"Leo... the truth is... I'm not really sure who Luke's biological father is...." Charmaine confessed. Leo was shaken up. Was she trying to say she didn't do it with Jun but she slept with somebody else? Should he feel upset? His thoughts began running wild. "I'm sorry for keeping this to you. I really can't tell who fathered him because I didn't gave birth to Luke." she added.
'I didn't gave birth to Luke.' Those words began echoing inside Leo's mind. Such simple words but it was like his mind has gone blank and that there was no sense in what she said.
"I don't understand." he uttered. He looked at her face but her head was still lowered and he couldn't see her eyes. What does she mean?
"Luke isn't mine. He's the son Jienna conceived before she left for the US five years ago." she revealed.
Leo staggered and held onto the balustrade. What nonsense was she saying? Jienna was the one who gave birth to Luke? But he never slept with her, did he? And she said before she left that she wasn't really pregnant. All his calculations, how could they be wrong?
Leo shook his head. "No. I'm sure Luke is my son. I'm his father, how could I not know!" he stated before turning around. "I need to go take care of something. I'll be leaving first."
Charmaine watched as Leo turned his back to her and grabbed his jacket and keys before leaving the room. She felt a pang of guilt and a gaping hole in her heart as she watched his back from the balcony. Was he upset? Would he hate her for lying to him? This time, it really was her fault.
***
"Xiaomin! How are you?"
Charmaine was startled when somebody suddenly pulled her and hugged her. She was momentarily petrified until she recognized the face of the child the woman was with.
"Hannah?" she blurted.
Charmaine was strolling with Luke in a shopping center when a woman suddenly turned up. It turned out that it's just Hannah Song: James Song's niece and Charmaine's cousin.
Truth be told, Charmaine's grandmother only had one son. But when she migrated to Europe, she adopted two kids, a girl and a boy, and Hannah was her adopted uncle's daughter. Although not a real kin in blood, Hannah was very close to James' daughters. She wondered if it's hereditary. Her grandma adopted two kids, her mom adopted Jienna, and she wants to keep Luke so much.
Hannah at the age of nineteen was already a divorcee. She moved to US earlier than her with her baby daughter Nicole. When she decided to study in the US, she didn't tell her. Next thing she knew, Hannah has already taken the pregnant Jienna in. It was because of Hannah that she found Jienna.
"It's already been a year. You said you wanted to forget about life for a while. But it's been a year now. Don't you think you should come back?" Hannah asked after they went to a fast food restaurant and ordered some food.
Charmaine sighed. With Hannah here, it looks like her vacation is over. The happy-go-lucky life she lived after Jienna died has finally ended. After her sister passed away, she stopped living her life; she stopped working; she spent her days with Luke and wallowed in depression. Today, as fate called for it, she has to return to her rightful place. "I understand." she mumbled.
"I see you've become dumber." Nicole told Luke who was silently sitting across him. "You don't know how to talk now." she teased. But Luke just ignored her and continued eating his sandwich. "Hey! We haven't seen each other for a long time! Why are you ignoring me?"
Luke glared at Nicole. A long time? He last saw her just last month. "Girls are annoying." he whispered.
Charmaine who was sitting beside Luke was stunned. How could he say that? Should she reprimand him right now? Well, forget it. She didn't want to scold him in public. She'll just talk to him later.
***
"Did you find out anything?" Leo asked.
Inside a car in an underground parking garage. Leo sat in the driver's seat and beside him was a man wearing all black. The man pulled out an envelope from inside his black jacket and gave it to Leo. "I found some valuable informations but not enough. The only certain thing right now is that... Jienna Song was indeed pregnant when she left for the States. But there was something shady about Jienna Songs medical report." the man stated.
Leo checked the document the man gave him and realized what he was talking about. Jienna Song started visiting a certain hospital right after Leo's twenty-first birthday and the doctor she consulted was a reproductive endocrinologist.
"Are you saying Jienna Song had infertility?" Leo asked.
"Well, that's what I got from this hospital. Now, around March almost six years ago, she went to another doctor and I haven't found anything from him yet. He's a bit hard to deal with. He wouldn't talk no matter how much I offer him." he replied.
"What's the doctor's name?" he asked. He was determined just what happened six years ago! So far, all he got was that Jienna went to seek doctors prior his birthday. She had a hunch that Jienna was the one responsible for drugging him that night. Was she trying to get herself pregnant? But then she found out that she was infertile. But why did she sought help from a different doctor after finding out her medical condition? Was that doctor able to treat her? If that's so, then where is the child? It can't be Luke!
"Doctor Ivan Gray. That's his name." the man revealed.
"Ivan Gray?" he uttered. Wasn't that Laura Ji's boyfriend? What does he have to do with all of this?
***
"Xiaomin, where's Leo? It's a bit late now." Aya asked during dinner.
Charmaine averted her eyes and focused on her food. Since this morning when Leo left abruptly, she hasn't heard anything from him yet. She wanted to call him but she was afraid she'll be ignored. She knew he was upset. He must be avoiding her right now. "He went to take care of some matters. You know about his predicament, right?" she uttered.
James nodded his head. "That's right. I would be more worried if he stays in the house for twenty four hours doing nothing!" he concurred. "I wouldn't give my daughter to him in marriage if he's not capable enough to take care of his own mess."
Charmaine sighed. She didn't want to dwell on this matter so she tried to change the subject. She turned to her mom and smiled. "Mom, Hannah is back. I met her this afternoon." she told them. "And.... she told me to go back to Anya with her as soon as possible."
James raised his head and stared at his daughter. Anya? Did she just say she's going back to Anya Cheree? When did she enter the AC corporation? Why did no one mention about this to him before?
"Dad... Mom.... I didn't tell you... I managed the Anya Cheree together with Hannah after I turned eighteen. I stopped when Jienna died. And now I decided that it's time to go back." she explained. There's no time to sulk anymore. She has grieved enough. It's time to live her life as Charmaine Song and finally step into the limelight. Jun Ji kept threatening her only because he thought she was weak. She needs to show him how powerful she could be. She can be more powerful than she has been in her last life if she wants to!