Chapter 159 - The Losing Game

"I don't understand," Father Feng said.

"You are obviously safe, but why are we faking your death?" he asked as he stared confusedly at his dear daughter.

Halia took a deep breath. She didn't know how to begin her explanation.

"Dad, haven't you wondered what I've been doing away from home all these years?" she finally asked.

"I never wanted to pressure you or influence your decisions, so I never questioned what you did. Besides, I've always believed in you," Father Feng replied with confidence.

Halia gave a slight chuckle. Her father had always been understanding and supportive. That was how she had the courage to pursue law enforcement to begin with and also the reason why she decided to keep it a secret from him until she achieved something great. She did not want to repay his understanding and support with news that would worry him. But, it worked out, because she was coincidentally thrown into undercover work which required her to keep her identity a secret anyway.

Halia was moved by her father's words so she leaned forward and hugged him again. "Dad...I'm a spy..." she whispered under her breath.

Father Feng pulled away from his daughter's arms and looked at her curiously. 

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I am an undercover agent for the SPU, a specialized tactical police unit that focuses on national security and organized crime," Halia explained. "Dad, we discovered that Mrs. Wu was trying to kill me..."

Father Feng glanced around the room. "Does everyone in this room know this?"

He was especially confused since Jackson and Sean were in the room. Firstly, he thought Sean was just Natalie's fiance and Halia's friends. Secondly, he knew Jackson as Jack Wu's disobedient gangster son. What were these two doing there? 

At that moment, Sean stepped forward and explained, "I'm Halia's handler, Senior SPU detective Sean Qin."

Natalie quickly lifted her head in surprise. She knew Sean was hiding something, but this was not what she expected. No wonder he followed Halia everywhere she went. 

But, suddenly a thought came to her mind. If Mrs. Wu wanted to kill Halia, and Mrs. Wu was Jackson's stepmother, did that mean Jackson was involved? Was that why he was there as well? Was he being detained and interrogated? Did this man trick her best friend's feelings because he had ulterior motives? Was that why he disappeared for a while? Was he playing around with Halia?

A thousand questions ran through her head as Natalie focused her gaze on Jackson and glared at him with murderous intent. 

But, all of a sudden, Jackson stood up and walked casually over to Halia's side. "Hi, Mr. Feng, let me introduce myself properly. My name is..."

Before Jackson finished his sentence, Natalie quickly ran over and pulled Halia behind her. "We know who you are..." she said with hostility. "You're Jackson Wu, son of Jack Wu, big-time gangster. Why did you and your mother try to kill Haili?" she asked.

There was an awkward silence in the room as Father Feng and Halia stared at Natalie in shock.

Meanwhile, Sean walked over to Amelie and Alexander and explained to them what his silly fiancee had said.

As soon as Amelie heard the translation, she burst into laughter.

Natalie glanced at the woman in confusion. 

"Did you team up with Emma to kill my daughter?" Father Feng mumbled in disbelief. What had his daughter done to deserve this?

When Halia heard this, she gently nudged Natalie away and walked back over to Jackson's side with an amused smile. She then looked at the man lovingly as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

Stretching out his other arm, he continued what he was saying earlier, "Mr. Feng, I am Jackson Wu, Head of Interpol for the Hong Kong region. I am the officer in command for this case."

Father Feng and Natalie were dumbfounded.

Head of Interpol? Officer in command?

"Wh-What's going on?" Natalie stuttered.

Sean walked over to his fiancee and placed an arm around her shoulder, "Jackson was undercover when we first met him in Beijing. At that time, Halia and I were sent to investigate him. But, we recently discovered that he has actually been undercover in gangs all around China and France for the last 12 years! As a reward for his hard work, he was recently promoted to the head of Interpol for the Hong Kong region. He's currently here in Macau because someone tried to kill him in France and he traced it back to a friend or family in Hong Kong. We suspect the instigator has connections to a corrupt police officer and the two of them may also be involved with the death of Jackson's mother 12 years ago. We're not sure if today's incident has any connection to Jackson's investigation, but when we went to save Halia today, we discovered Mrs. Wu planned a fake kidnapping to kill Halia without suspicion and an officer is involved in covering it up. So, we decided to play along and lure out the officer."

"Why would Emma try to kill Halia, it doesn't make sense," Father Feng shook his head. "I thought she really liked you. She even wanted you to marry her son..."

Father Feng suddenly paused and looked at Jackson's arm around his daughter's waist. "Did you reject Emerson because of him?" he asked his daughter as he pointed to the man next to her.

Halia glanced shyly at Jackson and nodded her head, "Dad, I want you to officially meet my boyfriend."

Father Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She had rejected Emerson to be with his older brother. If the Wu Family were to find out...

Suddenly, his eyes opened wide in realization as he looked at his daughter. When Halia saw the look in her father's eyes, she realized what he was thinking. "Could it be?" he asked. "Do you think she found out?"

"Would she really kill me over something like that?" Halia asked.

Jackson furrowed his brows. "She would...if she hated me and my mother..."

The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall together and everything began to make sense. If Mother Wu hated Jackson and his mother, then there was a huge possibility that she was the one that instigated for them to be killed. And when Jackson survived and returned to Hong Kong, she must have been furious to discover that the woman her precious son loved, was actually in love with the person she wanted to kill.

It was like fate was playing a game with her; a game that Jackson was going to make sure that she'd lose...