Vincent had been reminiscing about his meeting with Nica. The reason? He had no idea. Was she still in the city? Perhaps he should have collected her number when they met.
He went to visit Old Evan again. Sickness had taken its toll on the old man, leaving him frail and lean. The fear of losing him terrified Vincent.
“He’s responding to treatment slowly due to his old age, but I can assure you he’ll be okay,” the doctor said. Vincent nodded at the words before taking his leave.
He had held on to a little hope of seeing Nica again but was disappointed instead. She never showed up.
When he got home, Vincent was surprised to see who was standing by the entrance.
“Morty?” he called softly, and her head turned toward him. She was leaning against the car, her usual blank expression in place.
“Hello, brother,” she greeted in a low voice.
Vincent immediately crossed the distance between them and hugged her. Morticia remained still, not returning the embrace for a long moment. Vincent didn’t mind.
When he finally pulled away, he looked at her. “Thanks for coming.”
Morticia nodded, a forced smile gracing her lips.
As they stepped inside, Morticia felt the familiar cozy feeling wash over her. The setting was unchanged, and each memory that struck her triggered tears.
“Who’s there?” her mother’s voice called from the bedroom, her footsteps echoing as she approached.
Ava’s eyes widened in shock when she saw her.
“Morty?” she whispered, relief flashing in her eyes.
Morticia remained rooted in place, unsure how to react. It had been almost a year since she had come home, locking herself away.
“Mom,” she whispered, her voice dry.
“Oh, dear,” Ava croaked, pulling her into a warm hug.
The tears Morticia had been holding back finally fell, rolling down her cheeks. Slowly, she hugged her mother back.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Ava sobbed, holding her tighter.
“Me too,” Morticia whispered.
When they broke apart, Ava gently caressed her cheek with her thumb. Her reaction surprised Morticia; she had expected Ava to be upset, but she wasn’t.
“I was planning to prepare dinner-your favorite,” Ava said, and Morticia’s lips twitched into a small smile.
She settled down with Vincent, who asked about her work and friends. Morticia answered calmly, though the light that had once filled her expression was gone.
“What about you guys?”
Vincent sighed. “I have a strict boss who threatens to fire my ass every day,” he chuckled. “And Mom’s store is doing pretty well. We’re getting the hang of it.”
“Liar,” Morticia whispered, reaching for a glass of water. “None of us are fine.”
Vincent’s smile faded as he watched her drink.
“Morty,” he said softly, his tone filled with genuine care, “you need to move on.”
Morticia stayed quiet for a while, her eyes devoid of emotion as she seemed to process his words.
“Have you?” she finally asked.
Vincent sighed. “I am… I’ve left the past behind, Morty.”
“Then why aren’t you dancing? Why haven’t you dated another woman since that year?” she asked, and his jaw tightened. “And Mom? Mom acts like she’s fine, but she rejected a big offer in her modeling career after Josephine left. She hasn’t stepped foot in that world anymore, even though it’s still her dream. She started managing a store instead.”
Vincent stayed silent. Everything she said was true, but he didn’t know why he hadn’t moved on. Seeing his family hurt made him feel like he had failed to protect them.
“It’s been four years, and we act as if everything is okay… but it’s not,” Morticia concluded, rising to her feet.
“I’ll stay here for a while. I miss home,” she added before heading to her room.
Ava emerged from the kitchen door after Morticia left. Her eyes met Vincent’s, who quickly averted his gaze.
Morticia entered her room, finding it exactly as she had left it. Her mother must have been cleaning it, waiting for her return.
The bed was neatly made, her large pink teddy bear sitting atop it. The sight stirred memories, bringing a small, painful smile to her lips.
She reached out to touch the teddy’s fur and sighed.
“How come he’s back?” she mumbled, drawing the teddy closer and lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
“Why did he look as if he was sorry when he clearly isn’t?” she whispered, her voice void of emotion. Stroking the teddy, she murmured, “I’m never going to forgive him, Ted.”
Over the years, building the walls that protected her from falling into the depths of depression hadn’t been easy.
Letting him deceive her again would only bring back the pain she had fought so hard to overcome.
The pain was still there, but the walls she had built shielded her from it, hardening her heart and turning her cold.
She wouldn’t let him break her again.
–
Her expression, her words, her emotions-everything about her was driving Klaus crazy.
He paced his room, deep in thought, Morticia’s presence haunting him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Klaus demanded, turning to Wyatt, who stood by the door.
“Sir, I had no idea she was the team leader. We chose the best from the competitors, and her team delivered perfectly. I’m sorry, boss,” Wyatt apologized.
“No… no, it’s not your fault,” Klaus sighed. “I just don’t know how to process meeting her like that.”
Wyatt had never seen Klaus like this. His cold demeanor and unshakable composure had always been his defining traits. Yet this woman-Bunnie-had shattered all of that with her presence, leaving him deeply unsettled.
“Get me every detail about her and her family. Full details,” Klaus ordered. Wyatt nodded and left the room.
Klaus slumped onto his couch, his fingers pressing against his temples.
How was he supposed to explain himself to her? She hated him-it was clear in her eyes.
Her words had cut deep, and all he wanted was to hold her and tell her he was sorry.
But his world wasn’t safe. As the Moore Don and leader, he had enemies watching his every move.
That was why he hadn’t come for her after defeating Katie.
Had she moved on? Was she with another man?
The thought scared him. If she had, it would devastate him, as he wanted her back desperately.
If she hadn’t, he must have broken her so deeply that she now despised him. Winning her back would be nearly impossible.