LOGINROSE I rush towards the supposed guest room, not even minding the fact that I could fall from the staircase. Thousands of thoughts cloud my mind. What if he tries to force himself on Arabella? He's no longer the kid I thought he was. He's a fucking 17-year-old kid who could do anything he wants with someone like Arabella. I was always seeing him as a small child because of his supposed age, but after today's revelation, I literally believe he can do absolutely anything. He's been staying with his mean mom all this while, so he should be capable of many wicked things. I just pray he doesn't try even the slightest of it with my child."Logan, open the door!" I knock, trying as hard as possible to hold back my anger. I remain quiet afterward, hoping to hear a response, but get none. And it only gets me more worried.The fact that I'm not even hearing any sound forces another silly thought into my troubled brain. What if he's killed her? The look on that boy's face when he left the dinin
DANTEI stare in the direction Jordan went until he is out of sight.For five minutes, I can't say a thing. I can feel my stomach rumbling, not out of hunger or thirst but something much deeper than that. Fear grips me; the shock forces numbness down my joints. Jordan, of all people, knew all these years but didn't bother telling me about it. I can only imagine how much I've neglected my fatherly duty. If I had taken my duties seriously, then I would have known all this and he might have said something about it to me. But hell, I didn't even have time for myself, let alone my child.Even though it's Lavender's fault, I shouldn't always shift the blame to her. At this point, blaming someone is the last thing on my mind."Dante... are you okay?" Rose, who has been staring numbly at me, asks. I nod, forcing a smile on my face."I understand how you feel, Dante. But I suggest you don't stress yourself so much; it already happened. The only thing you can do at this moment is find a way to
ROSEMy mouth widens the moment Dante mentions twins. What other secret is he hiding from me? It's funny how they imagine convincing everyone that both kids are the same age when in reality, they're nothing alike."You mean Logan is a twin on his own?" I ask Dante, who nods almost immediately."He is. Years ago, they got into an accident while coming back from school. Their mom was the driver, so I dare not say much when the kid died. The accident was so bad that we lost one of our sons. Jordan, who suffered a head injury, began having concussions, a condition that made him forget most of his memory. Each day, he kept asking about his brother, whom we would usually say is out with his aunt. The day Logan, who had gone on a school trip, returned and came to see him in the hospital, he immediately took him as his twin. We wanted to correct him about it, but the doctor claimed we should allow it, that his brain would heal with time and he would come to accept the truth about his twin's d
ROSEI stare at Dante, waiting for him to react to the slap, but he says nothing.Logan reluctantly stands up from the floor, sitting back as if nothing has happened. I still wonder where Arabella found the guts to slap someone nearly twice her size; the boy looks really chubby that I can't help but doubt if he's truly twins with Jordan. I still doubt it, but I dare not ask. I guess it's just another secret Dante and his ex-wife don't want to share with the world.How come I didn't notice all of this the whole time? There is so much difference between Logan and Jordan; they barely look alike. Their voices, their heights, and their statuses are way too different. They look nothing like twins. I should have known better. It was the same boy I saw in Jessica's apartment that day. I didn't get to see his full body, so I couldn't tell the details bluntly.The whole thing makes me realize how Lavender mana
ROSE The ride to Dante's house is brief; it isn't far from my new apartment.Arabella won't stop asking me questions. Well, she hasn't been to many places other than school and sometimes the mall because of her health. I'm happy she's finally okay and can go anywhere with me without me worrying about her health.I climb down and open the door for Arabella, who is finding it difficult to open it."We're here, princess," I tell her."Oh Aunt Rose, we've been waiting for you to come; I mean, Dad and I," the boy says as he rushes outside to meet us."I'm here now. The traffic was quite bad; that's why we took so much time to get here," I reply. The traffic isn't the major reason we delayed, but it also contributes greatly to why we take time to arrive."It's okay. Come in; your favorite might get cold," the boy says like he knows me so well. At this point, I think he does. I rarely eat cold food."Let's go, Arabella," I tell Arabella, who just stands there the whole time glaring at us li
ROSEA month laterThe past month has been hectic. From my mom calling daily asking why I survived the injury to my dad always pleading with me to appeal for my sister's release—she's pregnant, and her stomach is getting bigger by the day. I don't care if the baby stays or dies; I mean, they killed mine, so I literally see nothing wrong with her losing hers either.As for Conrad, after the nurse called that day, Dante decided to go in my place. I know it's his way of taking responsibility for my condition, but still, I'm beginning to find it a bit too much.For Conrad, I make sure I do everything possible to make sure he doesn't meet Arabella. Each time he instigates coming over, I send Arabella to Chloe's place and then make him believe Arabella has been there before he decided to come over. He's beginning to get suspicious, but it's none of my business.Three days ago, he came unannounced and nearly met Arabella, but I was smart enough to have her hide in the room until the bad uncl







