Max POV
My head has been messed up the last three days, and I haven’t really been thinking straight, no matter how much I try to. Ariel hasn’t been in her right frame of mind too after she found out about what happened, and I have myself to blame for that. I should’ve still kept it from her.
“What do you plan to do now that we’ve found them, Max?” Alex asks as he stares at me, and I sigh briefly. We are currently on the balcony of the hospital, watching the stars in the sky together as the gentle breeze blows on our faces. After a thorough investigation, we found Dante’s family. Well, I had someone stalk him, and I got the information that his wife and so-called children were last with their mom at the hospital, but they were discharged yesterday, and they have moved back to their house, which I also have the address of.
“That bastard betrayed our mom all because of his selfish desires. What if I had succeeded in hurting you? Then he would get rid of me and finally have what he has always wanted, right?” I watch as Alex speaks with so much disgust and resentment in his voice and on his face. I dread that bastard as much as he does.
“You need to calm down and let’s think about what to do, Alex. You can’t act upon your anger,” I try to calm him, but he only scoffs and throws his head back.
“I want to kill him, Max… I want to make him go through the pain he made us feel. I want him to…” He pauses and bites his bottom lip as a drop of tears slid down the corner of his cheek. He must be in pain, and the same with me. I don’t even know what to think. I feel so empty inside, I feel like the whole world is against me. It’s really disheartening to suddenly wake up to find someone I grew up knowing as my dad, a betrayer.
“I will find a way around it, and I promise you that…”
“I don’t want to involve the police, Max… I want to make him pay. I want… I want… I want him to feel the pain he caused us. I want to take laws into my hand. He can’t rot in jail, but in the pit of hell… I don’t care if I go to jail after that, but I just want to kill him, Max,” He pours his pain out, and I sigh briefly.
“Can you calm down, please? You will make him pay, and I promise you that, ok? I know you want to do this by yourself, but I won’t ever allow you to go to jail. I can’t let you have your way. You are not a killer, Alex… You have a soft heart, a good heart… You can’t even hurt a fly, let alone a human. He deserves to die, I know that… But I can’t let you kill him. I don’t want you to go to jail,” I shake my head as I try to pacify him, but he breaks down in tears as he hugs me, crying on my shoulders. I know what it feels like…
Next day at the restaurant
I check my wristwatch for the fifth time and sigh briefly. I have been waiting here for the past ten minutes for someone, and he is not yet here.
Well, my investigator was able to get Dante’s son’s information, and I was able to reach the dude. I don’t know much about him, since he is not someone popular. That bastard really did a good job hiding his family without any trace.
The sound of the footsteps drawing close in front of me pulls my attention, and by the time I raise my head, I find a young man about two years older than me, towering over me as his pair of brown eyes pierce at me. He has thick eyebrows, a chiseled face, small pink lips, and raven hair, and he has a striking resemblance to Dante. Yes, anyone would know with just a glance that he must be the man’s son.
“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. I had to attend to something,” He apologizes to me, and I nod my head as I gesture for him to sit in front of me, and he pulls out a chair he settles on.
“It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you. My dad told me about you,” He smiles at me, and I scoff. It seems like he is aware of the game his dad has been playing all this while.
“Wow! You must really know much about me. Sadly, I don’t know you,” I smirk at him, and he nods his head.
“Yes…”
“Uhm… Don’t you think we should introduce ourselves to each other?” I ask him, and he nods his head with a smile. Well, I already know his name, and every single member of his family too, but I just want to hear it from him.
“Sure. My name is Mason,” He replies to me, and I nod my head.
“Actually, my dad has told us many things about you and your brother…”
“And he must’ve told you that he has a family outside, right?” I cut him off, and he pauses. He stares at me blankly for seconds, before he pulls a puzzled look.
“What? You don’t know? Why do you look so shocked?” I ask him as I lean forward, placing my hands on the table as I stare at him as if the answers are written on his face.
“I don’t understand. Family?” He asks, and now I realize that he must really be clueless, just like we have been all this while.
“I think you have your dad to ask that question. Excuse me,” I stand up and made to leave, but he calls my attention.
“You can’t just come here and accuse my dad like that… He told us that your parents died, leaving you and your brother in his care, and he has been your godfather. How could you take advantage of that!” He snaps at me, and I scoff as I clench my fingers tightly into a fist. Taking a deep breath, I turn to face him. Seeing him look like his dad makes me want to punch him hard in the face, but I try to hold back and not cause trouble here. Although it’s just the two of us here, I still don’t want to cause a scene.
“Is that what he told you?” I scoff as I tuck my hands in the pockets of my coats.
“Do you trust him that much to believe what he said to you? Is that what he has been feeding you with for the past thirty years? Wait! Don’t tell me that is what he told your mom too. Shit! Your dad is really a monster…”
“Don’t you dare insult my dad!” He snaps at me as he grabs the collar of my coat, and slams me against the nearest wall.
“You are crazy, just like your so-called dad. I’m sure you will grab him like this when you find out that you have been living all your lives in lies… Here is my card. Call me and let’s talk when you’ve found what you’re looking for,” I place my card on the table after I push him off.
“Have a nice day ahead,” And with that, I turn and walk out of the restaurant, leaving him to sort himself out. I and my brother can’t be the only ones going through this emotional breakdown. His so-called family needs to taste the pain too, while I work on making him pay for all of his atrocities…