‘What happened?’ Alessia felt puzzled at Milo’s actions.Just then, Logan came out of the house, and she noticed that his eyes were filled with concern.When he saw her, guilt flashed in his eyes.‘Alessia,’ he said hoarsely.‘What’s wrong with Milo?’ Alessia asked him.Logan paused.He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.He only stood there, staring into her eyes dejectedly.Alessia looked down at Milo.‘Mommy, it’s alright,’ he murmured. ‘Nothing happened. I just want to go home. I only want to be with you today.’When Logan heard his words, he breathed a sigh of relief.Alessia looked at him. ‘I’m taking Milo home.’Logan nodded. ‘I’ll call you later.’‘No, you won’t!’ Milo suddenly shouted.Alessia was stunned.She didn’t expect the boy to be so hostile towards Logan.Logan was just as surprised.‘Maybe that’s not a good idea.’ Alessia held Milo’s hand and left.As Alex drove the both of them away, Alessia looked out of the window and saw Logan staring after
Connie was yelling so loudly that Logan caught part of her side of the conversation. ‘…I should’ve taken both of the twins!’Alessia’s blood ran cold. ‘You took my baby. To where? Where did you take my son off to? Connie, answer me!’Connie cackled with laughter. ‘That’s right. I did it on purpose! Do you know why I only took one? I left you with the other, so you’d continue to live in misery. If I had taken everything away from you, you would’ve ended your life then and there. Which is what I should’ve done! Then you wouldn’t have come back to Veridian and snatched Brayden away from me! He’s going to leave me, you b*tch. I—’‘Connie!’ Alessia’s voice shook. ‘Where did you take my baby?’‘How the hell should I know? I just handed the little brat to a friend of mine. He had connections with a trafficking ring. Probably sold the little brat to a paedophile, ha!’‘You monster!’ Alessia was trembling so hard, the phone almost fell off from her hand.Logan came to sit next to her, holding
Logan came over to the bed. ‘Arlie, I-I…’Alessia threw her arms around the boy. ‘Arlie, I’m not Miss Jansen. I’m your mother. I’m your mother!’Arlie’s mouth hung open.He looked at Logan questioningly.Logan nodded.Arlie was still in shock, unsure of how to react.He wondered if he had misheard Alessia, or if he was having a lucid dream.How could this be possible?‘Arlie.’ Alessia hugged him tightly as if afraid he’d vanish. ‘My son, I’m sorry I let you down. I made a mistake five years ago and lost you. You and Milo are twins.’‘What?’‘It’s true, Arlie,’ Logan said.He took over the job of explaining since Alessia was too emotional to do so. ‘Alessia gave birth to you and Milo five years ago, but bad people took you away. They sold you off to a trafficking ring. Uncle Heath was part of the task force that busted the ring and rescued you. He brought you to my house, and you know the rest of the story. I only found out you are my son earlier today, when I received the DNA report.’
Logan, standing by the door, shrugged.What could he say?Milo was his son, it was only natural that he took after his old man in both looks and temperament.Arlie beamed at his brother. ‘Dad said that we’re not going to school tomorrow. We’re going to celebrate.’‘Celebrate?’ Milo snorted. ‘Why don’t we celebrate after we deal with the bad guys? Those two monsters took my brother away so easily and even lied to Mommy, making her believe Arlie was dead all these years.’Milo turned to look at Logan pointedly. ‘Aren’t you going to do something about it?’Logan knew he was referring to Connie and Brayden.He immediately replied, ‘Of course, I won’t let them go like this. I’ll make sure that they get what they deserve.’It might not be easy to convict Brayden, but Alessia had a recording of her phone conversation with Connie, who could be charged with human trafficking.Logan made a note to call Heath later.‘Why don’t you call him now?’ Milo demanded. ‘What if they run off before the po
The chair toppled over.Connie fell backwards, hitting the floor with a thud.The police officers guarding the door came in and checked on her. ‘She passed out.’Alessia left the room with Logan.She held up her phone. ‘Do you think the recording can be used as evidence?’‘That’s up to the court to decide. I’ll give a copy of it to Heath.’Logan thanked Heath, then drove off with Alessia.She was quiet.‘How are you feeling?’ Logan glanced at her.‘I don’t know.’ Alessia scrubbed her face with both hands. ‘It’s a lot to take in.’‘Do you believe her?’‘About my parents? I don’t know. But I guess it makes sense—why she hates me and Veronica so much. But she shouldn’t have hurt my baby.’She turned to Logan. ‘Do you think the court will convict her? I mean, given the state she’s in.’‘If she’s sane, she’ll be put behind bars. If she’s not, she’ll be locked up in a psych ward. Either way, she’s going to be put away for a long time. And Brayden will be there to keep her company.’Alessia
Alessia bit her lip. ‘Marriage? Logan, we’ve been through a lot, and I appreciate the sentiment, but marriage is a big step. And it just feels too soon.’‘I know, Alessia. But think about it, for Arlie and Milo. They deserve a stable family, with parents who are committed to each other.’Alessia was hesitant. ‘I understand, but I’m still dealing with the aftermath of the whole thing, and there’s also my grandma’s ashes that I need to take care of.’Logan said softly, ‘I get it. I don’t want to rush you. How about we compromise? We can register for marriage first, just make it official, and then we can plan the big wedding ceremony for later when things settle down.’Alessia pondered this. ‘Register first? That could work.’It would give her time to handle everything else.And to be honest, though she still felt uncertain about tying the knot with Logan, there wasn’t really anyone else she wanted to marry.Logan held her hand. ‘Exactly. We’ll take it one step at a time. The important t
The park offered a sanctuary, a silent witness to Alessia’s pain.A distant rumble of thunder echoed, a subtle reflection of the storm within her.Alessia felt the weight of the betrayal, the shattered dreams, and the uncertainty of the future.The man she thought she knew had been a stranger all along.As she wiped away tears, Alessia’s phone buzzed with a message.She hesitated before checking it, expecting the worst.It was a message from Logan. ‘Alessia, where are you? Answer your phone.’That was when she noticed the dozen missed calls from him.Alessia switched off her phone and stuffed it back into her purse.With a heavy heart, she stood and made her way through the park, leaving the sanctuary of solitude behind.***Logan, bewildered and desperate for clarity, rushed back to the city hall.The once familiar corridors felt alien as he approached the clerk who had dropped the bombshell, demanding answers to a puzzle that seemed impossible to solve.‘What the hell is going on?’
Minutes after Logan left, a yellow taxi slid to a stop in front of Ralph and Naomi’s house.The engine hummed as the door swung open, revealing a pair of long, toned legs gracefully stepping onto the pavement.The woman emerging from the taxi was a vision of confidence and mystery.Ralph and Naomi, who had been sitting out on the terrace, couldn’t believe their eyes.Their daughter, presumed lost to the world five years ago, was standing before them, alive and well.Sirena waved at them. ‘Hi, Mom and Dad, I’m back!’The coffee mugs clinked against each other, forgotten, as they rushed to embrace Sirena.‘Sweetheart, is it really you?’ Naomi exclaimed, tears streaming down her face.Ralph was equally overwhelmed, wrapping Sirena in a tight bear hug.Sirena grinned, a glint of mischief in her eyes. ‘Surprise, Mom, Dad. Missed me?’‘Missed you? We thought we’d lost you forever!’ Ralph said, his voice cracking with emotion.‘I’ve been through some stuff,’ Sirena replied mysteriously, pull