Chapter 39

JULIAN was pacing back and forth inside the hotel suite in New York. He was feeling anxious and excited to see his brother again at the same time. It had been so long since they had seen each other. He wanted to see him safe, to know how well he was after disappearing just like that. Julian wanted to know if his brother ran away to breathe some fresh air or if he was kidnapped.
Ah, he wouldn’t miss a word he would tell once he arrived there. He flew from England to the US just to get to him. He even had to lie to his family and Prudence that he would be going on a business trip,
Julian checked his wristwatch.
It was already ten in the morning. His flight landed at seven, and he still hadn’t slept yet, but he didn’t mind. He thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he saw Chase.
“What’s taking him long?”
Julian called his brother the moment the plane landed and informed him. But instead of picking him up at the airport, Chase told him to check in at a hotel in New York where they would meet. It was one of his brother’s characters that annoyed him the most. But he let it pass once again.
And then, the doorbell rang.
He abruptly ran to the door and checked the monitor who was behind the door. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw his brother waving his hand at the camera.
“Chase!”
He opened the door and pulled him in immediately.
Julian didn’t know if he would cry or scream with joy at that moment. Things might be tough regarding family matters and their roles, but when he and Chase were together, they were typical brothers who adored each other dearly.
In the end, he decided to hug and squeeze him tightly.
“Damen it, Julian… are you going to kill me?” Chase wagged his body to escape from his embrace.
Laughing, he freed him.
“Bro…” He lightly punched his brother in the chest. “What the hell happened?”
“I…” He breathed in and out. “I don’t know how you will react to what I’m about to tell you. Promise me first that you won’t laugh.”
“If your life became miserable because of what happened, I wouldn’t laugh,” he said in a serious tone.
“Let’s sit first and talk about this over some drinks.”
Chase strode to the bar counter and got himself a drink. He filled another glass for him.
“So, what happened to you?” Julian picked up the glass and followed his brother to the couch.
“Remember that day when I disappeared at the airport?” Chase took a sip.
“Hm.” He took a sip as well. “You were supposed to fly to Florence back then.”
“I was kidnapped. The next thing I knew, I was in this suburb in… Tennessee. The funny thing was, I couldn’t remember anything when I woke up. I was naked in the middle of nowhere. Fuck it! It was the most embarrassing moment of my life!”
Julian almost spit out the liquor inside his mouth after hearing his brother’s tale.
“What the hell? Tell me you are kidding, brother.”
“Why would I joke about it?” He raised his glass. “Come on, Julian. Do you think I would run away from home just to have some fun without our father or the elders’ restriction and then come home with a joke?”
“Well… you have a point.” He took another sip. “Who do you think would kidnap you and throw you somewhere far and secluded?”
“I don’t know. But I have suspicions. It could be someone in the family who hates me or someone from our rivals who are coming after me.” Chase put his glass down on the table and clasped his hands. “How’s everything going since I’m gone?”
“They made me your substitute. And guess what, Papa wants me to marry your fiancée. It seems we can’t just ditch the engagement.”
“Congratulations on your wedding, then.”
Chase held out a hand that he immediately shoved away.
“Don’t you make fun of my wedding when it’s you who made it happen.”
“Not intentionally, though,” his brother countered, chuckling.
“Do you like Prudence?”
His brother raised a brow.
“You know that the answer—”
“I want to hear it straight from your mouth, dumbass.”
“You like her, don’t you?” Chase grinned.
Julian breathed exasperatedly, for he found it annoying. He was sure that his brother would be teasing her about it from now on.
“Chase… I’m waiting for your answer. Come on!”
“Of course, I don’t like her.” He leaned against the sofa and heaved a deep sigh.
Julian was quick to get that there was something about him that he wasn’t mentioning yet.
“Is there anything you want to tell me?”
He looked at her intently.
“I’m in love, Julian. But I think our journey to happiness won’t be that easy. This path we have is really a rough one. Just like me, she couldn’t remember anything about her life.”
His brother sounded serious. And for the first time, he saw fear crossing his eyes. He had never seen him with such emotions—fear and love. Chase was always reserved, he was tough, and the epitome of a warlord. His brother wasn’t even afraid to die. But now, he grew scared… just because he was in love with the woman he met when he had amnesia.
“Have you fully regained your memories?” Julian asked afterward.
“They were just fragments… I’m not sure if I will ever remember everything completely.
“Complete of fragments, what matter is that you are home.” Julian heaved a sigh. “Are you ready to come home?”
“Yes. I’m coming with you.”
“How about that girl?”
“I couldn’t tell her that I already know who I am.” Chase shook his head. “But I will come back for her soon.”
“You must be nuts. Do you think the elders would allow that? If father knew about this—”
“That is why you have to keep this a secret… our secret,” Chase said firmly.

SYBIL woke up with a throbbing headache. She didn’t know why when she didn’t even have a taste of liquor last night. She wasn’t lacking sleep either because she slept so well after that bath and lovemaking in the tub with Ace.
She turned to Ace’s side of the bed to snuggle with him and found herself alone in that bed. And there goes her heart beating frantically. Panic was starting to consume her. She grabbed her robe and donned it as she sauntered out of the room. Sybil checked every corner of their suite, but she couldn’t find Ace anywhere.
She was sure he had left. If Ace was out for a run, he should be back now.

Sybil went back to bed and got her phone under the pillow. She tried calling his number, but the number was already out of reach.
“Damn it,” she said through gritted teeth.
She wanted to cry out loud, but her tears seemed dry. They wouldn’t fall, making her utterly frustrated.
That was what she feared… that Ace would be gone one day when she woke up.
She caressed the ring on her finger. What was the use of giving her a ring and promising like they were in some drama if he would only abandon her like that?
“Haa!”
Suddenly, it was hard for her to breathe.
“I should go home,” she told herself.
Sybil started picking up her things as though she was picking up the pieces of her broken heart. She knew it wouldn’t be easy to start over again without Ace in her life after all those precious moments that they had shared together, but she would get by. Perhaps she should force herself to forget about him.
She then called Mrs. Peterson after she finished packing.
“Hey, dear… how is it going—”
“Amanda…” She sobbed. It only took someone she could talk to for her tears to fall.
“Sybil… why does your voice sound like that? I-is everything all right there?” Mrs., Peterson asked worriedly.
“C-can you come and pick me up? We took your husband’s car, but it’s Ace who has a driver’s license, and he’s not here anymore—” Sybil couldn’t finish talking because she had already burst into tears.
“Listen. Calm down, Sybil, okay? My husband and I will be there to get you. Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t go anywhere. I’m coming for you.”
“T-thank you, Amanda. I will wait for you.”
She ended the call and lay on the bed, crying like a child that her mother abandoned on a scary alley, alone.
Everything was slowly sinking into her now, making her feel the pain not just in her heart but in her soul as well. Ah… she didn’t know fate could be that cruel, letting you feel the joy, and then it will strike you with sadness all of a sudden, and you couldn’t do anything to stop it from happening.