Moreau Family Pov
Andre's office was a tableau of calculated aggression. He stood before his sons, Isaac, Shaun, and Kail, the weight of command heavy in the air. "Tonight," he declared, his voice a low growl, "we strike. The gang that dared to steal from us, to spy on us – they will pay."
His gaze settled on Kail, his expression hard. "Each target is to be eliminated. A lesson must be taught." He turned to his other sons. "Isaac, you will seize control of their assets. Everything they possess will be ours. Shaun, you are responsible for their shipment. Bring it to Crystal City."
"While you three are occupied," Andre continued, his eyes glinting with cunning, "I will stage a departure with your mother and sister. We will appear to leave S City, lulling the Tanaka family into a false sense of security. While they watch us go, you will attack, simultaneously, at three different locations. Tonight, they will learn the cost of crossing the Moreau family."
"Dismissed," he concluded, his voice sharp and final.
Isaac and Shaun responded with a crisp, "Yes, sir." Kail, his expression blank, merely nodded and followed his brothers out of the office.
As they walked, Shaun's voice, laced with a cruel amusement, cut through the silence. "You must be itching to start killing, aren't you, Kail? We all know how much you enjoy it."
Isaac shot Shaun a warning glance, but Shaun ignored him. "I don't know why Mother lavishes you with attention," he sneered. "It was tolerable when you were a child, but you're a grown man now. It's infuriating."
Kail's gaze remained fixed straight ahead, his expression unchanging. The lack of reaction seemed to fuel Shaun's anger. He lashed out, his fist connecting with Kail's jaw. "Show some human emotion!" he roared. "Show any humanity! Don't you know how much attention Mother gives you? She sometimes forgets she has other children because of you, the broken child who can't be fixed!"
Isaac grabbed Shaun, pulling him away. "Go take a walk," he growled. He looked at Kail, whose lip was now bleeding, his expression still blank. "Go clean yourself up." He then walked away, knowing their mother would be furious if she found out.
Kail, unfazed by the blow, turned to leave. Before he could take a step, Maya appeared, her eyes wide with shock. "What happened to your face, Kail?" she demanded, her voice laced with concern. "Come here, let me treat that wound."
Kail sighed and followed her to the living room, where she sat him down and instructed Zoey to retrieve the first-aid kit. As Maya cleaned his wound, her expression was filled with a deep, almost painful tenderness. It always broke her heart to see her son so detached, so incapable of expressing emotion or feeling pain.
Shaun entered the living room, his eyes narrowing at the scene. "Mom, why are you treating such a minor wound like it's a life-threatening injury?" he scoffed. "It's just a cut lip. Stop treating him like a child."
Maya's eyes hardened. "I would do the same for any of you," she said, her voice firm.
"No, you wouldn't," Shaun muttered, before storming out of the room.
Zoey, her expression troubled, followed him. She found him in his room, his back turned to her. "Why do you have to be such an ass to Mom and Kail?" she demanded.
"Because she only cares about him!" Shaun retorted. "Before he was born, she cared about me and Isaac. But then he came along, and everything changed. She dedicated all her attention to him, forgetting about us. She left our training to Dad."
"Even you, Zoey," he continued, his voice laced with bitterness. "She gave you attention, but not all of it. Kail gets everything. And he doesn't even appreciate it."
Zoey sighed. "Mom puts Kail first because he's sick," she said, her voice soft. "He doesn't know how to express himself. He can't even feel pain. She's trying to protect him, in case he suddenly starts feeling things he's never felt before."
"You never thought about that, did you?" she continued. "You saw how he reacted to Dad's marriage plan. That was the first time he ever said no. He's a ticking time bomb. And Mom sees us as strong enough to handle ourselves. Kail, he needs her." Zoey stormed out of the room, leaving Shaun in stunned silence.
Kail, meanwhile, had retreated to his room. He spread out a map of the one Tanaka family's gang base, his eyes scanning the layout, calculating the most efficient routes of attack. He strapped his daggers to his thighs, checked the mechanisms of his guns, his movements precise and deadly. Tonight, he would unleash the storm. Tonight, he would make them pay.