Silence.
The entire screening room was dead quiet. Everyone was stunned, not even a breath could be heard.
No one expected Little Frank to choose to marry Brenda. Even less did anyone foresee him spilling all the details of his past crimes and escapes to a stranger he'd just met, unraveling all his efforts up to this point.
For a moment, it was hard to grasp the emotions—shock? Bewilderment? Relief? Or was it... bitterness and a tinge of sadness?
A flood of emotions surged, overwhelming everyone.
"I... I'm nothing."
Little Frank tried to stay calm, but the slight tremble in his voice betrayed the fear and vulnerability he felt inside. His deep blue eyes seemed to flicker with light as he slowly shed his mask, exposing his true self without any defenses.
Then, Little Frank looked up at the man in front of him, without pretense or manipulation, revealing his sincerity.
"I'm just a kid who fell in love with your daughter."
The man stared into Little Frank's eyes, expressionless, maintaining the calm and sharp demeanor of a lawyer. He shook his head slightly.
"No."
He spoke.
The tension in the screening room heightened as the man stood up, and everyone held their breath, hearts racing as they watched him sit beside Little Frank, clearly caught in the same storm of emotions.
His gaze seemed to pierce through any façade, looking straight into Little Frank's soul.
"Do you know what you are?"
Hearts stopped.
"You're a romantic."
Wait. What?
Amid the audience's stunned silence, the stern man smiled, his eyes full of warmth.
"Without the women we love, men like us are nothing. I must admit, I've had that same foolish and strange thought before."
"After just five dates with Carol, I proposed. Empty pockets, not a penny to my name, but I knew she was the one."
He gave Little Frank a hearty pat on the shoulder, openly showing his approval.
Little Frank escaped the crisis once again.
But Melvin was briefly confused—
Were those words a carefully crafted lie to escape the situation, or were they genuine feelings from Little Frank?
For a fleeting moment, Melvin believed it was the latter.
Just like how Little Frank called Carl on Christmas Eve—he was lonely, lost, and no amount of money or parties could fill the emptiness inside.
He craved sincerity.
He longed to be his true self, to build a family, to leave behind the lies and running and finally settle down.
He was truly in love with Brenda, the girl who was willing to risk everything for love.
When he told Brenda he wanted to marry her, it was real; when he spoke to Brenda's father, it was real, too.
For a fleeting instant, Little Frank's shoulders relaxed, the heavy burden he had carried for so long finally lifting. He had found a safe harbor, a place to rest, ready to leave his life of crime and grab hold of the future he truly desired.
At least, that's what Melvin believed.
However.
That brief moment quickly passed, and Melvin once again became cautious—
Could Little Frank's words really be trusted?
It wasn't paranoia; Little Frank was a chronic liar, blurring the line between truth and falsehood. Even his sincerity came with strings attached.
Thoughts swirled in Melvin's mind.
At this moment, Melvin finally understood Little Frank's loneliness. Perhaps that's why, after falling into such predicaments again and again, Little Frank had finally grown tired. He wanted to return to a normal life, to a family, to reality. He wanted to begin a new chapter by standing on his own two feet.
And in truth, that's what Little Frank was doing.
On one hand, he was planning his wedding with Brenda.
On the other, he was preparing for the Louisiana Bar Exam.
On December 26, 1969, on a flight from Paris to New York.
The scene cut back to the present.
Carl and Little Frank sat on the plane, and Carl couldn't hold it in any longer. "Frank, do you know what I've never understood?"
"How did you cheat and pass the bar exam?"
Melvin's eyes lit up; he was curious about this, too.
Just as curious as he was about whether Little Frank's actions and words were lies or truths—was he really leaving his life of crime behind? And what about the bar exam?
Little Frank seemed confused. "Why? Does it matter?"
Carl pressed on. "Someone took the test for you, right?"
Little Frank replied, "Carl, I'm going to be in prison for a long time. Seriously, does it matter?"
Carl was a little frustrated. "It's just a simple question."
Little Frank looked at the pastry Carl had in front of him. "Are you going to eat that éclair?"
Carl protectively moved the éclair away. "Yeah, I'm saving it for later."
Little Frank said, "If you give me half, I'll tell you."
Carl opened the box of éclairs, making sure Little Frank saw him as he bit into one, savoring it with exaggerated pleasure.
A low chuckle rippled through the screening room. It was these small, humorous moments that kept the movie lighthearted, even though it was a crime story, even though it was sad. It still managed to keep the audience engaged and entertained.
Little Frank was serious—
About settling down.
Brenda Strong was the girl he wanted to marry.
Because Brenda loved him, and he loved her. And because the Strong family's marriage was so happy and full of love, even after all these years. Every time Little Frank saw the Strong couple, he was reminded of his parents and their past happiness. Those feelings of admiration and nostalgia didn't lie.
Little Frank was serious about living a normal life, more than ever before.
Not just for himself, but for his parents, too.
When he learned that his father's tax issues were finally resolved, and his father was even planning to sue the IRS, Little Frank handed his father an invitation to his engagement party. He also planned to invite his mother, hoping the event would bring his parents back together.
It was only then, through his father, that Little Frank learned his mother had remarried.
And it was at this moment that Little Frank realized the FBI had found his father.
The FBI wasn't going to give up.
Little Frank was thrown into chaos. The conversation with his father muddled his thoughts. His father kept talking, but Little Frank was still reeling from the news of his mother's remarriage.
This plunged Little Frank into despair. He prepared to leave but turned back when his father called out.
"Come here, sit down, let's have a drink. I'm your father."
In one swift motion, Little Frank leaned on the table with his left hand, staring down at his father.
"Then order me to stop."