God of Pain (Legacy of Gods #2)(89)

It happens gradually, almost unnoticeably, but Annika’s face blanches and her eyes widen as recognition slowly sets in.

That means he probably mentioned the incident to her. Damn it. I’m pretty sure the doctor said he wouldn’t remember much of it.

He was so young back then.

I exchange a look with Adrian, whose face is closed off, probably thinking that this goes a lot deeper than any of us thought.

That maybe he approached her on purpose, after all.

“What…what are you saying, Mom? Are you trying to tell me that the man who hurt you, whom Papa killed, is Creighton’s biological father?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“But that can’t be… It just…can’t… Oh my God, is that why you acted strangely when you saw his picture? Does he look like his biological father?”

“Not really, but he has the same look in his eyes. I will never forget those eyes.”

“No, no, no…” Tears stream down her cheeks with the persistence of an overflowing river.

“Anni?”

“No, Mom. No!” She sobs. “This…this just can’t be true.”

“I’m sorry, baby angel. I’m so sorry.” It takes everything in me not to break down and cry with her. I wish she were here so I could hug her, try to make it better, but all I can do is be strong for her.

Her image shakes, probably from the way she’s grabbing her phone. She brings it impossibly close until I can see every streak of tears, every wretched emotion pouring out of her.

“M-Mom…you don’t understand… He thinks that time shaped who he is, and he wants revenge. No…this can’t be true. If it is, if it is, he…he…he’ll hate me. I can’t… How will I live if he hates me, Mom? How can I face him, knowing Papa is the reason behind the darkest moment of his life?”

“You don’t.” Adrian slides my hand over so that we’re both in the frame. “You stay away from him and move on.”

“I can’t just do that.” She glares at him. “I’m not a robot, Papa. I can’t simply erase him from my memories.”

“You’ll learn to. He’ll never have affection for you anyway, considering his past. Since you already know he’s so attuned to it, then you should also know that he’ll only use you to hurt me and your mother. Maybe even your brother. Needless to say, I will not allow it. I’ll give you a few days to pack your stuff, say your goodbyes, and return to the States.”

“Papa!” She cries harder.

I snatch the phone from Adrian’s hand so that it’s only me again. “Don’t cry, baby. I hate it when you do. We’ll do our best to make everything all right.”

“How can it be when it’s all…wrong?”

My heart splinters along with hers, and her pain streams through my veins as if it’s my own. It takes all my strength to remain calm. “Let me ask you this. How does Creighton remember? He was adopted soon after his mother’s death, so he can’t possibly recall all the details from such a young age.”

“You know about his adoption?” Her lips part, letting the tears stream inside her mouth. “Don’t tell me you shadowed his life all this time?”

“No, of course not. I’ve never met him, but after I heard about the incident, your father and I asked Rai to find him a better home. Her sister does a lot of social work and she agreed to sponsor him. He was soon adopted by European parents and left the States.”

I was glad the innocent boy would have a better life and that the nightmare was finally out of our lives. I never liked the media play I later found out that Adrian had conducted, or the way he dragged Richard and his family through the mud because he considered death by so many stabs was too little of a punishment.

I just never thought those European parents were actually English and that we’d send our daughter straight into the boy’s path.

“He must’ve found out the truth,” Anni whispers, her voice spooked. “That’s why he’s been ignoring my texts.”

“There’s no way for him to know,” I soothe. “This event is a mystery to everyone except for our family. Even his adoptive parents weren’t given the full recounting of events, and from what Rai disclosed about them, they’re people of great status and wanted to erase that part of his origin. I doubt they would tell him anything.”

“But he has to know. He’s been searching for the truth for so long.”

“You will not meet with him, Annika.” Adrian slides into the frame again. “It’s dangerous.”

“But—”

“No buts. We’ll see you back home in a few days.”

And then he ends the call.

“I didn’t finish talking with her,” I protest, dabbing at my eyes with the back of my hand.

“Anything you offer her would be an excuse that she won’t understand in her current state. She needs time to process what she’s learned, and hopefully, she’ll come to the logical conclusion that whatever she had with the boy is ill-fated.”

“The boy had nothing to do with what his father did. He was only a toddler back then.”

“No, he didn’t, but the truth remains that I was the one behind his parents’ deaths and his family’s demise. He’ll only look at Annika as my daughter, and I will not allow him to put her through such torture.”