CHAPTER XCVII
~~~
SOPHIA JERKED AWAKE and sat up the moment she realized she had just had a bad dream. Her eyes fell on Chase, who was seated on the couch in her room, staring at her as if she was the only one in his world.
“Ch – chase,”
Chase dropped the cigar between his lips on the ground and stepped on it, turning off the fire before walking towards her in small, predatory steps.
He sat on her bed and stared at her as she stared back at him. “You left the wedding hall. Why?”
Sophia’s brows pulled into a frown before realization dawned on her that he was actually married to someone else other than her. “You Saige she -,”
“She’s in my room,” He said. “You want to meet her?”
“No,” She shook her head. “I-,” She hurled herself towards him. “You won’t leave me, right? I – I had a very bad dream just now. You – you left me. You told me you loved her and that she was your only wife. You divorced me and threw me out of your lives. You-you-,”
Chase cut her off by placing his lips on hers. When she clutched his collar tightly, he reluctantly pulled away from the kiss and cupped her cheeks. “It was just a bad dream. It won’t ever be a reality,”
Sophia stared up at him through her tear-clouded vision. “Promise?” She mumbled. “Promise me,”
Chase leaned in to drop a small, short kiss on her lips. “I promise, Gattina,” He pecked her lips again. “I’m yours alone,”
{“Kitten”}
She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck, feeling his arm going round her waist. “I love you, Chase,” She sobbed. “I love you,”
He didn’t like the way she was crying. It hurt him and made him feel a painful tug on his heart. Chase pulled away from the hug and stared into her eyes, wiping the tears falling down her cheeks “Why are you crying?”
Sophia smiled through her tears and shook her head. “I- I’m just overwhelmed, that’s all. Except for my Nana and friends, I’ve never felt like this with anyone. And- I-,” She swallowed. “I was scared of -”
He cut her off. “There’s nothing to be scared of,” He smiled at her.
“Will you go to her tonight?” She asked, a selfish part of her hoping he would just say no. “Will you- will you both consummate your marriage tonight?” Her heart squeezed in pain, and she could hear the erratic sound of her heart beating.
Chase shook his head. “Even if I wanted to, I won’t,” He replied. “I can’t because you’re the only one who can affect me in that way. You’re the only one who can turn me on,”
Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck again. “Please stay with me tonight. Don’t go to her. Just stay with me,”
~~~
“What the fuck do you mean Sophia is our sister?” Luciano asked Lucas the minute he found his voice.
Lucas raked his hands through his hair and let out a sigh. “Dammit,”
“Say something, Lucas,” Luciano urged. “How can Sophia be our sister? We saw the still-born mum gave birth to that day. It was buried beside mum’s grave in front of us. How could the baby be Sophia?”
“That child we buried is not our sister,” Lucas replied. “The baby was taken to the ICU mum gave birth to Sophia in after she was killed,”
“What do you mean mum was killed?” Luciano frowned. “The birth of the baby was complicated, and that was why we lost them both! Fucking stop speaking in tongues and explain shit to me,”
“Mum was killed. Agosti Bennett killed her,” Lucas replied. “He killed our mum the moment she birthed Sophia and took the baby away. He replaced our sister with his wife’s still – born child,”
Everything seemed hard for Luciano to believe. His brother was a closed off person, but he was the only one, except for Chase, who was able to read or see through him.
It was obvious in his eyes that he was saying the truth.
Luciano’s breath hitched in his throat, and his head suddenly felt heavy. How could he have fallen for his sister?
Sophia, his sweet cheeks, was his baby sister. That was unbelievable.
“That’s not true,” He mumbled, staring into his brother’s eyes. “It can’t be true,”
“I’ll show you a note mum wrote before she was taken into the ICU,”
~~~
Luciano stared at the wrinkled paper Lucas had just slid into his hand when they walked into his room.
The writing on it indeed belonged to their mum. The note had a few drops of dried tears on it.
Luciano read the first line.
My two little heroes,
Luciano’s hand gripped the paper tightly as his eyes stayed glued to the words on the first line. The words that he yearned to hear from his mum for years.
My two little heroes.Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.
That was what she called him, and Lucas. She always used to call them both her two little heroes ever since they were kids until she died-was killed.
A lump clogged up in his throat, and he found it hard to swallow it down. He wasn’t sure if he could read the letter any longer. The contents would break him.
“Go on,” Lucas said, sensing Luciano’s hesitation. “Read it. I think it’s time you finally learn the truth,”
Mustering a little courage from his brother’s words, Luciano let his eyes settle over the remaining contents of the note.
My two little heroes,
I hope that when you’re reading this, you’ll be in good health. I know it’s confusing how I’ll write a note to you both before entering the ICU for my operation when you have hopes that we’ll meet after the operation.
The good news first is that I’m giving birth to a baby girl. Val is going to have a little sister and you are both going to have another person to be protective of. Maybe then, Val is going to have a little bit of fresh air but that doesn’t mean you should suffocate this baby too.
Luciano could imagine his mum rubbing her bloated stomach like she used to do when she was pregnant.