SILVER*

★

"My father owns a casino in Spain, and my mother is Chinese... My name is Silver, Silver Banks"

Pearl's mouth hung unbelievably open as she stared at the lady in front of her.

It's like her ears just deceived her, and she direly wishes for a repeat but she's too shell-shocked to ask.

The room suddenly felt too hot and at the same time too cold, and her throat went dry automatically.

She couldn't speak, and it's worse cos Silver is not even looking at her as she spoke.

She's staring into space.

"I don't really like my father, and that's because he mistreats my brother. I wonder if he's still doing that. Besides, my baby should be 25 by now, so he should be old enough to put father in his place...I miss him so much, and I miss my mother too. Her name was Xusan, and it still pains me till now that Roonie wasn't able to meet her" Silver said again.

Tears crawled out of Pearl's eyes, and she had to cover her mouth so she won't break down.

It's her.

It's Roonie's sister, for real.

Silver faced her, and she frowned when she saw the tears on her face.

"What did I tell you about tears?" She said, but Pearl is too weak to wipe them right now, so she just let it flow freely.

"You're just like me when I was young. That day in the car, if I hadn't cried when Roonie was sad, and if father hadn't looked back from the wheel, maybe the accident wouldn't have happened. That's why I promised myself that even in bitter situations, I'll never cry again till I die" she continued.

"I'm so...sorry" Pearl said through tears.

"Is that pity? Throw it away" Silver grimaced.

"No, it's because... because I...I might have killed your brother" Pearl sniffled, and Silver stood skeptically.

"What do you mean? Tell me everything so I can understand...you know my brother?"

Pearl stood too, tears blinding her eyes as she stayed in front of her.

They're same height, short and petite.

Pearl told her everything, including her rape case and where it all started, down to the Roonie's head shot.

"What in the freaking pit of hell...did you just narrate?" Silver said, looking speechless as her ash eyes stabbed poignantly into Pearl's marrow.

Pearl quickly went on her knees...

"You can kill me if you want, but...

"You were raped by your uncle?" Silver interrupted, and Pearl hiccupped.

"Huh?"

Silver squatted in front of her.

"What filthy uncle would do that to his niece? Darn it, I want to kill him. I badly wanna tie him to a piano and throw his body into any available river... fûck!" She said, looking madly pissed.

"You're not talking about Xhen? I just told you he got an head shot because of me!" Pearl said, and Silver stroked her hair gently.

"Listen, so far the name of my mother is Xusan, even if he gets shot in the balls, if his will is strong, then he'll live. He's alive, I've always been feeling him and I'm still feeling him" she said, wiping Pearl's tears.

Pearl went silent, calming down for her, and Silver smiled when she saw the sunstone necklace again.

"He must be madly in love with you to give you that" she said.

"Why?" Pearl asked.

Silver sighed, dropping her hand from Pearl's face as her mind went back to that year.

"I gave him this necklace on the day of the accident" she said.

TWENTY YEARS AGO, BANKS FAMILY MANSION*

The spacious dull house is so silent that even the fall of a needle would reverberate.

It's like a hell house, in the middle of a light forest.

No one is in sight in the dimly lit living room, but there are several toys on the couches, all with the name SILVER inscribed on them.

The main door opened, and Master X stepped in, looking as stoic and stony as ever.

Seven years old Silver came rushing downstairs, and as usual, her ash eyes and extra-white skin stood out.

Those are the two distinct things she took from her late mum.

"Dad! Roonie turned 5 today, is there not gonna be a birthday party again? He has never had one, and you never buy him cake" She said accusingly.