She doesn't want to imagine how her father would react when he finds out. "I'm supposed to protect her Jack, I'm very useless... Dad is going to be so mad at me."
"It's alright, Don't cry," Jack stroked her hair with another sigh but paused for a second with a small frown. "Why would he be mad at you?" He asked confusedly while wondering why it is also her responsibility to protect her.
"Huh?" Lily glanced up at him with puffy eyes then quickly shook her head. "N... Nothing," She muttered hurriedly as she wiped her tears.
"Lily, is there something you're hiding from me? Why is it your responsibility to protect her?" Jack's frown deepened as he carefully watched her expression with a thumping heart as a realization slowly dawned on him.
"Jack?" Lily called out softly and watched as the guy stood up with a jerk.
"Lily, Clara is not your sister, right?. What are you hiding from me!?" Jack snapped while staring at the girl with wide eyes, as his intuition was slowly becoming right, watching from her expression.
Lily flinched and stared wide-eyed at him then more tears started running down her face. "Jack__."
"Now that I think of it, how can you be only a year younger than your older sister." Jack chuckled darkly, blaming himself for not noticing in the first place. His thoughts wandered to his parents' word and he grabbed her arms with a dark expression. "Lily, Clara is my cousin... She's really my cousin, right? Answer me!!!"
"Yes!!!" Lily snapped back in her hoarse voice while struggling out of his tight grip. "She's your cousin__ Big sis is your cousin." She started sobbing again after dropping her head with both palms covering her face as she slowly took a step back.
After the ghost's incident at City H, about the woman that looks exactly like her sister, she had guessed that they might somehow be related because her father had never told her about her sister's real parents. However, he had told her that the baby was dead.
But then, a few weeks ago, brother-in-law had suddenly informed her everything after asking her some weird questions about some two mysterious men, who she didn't have any idea of and he had asked her to keep it a secret for the time being. That was when she found out that her sister is actually his step-cousin.
Jack watched the girl's guilty expression after breaking out of his shock and he slowly took a step back after releasing her arms.
"Jack?" Lily gasped and she hurriedly held his arm.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Jack stared down at her with an indescribable emotion. If she had told him earlier, then he would have taken her back to his parents and all these wouldn't have happened. "Lily, why did you hide it from me."
"Jack..." Lily sobbed while watching his pained expression. "Please listen__"
"Just how many things are you hiding from me? You knew all along that Clara is my cousin and you also knew that her life is in danger." Jack shoved her hand away with a sad chuckle. "Do you ever regard me as your fiance?"
"No, Jack... don't misunderstand, it's not what you're thinking," She softly muttered while shaking her head slowly. She had wanted to inform him badly, knowing the condition that his mother was in and knowing what she had gone through. But, she knew that brother-in-law would have a very strong reason for asking her not to inform him yet.
More tears streamed down her face and she slowly walked forward then tried to hold his arm again. However, he instantly shoved her hands away then strode out of the room.
"Jack..." Lily Called out with a sob as her gaze was fixed on the door, she bit her lips after some seconds then weakly turned back to the bed and slumped down on it. It's really her fault. She could have informed him earlier then maybe all these wouldn't have happened. But she was torn between the two guys and only had to inform Maya who had advised her to wait until after brother-in-law had unraveled everything.
She sobbed silently, and after a long time, her gaze darted to her phone which had suddenly started ringing and she hurriedly picked it up in anticipation.
Answering the call, she quickly muttered, "Hello..." without glancing at the caller's name.
"Lily, what is wrong? Why are you crying?" Came a voice from the other end.
A soft gasp escaped her lips after hearing the voice, then she glanced at the phone's screen with wide eyes.
Clearing her throat, she carefully placed the phone back on her left ear and softly muttered, "I'm fine, Dad."
"Oh... Okay" Her father slowly nodded from the other end even though he wasn't quite convinced, sensing from her low tone.
"We want to speak with your sister but couldn't reach her on the phone," he muttered after some seconds with a sigh then glanced sideways at his wife who had been sobbing since yesterday.
'Oh, no.' Lily gasped softly as her eyes widened again. Her heart started thumping rapidly, thinking of what to reply, then heard shuffling from the other end.
"Lily, something happened to Clara, right? Tell us... Her phone had been off since yesterday," Her mother's hoarse voice came from the other end and Lily quickly covered her mouth to suppress her sobs.
By then her father had already grabbed the phone and his tone was now anxious. "Lily... you're crying, something is wrong with your sister__ what happened to her? Tell us!!!"
Lily burst into rapid sobs as she flinched from her father's outburst. "Dad__"
"I don't want to repeat myself!!! Tell me what happened!!!" Her father yelled from the other end and she could also hear her mother crying.
"Dad... Big Sis was kidnapped," She finally muttered as her sobs increased and she could hear her parents gasp from the other end, then came her father's trembling voice.
"K... Kidnapped? H... How can she be kidnapped? Who took her__ Anna!?" The man's eyes widened as he glanced sideways at his face who had suddenly fainted.