“Where’s Marlie?” Tiffany asked after they had disengaged from the hug.
“She’s especially looking after the house since she heard that you’re coming back,” he answered and then glanced at Aiden, Declan, and the girl that he was holding tightly.
“I take it that you’re Zoey, Declan’s girlfriend, am I wrong?” He tilted his head with a frown.
“Ah… Yes, sir,” Zoey pressed her lips together.
Did she displease the man already?
“You… You are very beautiful,” his lips spread into a wide smile, and watched as the lady heave a sign of relief.
“Thank you, sir,” she bowed slightly.
“Shall we enter the car already? We’ve given these people enough of what they want,” he glanced at the crowd and then the car.
==
Wesley’s domain.
“I can’t believe this. I came here as soon I arrived in New York and this is the news I’m getting?” Lucas frowned his face as he glanced at Theodore and then the divorce papers in front of him.
“Man, this is what she wants,” Theodore groaned.
“Is this what you want?”
“Yes,” Theodore answered and looked away.
“You still have the habit of looking away whenever you lie,” Lucas chuckled.
“Lucas, whether I lie or not has nothing to do with this. This is the best thing to do, trust me.”
“How do you think Aiden would react to the news?”
“Aiden is a grown-up already. Martha and I have agreed not to fight for his custody. He’ll choose whoever he wants to be with. There’s no doubt he’ll be choosing his mother though,” Theodore exhaled.
“Come on, can you not do this?”
“Can we talk about something else? We have a lot to talk about, don’t you think?” Theodore smiled.
“Theo,” Lucas shook his head.
“You must have a family already, right?”
“Yes, I have a wife and two kids. They are studying abroad, so my wife and I live together,” he answered.
“You really achieved what you wanted to. I remember you saying you wanted two kids,” Theodore smiled.
“Right?”
==
Han’s domain.
“Did you miss me?” Marlie smiled after she disengaged the hug with Tiffany.
“Unfortunately, no,” Tiffany shook her head and then settled on the couch.
“You’re so unromantic,” Marlie rolled her eyes and sat beside her.
“Are you a lesbian?” Tiffany leaned closer and whispered in her ear.
“Fûck, that was what you asked me when we first met too,” Marlie burst into laughter and Tiffany joined.
“You acted like one though. I thought you were hitting on me,” Tiffany said amidst laughter.
“Well, you’re my type. If you weren’t my sister and if my preference was different, I would have pursued you, but I love men… So much.”
“Of course, it’s not like you look innocent also,” Tiffany shrugged her shoulder and they laughed again.
“You two are making me jealous. Don’t you think I should be part of that conversation?” Their dad who sat on the single couch opposite them interrupted.
“I see you’re just like your dad,” Zoey shook her head with a smile.
“It runs so much in the blood,” Aiden added.
“By the way, dad, why did you step down from being a senator? You know very well that they were other ways for you to sort this without leaving the office,” Marlie asked.
“That was the best thing to do, don’t you think so?” He smiled.
“Did… you leave your position because of me?” Tiffany stuttered.
“No.”
“Then why?” Declan asked.
“Because of Nova. That was my way of apologizing to her. She would have done the same if she was in my shoes. She’s so righteous, you know…” He smiled.
“Where is she? You buried her, right?” Tiffany asked.
“Of course, I did. I never failed to visit her every year either,” he answered.
“Hold on… If she dîed when she gave birth to me then…”
“Her deãth anniversary is on your birthday.”
“How… Why didn’t I think of that?” Tiffany frowned.
“Don’t worry, I put in a good word for you when I visited her. You should go visit her too. I’ll take you to her, “Lawrence smiled.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you,” she smiled.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you this, why is your surname Willow? Your dormitory mother’s first name is not Willow. The family you lived with after you left the Orphanage home had a different surname also. Did you come up with it yourself?”
“Ah… That,” she pressed her lips together and then glanced at everyone who already looked eager to hear her answer.
“There was this girl we both did a menial job together three years ago. We worked at a construction site and we were very good friends. Her name was Louisa and her first name was Willow. She told me to use her surname since I didn’t have one, and I agreed. She didn’t have any family also, she was older by two years, so if she didn’t die back then, she’d be twenty-one years old,” She explained with a sad smile on her face.
“She died?” Senator Han raised his brows.
“Yes. There was an accident at the site which claimed a lot of people’s life, few got injured and many died. Even though I got injured, it healed almost immediately. But she dîed. Louisa didn’t make it,” she swallowed hard
“That’s so sad,” Marlie exhaled.
“I know,” she nodded her head.
Aiden exhaled and then removed his phone that has been vibrating in his pocket for a while and sighed as he saw the caller ID.
“Hey, what’s up?” He picked up the call, stood up, and walked away from them.
“Aiden, when are you coming back from the school trip? I have something to show you,” came the almost impatience voice of Xyler.
“I’m back in New York, what’s wrong?”
“Can we meet up then? Come with Declan also, you need to hear this,” he said.
“Where do we meet?” Aiden asked.
“At the Cafe, we used to visit behind the school” he answered.
“Okay, we’ll be there in a jiffy,” Aiden answered and ended the call.
“I wonder what he wants to show us…” Aiden drawled in an accent.
He returned to his seat and then whispered in Declan’s ear.
“Now?” Declan frowned his face and Aiden
nods his head.
“Dad, Declan and I need to be somewhere real quick, we’ll be back before you know it,” Aiden said and then pulled Declan up with him.
“But… Can’t you wait till we finish eating? We’re about to go to the dining table,” Lawrence asked.
“You can go on without us. Take care, babe,” he waved his hand at Tiffany.
“Those kids,” Lawrence sighed as he watched them hurry towards the main door.
“Shall we move to the dining, ladies?”
==
Declan pulled the car opposite the cafe and then glanced at Xyler who stood in front of the cafe, looking around.
“What do you think he has to say?” he asked Aiden as he unfasten his seatbelt.
“I probably won’t be here if I knew,” Aiden answered, unfasten his seatbelt, opened the door, and then got down from the car.
“Hey!” Xyler waved his hands as he saw the two friends alight from the car.
“Why are you waiting outside?” Aiden asked as he crossed to the other side.
“And why did you call us out now?” Declan added.
“Can you leave the question for now? You’d probably thank me for calling you out,” he shrugged his shoulder and then turned to enter the cafe.
“I hope it is worth it, else I’ll kîll you,” Aiden snorted and followed him.
*
“The first few days that I gave him the earring, I didn’t get anything,” Xyler started.
“Even after striking conversation about it?” Aiden drew his brows together.
“Yes. However, this morning, I told him that I think you guys might not be responsible for what happened to Luna and he left, not saying much. As soon as he left, he made a call, and their conversation…” He drawled and hurriedly browse through his phone.
“This is their phone conversation, listen,” he plugged in his earpiece and have the guys put it in their ears.
“Hey, Skyler, what’s up?” The other guy said.
“Fûck it, dude! I’m getting anxious day by day,” Skyler groaned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Xyler has been getting suspicious about Luna’s death for the past few days and I’m scared that he’ll know the truth soon,” he panted.
“Hey, that is your family matter. Don’t drag me into it.”
“If you hadn’t gotten her pregnant, she wouldn’t have died trying to abort the baby!” Skyler yelled.
“Are you crazy? You could have helped her keep the baby. It was you who kîlled your sister, so don’t you fûcking out the blame on me!” He snapped.
“What?”
“Did I lie? Was it not you who switched her drugs? You switched her drugs to an abortion pill!”
“You told me to do it! You told me!”
“You’re so dumb, ain’t you? Listen, don’t try to drag me into your family mess. It was you who surrendered your sister to me because you couldn’t afford to pay the money that you owe.”
“I didn’t surrender her to you. You went after her yourself!” Skyler protested.
“Remember? You fûcking told me to have her and in return, I’d let go of your debt.”
“Fûck you!” Skyler screamed.
~
“Shît!” Declan covered his mouth with his palm and removed the earpiece from his ear slowly.
“Skyler knew about it. He killed our sister,” Xyler sniffed, tears rolling down his cheek.
“This is more than enough to make him confess to you,” Aiden exhaled.
“I know, but the betrayal…” Xyler shook his head and hit his fist on his chest.
“So… What are you going to do about it?” Aiden asked.
“Ouch!” He gasped as Declan pinched his thigh.
“What?” He mouthed at him with a frown.
“What what what?” Declan mouthed back, patting Xyler’s back.
“Evil jerk,” he hissed and Aiden opened his mouth to talk but closed it again.
“Xyler, what are you going to do about it? It’s a good thing Declan and I are off your list, but…”
“Great lord,” Declan sighed.
“What?!” Aiden snapped.
“Can’t you see he’s not in the state to discuss that? This is a betrayal from his brother, you should know that. How would you even know, you don’t have any siblings,” Declan hissed.
“What?” Aiden snapped his brows together.
“Listen, there was this time Marlie ate before me. I felt so betrayed,” Declan frowned.
“Why should I feel betrayed about that?” Aiden shrugged his shoulder.
“Don’t stress yourself, Declan. He doesn’t know how it feels,” Xyler sniffed.
“Seriously?” Aiden widened his eyes.
“You’re right,” Declan nodded his head and then looked away.
“Woah, this is so… Woah!” He clapped his hands together.
**
“I will let you guys know how it goes. I appreciate your effort, I mean it and I am so sorry for everything I did to you,” Xyler apologize as they stood in front of the cafe.
“It’s fine. Just keep us updated,” Aiden patted his shoulder.
“And… I like us as a trio, honestly,” he smiled and then turned to leave.
“When everything is settled… I mean… Everything. Let’s hang out,” Aiden waved his hand at him with a smile.
“Alright. Bye, guys.”
“Bye,” Declan and Aiden chorused.
“You look so much like a good person,” Declan turned to look at Aiden who still had a smile on his face.
“Of course, I am,” Aiden raised his right shoulder.
“Yeah, you wish. Let’s go back home, I’m hungry,” Declan exhaled.
“Drop me at home. I need to go home real quick,” Aiden said.
“Your house?”
“Wesley’s.”
“Why?” Declan asked.
“Just drop me off there,” Aiden hissed.
“Huh, okay.” Declan shrugged his shoulder and they both walked to the car.
==
Wesley’s domain.
Aiden entered the room fully and frowned his face as he stared closely at his dad who stood in front of his mother who sat down with a traveling bag.
“I’m home,” he finally talked after staring at them for a few seconds.
“Are you guys having a staring competition? You’ve been staring at each other for a while without talking,” Aiden exhaled and walked towards them.
“And what’s with this?” He kicked the traveling bag gently.
“Your dad and I just signed our divorce paper,” Martha broke the ice which halted Aiden who was about to sit down.
“What?!” He exclaimed and stood upright.
“We got divorced,” she repeated and then crossed her legs.
“Why would you get a divorce?!” Aiden widened his eyes
“Why shouldn’t we? It’s obvious things can’t work out anymore. So, it’s your turn to make a decision,” Martha said and then stood up.
“Which decision?” Aiden raised his brows.
“Who do you want to own your custody? Me or dad?” Martha asked.
“What?!” Aiden widened his yes.
“Choose wisely,” Martha patted his shoulder.
“Seriously?” Aiden tilted his head and turned to look at his dad who looked calm.
That man knew he didn’t stand a chance.
TBC…