CHAPTER 68: BLOOD BOND

Egypt and Paris exchanged glances. Egypt’s eyes widened, then she blinked at Paris as if waiting for her sister’s approval.

However, Paris’s brows knitted together before her gaze turned cold.

"No."

"P-Paris, maybe you could think about it again?" Egypt pleaded, clasping her hands together. "I’m craving some ice cream, and he doesn’t seem like a bad bear—"

"No." Paris’s tone grew even firmer. "You can’t trust anybody. Mom already reminded us about that. Whether it’s an ugly or cute animal, you can’t trust them. Even a cute dog can bite—what more a bear?"

Egypt pouted. "But he’s a bear, not a dog. And he didn’t bite me."

"But bears eat people. So, which is more dangerous—a dog or a bear?"

Egypt’s lips jutted out even more. "A beaaar... but he’s not even a real bear, so he can’t eat me..."

"Even so," Paris insisted, "you shouldn’t just trust anyone—whether it’s an animal or a person."

Rome didn’t know how to react. He simply stood there, his heart still pounding, watching the two of them. The twins were so adorable that he was willing to endure the sweat trickling down his back inside the stuffy costume just to spend a little more time with them.

Paris stared directly at him, and Rome instinctively took a small step back. It was like looking at a younger version of himself—cautious and guarded.

"We’re sorry, Mr. Bear," Paris said. "But we’ll have to reject your offer. Giving us these balloons is already enough." She turned to Egypt, took her by the arm, and gently pulled her away.

No... he still didn’t want to let them go. Even if it was selfish, he still wanted to spend more time with them.

Rome had been about to follow after them when a familiar voice rang out, freezing him in place.

"Egypt! Paris!"

His head snapped toward the sound. It was Sylvia. She had come to pick up the twins.

"Mom!"

The twins immediately raced toward her, nearly tripping over each other before flinging their small arms around her waist.

"Did you miss me that much?" Sylvia asked with a fond smile.

"Yes, Mommy!" they chorused in unison.

"W–wait... why are you two out here? And where did you get those balloons?" She glanced around.

"From Mr. Bear, Mommy!" Egypt chirped. "He gave them to us for free!"

Rome’s breath caught as Sylvia’s gaze finally met his. There was no way she could know who he really was beneath the disguise—but the intensity of her eyes made him feel as if she could see straight through him.

He felt heat rise to his skin, his palms growing clammy under her silent scrutiny.

Then she smiled.

It was a simple gesture, yet it was enough to make Rome’s breath falter, his chest tightening painfully.

What was wrong with him? He shouldn’t feel anything for her anymore—not after everything that had happened.

And yet, seeing her with the twins—laughing, holding them close—made something inside him ache with a bittersweet warmth.

Alongside that warmth came a sharp pang of regret, as if he were standing on the outside of a life that could have been his.

"Thank you for giving the twins the balloons." Sylvia said politely.

It was just a small expression of gratitude, nothing more... yet it sent his thoughts spiraling. He could only stand there in silence, his eyes following Sylvia and the twins as they walked away.

The balloons bobbed behind them until they vanished into the crowd. Rome realized he hadn’t moved at all, his feet feeling as if they were nailed to the ground.

Slowly, his fists clenched at his sides. It was only the first day he had seen the twins with Sylvia... and already, he was craving more of their attention—for reasons he still couldn’t admit to himself.

**********

"Pffft—hahaha what did you just say?"

Gio’s laughter crackled through the line.

Rome’s fist tightened at his side. "Tsk. Is there something so funny about what I said?"

"Pffft—ehem..." Gio was still trying to stifle his chuckle.

"Sorry for laughing, Mr. Hariston, but come on~~ It’s only been twenty-four hours since you asked me to find out who the twins’ real father is. I’m not a robot who can hand you results instantly. I still need more time to investigate."

"Then why did you send me to the kids’ school? You seemed pretty sure I might be their father."

"Haha, Mr. Hariston, I didn’t send you there because I thought you were their dad. I wanted you to see them with your own eyes—to see if you’d feel it yourself. You know those moments in dramas, right? When someone meets a child who looks exactly like them, and instantly they just know? I thought it’d make things easier if you could confirm it at first glance. It could have helped me with everything."

"Tsk. Such nonsense. What I need are concrete facts and solid evidence, not some half-baked intuition."

Rome could deny it all he wanted, but deep down, he couldn’t ignore the strong pull in his gut—the unshakable feeling that the twins were his. Still, instinct wasn’t enough.

He couldn’t just show up in front of the twins again with nothing to prove his claim. He needed undeniable proof—something he could put in front of Sylvia that would give him the right to be in their lives.

"I’m sorry to tell you this," Gio said, his voice losing its earlier humor. "but so far, there are no birth records for the twins. Nothing that points to who their father really is. The only solid info I’ve got is their age—five years old—and their pictures."

"Like I said, it’s either me or Daniel. So what I want to know is, when will you know for sure which one of us is their real father?"

The twins being five years old made it possible they were his. But a thought kept gnawing at him—what if Sylvia and Daniel had been together long before he ever suspected?

What if they had been cheating on him for so long that the twins might be the result of it? He wouldn’t accept that if it were the case.

"H-haha, chill..." Gio muttered, his tone now cautious. "I can’t promise when I’ll find out. Even for me, this is a tough case to crack. And Sylvia... there’s barely anything on her either, which is strange. It’s like someone’s helping her cover her tracks."

Rome’s eyes narrowed to slits. "Tsk. And who the hell would that be? There’s no way Sylvia has someone backing her up—not anymore. Even Daniel seems to have left her a long time ago."

"Well, I don’t know for sure," Gio admitted. "But for now, I’ve got nothing concrete to give you. So... give me more time."

Rome clenched his fists. He couldn’t wait any longer. Seeing the twins with Sylvia earlier had stirred something deep inside him.

It wasn’t just the urge to see them again—he wanted to be with them, even if it felt impossible.

The emptiness he had carried for the past five years suddenly seemed like it could only be filled by their presence.

From the moment he caught sight of them, his thoughts hadn’t strayed. His mind kept wandering back to their brief meeting, replaying it over and over as if he were afraid that letting the memory fade would make their connection disappear.

"Anyway," Gio’s voice broke into his thoughts, teasing, "how did it feel seeing the twins? Did you have some kind of realization? Or maybe a change of heart? That feeling where you just want to spend more time with them?"

"They’re... adorable.."

Rome muttered. He didn’t even realize the words had slipped out until he heard the faint pause on the other end.

The line went silent for a beat—Gio couldn’t quite believe what he’d heard. Then came the stifled laugh.

"Pffft—looks like the kids got to you. Is that what they call a blood bond? You know, that instinct where, no matter how much you fight it, something inside you recognizes them and the feeling just overflows—"

"Tch... you’re enjoying yourself too much." Rome cut him off sharply, already picturing the smug grin on Gio’s face. As much as he hated to admit it, Gio was right.

"Instead of blabbering nonsense, why don’t you help me think of something kids their age would actually enjoy?"

"Pfft—is this what they call daddy fever? That doting dad phase where you’re completely smitten and just want to spoil your kids? Haha. I just remembered—you weren’t even like this with Gabriel—"

"Don’t." Rome’s warning was cold.

"H-haha... why not just keep doing what you’re doing? You know, showing up at their school, slowly winning them over? Do something simple but sure to make them happy. I’m telling you, no matter how wary they are of you now, if you keep putting in the effort, they’ll warm up to you in no time."

Rome shook his head, half-irritated yet unable to ignore the faint warmth in his chest. "What kind of simple things should I do?"

"Hahaha—how would I know? I don’t have kids, so I’ve got no experience. It’s all on you to figure it out yourself."

"Tsk. Useless." he grumbled under his breath.

He could hear Gio chuckling again from the other end of the line.

Rome ended the call, but Gio’s words stayed with him, echoing long after the line went dead.

The weight in his chest had shifted—still heavy, but now threaded with a strange anticipation. He found himself wishing the hours would pass quickly, so tomorrow could come and he could see them again.