Wide-eyed, I watch Luke's father, who has just returned from outside. He has decided to secure the hole properly we fell into so that it is not an entrance for uninvited guests.
The boy sitting next to me wipes himself with a towel, unable to stop looking at the man who so far seemed dead to him.
I, dressed in dry clothes, remain silent, allowing them to have a serious conversation.
- Why are you pretending to be dead? How could you leave me alone, let me fall into the hands of this bastard and be used by him to do his dirty work? Do you realize what hell I had to go through? For more than a year he has been drugging me with drugs that made me lose my mind, and now my body is rebelling. Miraculously I managed to escape from Alexander. He is chasing us, he wants to kill me for taking with me a woman who was forced to marry him. This girl was sold, she was going to be his property, a bargaining chip, and I couldn't let that happen because I saw her suffer.
I force a slight smile, looking at Luke with gratitude in my eyes.
- I also hide from him. I had to fake my death because otherwise I would indeed be dead.
I am disturbed by the man's words.
- Why? - Luke asks, shifting his gaze to the man who has just appeared next to his father. This is the accomplice who all along helped the boy survive in this dirty half-world.
- Because Alexander would eventually find out that your father was a substitute - he explains. - He started serving him as a young boy. Everything was planned. He saved his life to enter his ranks and gain his trust. In time, he managed to become Alexander's right-hand man.
I see that Luke is lost.
- Why did you want to enter his ranks? What were your intentions? - He turns to his father.
- With this, I was to find my best friend's daughter and rescue her - the man answers him. - I mean Solar.
I point my finger at myself, not understanding any of this.
- You were friends with my biological father?
- Since childhood. - A smile appears on his face. - Everything that has taken place so far was a plan in which Francisco helped you. - With his hand he points to a man of a similar age to him, at whose house we stayed and almost got caught.
- A plan? Do you realize that we were lucky? Alexander is just searching the whole neighborhood," Luke says reproachfully.
- You are clever. I knew you guys could handle it - claims Francisco. - Someone discovered that I was helping you, so I also had to run away. Lucky fate brought you to us. Someone, however, has your back. It's a spirit that guided you well.
- If you were supposed to protect Solar, why did you fake your death and implicate me in this mess? - Luke is not going to let go of his father and wants to get the entire truth out of him. - Where are Solar's biological parents?
The man looks at me for a long moment, and his gaze appears to be sad.
- Let me tell you everything from the beginning. I don't want you to get lost in the story. - I glance a fleetingly at Luke, feeling increasingly anxious. - Solar, your mother was Alexander's first love. Apparently, they shared a forceful feeling. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding with another woman led to their separation. Your mother was sure that she had been betrayed. To get revenge on Alexandru, she hit on your father at a club. However, she had no idea that he had his eye on her for a long time. He confessed to me that he was the one who hired that woman to mess up between your mother and Alexander. - I blink my eyelids, unable to believe that stories that seem like a good idea for a book can happen in real life. - The funny thing is that your mother turned heads with men who came from Mafia families. Well... probably that was her destiny.
- Dad, don't add comments from yourself. Go on about what happened - Luke interjects impatiently.
- Eventually your mother began to feel torn between her feelings for both men. They began to wage war between them. Alexander, however, felt at a loss when your mother announced to him that she was pregnant with your father. Nevertheless, not for long... He was still able to love her, although she had a child with another. She also missed him a lot and came to the conclusion that he was the one she loved beyond life.
- Didn't your mother act a bit like a dumpster? - turns to me Luke, which makes me feel offended.
- Here I have to admit my son is right. Your mother was indecisive. Although she had strong feelings for Alexander, she turned my friend's head. Being pregnant, she supposedly secretly dated him all the time. When it was close to delivery she ran away to him, not wanting to spend the rest of her life with your father. She knew that being at Alexander's side would put her in danger anyway, so she asked him to take care of you if something happened to her. I don't know if this is the main reason that Alexander hired strangers and paid them to adopt you. It seems to me that this changed, and he hated you the moment your father, in a rage, killed your mother for treason. Alexander hid you so that you would not be found. He decided to use you to take revenge on your father. He was distraught when he learned of the death of his beloved.
- So all these years he hid me in the house of strangers to hurt my father?
- He wanted him to feel the same way he did when he lost his beloved because of him.
- So you entered the ranks of this bastard at the behest of your friend? That's how you were supposed to find Solar, convince yourself that she was in no danger and rescue her from Alexander's paws? - replies Luke.
- That's exactly right. However, I must admit that it was hard. All these years, Alexander kept quiet about Solar. He was cautious - explains the man. - Only when she turned seventeen did I find out about her. Alexander began to spread plans for her.
- You died three months before the situation on the island.... - Luke squints his eyes and looks at me. - Did that have anything to do with it?
- Yes.
I swallow my saliva harder, nervously playing with my hands.
- There was a reason why I was the one to kill the man who went to the island with me. Alexander suspected that he was a spy for Solar's biological father.
- Alexander began to be suspicious of me shortly before I went into hiding. I had to do something to prevent the plan from going awry, so I came to the conclusion with Solar's father that he would make my own death look like I was going to die by his hand. I wanted Alexander to think that I was faithful to him until the very end. I succeeded in deceiving him, and I knew that he would use you in this situation. Francisco was to guide you so that you would start taking care of Solar. I had no idea that you would fall in love with each other at first sight - the man adds in an amused voice.
Luke and I look at each other, but we both remain silent at these words.
- I wasn't able to kill the man I flew to Bali with, so Alexander's other man did it for me. After that night, when I was declared missing, I remember waking up in some dark and cold place. Alexander tortured me and started giving me drugs to make me his trusted man.
- I'm sorry you had to go through that. I didn't think it would come to this - announces the boy's father, taking his hand. Luke nods and forces a slight smile.
- It was my fault because I was weak. All this happened shortly after your death, so I was additionally nailed.
- So now I'm starting to understand everything.... the whole story makes sense - I reply, combing back my still wet hair. - Only I am puzzled by Alexander's true intentions. It seems to me that he himself is torn. Even though he hates me because of my father, perhaps he still wants to keep his word to my mother that he will take care of me.
- You are similar to Demi. As beautiful as she is, so I think he won't be able to harm you, although we can't be certain. We don't know what's in his head.
- The most important question: what now? - Luke embraces my hand, and I get warmer at heart. - Dad, all this time you were hiding here. Francisco helped you, but now we are all in danger.
- Now that you are with us, we can count on the help of Father Solar. Together with him, we can fight.
I don't know if I want to meet the man who killed my mother. In my eyes he is a monster because no normal man can put to death a woman who betrayed him.
- This is his war with Alexander. I would rather not be a part of it anymore. I've had enough - I announce.
- So meet with him at least once, and he will help you. He will do anything for you, Solar. You don't even know how much he wants to meet you and make up for all those years of lies and suffering. He will be able to send you by private helicopter to a place where you both can lead a peaceful life away from Alexander.
- So why won't he do that for you, when you've helped him for half his life and now have to hide in this strange cave?
- Because this is a war that I have to end with your father, Solar. I can't escape, I have to stay here and finally come out to stand by my friend's side and defeat the enemy together.
- Let him fight this war alone. He started it all. He wasted your life. It was his fault that he fell in love with a busy woman. He had no right to kill her for still loving his first love. Infidelity is no excuse.
- You are right. Your dad made a ton of mistakes in his youth, but now he only dreams of giving you a peaceful and prosperous life.
- By this means, he won't be able to make it right.
- Your father in this situation is your only salvation, Solar. - I feel the sharp gaze that Luke is aiming at me. - You are threatened by Alexander, so you should disappear from this place as soon as possible.
- No. I have changed my mind. I also intend to be part of this war. I want to know the true intentions of the man who loved my mother so much.
- She is crazy - whispers Luke, putting his hand to his forehead.
Actually, I have gone crazy.