Chapter 7

Chapter 7

OH GOD.

Naomi’s worst fear had come true. She didn’t know how to explain the truth to Ileana. They were now face-to-face in her room.

She couldn’t put her daughter to sleep. Ileana simply didn’t want to.

“Sweetheart,” she said, “He is not your Daddy.” She sobbed as she told her for the countlessth time.

“But he’s in the picture, Mom,” Ileana replied tearfully. “Why won’t he show me my dad? Don’t you love him anymore? Why doesn’t he know me? You said he was just at work.”

The girl cried fully this time—something she hadn’t done before—but Naomi knew her daughter had only been holding back her tears and sobs.

“Sweetheart…” Naomi said helplessly. She had nothing else to say. She had lied to protect her daughter’s feelings. She never saw this coming.

“He doesn’t like us?” Ileana asked sadly, bitterness in her voice, but Naomi still couldn’t answer.

“M-Mommy will find out if he’s really your Daddy. There are some things you won’t understand yet, but Mommy will find out the truth, okay?” Naomi said as she gently approached her.

She repeatedly wiped Ileana’s tears, and the girl nodded.

“When Mommy knows, I’ll tell you whether he really is your Daddy or if they just look alike. For now, go to sleep and get ready for the day you meet your Daddy—if he really is, okay?”

Ileana nodded again.

Only then was Naomi able to lay her daughter on the bed. She closed her eyes, hugging a pillow, and Naomi immediately kissed her. She didn’t know how she would confirm whether Marco and Marcus were the same person since the latter didn’t really know her. Pretending would be difficult, especially if they came face to face.

It seemed that Marcus wouldn’t have such a problem. He seemed skilled at deception.

Marcus pushed open the door to his grandfather’s room. He didn’t even knock. He couldn’t sleep. Even earlier, during dinner with Laureth and her socialite friends, he had been completely distracted. He hadn’t even finished his meal. She had asked him to go to her condo for sex, but he had chosen to go home. Damn. He was too affected by something he shouldn’t even be bothered by.

The Don looked at him with confusion. He was reading a book, nodding off while leaning against the headboard.

“Grandpa,” Marcus said, “Am I really not suffering from amnesia?” The old man blinked at him in surprise.

Don Max removed his glasses and closed his book.

“Amnesia? Why are you looking for amnesia, Marco? You can answer that yourself, grandson. When you woke up in the hospital after your accident, you knew yourself. You even remembered all the people around you. You remembered your girlfriend, Laureth. What’s the matter, hijo?” He asked, frowning.

He sighed helplessly. “I don’t know, Grandpa. I feel like there are things I don’t remember, and I only just realized it.”

“Marco, Laureth’s uncle was your doctor in Singapore. He was the best. What’s your problem? I was on a business trip. You didn’t even call me for months. It was good they took care of you after your accident. Son, what makes you think you have amnesia?”

He sighed again. He was still unconvinced. He no longer trusted what his grandfather was telling him. Only now, since regaining consciousness after his accident, had doubts begun to creep in.

It was a car accident, and Laureth had taken care of him even without his grandfather present.

“Forget I asked, Grandpa. Good night.”

Marcus turned to leave.

“Marcus… If there’s something bothering you, don’t forget to tell me. I remembered the last time we talked over the phone while I was away. You said you discovered something about Laureth. The call cut off, and you never contacted me again. If there’s a problem, you should tell me first.”

He tilted his head. “And what problem would I have with Laureth, Grandpa? Didn’t you arrange my marriage to her back then, even though it wasn’t really my plan? But since she was already my girlfriend, why not make the wedding easier if it’s going to happen anyway? And when I woke up, I realized life is too short, so I proposed right away.”

Max just smiled, and Marcus turned away, but his mind felt like a tangled thread. Another thought added more confusion to his already hazy mind. What did Max mean by what he supposedly discovered about Laureth? And why couldn’t he remember having such a conversation?

Jesus. He really suspected something was wrong with himself—and what shook him even more was the child calling him “Daddy.”