CHAPTER 115: UNEXPECTED CONNECTION

The Next Day ...

Rome’s POV

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’As long as you don’t have proof of anything, you’re just a stranger in our lives. Now get out.’

Rome’s fists tightened as Sylvia’s words replayed in his head.

Proof, huh?

His grip shifted around the sealed item he had been keeping, the one he got from Alpheus.

He was still annoyed at Alpheus for abandoning him at Sylvia’s house, but he chose to let it slide. After all, that had given him what he wanted most—a chance to see the twins again, and a piece of evidence he could finally use to prove his claim to Sylvia.

Now, he found himself walking through the sterile corridors of the hospital, heading straight to where his proof would be tested.

His chest was tight, nerves gnawing at him for reasons he couldn’t explain.

"Good morning, Mr. Rome Hariston! It’s good to see you again."

Doctor Felize’s warm greeting snapped him from his thoughts.

Rome gave a curt nod.

Felize was one of the few people he trusted—someone discreet enough to handle a DNA test without letting word reach his family.

He needed it kept secret, especially from his parents, who had eyes and ears everywhere.

"Are you in a hurry?" the doctor asked with a small smile.

"Yes, Doc."

"Alright then. Come with me to my office."

Felize motioned for him to follow, striding down the hallway.

Rome followed, but then Felize slowed and stopped altogether.

A tall foreign man was walking toward them, carrying a basket of fruit.

"Hello, Mr. Berninzo," Felize greeted warmly. "You’re going to visit your son?"

The man paused, shifting the basket in his arms. His gaze flickered toward Rome for a second, his brow furrowing slightly as if sizing him up.

Rome didn’t look away. His dark eyes held the stranger’s for a moment before the man finally shifted his attention back to Felize.

"Yeah," the man said at last. "My boy keeps asking to go home already. But with how weak his body still is, I don’t think it’s possible yet. That’s why I brought his favorite fruits—something to cheer him up later when he starts sulking about not being discharged."

Dr. Felize chuckled lightly. "Oh, I see. Then I guess you should prepare yourself—he’ll probably throw another tantrum. I heard he was pretty excited today, thinking it might finally be the day he gets to leave the hospital."

The man Felize had called Mr. Berninzo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"H-haha... actually, this day is special for him. He thought he’d be able to visit his mother. It’s her birthday today, actually. That’s why..."

A flicker of sadness crossed the man’s voice, heavy enough to silence his smile.

"Ah, so that’s why he was so lively yesterday," Felize replied softly. "But... will his mother not come to visit him this time?"

The man hesitated before forcing a faint smile. "Uhm... his mother is actually a very busy person. I think she may have even forgotten it was her own birthday today... so..."

Felize rubbed the back of his neck, looking apologetic. "I’m sorry to hear that... Anyway, I just hope he recovers soon so he can see his mother—"

"Ehem."

Rome’s sharp cough cut him off. Felize glanced at him, scratching his head nervously.

"Uhm, by the way... I just remembered, I have something urgent to take care of. So, we’ll be going now, Mr. Berninzo."

"Yeah, you should focus on your appointment first." the man said politely before his gaze shifted back to Rome. His eyes narrowed slightly, studying him with a strange intensity.

Rome’s jaw clenched. "What?" he asked coldly, unnerved by the man’s lingering stare.

"Ah... sorry. I must have stared too long," Berninzo admitted with a small laugh. "I think I just mistook you for someone familiar. But maybe I was wrong." He turned back to Felize. "Bye, Doc. I’ll be going now."

"Yeah, good luck, Mr. Beninzo." Felize replied with a friendly smile.

The man returned the gesture before turning away and disappearing into one of the hospital rooms. Rome’s eyes instinctively followed him until Felize’s voice pulled him back.

"Come, follow me, Mr. Hariston."

Inside the office, Felize gave him an embarrassed look as he gestured toward the chair opposite his desk.

"I’m sorry for rambling earlier with that man."

Rome sat down, curiosity still nagging him. "Who is he, Doc?"

He normally didn’t care about strangers, but for some reason, this one unsettled him.

"Ah, he’s Mr. Berninzo," Felize explained. "A famous surgeon abroad, actually. Many young doctors here admire him. But his son... he’s rather sickly, so they’re here often. His boy has practically become one of our regular patients since they arrived in the country." He scratched his head with a sheepish smile.

"Anyway, I’m rambling again. So, what result was it that you wanted me to keep hidden from your family?"

Rome reached into his pocket and carefully pulled out the neatly sealed strand of hair he had taken from Alpheus. He then set the strand of hair on the desk, his gaze hard.

"This. I want you to run a DNA test. Compare it with mine."

Dr. Felize paused, blinking twice before nodding slowly. He didn’t press Rome with any questions, as the seriousness in his tone was more than enough to show that this was not something to be taken lightly.

"Don’t worry, Mr. Hariston," Felize said quietly. "I’ll make sure this stays between us. You’ll have the results within three days at most."

Rome leaned back slightly, jaw tight, arms crossed. "Good. Keep it quiet. No one in my family can know about this—not until I decide."

Felize gave a brief nod. "You have my word. I’ll handle this personally. No one else will touch the samples."

Rome’s eyes narrowed in approval, but his mind was elsewhere. His pulse drummed in his ears as he recalled Sylvia’s words.

Proof... That was all she wanted, wasn’t it? Once he had it in hand, there would be no denying the truth. No more lies. No more running away.

Yet a flicker of unease twisted inside him. He wasn’t used to feeling nerves like this. Waiting on a result that could either bind the twins to him forever or make Sylvia hate him even more—that was a different kind of fear.

He forced himself to breathe. Three days. That’s all.

Felize carefully collected the sample, sealing it inside a secure envelope.

"Rest assured, Mr. Hariston. The truth will come out soon enough."

Rome gave a curt nod. Without another word, he left the office, his footsteps echoing down the sterile corridor.

Outside, the hospital air felt heavier, almost suffocating. His hand slipped into his pocket, curling into a fist.

Sylvia... you won’t be able to hide from me anymore. Once this is done, you’ll have no choice but to face the truth. I will make sure you can no longer keep the twins from me—

"Ouch!"

Rome froze as a small body collided into him, nearly toppling over. He caught the child just in time, steadying him with a firm grip.

The boy’s tiny hand pressed to his forehead as he looked up, eyes sharp and piercing.

Rome felt a strange tightening in his chest. The boy’s gray eyes, furrowed brows, and intense gaze struck him.

"Excuse me, sir. Can you please let me go? My dad is chasing me. I need to see my mom!" the boy said, his small hands brushing against his arm as he tried to wriggle free.

Rome’s attention immediately fell on the child.

He hadn’t noticed before that the boy was barefoot and still wearing a hospital gown. He looked like a patient who had slipped away from the pediatric ward.

"I said, let me go! Didn’t you hear me? My dad is coming! I need to see my mom now—I haven’t even wished her happy birthday yet!" The boy’s face was twisted in a scowl.

"Alright," Rome said in a low, measured voice, trying to calm the boy without letting go. "I won’t hurt you. But you seem lost. If you want to see your mom, you need to tell me your name first and why you ran away like this."

The boy hesitated for a moment, chest heaving as he glared up at him. Finally, in a small, trembling voice, he said, "I’m Cairo... Cairo Smith. Please... I just want to see my mom..."

"Alright, Cairo... if you really want to see your mom, I think it’s best if you just call her. That way she can visit you here personally. You don’t look well, and your dad might be worried about you." Rome said gently, trying to reason with the boy.

Cairo pouted, crossing his arms and looking away.

"My mom won’t answer my call, so it’s better if I just go see her. I don’t know you, so don’t talk to me." he snapped, turning to walk away.

Rome froze. Normally, he would have ignored a child he didn’t know but something about Cairo made his chest tighten. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt an instinct to protect him.

And more than that... the boy looked strangely familiar. Something about his features felt hauntingly like his own.

Before Cairo could get far, Rome followed him instinctively, catching him just in time before the boy nearly tripped.

His heart thudded as he checked the child over quickly, even though he could see that Cairo wasn’t hurt.

It was the same feeling he had whenever he was worried about Gavriel.

Rome held him for a long moment, studying him intently. It was unsettling seeing a child he didn’t know yet who looked so much like him.

Was it possible to feel this connection to a stranger?

Cairo glanced up at him, eyes narrowing, then followed the movement of his hands as they gently supported him. The boy’s tiny forehead creased.

"Mr... thank you for saving me," Cairo murmured, his voice small, "but I have to go—"

"Cairo!"