The price

It was later in the evening when Monroe found himself in the luxurious VIP hotel, enjoying some delectable food and sipping on exquisite wine. The sound of a knock on his door didn't faze him, initially thinking it must be room service. But as the possibility of it being his acquaintance, Kelvin, crossed his mind, he didn't feel any sense of alarm. This particular night, Monroe felt unusually secure and let his guard down.

Without hesitation, he opened the door without asking for identification, assuming he was safe within the walls of the hotel. Normally, Monroe would have been cautious and double-checked the person's identity, but not today. Something about the evening made him feel at ease.

But little did he know, death was on the other side of that door, waiting for him. As he faced the barrel of a gun, he was caught off guard and before he could react, the sound of gunfire echoed in the room. The first shot, then a second, followed by a third that brought Monroe to the ground, shocked and confused. He looked death in the eye, unable to comprehend the reality of the situation. His mind was still struggling to process the events that had just occurred.

Finally, Death spoke to him with a calm yet seductive demeanor. "You think you can escape me? Your death is already assured," she said. How he wished he could see the look of surprise on his own face right now. He bet he never thought he would die by her hand or here today. The killer was none other than the scarlet assassin. Monroe had been shot in the lower abdomen, in the upper arteries which distribute oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, and the last shot was to his left leg. From experience, Monroe knew he was going to die. It was only a matter of time. She was deliberately trying to keep him alive and not finish him off quickly.

The scarlet assassin spoke again, "Don't worry, you will eventually die." By now, Monroe's guess was as good as hers. He had been told not to finish him off immediately. Someone wanted to chat with him before he died. Monroe lay there, staring death in the face, before saying, "I know they will avenge my death." Scarlet giggled before laughing maniacally. "Who do you think gave the order to kill you this time?" she asked, giggling again.

Reality dawned upon Monroe as his heart skipped a beat. He still couldn't believe his ears. "Is this true?" he thought to himself.

But he didn't have to think or wait for long before he could hear steps and the sound of a wooden cane heading in his direction. He mustered all the strength he had left to look up and was shocked and surprised to see both Kelvin and Don Chavez staring down at him. Don Chavez let out a loud sigh before saying, "My old friend, you thought you could betray me and I wouldn't find out? Do you think it's that easy? First, you sold us to the Sun Group in the East, then you betrayed them to the cops, and now you're betraying everyone to the government. All because you're jealous and want power for yourself. Have you ever wondered why I let you live instead of killing you back then? I spared your life because you were close to Kelvin and I didn't want him to think poorly of me. But now that he's discovered the truth on his own, do you think I'll let you go again?

Kelvin shook his head in disappointment and spoke, "I trusted you like a big brother, and you had to go and betray your own family, all because you want to be number one." Kelvin laughed maniacally. Monroe couldn't say anything to defend himself, but since he was about to die, he decided to tell the truth.

Monroe looked back at Don Chavez, coughing and spitting out a mouthful of blood to clear his throat before saying, "Boss, don't you want to know why I betrayed the family?" Kelvin replied, "That's why you're still alive and not dead yet. You owe us that much." Monroe nodded in understanding and said, "Thank you, boss."

"I was loyal to the family at first. Right from the beginning, I was very loyal to you," Monroe continued. "But then I fell in love with a woman who happened to work for the Sun Group. At first, I didn't know she was working for them. But when I found out, I wanted to kill her myself and not involve any of you. But then I found out she was pregnant with my child. I couldn't do it."

"I also discovered that she was forced to spy on us because her parents were being held captive. I couldn't just blindly kill her. So I did the only thing I could - I tried to bargain with the Sun Group for her and her family's safety. The price was betraying you guys, which I couldn't do. So I had to leave."

"When I left, I gave them a few pieces of information about our secrets and business operations, and in return, they left me and her family alone. But things were not as they seemed. Before long, the Sun Group was on the radar of the police and government. They tracked me down and once again threatened me and her family to give information about both the Sun Group and you."

Upon learning that I had betrayed the sun group, they sent assassins to pursue me. Though I managed to escape, my son tragically lost his life in the process. I was left with no choice but to flee, with nowhere else to turn. I knew I couldn't evade judgment, no matter where I went. And so, I made the decision to return home and face my consequences. I hoped that by doing so, you would understand my actions. As he spoke, his voice softened and he trailed off, deep in thought.

Kelvin interrupted, his tone seriously as he questioned, "So you came back to seek forgiveness and meet your fate?"

Monroe nodded in agreement, admitting that Kelvin was correct. He also added that he wanted to make amends for his past wrongdoings. Both Don Chavez and Kelvin were taken aback by Monroe's words. Confused, Don Chavez asked, "What do you mean by making amends?"