CHAPTER 34: AUNTS WITH THE SAME FATE

Nathan was still trying to collect himself, blinking several times as he tried to understand what was happening. His butt hurt. He was too shocked to say anything as Alexander carried him back to bed.

Huan pulled Nael back into a normal position; it seemed the boy had kicked Nathan, causing him to fall.

Alexander pulled the blanket over his younger brother’s body. "It’s okay, go back to sleep. It’s still early," Alexander whispered. He still wanted to continue something with Huan.

Nathan blinked several times. He was awake now, and he immediately sat up. He stared at Nael, who was still fast asleep beside him, his legs taking up half the bed. Then he rubbed his eyes.

"I’m going back to my room," said Nathan. For a moment, he tried to remember how he ended up in that room. Then all of yesterday’s events flashed in his mind. But it felt like a dream now as he saw Alexander in front of him. A dream that felt so real. But his fear seemed to fade.

"Can’t you sleep anymore?" asked Alexander.

Huan stood there, his heart still racing. He hurried back to the sofa and grabbed his tablet.

Nathan looked at Alexander, who seemed worried. He felt strange being watched like that. The man treated him like a toddler. He shook his head. "I’m going back to my room," he said as he got out of bed.

Alexander stared for a moment, then finally nodded. "Come back after having coffee with me."

Huan quickly caught the sign. He looked at Nathan. "Do you want a cappuccino or regular coffee?"

Nathan shook his head. "I don’t drink coffee."

Alexander stared intently. "Why? Don’t you like it?"

"I have digestive problems. I can’t drink coffee, it makes my stomach hurt."

Alexander went quiet for a moment before asking again, "What about milk? Are you lactose intolerant?"

Nathan shook his head.

Alexander asked Huan to bring them milk and coffee, as well as bread and cheese.

Nathan felt awkward when Huan left the room. He looked at Alexander standing beside him, then looked away.

"Sit on the sofa," said Alexander. He held back his still-burning desire for Huan and tried to act normal.

He used the moment to explain their family history while waiting for Huan to return. He took out a photo album from the dressing room. Then he opened it page by page in front of Nathan, trying carefully not to trigger the boy.

"This is our parents, Dante Salazar and Natasha Visha, on their wedding day thirty-two years ago," said Alexander, showing the couple in dresses and tuxedos with charming smiles.

Nathan stared at his mother’s face, which looked very beautiful and young. Her ash-gray hair was braided neatly, and she had beautiful grayish-blue eyes. His father was a handsome man with silver hair and bright blue eyes.

Nathan stared at another photo of his mother. He felt goosebumps just looking at her face. She looked like the beautiful witch from a storybook. In the photo where Natasha was facing the camera, Nathan felt her gaze pulling his soul in.

"Where are they?" asked Nathan, turning his face away, feeling uncomfortable looking at his mother’s face.

"They’ll come after Christmas. They’re very busy," Alexander lied. There was no way he could say the two of them didn’t want to come for Christmas because of Antonio.

Alexander skipped their childhood photos. He wanted to show Nathan the photos of their extended family.

"The day after Christmas, we’ll meet them," Alexander said, pointing at the photos of uncles and aunts.

"Are they twins?" Nathan asked, looking at the two women who looked alike.

Alexander nodded. "Our father is the first child, then Uncle Brent, and then them. But Uncle Brent died ten years ago," he said casually.

Nathan looked at his uncle’s face, which was smiling broadly. He was sure the man was fun. "Because of illness?" he asked curiously, wondering how such a healthy man had died so early.

Alexander just nodded.

"This is Aunt Amber and Lily. They had the same fate as you and Nael. Aunt Lily only joined the family when she was seventeen."

Nathan was shocked to hear that. He stared at the woman’s face in the photo. Then he looked back at the wedding photo of his parents. He noticed there was only one girl there.

"Is this Aunt Amber?" Nathan asked, pointing to the teenager in the photo.

Alexander nodded. "They say that a month after the wedding, Grandpa took Aunt Lily back."

Nathan was silent. He stared at Lily’s smiling face in the photo. "She just accepted it?"

Alexander nodded. "She had no other choice. This is our grandfather, Antonio Salazar. He wouldn’t care whether Aunt Lily wanted to come back or not."

Nathan stared at the face of a man with sharp eyes and a cigar in his mouth. A face that seemed to say, ’You can’t make me do anything.’

His features were stern.

Nathan got goosebumps just looking at the photo.

"Is he still alive?" he asked.

Alexander chuckled at the question. "Yes, very healthy. You’ll meet him today."

Nathan’s eyes widened. "Today?"

Alexander nodded. "You’ll like him."

Nathan shuddered just thinking about it. He was curious, but there was also fear in his heart.

***

That morning in Malvin’s room.

"Just bandage it," said Roger, holding a bandage in his hand.

"I don’t think that’s necessary," Malvin immediately refused.

But Roger insisted. "You have to look seriously injured. I’m bandaging your leg."

Lucas carried the first aid kit. "His head too?" he asked.

Malvin, who was sitting on his bed, watched his siblings fussing over him. He was getting frustrated.

"Guys! There’s nothing wrong with my legs or my head! Please! They pretended to hit my neck!" Malvin exclaimed. He had waited long enough at the gate for the twins to fall asleep so he could sneak in. Now he still had to act.

"They think you’re in the hospital, so we have to make it as real as possible," said Lucas.

"Yes, yes, I get it. But not bandages on my head and legs too!"

"Okay then, just the neck," Roger said. He walked over, stretched the bandage in his hand, and wrapped it around Malvin’s neck.

Malvin cursed, almost choking. "Have you ever seen someone fighting with a bandage around their neck?!" he snapped, glaring at his brother.

Roger didn’t care. "They won’t know anyway. The important thing is you look bandaged. Bandaged means serious," Roger said casually.

Malvin clicked his tongue. "Tsk! I really don’t like this," he grumbled. He pulled the bandage so it wouldn’t choke him. "Can you not choke my neck, please?"

Lucas grabbed a bottle of powder. "I’ll put a little powder on your lips to make you look pale. You look too healthy for someone who’s dying," he said.

Malvin gave up as Lucas dabbed powder on his lips. He just took a deep breath.

A moment later, Louis ran inside. "The twins are here!" he announced. His panic made the three people inside even more panicked.