Chapter 16

Dennis smiled, welcoming Javier into his home. 

"It has been a long time since I've come here." Javier remarked. 

"Yes, it is. I am very pissed about it." Dennis replied, heading to the kitchen to fetch two glasses.

"It's been 15 years since we knew each other," Javier reflected. "I remember back then how my sister was so obsessed with you."

"Yes, she has now gotten married to a wonderful man that is better than me," Dennis stated, bringing the two glasses to the table. "Well, talking about her, are you still talking to her?"

"Not much," Javier admitted. 

Dennis poured the beer into the glasses, and they sat across from each other. 

"I remember when she didn't come to the wedding because she was not in support of the marriage between Yvonne and you; she thought you moved on so fast," Dennis chuckled.

Javier took a sip of his beer, recalling the situation vividly. His sister's disapproval stems from the rapid transition from dating one sister to marrying another sister in that same family after the first one's death. 

"Yeah," Javier acknowledged. 

"You were like, if she is not going to respect your marriage, then she should not bother coming to meet you." Dennis recounted. "Your sister was so pissed; she went to tattle to your mom, but your mom was like it was your choice."

Javier put his bear down. "What about you? Do you think I move on so fast?"

"Logically, I understood why you got married to her. But emotionally, I think you move on so fast, like two years after her death. Some people take five years to move on."

Javier stayed quiet for a little while before speaking. "Was that the reason you did what you did?"

Dennis spilled his drink, visibly shaken by what he said. 

"What do you mean?" Dennis stammered, feigning innocence. 

Javier stood up.

"You know what I mean," Javer asserted. 

"I don't know." Dennis's hands began to shake, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He tried to conceal his anxiety, but Javier saw through it. 

Javier grabbed Dennis by the collar, forcing him to stand. 

"Why did you betray me?" Javier demanded. 

"I....I don't know what you are talking about," Dennis stammered. 

Javier released his grip on Dennis's shirt collar.

"Let me refresh your memory; why did you send that van towards her, and what did you do that made her run away?"

Dennis swallowed hard as he tried to think of what he wanted to say. 

Meanwhile, outside, two of his men, Leo and Isai, waited. 

"Leo, why isn't he coming out?" Isai questioned.

"I don't know. Let's wait for him." Leo replied.

Leo was using his phone.

"I don't like this at all," Isai remarked.

Leo put his phone in his pocket.

"What do you mean?" Leo asked.

"Look," he said, facing Leo. "Do you think what Boss is doing is fair?"

"I don't understand."

"If it were any of us who betrayed him, he would have put us in that betrayer chair, the chair that makes people think twice before betraying him," Isai explained. "But for Dennis, he would rather kill him than put him in that chair."

"I understand him. They have been friends for a long time, and they've walked through thick and thin. I am not surprised why he did what he did."

"Yes, I understand they have been friends, and Dennis is second in command, but what is he telling us?" Isai pondered. "That it is alright to be betrayed and get an easy death. Let me tell you something, the gang is all watching to see how he handles it, and I am also watching." He faced away from Leo and folded his arms. 

"You have to be calm. I am sad about Dennis's betrayal, even though I am not that close to him. I am not surprised at all why Javier would choose the easy way out. When we go back to the gang, we should convince them not to get angry at Javier for not putting Dennis in the betrayer chair."

"If he really killed him, I promise you I will leave this gang. I can't be in a place that deals with unfairness. Besides, we are talking about his wife here, who is in a coma. Shouldn't he at least deal with him to appease his wife or even his late girlfriend?" Isai expressed his discontent.

As they continued talking, Javer emerged from the house with Dennis. Dennis couldn't meet the gaze of the two men. 

"Take him to that chair, and make sure you get information from him," Javier ordered.

"Did you see? Boss did not disappoint us," Leo whispered to Isai. 

Isai smiled in agreement. 

"Okay, boss,"

"You should kill me instead of putting me in that chair!" Dennis yelled as Javier got into his car.

"Boss, you should leave. We will handle him for you," Isai said.

Javier drove away, looking at his rearview mirror as his men took Dennis in the car they arrived in. A drop of tears rolled down his cheek. 

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Helen entered Yvonne's room. She observed Yvonne lying there. 

She laughed hysterically.

"Yvonne, you trust people so much. That's why you ended up in this plight." She sat down on the chair.

"Do you know how much I despise you?" she sneered. "You have everything, while I am just a rag following your pace."

Standing up, she leaned in and whispered to Yvonne. 

"Since you will soon die, let me tell you a secret," she grinned maliciously. "I was the one who killed your grandfather, and I was the one who kept texting you."

Yvonne's fingers moved slightly.