"We'll head back now"
"Okay"
Alex and Zhuang said their goodbyes. Little Adrian was fast asleep after playing late with his new found friend. Zhuang took him to the car first and Alex followed afterwards. It had started raining again after stopping for a bit. Alex and Zhuang took it as a cue to return back. It was quite late anyway.
Mari closed the door and walked back to her room where she had put the two brothers to sleep. She came in and pulled a blanket over the two, tucking them in and took the couch for herself.
"Thankyou..." Ian whispered opening his eyes soon after she laid on the couch.
"Why?" She asked.
There were alot of things, he couldn't just phrase one so he changed the conversation "Why are you doing this?" he'd asked this question from her multiple times but she had avoided answering it.
"I made a promise to someone.." She replied to his amazement.
"What promise...?" He whispered turning to face her side.
"Forgiveness" She replied
"What does that mean?" He asked with his heavy eyes somewhat closing.
She didn't reply, he eventually dozed off while hugging his little brother to sleep.
She murmured
"If you can save even a single person, I'll forgive you"
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"Girls... Where...?"
"They're asleep"
Akio helped Kei sit up whilst holding a bowl of porridge and sat nearby him.
"Do you feel better?" Akio asked to which Kei genuinely gave a bright smile.
Akio didn't understand the meaning of that smile but it somewhat made him a bit embarrassed to ask that again especially after what he'd done.
"I was rough... I'm sorry" He mustered up his courage whilst feeding Kei spoonfuls of porridge.
"I wish... You would... Do more... Of that..." Kei smiled yet again.
"No way I'm doing that! Your body is too weak, if you were to take on my stamina, you'd probably end up on a wheelchair!" Akio said getting lowkey mad.
"I meant.. opening up to me..." Kei responded to which Akio was completely flabbergasted. He'd not only gotten it wrong but also admitted what he'd done a bit openly, his ears were completely red even though his face appeared blank other than a small deep frown that always sat upon his forehead.
"Anyway, you need to eat more and exercise with me" Akio coughed trying to change the subject "Look at you getting a fever just by being tired"
"I'm happy... You told me... So many things..." Kei was still somewhat in his own happy bubble. He looked like an excited child despite being a grown-up.
"I don't take you for granted, nor am I staying because of the girls, I raised Natsuro alone, I'm staying because I want to..." Akio cleared it yet again.
"I'm.. Sorry... I got jealous.. Back there.. And harmed everyone..." Kei also cleared it up "I just want.. Akio san... To desire me... Without holding back... And... I want Akio san.... To rely... On me.. Too..."
"Silly, I already do desire you" Akio replied.
"How would... I know.. If you don't... Show me..." Kei argued.
Akio fed him a spoonful to basically shut his mouth.
"Akio..san...I'm... Also...sorry..for...not telling about... Mari..." Kei interrupted.
Akio took a long sigh " I guess it's something you don't want to share with me, it's okay, I'll wait till you're ready.."
Kei became silent for a while then spoke again " She doesn't... Remember... Most of the things... Except in bits.. And pieces..."
"She's a criminal, even if she forgot, doesn't mean she's free of her wrong doings" Akio got a bit angry "Look at what she's done to you!"
"Why are you forgiving.... Zhuang san then? He has also... Done.. The same to you... " Kei counter questioned.
Akio put the porridge aside and grabbed both of Kei's hands, a bit abruptly. He somewhat retreated but then came in control, he was getting better in that regard.
" Zhuang had wronged me but it's because of the fact that I once loved him, I'm willing to give him a chance to let go, repent and become a better person.." Akio answered honestly.
"Same... Mari is my... Sister... Who could... Love her.. More than me?" Kei responded.
"You don't have to forgive her, you don't have to be the better person, you don't have to force yourself just because she's your sister.." Akio reminded.
"I'm.. Not... You got.. It wrong..." Kei gripped Akio's hands firmly "I'm forgiving... Myself... This is what.. Haru chan.. Went through... Because of my stupidity... Unlike me, he didn't have you to make him.. Hold on.." Kei smiled.
"This is not your fault.." Akio said.
"It isn't hers... Either... She.. Too is... A victim... I think... I'll only be able... To forgive... Myself... Once I'm able... To see her... Forgive herself..." Kei said in a gloomy way.
"What do you mean?" Akio asked
"She thought... She'd be... Able to forgive... Herself... For not being... Able to save Haru chan.... If she harmed... All those... Who hurt.. Him" Kei sighed "She's... Wrong... The only way... You can... Forgive yourself... Is...by saving someone....not by revenge... " Kei responded.
"So you think, the only way you can forgive yourself too is by saving her?" Akio asked.
Kei nodded "No matter... How many times... You say.. This is not... My fault... I will always... Blame myself... The only way... I'll be able to forgive myself... Is to.. Save her... Afterall... She lost... A father... And a partner... Because of me... And now even a... Mother.. "
" Kei, you were used by Christine and so was Uzawa.. What happened to Mari and Haru is solely because of that disturbed woman" Akio reminded.
"I know... And dad is paying for it... So will I and so will Mari..." Kei spoke softly.
"I feel like I'm not getting through you" Akio felt a bit frustrated
"Does it matter? As long... As I... Recover?" Kei asked "Just... Trust.. Me..." he reassured
Akio hesitated but Kei gripped his hand firmly "Okay... But don't do anything from now on without telling me" Akio held his hands before him "Promise me"
"Okay" Kei nodded, Akio went ahead and slowly pulled him in a hug, kissing his forehead.
"By the way, what did you say to her?"
"If you can save even a single person, I'll forgive you"
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"You're doing well today"
Well of course I am, as long as I get to get out of here.. I'll be fine.
"When can he return home?" Aoi asked.
"I think three days atleast, he's had an undiagnosed condition for quite some time.. So we have to be careful that it doesn't return after recovery" The doctor replied before taking his leave.
"Aoi... I'm going to die of boredom here" I sighed "Get me out of here.."
"Can't do, you're sick and I don't want you to be careless" She helped me up and made me sit on a wheelchair.
The doctor had allowed me to go outside briefly for freshair. So Aoi took me outside in the garden.
"Do you really think Mari san will be able to do all that?" I asked her.
"If she can become a better person out of this... Then I'll make sure she does" She responded and picked a few jasmines that had fallen off from their branches.
She started to fix those in my hair. At this point, I barely minded the strange things she did. They were amusing anyways.
"Yuki san must have found out too, since the news of her engagement with the heir of Strauss family was made public yesterday" I asked.
"She must have, I don't know what will happen of her and Ms. Sam now" She said while completely decorating my hair with jasmine.
"Ah.. I wonder how would she react to this besides Mari san still doesn't know she has a son.. This is too.." I felt a bit irritated by all these secrets that I knew and couldn't convey but then realized Aoi had kept way much more and still is quite patient.
How is this woman so composed.
I reached my hands to grab her face and pulled it down near mine.
" What are you, an alien?" I asked without thinking. She seemed dumbfounded as it came out of the context.
"Are you unwell?" She asked, well of course she did, I am literally speaking non sense here.
"I'm just wondering, how come I'll have such a perfect wife.." I responded still squishing her face above mine.
She grabbed my hand and smiled turning her face to kiss it. Then reached down and pulled my chin up pecking at my lips.
"I also wonder too, how am I so lucky to have you?" She asked parting from my lips.
What can I say, lately these little gestures of affection... I have started to crave them...
"Say, should we do the wedding before this kid or afterwards?" I asked.
She moved and came over to sit on her knees before my wheel chair
"What do you say?"
"We're already together for so long, I want to make it official.. Initially I wanted to have a kid after we're married.." I answered.
"Then as soon as you get better I'll start preparing" She smiled and rested her head against my knees.
"Yeah, besides I don't want to have a wedding looking like a potato.." I sighed.
"I'll still love you with a big tummy though" She said and I smacked her head lightly, I really didn't want to bring that part up.
"All you want is a wedding night don't you" I could tell her intentions right away.
"And what is wrong with that, I love you and I keep wanting to show my love to you and your body" She said openly.
"Do you ever feel embarrassed woman?" I asked, I mean am I the only one who gets embarrassed by this? How is she so smooth in saying all that!
"I want to worship each and every part of you, from every inch of your body to your soul.. Why would I feel embarrassed to show how much I love you?" She replied again blowing a fuse within me.
"WHAT AM I A DIVA?" I asked completely flabbergasted.
"So what if you are one to me?" She replied smoothly.
How can she be like this! She's not even doing this to tease me or anything! The most embarrassing part is that she means it all!
"Stop talking, you're making me.." I mumbled, she looked up at me
Well of course, unexpected things happen when you're expecting...
But rather than being embarrassed..
I felt like crying at that time.. What the hell is wrong with my body?!
"Eh why are you crying?" She stood up and cupped my face.
"Why did you say all that... I'm emotional now, are you an idiot? Why would you say such things in this condition!" I felt utterly devastated, how would I ever live without this woman ever again...
She said nothing and just kept on wiping my face as I cried and handed me a handkerchief too.
In these years... How much has my life changed... How'd it all start as a joke and now I'm head over heels for her...
How could I fall for such an annoying woman?
And now soon my alpha girlfriend will be my alpha wife.....
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"It wouldn't be enough"
Alex came and settled on the arm of the couch with a cup of coffee watching Zhuang being stressed over a pile of papers.
"What isn't enough?" Alex asked.
"Aoi wants me to arrange proof against Strauss estate's connections with the black market and human trafficking... There's hardly any traces" Zhuang held his temples rubbing them.
"Of course, if they are doing something big then they won't leave any traces, mistakes will only be present where they can afford negligence" Alex sipped.
"What do you mean?" Zhuang asked.
"The boy obviously knows alot but as long as his younger brother is on the line, he wouldn't dare and there's something else too, that he's hiding is keeping him devoted" Alex replied.
"We can't use him, it might alert the enemy and we don't know how much he can be trusted considering the situation he is in... He'll give in" Zhuang said.
"Which is why you don't search for big things, you start with smaller ones, take for example the fact that these children have been used for luring in business deals despite being alphas... Since they are alphas, their actions are covered up very neatly but what about omegas? " Alex pointed at the family tree.
" You mean to say, rather than searching the alphas of the family, I should search the omegas? " Zhuang asked.
" They wouldn't go to huge lengths to cover up the actions of omegas, especially since omegas using their bodies as a trade is not uncommon, they wouldn't bother covering it up like they will with alphas" Alex hinted.
"The only omegas that are in the family right now have been the partners of Mr. Strauss himself out of which he only married the first one, the rest are all his mistresses.. I doubt he indulges them in the business affairs.." Zhuang looked through the papers.
" What about the first one? " Alex asked.
" His first and only wife was an omega Raina Strauss, she's the mother of Ian Strauss and it seems like she married Mr. Strauss due to a business arrangement... but she'd already passed away due to cancer" Zhuang explained.
Alex placed the mug on the table "Seems like we can't use her but for a woman to be in such an environment she must have had someone she'd share her burdens with"
"Let me see..." Zhuang went through different piles of files before him "Yeah, you're right, she did have a best friend, an alpha woman that she used to remain in contact with but that woman was eventually involved in a car crash along with her family and died way before her... "
"It is possible, that the alpha woman found something out and was deliberately gotten rid off" Alex said thoughtfully.
"Then we might find something if we search more into this alpha woman who was associated with Raina Strauss" Zhuang said hopefully.
"It's possible that she did leave evidences that were probably overlooked" Alex shrugged and picked the mug again.
"Yeah, I'll start searching on this woman.. Clara Hughes.." Zhuang read out the name.
The mug dropped from Alex's hands and crashed into hundreds of glassy splinters.
"What'd... You... Say?" He asked with a shivering voice.
Zhuang was also shocked by the sudden crash and looking at Alex's face turn pale he got even more worried.
"Do you know her... Clara Hughes..?"
Zhuang gulped looking at Alex's trembling lips almost turn purple.
"She's.... my.. mother"