Clandestine Contracts

𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔

"A Jade!" His mother exclaimed.

Young Jade, who was trying to dig up a rock with his small tool, looked up, thinking she was calling him. Instead, he saw her smiling at something in her hand and rushed to her.

"Ma, did you find something?"

"Yes, look." She showed him the little stone. "It's jade." she said.

He gasped, "It's my stone?" His eyes sparkled as he took it from her and inspected it, but then his expression changed to disappoinment.

"What's wrong?" his mother asked.

"It looks so simple and ugly. I don't like it."

"No, my dear, it's very special." she said. "You know, jade's beauty lies in its subtlety. Even though it looks simple, it holds a special place in many cultures. Jade is also believed to have healing powers and is a symbol of calmness." She looked at him and teased, "How can you dislike the stone of heaven?" She poked his nose.

He pouted. "Easy for you to say. Amethyst is beautiful." He rubbed his nose.

"Aww, thank you." his mother said, chuckling.

"I didn't mean you, I meant the stone!" Jade exclaimed.

"Aww, am I not beautiful, then?" His mother tickled him.

He pushed her back, laughing. "Ma, stop it. You act like a child." He now had a little smile on his face.

"Maybe because someone certain here acts older than his age." She poked his side with a smirk, then became serious, taking hold of her son's arms and looking at him proudly. "You know...you are special. You are born to be something special. Whatever you become in the future... I want you to be proud of it."

He thought for a moment, then started. "Ma..."

"Yes?" she replied.

"You love finding stones and crystals, right?"

"Yes, I do." she said with a smile.

"I've decided! I'll become the world's best gemologist and have a huge company that will have beautiful stones!" He looked up at the sky with determination then pointed his finger at his mother. "And you'll be my sidekick!"

His mother chuckled. "Okay, Mr. Jade Expert. But you can't even dig one rock without getting bored and moving on to the next." She gestured to a few scattered rocks he had started digging before losing interest and moving onto next.

"You'll see, Ma! I'll be number one, and then you'll beg me to teach you my skills!"

She laughed, "We'll see. If you become successful, I'll share a secret to help you become an even better gemologist."

His eyes lit up. "Yes!"

Soon the sun began to set. "Let's head home." His mother said.

"Yes! We'll show Dad the jade too!" He held up the stone excitedly. "Let me grab my tools first." he said, rushing to gather his things.

As he turned back, he saw his mother walking ahead. "Ma, wait!" He quickly packed his belongings and hurried after her, pouting. "Don't leave your son behind again! EVER!" His mother smiled, amused by his antics.

𖤓

They arrived at their cozy home, perfect for a small family. Jade opened the door and led his mother inside.

"Baba, we're home!" he announced, guiding her to the lounge where his father sat with a large, imposing man sporting long black hair and a heavy beard. The man looked like a bear, Jade thought.

The air was thick with cigarette smoke, prompting Jade to cover his nose. His mother frowned, exchanging a concerned glance with his father, who seemed panicked but hid it behind a forced smile.

"Darling, take Jade to his room and don't disturb us. My friend and I need to discuss something important." his father said, nodding toward the burly man.

The man turned, his smile sending shivers down Jade's spine. He got up from his seat and approached him. Jade wanted to step back, but his mother's tense expression made him stand firm in front of her in a protective way.

The bear-like man crouched before Jade, his rough grip on Jade's cheek making his skin pink. "You're a brave boy, aren't you?" he said, pinching Jade's cheek. "How old are you?"

Jade frowned but replied. "I'm eleven."

"Do you have any siblings?" The man's deep voice rumbled.

"I have a little sis-" Before Jade could answer fully, his mother intervened. "Let's go to your room." She firmly guided him away, leaving the tension behind.

In the bedroom, Luna lay sleeping.

Jade rushed to his 4-year-old sister, excitedly shaking her awake. "Luna, wake up! Look at this!" he exclaimed, as if the previous encounter hadn't occurred.

His mother sat on Jade's bed, a short distance from Julia's, shaking her head at Jade's impatience.

"Luna! Luna! Luna!" Jade poked her shoulder repeatedly until Luna hid her face in the pillow, mumbling."Go away!"

likely mimicking Jade's behavior when their mother woke him for school.

"Jade, be gentle with your sister." His mother said softly. It was one of the rare moments Jade acted like a typical kid, and thinking about it made her worry about his future.

Finally, Luna woke up, sitting up in bed with a pout, her hair messy and cheeks flushed. "What?" she asked.

"Look at this!" Jade exclaimed, holding out the stone.

"No." Luna huffed, looking away. "You didn't take me with you, so I won't talk to you!" She crossed her arms.

"It's because you're sick, dummy." Jade said, flicking her forehead. His mother lightly slapped his head, earning a defensive look from Jade.

"You should behave. Hurting girls isn't gentlemanly." she scolded gently.

"But I wanted to show her the stone." Jade pouted.

Luna's interest piqued, and she turned around. "Which stone? Show me!" She tried to grab it from Jade's hand.

"Back off, I'll show you." Jade said, opening his palm once Luna sat up straight. "It's jade. I found it!" he said proudly.

Luna glanced at the stone. "It looks like a normal stone, just green." she said unimpressed.

"No, it's special." Jade insisted. "Mother, tell her what you told me."

His mother smiled, encouraging him to share. "Why don't you tell her?"

Jade scratched his head, trying to remember. "I forgot." he said, feeling shy about repeating what his mother had said.

Before his mother could explain, a loud crash and thud echoed from outside, followed by an unsettling silence. Jade looked at his mother, wondering what had happened. He wanted to ask if he should go check but was scared of the bear-like man.

"You two wait here, I'll go check." His mother said, kissing both their heads before leaving the room.

Jade paced around the room, mimicking his dad's way of thinking, while Luna lay in bed, sick, and soon drifted off to sleep while waiting.

That's it! Jade couldn't wait any longer and slowly twisted the handle, silently slipping out. He went to the area where his father was, only to be shocked by the scene in front of him.

On the cold floor lay a heart-wrenching sight;

—Jade's father, sprawled out in a growing pool of blood. His eyes were staring blankly into space, a bullet hole right between them.

Beside him was his mother, crying out in pain as blood seeped from a gunshot wound in her leg. She held a gaze filled with helplessness and loathing directed toward the man towering over them.

Standing over them was a man, holding a pistol with a silencer attached, its muzzle pointed directly at Jade's mother. His expression was disconcertingly blank.

Jade's heart shattered into a million pieces as he gazed at the horrific scene, frozen in terror. Tears streamed down his face, but his body seemed rooted to the spot.

Those were the last eyes of his mother he'd ever see, a haunting memory he wished he could erase, a look he'd rather forget, not cherish as their final moment together.

In a heart-stopping moment, it happened. She received a bullet in her beautiful purple eye, the one that had been fixed on Jade's face only a moment before. In an instant, life left her body, leaving behind an eerie silence in the air that strangled Jade's breath as if he would never be able to catch his breath again, as if his body would never move again.

"𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐭𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝."

The bear-like man suddenly tilted his head, his creepy smile fixed on the trembling Jade.

Instinctively, Jade stepped back twice before the man jerked towards him. Jade ran to a closet and lock himself inside, frightened. Panic-stricken, he didn't even realize he'd left his sister alone and vulnerable.

After calming down, he realized that he had left his sister alone and vulnerable. Then his sense of responsibility overcame his fear as he rushed to Luna's room, only to find the door open and Luna laughing.

The man was playing with her, even offering her a lollipop.

When Luna spotted Jade frozen at the doorway, she smiled and exclaimed.

"Brother, look! Mr. Kieran gave me a lollipop! He says we'll shift to a big house like in movies, and Mama and Baba will come soon!"

"It's not-" Jade began to protest, but before he could say more, Kieran stood up, saying.

"Aww, you want a lollipop too?" As he reached into his pocket, Luna thought he was getting another treat, but out of her view, he crouched beside Jade and pulled out a pistol, resting it under his chin. "Shut up, kid. If you don't want your sister to join your parents in the afterlife too." He traced the nozzle on his chin, leaving Jade no choice but to comply.

Jade couldn't help but wonder if this was the reason he was considered special, for this moment of being threatened? His mother's words echoed in his mind, "You're special." Special for this day?

𖤓

Men in suits arrived, attending to the children's needs, ensuring they were dressed and had everything necessary before leaving.

Luna remained unaware of the gruesome events that had occurred, while Jade was lost in thought, clutching the Jade stone tightly to his chest.

The sound of one of the men's voices snapped him out of his trance, and he was led outside. He followed the man like a lifeless puppet.

In the lounge, the room's gruesome scene had been cleaned, with most of the blood wiped away.

And outside, Kieren stood by a car, a cigar in his ring-adorned hand. He glanced at Jade as the other man brought them both to the backseat and slammed the door shut.

Kieren took the wheel, started the engine, and they drove off.

Jade gave one last glance at their house, his chest heavy with grief. He longed to protect his family.

Luna spoke up. "Mr. Kieren?"

Jade's eyes narrowed, disapproving of her trust in their parents' murderer.

Kieren looked at them from the mirror, his voice smooth and sweet. "What is it, dear?"

Jade's anger simmered at the tone.

she asked. "When will my parents come? I haven't even said goodbye to them."

Kieren chuckled roughly. "Don't worry, they're already... gone. You'll see them soon, if... things don't go as planned."

Luna didn't understand the meaning behind it, but didn't ask either.

During the long drive, Luna's fever worsened, but Jade cared for her despite his own turmoil. They soon arrived at a lavish mansion with a sprawling lawn and pool.

Kieren got out of the car and glanced at Jade who was gently waking his sister up by tapping her cheek lightly.

She opened her eyes, bleary from fever, and gazed at Jade. As he opened the car door, he crouched down beside her. "Come on, I'll carry you." he said in a soft, weary voice.

Luna nodded weakly and climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jade lifted her up in a gentle piggyback hold, accommodating her feverish state.

Kieren watched the scene unfold, intrigued by the young boy's resilience. Despite the trauma he'd endured, Jade had instinctively become a source of support for his sister. "He's surprisingly resourceful for his age." Kieren thought. "I could use him in the future."

As the servant assisted Jade in caring for Luna, Jade refused to eat. The memory of what he'd witnessed made every bite unbearable. His mind was consumed by the horrific sight, leaving no room for hunger or comfort.

"Listen, kid." Kieren said, his voice firm.

"..." Jade's piercing glare was enough to convey his attention.

"I'll give you a month to mourn your parents or whatever you need to do," after a pause, Kieren continued. "After that, I expect you to keep your emotions in check and when you turn 13, we'll start the business."

Jade hissed. "What business?"

"The debt the father failed to settle will now be collected from his son."