PART 32.
Tyler's POV
"Mom, where's Dad?" I asked Mom as soon as I arrived home.
"He's in his office with Hades, Ty," Mom replied, approaching me.
"Hades? He's here?" I asked, slightly surprised, but I nodded with a smile.
"I was also surprised by his arrival earlier. What do you think he's here for?" Mom asked, adjusting my outfit.
"I don't know, Mom. Maybe he's asking for help to look for his wife," I sighed and headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I was extremely tired because I had fought against the Garaba group earlier outside the school, who were planning to harm or even kill Hades. As time went on, their group became stronger and their members multiplied. They never ceased their actions as long as the true Heir of Lavisca was alive.
"You look tired, Ty," Mom said, following me. I took a sip of water before responding.
"I'm fine, Mom," I replied with a smile.
"I know you're not, Ty. Because you are also secretly looking for her..." My mom's words broke the silence, causing me to freeze in place. A surge of emotions overwhelmed me, leaving me momentarily unable to speak or move.
Her statement exposed the truth I had kept hidden, even from myself. Despite my attempts to conceal my longing and my silent pursuit of finding Xyrel, my mom had seen through my façade. It was as if she had peered into my soul, understanding the depth of my yearning.
Surprise mingled with vulnerability as I met my mom's gaze. There was no judgment or reproach in her eyes, only understanding and compassion. In that moment, I felt a deep connection with her, a shared determination to unravel the mystery and bring Xyrel back home.
With a mixture of gratitude and apprehension, I finally found my voice, "You're right... I've been searching for her too. The thought of not knowing where she is or if she's safe consumes me."
"You love her?" Mom asked abruptly.
"No," I replied, bowing my head and staring at the empty glass.
"Liar." Mom approached me, holding my face in her hands.
"Son.. You have to forget about her. It may hurt, but you can't love her, not yet... and most especially, you cannot possibly love your brother's wife," Mom said, her voice trembling with emotion as tears streamed down her face.
Her words struck me like a blow to the chest, causing a mixture of pain and confusion to well up inside me. The raw anguish in her voice revealed the depth of her concern and the weight of her convictions.
I could see the agony etched onto her face, a reflection of her own internal struggle between protecting her family and acknowledging the undeniable feelings that had taken root within me. It was a tormenting conflict she didn't want me to endure.
Her tearful plea carried the weight of a mother's love, trying to shield her child from the heartache that could unfold. Yet, within her words, I sensed her own sorrow, knowing that asking me to suppress my emotions would exact its toll on my spirit.
I stood there, caught between my desires and the pain I saw in my mother's eyes. It was a battle of loyalty, torn between the love I couldn't deny and the duty I felt towards my family. The internal struggle threatened to consume me, leaving me with a profound sense of anguish.
Through my own tears, I finally managed to respond, my voice trembling with a mix of sadness and resignation, "I understand, Mom. I'll try... I'll try to forget, even though it feels impossible right now."
As I spoke those words, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss, as if a part of me was being severed. But I also knew that my mother's plea came from a place of love, wanting to protect me from the complicated path I was treading.
In that moment, I made a silent promise to myself and to my mom. I would strive to bury my feelings, to suppress them in the depths of my heart, all in the name of family harmony. It was a painful sacrifice, but one I felt compelled to make, for the sake of those I loved.
Yet, even as I made that pledge, a quiet ache remained, a reminder of the forbidden love that lingered within me. And as I looked into my mother's eyes, our tears intermingling, I couldn't help but wonder if some emotions were simply too powerful to be forgotten.
This is the first time I cried, especially in front of her. I often keep everything to myself, for years I've forced my heart to be stone and set aside my own happiness because I am not free to love. Until my mission as a shadow is not yet complete. Especially now that my responsibility is getting even heavier, as it is upon me and my ability to protect my brother, the generation, and the hierarchy of the Lavisca.
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Two years have passed, and finally, Hades and I have graduated. We have completed our college education, and this is where the real battle begins. Since the day Hades asked for help to become the rightful and deserving heir of the empire, he underwent intense preparation alongside his studies. While I juggled my duties and my studies. But even if we became very busy with each other's lives, we never stopped searching for Xyrel. Until the day came when we had matters to attend to in Korea...
"What's the name of the hotel again?" Hades asked over the phone.
"Lotte Hotel Seoul. By the way, where are you?" I asked him. We separated at the airport because he wanted me to go ahead to the hotel. He told me earlier that he would just wander around the area. I agreed because I knew his real purpose. He's trying to find Xyrel here.
"I'm at the mall right now," he replied. "I'll be there at 2 pm."
"What are you doing there?" I asked, curious.
"I brought the perfume from Joon-ho products. Just another strategy to win him over," he replied casually.
Our purpose here is to convince the owner of Hyanggimihak to partner with the company we're handling. The company I'm referring to is the one Dad built. We're trying to revive it, and it took us some time because it was really challenging. We started from scratch to rebuild the company. Hades has also entered the Empire, but he is still not recognized as the heir because there is no final statement from Grandpa yet. Tita Yvanne is still managing it. She is the acting CEO while Grandpa is still recovering.
"Then what took you so long, though? I've been here for 5 hours already," I impatiently replied to him. "By the way, don't let your guard down. Garaba is still targeting us." I warned him.
"I know, anyway, I'm on my way home, so cook me some food," he ordered, surprising me.
"I was given an order. You're impressive, bro!" I sarcastically replied.
"I'll hang up," he said before ending the call. This guy can be annoying too. He thinks I'm his personal cook. Psh!
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Xyrel's POV
We arrived at the mall, and I took Walter for a stroll before heading to the grocery store because we had run out of supplies in the apartment.
"Walter, don't keep running. The floor is slippery," I said, holding his hand to stop him from running. He resisted and removed his hand from mine. I let him be and followed wherever he went.
"Mommy, can you see that?" Walter pointed to a talking robot. He was delighted, and I could see the joy on his face. We were often confined at home because I worked remotely. I intentionally chose to work from home to take care of my son.
"Yes, baby, you can request anything from it," I told him.
"Really, mommy?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and sporting a wide smile. I chuckled softly and knelt in front of him to match his height.
"Yes, baby," I said, stroking his hair. He approached the robot and whispered his request.
"Why did you whisper it to the robot? Don't you want mommy to hear your request?" I sadly asked him.
"No, mommy, I whispered it in her ears so that she can grant it without any mistakes," he struggled to say.
"Then can you tell mommy about your request?" I said affectionately.
"Yes, mommy. I request a daddy!" he happily announced in front of me, freezing me in place. I couldn't react or even utter a word.
"Uhm... baby," I called him, holding his arms and caressing them.
"Is mommy not enough for you? Mommy is getting sad already," I said sadly to him.
"No, mommy. Don't be sad, please, mommy," he said, hugging me tightly. "Okay, mommy, I won't request for a daddy. Mommy is enough for me."
It hurt that I couldn't provide him with a daddy, and he would never experience the care of a father. I couldn't do anything about it. I needed to keep my son safe. If Garaba found out about him, I was certain they would harm him. I was afraid, so I did my best to keep us hidden, away from danger.
"Mommy, I want that one!" Walter suddenly said, pointing to a child eating ice cream. I nodded and stood up.
"Okay, let's buy you ice cream," I was about to hold his arm, but he insisted on walking ahead, so I followed him.
"Xyrel..." I was startled by what I saw. Was this real? Was this really Hades in front of me? How did he find me? My fear overwhelmed me, especially for my son's safety.
"Hades..." I couldn't believe I said his name. He immediately approached my son, matching his height. When he got close to Walter, tears streamed down his face, and he tightly embraced him.
"Mommy..." Walter asked, puzzled, looking at me because he was being hugged by a man he had just seen.
I couldn't respond. I couldn't even move from where I stood. It felt like the world had stopped. I wasn't prepared for this encounter.
"Hades..." I finally managed to say his name.
"I know he's my son. Why did you hide him from me?!" He stood up and stared at me with a cold and intimidating gaze.
"Please, Hades, don't startle my son," I pleaded, tears still streaming down my face.
"Fûçk! You hid him from me, Xy! Can't you understand that?! For 3 years! For 3 whole years!" He restrained himself from shouting since we were being watched by people, including our son, Walter.
"..." I couldn't answer. I had no excuse for everything. I didn't regret the decisions I made because if I hadn't done what I did, everything would have been in danger.
"You're coming back with me," he said, gripping my arm. "God, I missed you." He hugged me tightly. I couldn't control myself anymore, and I let all my tears flow.
"Hey! You're bad! Stay away from my mommy!" Our embrace was interrupted by Walter's shout as he continued to hit Hades' leg.
"Stay away from mommy! You're making my mommy cry! You're bad!" He continued hitting Hades. Hades crouched down and kneeled in front of Walter to match his height.
"What do you want? Tell me everything, and I'll buy it for you," he said, trying to appease Walter.
"You better stop making my mommy cry. I hate those people who make mommy sad," Walter said in his sweetest voice.
Hades glanced at me and smiled, saying, "I love you." He stood up and suddenly kissed me. I was shocked, and my eyes widened as Korean passersby looked at us.
He broke the kiss and stared into my eyes directly, aligning our noses. He gently held my face and spoke these words, brimming with joy and love. "Thank you for making my life complete."
I took a deep breath and gently pushed him away from me.
"He's not your son," I said, and his face shifted from happiness to something tinged with sadness and disbelief.
"You're lying, Xy. I know you are," he accused. I shook my head, the tears starting to fall.
"He isn't your son, Hades. Please, stop bothering us," I begged him, holding Walter's hand as I wiped away my tears. Glancing at him briefly, I saw tears in his eyes, which shattered my heart into millions of pieces.
"Please tell me that's not true," he pleaded, gripping my arm.
I couldn't find the words anymore and just cried in front of him.
"Bo-eum-a, geu salam-eun nuguya?" Johyeon arrived and asked. He is my Korean friend, the one who's been my support for two years. He's the son of the OB-GYN who examined me; we met at the hospital and became friends. Sadly, he's into guys. (Translate: Boeum-a, who is he?)
"Honey," I called out to him, looking into his eyes, silently pleading for help. He understood and hugged me, caressing my back. Walter, oblivious to the tension, simply looked around.
"Hey, son, did you have fun?" he asked Walter, who nodded joyfully.
"Uh-huh!" he affirmed with a nod. Johyeon then tenderly brushed Walter's hair with his hand.
"Daddy, buy me more toys!" Walter asked. He knew Johyeon wasn't his dad, but Johyeon had told my son to call him 'dad' so that, even though he didn't have one, he would have someone to address as such.
Johyeon carried Walter in his arms, and we were about to walk away from Hades when he held my arms once again. "Xyrel..." he muttered with tears in his eyes, and I just removed his arm and walked away. When I turned around, he was standing there lost in his thoughts and knelt as he broke down.
"Nuguingayo?" Johyeon asked when we were far. (Translate: Who is he?)
"He's Walter's father," I simply replied, and he nodded.
"I see," he simply replied without pressing any further while carrying Walter.