Aware

Cara paled in realisation.
This was the reason for his lack of attentiveness. Her heart dropped.
“It’s my fault.”
“Stop it.”
“No.” She looked away. “You were fine before. I’m guessing it’s a side effect, right?”
“Yes, but-
“Then it is my fault.” She cut Adonis off, eyes widening when he didn’t refute the claim. “It really is. I can’t believe you’d have to live like that for the rest of your life.”
Miguel’s face contorted in disbelief.
“What are you talking about, Camilla? What is she talking about?”
“I should’ve just taken the bullet.”
Adonis cursed, momentarily dazed at her stupid conclusion.
“Are you crazy?”
“Do not speak to your wife in such a manner!”
“She’s being illogical. It’s just a temporary side effect that’ll clear with time. So you would prefer to die with my children because of a simple discomfort I can manage?”
He argued but even he felt the slight twinge of his eyes as he winced from the ringing sound that he’d gotten used to the moment he awoke.
“Simple discomfort? Are you even listening to yourself? Back at the mansion, I had to call you thrice just to get your attention. You don’t know how bad it is. Every sound has your eye twitching. I should’ve known.”
“I don’t care. It’s a little sacrifice I had to make to protect you.” He replied with a steady tone.
Was she being serious?
He couldn’t believe the words she was spewing. Can’t she see how much the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? He was the one that had to live with the disability, yet he wasn’t complaining.
“What about Tina? And your mother? Things wouldn’t have gotten out of hand if you were around. You would’ve vacuumed out the flame before it grew into a fire.” Cara muttered. “I can’t help but think that this is all…
Your fault.” Adonis finished with a frown. “Is that what this is all about? The guilt you feel… You think I blame you for the incident.”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t. I blame myself.”
At this point, Miguel was lost. He could only watch the two with a blank expression, pondering the woes of young love.
Adonis’s nostril flared with each breath as he tried to keep his cool whilst simultaneously making use of the action to ease the slight ache in his chest.
No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t see things from her point of view, and he was too stressed to convince her. To him, he’d take the bullet all over again if it was to protect her.
Drawing in a deep breath, he agreed. “You’re right.”
She wasn’t going to see reason anyway.
Cara’s shoulder slumped in defeat.
Hearing him confirm it was more disheartening than when she was the one doing the blaming.
Was that lingering voice in her head right? Was she really bad for him?
Miguel perked up, his lips thinning into a flat line at the new direction the conversation was heading as his daughter dejectedly broke eye contact with her husband.
“You finally see it the way I do.”
He shook his head in disagreement.
“No… you can interpret the situation however you like, but I still wouldn’t have been able to stop them if I was conscious. Even after learning of the truth before everyone else, I couldn’t do a thing.”
The sad pout on Cara’s face circled in shock.
“You knew?”
“Up until the point where I might have met your friend when I was young. There’s a picture of us together in my safe. Luca was supposed to dig out more information.”
“I saw. That was the day the puzzle came together. The search for your so-called sister was proving to be difficult until I came across the picture. It became clear when Luca confirmed it.”
Adonis pulled away from her hold, walking over to one of the luxurious sofas in the room.
“I apologise, Mr. Miguel, but can we postpone the introduction for another time? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
The elderly man gave him a scrutinising look before waving away all the men and taking a seat opposite him.
“I still haven’t accepted you.”
“And you’ll get plenty of chances to give me more tests later. I didn’t come here for that. Firstly, I’d like to say thank you for getting Cara out of there.” He started.
“Luca was the one who advised me to leave.”
“I did,” Miguel confessed but said nothing more as Adonis continued.
“I guessed as much. I’d like you to fill me in on everything you discussed with my second-in-command. He kept repeating that we were being watched and didn’t object when Cara said to come here, so I figured he wanted me to meet you.”
Cara glanced at the two men.
Her father had a look of understanding, like the conversation was one he knew he would have and Adonis also looked to be on top of it all. Despite being out for two months.
She was the only one in the loop, and for a brief second, it made her feel left out.
“You want me to reveal it all to you?”
“No. I want to know if the truth I know is the same as the one you know.”
Unable to contain herself, she piped up
“Is that why you willingly came along? Because of this? I found it weird that you surrendered to Luca easily. You could’ve at least told me.”
“I do not want you stressed.”
“I’d have to agree with that, Corazon (dear). Emotional stress would be bad for the baby.”
“And that’s why I’d like to ask you to keep her here for a few more days. ” Adonis deadpanned. “I’d be leaving in a week.”
“What?”
Cara scoffed. Did everyone think they could decide how she ran her life just because she was pregnant? Was keeping her in the dark not enough?
Oblivious to the searing woman in the room, Miguel sat upright,
“A week?”
“Yes. It should be enough to gather all the necessary information and heal completely before I go in search of him.”
“If you think I’d let you leave, then you do not know me, Adonis. Especially without me. I do not know what it is you have in mind or where you’re going, but if I can’t come along, then you’re going nowhere.”
Adonis rolled his eyes, unsurprised at his wife’s stubbornness.
“My mind is made up, Cara.”
“And so is mine.”
Miguel didn’t stay out of the banter this time. He was also curious.
The young man seemed to know something he didn’t, and that was rare; his men were always on top of everything.
If it was going to help their fight against Adrian, then he wanted to be aware.
“Tell me, who exactly is this ‘him’ you’re referring to?”
“Augustina’s brother,” Adonis paused, “or should I say, the first child my mother had for Sabestien.” He rephrased in a low voice.
“Are you saying there are three children?”
“No. I guess calling her my mother made it confusing. I mean the child, I was swapped with. The real son she had for Sabestien.”