CHAPTER 88: NOT THE RIGHT TIME

"P-Paris..."

It walas all Egypt managed to whisper as she clutched tightly onto her sister’s hand.

Paris immediately steadied herself. She lifted her chin and boldly met the gaze of the two men.

"If you two are going to fight, don’t do it here in front of our house. Take it somewhere else, or better yet, fight in your own house."

Daniel’s lips slowly curved into a grin. The way Paris carried herself with such composure reminded him so much of Rome. No wonder the twins were his children.

His gaze slid toward Rome, who was now glaring at him with barely restrained fury. That flicker of lost composure only made Daniel savor the moment even more.

"You... you’re Paris and Egypt, right?" Daniel said as if surprised to see them. "It’s good to finally meet—"

He took a step toward them, but before he could get any closer, Rome forcefully yanked him back by the arm.

"What do you think you’re doing, Daniel?" Rome hissed, his voice low and tight with barely contained anger.

Daniel only smirked wider, leaning close so that only Rome could hear.

"They’re adorable, aren’t they? Of course I’m going to introduce myself to them... as their father."

With that, he forcefully pulled his arm free from Rome’s iron grip. But Rome was faster. He seized Daniel again, this time gripping his arm with controlled yet seething restraint.

"Don’t you dare go near them," Rome warned through clenched teeth. "Or I swear, you’ll never see Gabriel again."

Daniel froze. The smug grin on his face slowly faded.

"What does Gabriel have to do with this situation?"

For a split second, Daniel’s expression faltered, though he quickly masked it with a mocking grin. Rome didn’t miss that reaction. He knew Daniel was secretly affected just by hearing Gabriel’s name.

"You know exactly what I mean, Daniel. I know Gabriel isn’t my son—he’s yours. If you don’t want Gabriel dragged into this, you’d better stay away from the twins."

Daniel’s jaw tightened, his teeth grinding hard enough to make the muscle in his cheek twitch. He hadn’t expected Rome to use Gabriel against him.

That kid... he wasn’t like the twins. Even though Gabriel was his flesh and blood, Daniel could never bring himself to call him his son.

And now Rome dared to throw Gabriel in his face, using him as leverage?

Daniel’s lips curved into a humorless chuckle.

Heh... funny...

He tore his arm free from Rome’s grip, his eyes burning with restrained fury as he finally turned his back and walked away.

"Tsk. Boring... Never mind meeting the twins personally. There will be another time for that. Besides... this trip wasn’t really useless...."

He cast one last look at Rome and the twins before leaving.

Now that the twins had seen Rome, they would start to wonder who he really was in their lives. Most likely, they’d begin asking Sylvia about him. And when that happened, both Sylvia’s and Rome’s lives would be shaken.

That was exactly what Daniel wanted, to see their little drama unfold, to watch their misunderstandings grow bigger.

Smirking, Daniel walked away, already imagining the chaos to come.

But the twins, who already suspected Rome Hariston might be their father, weren’t curious in the way Daniel expected. Instead, they were cautious around him, like wary little kittens.

Rome didn’t know what to do as he stood there, staring at the twins. He didn’t even know what he should say.

For a few long moments, they simply gazed at one another, as if trying to memorize each other’s faces.

Between the two, it was Paris who looked more guarded. Her sharp eyes never left him, and she was the first to move, pulling Egypt back behind her as though protecting her from him.

That simple gesture struck a painful chord in Rome’s chest. This wasn’t the kind of meeting he had hoped for.

Though it wasn’t the first time the twins had seen him, he wanted things to be different when he finally faced them properly.

He wanted their first real moment together to happen when he was ready, when everything was in order, and when he could show them he was someone they could trust and depend on.

Not like this, not when he himself was unprepared and didn’t even know how to introduce himself and his connection to them.

Though the DNA test was the only thing left to confirm they were his daughters, in his heart, Rome already knew. The chances that he was their father were undeniable.

He could feel it, an unexplainable bond tying him to them. He couldn’t rationalize it, but he was already certain. And no piece of paper could convince him otherwise.

He already loved them more than his own life. Perhaps that was what people meant by a father’s instinct, to love your children from the very first moment you laid eyes on them.

"M-Mister... Bear?"

Rome’s composure shattered instantly at the sound of a soft, hesitant voice.

Egypt, peeking out from behind Paris, looked at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"A-are you Mister Bear... without the costume on?" she asked, her voice trembling with both curiosity and hope, as if carefully weighing his reaction.

Rome’s heart melted.

Unlike Paris, whose furrowed brows and cautious stare made it clear she still didn’t trust him, Egypt’s eyes reflected pure curiosity. She was too innocent, and that innocence disarmed him completely.

"Y-yeah..." Rome nodded along with her words.

A small smile slowly curved on Egypt’s lips.

"Y-you’re really Mr. Bear, not the guy who left?"

Rome nodded again.

He noticed Egypt’s shoulders ease, a small sigh of relief escaping her lips.

"J-just like I thought. Your twin isn’t Mr. Bear like he claimed to be. I knew it. And... he’s weird." Egypt muttered to herself while nodding her head cutely.

"Uhm... one last question..." she said before lifting her gaze back to Rome.

Rome didn’t know why, but Egypt’s innocent look paired with Paris’s sharp glare made him tense up. They were just little girls standing before him, yet the fear of making a mistake in front of them weighed heavily on his chest.

"Are you the real Rome Hariston and our fa—"

Egypt couldn’t even finish her words when Paris nudged her hard, stopping her mid-sentence.

Rome still managed to catch Paris’s low whisper to her twin.

"What are you saying, Egypt? You shouldn’t be talking to him. Whether he’s Mr. Bear or that other guy, we shouldn’t trust them. They’re strangers."

Egypt’s lips jutted into a small pout.

"I know... however," she whispered back, sneaking quick glances at Rome. "He looks way more harmless than his twin. So I think it’s okay if I talk to him..."

"Tsk. Even so! And asking if he’s our fa... is a bit..."

Paris muttered under her breath, her words too faint for Rome to hear.

"Ahem..."

The sudden sound made the three of them snap their heads toward Tess, who had deliberately cleared her throat loudly to pull their attention back. It almost seemed like they had forgotten she was even there.

Tess’s gaze shifted awkwardly to Rome.

"Err... I don’t really know what’s happening here, sir—why you and that man who looks so much like you suddenly showed up like this..."

Unable to look Rome directly in the eye, Tess turned her attention to the twins instead.

"As a neighbor entrusted by Sylvia to look after them, I can see the girls are uncomfortable with your presence. It would probably be best if you left for now. Y-you see... this isn’t the right place for you to meet them..."

Her eyes flicked toward the nearby houses, where a few nosy neighbors had only just started slipping back inside after catching Tess’s sharp glares.

Tess turned back and gave Rome a meaningful look.

"I think it would be best if you spoke with Sylvia directly. Meeting the twins without her, it’s just not right. If you understand what I mean..."

Rome took a deep breath before giving the woman a small nod.

The woman is right.

It would be best for him to back out now. But that didn’t mean he would stop visiting the twins. There would be another time for him to make things right, today simply wasn’t the right moment.

He glanced at the twins and gave them a silent nod before turning to leave. He hadn’t gone far when a small voice stopped him.

"Mr. Bear, wait—"

Egypt’s voice was faint but enough to make him freeze in his tracks. He didn’t turn around.

"Uhm... are you really going to leave without saying anything to us?"

Rome stiffened. What did Egypt mean by that?

Slowly, he turned to face them.

"What are you saying to him, Egypt?" Paris whispered nervously to her sister, but Egypt didn’t falter.

Egypt stood her ground, her gaze steady on Rome. The innocent look on her face was now gone, as if she were waiting for him to tell her exactly what she wanted to hear.

Rome felt his throat tighten, making it hard to speak. He wanted so badly to tell them the truth, that he was their father, but in his position right now, he had no right.

Sylvia clearly didn’t want him involved in the twins’ lives. As much as he longed to visit them freely, he had to hold himself back.

He was still waiting for the right time.

First, he needed to fix things with Sylvia, earn back her trust, and hope, no matter how impossible it seemed, that one day she would allow him to be close to the twins.

For now, all he could do was give Sylvia the space she wanted and prepare himself for the moment when he could finally reveal the truth.

"J-just... be safe. That’s all."

Those were the only words he could manage before turning away completely. For now, that was all he could say to them. But next time, next time, he promised himself—he would make sure he could proudly introduce himself to them as their father.