CHAPTER 37: READY OR NOT?

Grandma Franchia asked, "Do you want to take revenge on those people who kidnapped you?"

Alpha Maxwell nodded his head. "Yes, very much!"

"Do you still want to take revenge when you know they are the reason why you met Naomi and you have a son with her?" Grandma Franchia pressed on.

Alpha Maxwell sighed heavily. "I hate what they have done to me and Naomi, but I’m also grateful that I met Naomi. I’m really confused about what I feel right now. Despite being holed up in that room for more than a year, they never hurt us physically so I’m kind of torn between taking revenge and just letting things be as they are. But if they kidnapped me again, it would be a different thing," he said, his jaw clenching.

"Ah, I guess you are experiencing Stockholm Syndrome. Anyway, forget revenge for now. What you need to focus on is tomorrow. So what will you tell your parents and brothers tomorrow? What version do you want to tell Deborah? The fake story or the real version?" she asked.

"Honestly, I’m confused right now, Grams," he said with a gloomy sigh. "What about you? If you are in my shoes, what do you think is the best thing for me to do? Continue lying or I will just tell them the truth that I had a son with the daughter of our enemy?"

Grandma Franchia fell silent, weighing her words, careful not to hurt him.

Silence enveloped the room for a few minutes.

After a few minutes of analyzing her grandson’s dilemma, Grandma Franchia finally said, "Tell your parents the truth. The truth will set you free."

"But I will also earn my father’s wrath and scolding after he learned that I had a romantic involvement with the daughter of his enemy resulting in us having a son together. He will never accept that kind of betrayal from his own son," he said, raking his hands through his hair.

"But it was never your fault. You and Naomi were just victims of a kidnapping. You have no choice but to follow your kidnappers’ demands no matter how bizarre it is in order to save yourselves. Your father needs to listen to that reasoning and not let his anger get the better of him," Grandma Franchia said thoughtfully, siding with her favorite grandson.

Alpha Maxwell covered his face with his hands in utter despair. "All I wanted was to be with Naomi and my son Jacob. I don’t expect after returning home that I will also have another son with Deborah which further complicates things. I’m confused right now."

Grandma Franchia pitied him. He looked depressed and miserable. "I know, my boy. You have a tough decision to make. If you tell them lies, sooner or later the truth will come out and you will have lots of explaining to do. But if you tell them the truth early, they might be able to accept the importance of Naomi and baby Jacob in your life."

"Nah, Dad will never accept Naomi because she is the daughter of his enemy," Alpha Maxwell said in a wretched tone.

"Correct. Then there is Deborah. Now that you’re back she will force you to marry her because of the son you had with her. She will use baby Zed to force you to marry her. The entire family will always favor Deborah. You will be outnumbered. They always win," Grandma said with honest conviction.

Alpha Maxwell groaned in dismay. "The majority wins?"

"Yes of course. In this family, the majority always wins. Becca and Deborah were close to each other. Your father and mother doted on baby Zed so much. Everyone likes Deborah to be your wife. If you go against the majority, in their eyes you will become the bad one," Grandma Franchia explained sadly.

"But I don’t want to marry Deborah anymore. I want to marry Naomi and create a beautiful family with her," he insisted, wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Grandma sighed. "I feel you, my boy. I know the pain and confusion in your heart right now. You are torn between pleasing your family and following what your heart desires."

"So, what do you think I will do now, Grams? Any suggestions?" he asked, feeling lost, his tone filled with desperation.

"Tonight before you sleep, take time to meditate and ask yourself what you really want? What can make you truly happy? Then make a decision based on it. Don’t worry, I will think of a way to help you. I will be there to support you when you finally reveal the truth to your parents and siblings," she assured him.

"Thank you so much, Grams! You always make me feel better. As long as you stand beside me and support me, I will never feel alone," he said thoughtfully, grateful for his grandmother’s unconditional love.

Grandma Franchia stood up and hugged her grandson for a few seconds. "Let’s see what I can do for you tomorrow. I will think of a better solution to solving your problem. Rest assured I will never leave you alone in your fight for happiness."

"Thank you, Grams," he said, misty-eyed.

"I will go back to my room now. Rest up for a while. We shall have dinner together in the dining room," Grandma Franchia said, moving towards the door.

Alpha Maxwell opened the door, watching his beloved grandmother leave the room. When his grandma was already gone, he quickly closed and locked the door.

About time to establish contact with his sweetie pie Naomi!

He put the new phone on the table and picked up his old phone from the drawer.

After unlocking his phone, he added Naomi’s number to his contacts and was about to call her but he stopped in his tracks.

Is it the right time to call Naomi? And if she asks what’s his plan for them now that he is back home, how will he answer her?

Should he break the news to her that he impregnated his fiancée Deborah and she got pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy during his disappearance?

This devastating news would surely crush her hopes of having a good future with him.

He hasn’t talked to Deborah yet and has not met his son with her.

Right now he has no idea what’s going to happen and what his final decision will be. He doesn’t want to shower Naomi with flowery words and promise her the moon and stars and yet in the end, he will break her heart into a million pieces.

Maybe it’s better to refrain from contacting her while his life is still in a state of total disorder.

His mind is chaotic right now.

A painful headache hammered his head.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself. Maybe tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep, he will finally arrive at a wise decision regarding how to proceed with his life now that he is back home.

He closed his eyes and tried to rest.

That night, after eating dinner with his sister and grandma, Alpha Maxwell rested early in his room. But he struggled to fall asleep quickly because he couldn’t stop thinking about his problematic situation.

It was only past 1:00 a.m. that he finally fell asleep soundly.

...

The following day, Alpha Maxwell woke up late to a bright new day. It was already 9:00 in the morning when he went downstairs, proceeded to the kitchen and made a cup of black coffee.

He went to the garden to freshen up his mind by sitting on the wooden bench while sipping his coffee.

The vibrant flowers failed to cheer his somber mood.

His family will arrive anytime soon and chaos will break loose after they learn of his romantic entanglement with the daughter of their enemy.

His father will surely erupt in anger after learning that he got Naomi pregnant and they have a son together.

He had already finished sipping his coffee, but he couldn’t relax. His worries intensified. He remained restless and worried.

He desperately wanted to be reunited with Naomi soon so they could have baby Jacob back. That is what the facility told them. Then how can he and Naomi be together if his father and family disapprove of their union?

Will he elope with Naomi and leave his family and everything behind?

Would he be happy with that kind of setup? Or will he regret choosing Naomi in the end?

He took a deep breath and inhaled fresh air into his lungs, trying to soothe the turmoil raging in his head.

He was in that turbulent state of mind when Grandma Franchia arrived in the garden and sat beside him on the bench. "Good morning, Grams!" He greeted her cheerfully, trying to sound okay.

"Good morning, my boy. How was your sleep last night?" she asked.

"I slept late," he said, sighing heavily.

"Oh, are you still thinking about your problems with the two women in your life?" she asked, observing his haggard face closely.

"Yup. I just can’t find a food solution to my problem. If I break up with Deborah and choose Naomi and baby Jacob, my family will loathe me and my father will disown me," he stated in a dispirited tone.

"So you will marry Deborah and live a loveless marriage with her?" She finally asked.

"I don’t know yet, Grams. I will decide later after Dad and Mom finally arrive home. I need to see their reaction first. Maybe they will understand my situation instead of ganging up on me," he said despondently.

Grandma Franchia patted his arms affectionately. "My boy, no matter what happened today, I got your back covered," she assured him.

"Thank you so much for your comforting words, Grams. I appreciate it very much!" He said gratefully. Thankful that there is one person in the world who respects his decision and is ready to lend him a helping hand.

"Alright, let’s have breakfast in the dining room before they arrive in half an hour. Your sister Becca already left home for work while you were still sleeping in your room," she said, rising to her feet.

"OK." Alpha Maxwell murmured.

They left the garden, returned to the mansion and ate breakfast together in the dining room.