"How did you know it was me?"

"Although you tried to conceal yourself, my heart could only think of you and that man felt like you."

​​

"When you went to Italy, I couldn't stay calm and I had a bad feeling, so I too flew there and stayed in the same hotel as you. I followed you everywhere just in case and when that attack happened, I quickly arranged for back-up vehicles for the security guards team and had to come to rescue you."

Rachel was surprised that Daniel stayed in the same hotel as her.

"How did you manage to hide yourself so well?" She couldn't help but ask.

"I am well trained in all of this" He hesitatingly answered her.

"Well trained?"

Daniel then made Rachel sit on the bed and drank a glass of water.

"You remember you asked me why I seemed worried last week, when you stayed at my place?"

"Yes, the first time was when you found out about Robert's death and my article in his pocket and the second time, that I don't know."

"Yeah, I told you when the time is right I will tell you everything. I think this is the right time."

"Daniel, don't force yourself, it is okay if you don't tell me anything."

"No Rach, I think this is the right time not because you are upset but because you anyway found out so much that this last piece of information will complete the last piece of puzzle in your mind and will clear every doubt you have."

"But I don't want you to force yourself."

"Believe me I am not, I am really willing to tell you everything and also Rachel, even if you hate me after knowing the truth, I am fine with it. I'll understand you."

"Daniel no matter what I won't hate you."

"Hold that thought for now, you might not feel the same after knowing the truth."

"Dan, you are scaring me."

He lightly pecked her on the lips and smiled at her, "I know"

He then started his story.

"After your parents' death, dad and grandpa decided to start a secret organization in Italy. This is not a legal entity and it would be doing all the dirty work which we can't do through our business. It is more to safeguard us and to always keep an eye on our enemies. Dad and grandpa were managing our secret organization and our business. They hoped I'd take over our business after them but I did not. At that time I was not aware of all of it, I wanted to pursue medicine and my dad did not want to make me sacrifice my dreams so he never forced me to take over our business and I went to study medicine. After my final year of studies, grandpa had a minor heart attack and we all were worried but luckily he was fine. It was then my grandpa got scared and realized his days on earth are shorter. Although my father opposed it, my grandpa told me about this secret organization of ours and wanted me to take over it. Since I didn't study business management I was not qualified to take over it and obviously there was no particular qualification needed for heading that secret organization so I took that over"

Rachel, who was seriously listening to his story, laughed at his last words.

Daniel too smiled at her, "Yeah and for my family's sake I decided to take over it. Then I was trained well in all forms of martial arts, soon I learnt the dirty side of the business. I did ensure we won't target anyone who is not a threat to us and if any other business families tried to play dirty then before that I used to get information on them and I used to blackmail them with it. At times if things went out of control I did hurt some people physically?"

"Did you ever kill anyone?" Rachel asked him, she looked indifferent but Daniel knew she was shaken from inside.

"How will you react if I did kill someone?"

"I will still love you."

"You don't have to"

"I know I don't have to but I will as it is not in my control anymore."

Daniel looked pained and with a heavy heart he answered her, "I didn't kill anyone but I was the reason behind someone's death."

Rachel felt relieved to know he didn't kill anyone, although if he would have, just like she said she would not stop loving him.

It is just that she could never imagine the doctor who saves so many lives would ever take away someone else's.

Daniel continued the story, "When I joined this secret organization, the second in command, Victor became my closest friend. He helped me train and he guided me throughout. We used to deal with people who were a threat to us together, we were a great team and no one ever understood me better than Vic. In a short while we became the closest of friends." Daniel had tears when he remembered his friend.

Rachel put her hand on his shoulder, "Daniel, you can stop here. Please don't say anything."

"No Rach, let me tell you everything, if this moment passes then I don't know if I'll ever be able to share the truth with you again."

"But if it is painful…"

"Then also we should go through that pain to reach the truth."

He caressed her cheeks and continued, "One time there was a business family who were associated with a dangerous mafia gang in Italy. There was a big project we were bidding for and it was evident we will be winning it, so they started threatening dad to back out of the project and withdraw his bid and proposal. For dad, his family's safety was more important than any project so without any fight he decided to immediately withdraw from it and did not let me know about it. He understood these people were more dangerous and we are no match to fight them. Vic always kept an eye on the business side too and got to know of dad's decision and he opposed it. He believed we could fight those people and we should not feel threatened by them. He came to me, to tell me the truth of what happened and informed me of dad's decision. I know my father very well, if he takes a decision then there would always be a proper reasoning behind it. So, I respected his decision and requested Vic to give up on this project and let it go. But Vic didn't agree, he believed if we back out now then we would be considered push overs and would keep losing business like this. After a lot of persuasion from Vic, I finally gave in and agreed to his words, that was the biggest mistake of my life. I regret every day that I agreed to his decision to have gotten convinced by his words and I finally told my father that he can't back out of this project. Dad didn't agree first but I and Vic convinced him."

Daniel took a deep breath and continued no matter how hard it was for him to go through all these memories again, "Mom and dad started receiving threats, Vic and I increased the security around them and Vic himself started guarding mom and dad. But one day…"

Daniel's voice choked and Rachel offered him a glass of water, he completed it and continued.

"One day, that mafia gang managed to kidnap mom, dad and Vic. Jim too was at home at that time but Vic ensured his safety as the rest of them were trapped and he planned it in a way that the mafia would mistake him for Jim and he got kidnapped instead of Jimmy. They thought they kidnapped the Morris' family and blackmailed me. But I got a call from crying Jimmy, he was really scared after what happened and he told me they mistook Vic for him and kidnapped him. Then with the help of my men, I was able to trace them and we all reached the location where those three were held as hostage. We all managed to fight them and the man third in command, Paul managed to kill the main head who kidnapped them. I reached the three people and sighed in relief when I saw them all safe and sound. We three decided to quickly leave the place but unfortunately the second in command of that mafia gang managed to escape and hide, when he saw his leader dead, he came out from his hiding, he was wounded, he knew he won't make it but he wanted to die taking one of us with him, especially me. So, he pointed his gun at me to kill me and shot the bullet, everything happened so quickly we didn't realize what was happening and just then..."