

"Who is this?" Derek asked in return, giving her a torn picture of a boy.

She looked at it, and smiled wistfully, "That's my boyfriend, Kyle. We promised father to keep our relationship a secret from the public since he's only 14."

She looked up at him in horror, "Is he alright? Is Ice after him as well? WHY?"

Derek patted her on the shoulder again, saying, "Calm down. No, that's not it."

He took out the other half of the picture and put it together, then apart again, "Do you get it?"

"But why?!" she wailed.

"You're to start anew with me. Have no more connection with anything here, and that includes Kyle."

Samantha's lips quivered and she shook her head.

"Samantha," Derek said, his voice gentle for the first time, "You've seen what it's like when you disobey. No one escapes Ice. If you don't do this ... if you don't break up with Kyle, leave everything and live with me ... you're next. Worse, his life would most likely be in danger as well."

He made her look at him and he asked, "Are you willing to put his life at risk?"

Samantha wailed again, crying. She had already lost her father. She now had to lose Kyle as well?!

Derek's mind snapped back to the present, to notice that Samantha had started wailing again for some strange reason. Derek suspected that Samantha was thinking too much and seeing Kyle in front of her, she obviously wanted to be with him.

Kyle took a step forward again to comfort her, but was blocked by Derek. Again.

The young man glared at him, but did not protest and stepped back.

"Samantha! Snap out of it!" Derek shouted harshly in her face and Samantha winced. Kyle took a step forward angrily, but Derek put up his hand, saying, "This is a family matter."

Kyle's eyes narrowed at that statement, his face clearly unhappy.