Chapter 449 The Mystery of the Deceased Twin Brother
The atmosphere in the room weighed heavily, oppressive, as if all the oxygen had vanished, making it suffocatingly hard to breathe. Maria, sensing the unusual air, didn't fuss and went to sleep, sucking her thumb after tiring herself out playing.
Mrs. Langley was about to ask something more but was stopped by Mr. Langley, who then turned to Martin. "Martin, now that Patricia is back, your mother and I will head home. If you need any help, just call us."
Martin nodded and phoned Alan, asking him to personally escort Mr. and Mrs. Langley home. Pausing at the door before leaving, Mr. Langley turned back and said, "Bring Patricia and the kids to visit me someday."
"Sure," Martin responded with a nod. With that, Mr. and Mrs. Langley took their leave.
Martin gently placed the sleeping Maria back in her crib and took the three little ones to preschool himself. The preschool was only a ten-minute walk from home. Martin had a firm grip on Randy’s hand on one side and Fannie’s on the other, while Charles strolled silently beside Randy, understanding the gravity of the moment and refraining from uttering another word.
Randy could sense a strangeness in the air and dared not break the silence either. Only Fannie, once they had set outside, lifted her gaze, her eyes brimming with tears, and asked Martin, "Daddy, is my little brother... is he really gone?"
Martin didn't answer, and his silence spoke volumes, confirming Fannie's worst fears. A heaviness settled over them, smothering the atmosphere. The three little ones all looked down, their faces clouded with sadness and grief.
Wracked with guilt, Randy lowered his head and said, "Daddy, I'm sorry! It’s my fault. If it wasn’t for me, Mom wouldn’t have been taken away by Hunter, and the little one wouldn’t have been hurt." In his mind, everything boiled down to his own shortcomings.
Martin released his hand and gently clasped the nape of Randy’s neck, giving it a comforting squeeze. “You’ve got it all wrong! If we’re doing blame, your mom and I should be the ones saying sorry to you! Hunter’s been after your mom from the start. You wouldn’t have been kidnapped if it hadn’t been for him, and I... If I had been stronger, none of you would have gotten hurt.”
Randy immediately objected, "Daddy, you’re not weak, not at all! In my eyes, you're the best, the coolest. It’s just that Hunter, he’s just too sly and cunning!”
Martin smiled gently, offering solace. “Yes, that's right. So, none of us are to blame! It’s Hunter who’s at fault! We can’t let his wrongs torment us."
Randy looked up at Martin, admiration in his eyes as his father's form seemed to loom larger, a figure of strength and safety. Martin ruffled his hair lovingly, “Don’t worry, everything's gonna be okay. Let Daddy handle it.”
Randy nodded vigorously, his trust in his dad absolute.
Fannie tugged at Martin's arm with all the excitement of a child sharing a treasure, "Daddy, guess what, Randy is amazing at piano! Our music teacher says he’s a natural talent – he's even going to perform for the New Year!”
Martin's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "Really? What piece are you performing?"
Randy's cheeks blushed slightly. "I'll be playing Richard Clayderman's classic 'Autumn Leaves.' It's so warm and romantic—I just love it."
Martin grinned, "Awesome! Daddy and Mommy will come with Maria to cheer you on."
Randy's eyes instantly lit up, and he nodded his head vigorously. "Great!"
After dropping the three little ones off at the daycare center, they hesitated, looking up at him with worried faces. Martin knew what was troubling them and waved his hand reassuringly, "Go on in! I’ll take good care of Mommy. Everything's going to be alright!"
Despite the ache in his heart, he masked his emotions, forced a smile, and bravely faced them. Reassured by his words, the kids went inside the daycare center with ease.
Martin watched until their figures vanished from sight before turning back home.
Maria was still asleep. The housekeeper hadn't arrived yet, and the home was eerily quiet.
Martin walked slowly to the bedroom and saw Patricia hidden under the covers. A pang of sadness struck him, and he gently pulled back the blanket. Without the comfort of the covers, Patricia turned over, presenting her back to him.
Martin kicked off his shoes, sat beside her, and carefully turned her over, so her head rested on his thigh. His large, warm hand tenderly tucked her stray hairs behind her ear. "I know you're hurt and can't come to terms with this, but don't worry. I'll avenge our boy's death. I will make Hunter pay—an eye for an eye."
Patricia's eyes slowly opened to the sight of Martin's anxious gaze. Her chest tightened, and her eyes reddened, the tears building up before streaming down like a newly sprung fountain. She buried her face into Martin's stomach, crying unrestrainedly. "It was my fault. I couldn't protect our child!"
Martin swallowed hard, his hands gently caressing her hair. "This isn't on you. Hunter is a monster. Considering the situation, you did everything you could by bringing Maria back safely."
Patricia didn't answer, her muffled sobs emanating from the warmth of Martin’s midsection.
All the while, Martin harbored a nagging doubt. It had been lurking in his mind, unsettling him. He had never asked, for fear of deepening Patricia's sorrow.
Now that he knew the details about her child, he cast aside all reservations and asked with a heavy tone, "That night, Hunter was certain that both kids died by his hand. Then how did Maria survive? And how did she end up safely with me? How did she escape Hunter's clutches?"
Patricia's sobbing shoulders froze for a moment as she slowly lifted her head to look at him. "You're saying...?" She dared not continue, fearing a false hope.
Martin, only speculating, feared raising hopes only to have them dashed. He did not want to reignite a fragile spark of hope in Patricia, only for her to be heartbroken again. So, he asked, "How did you manage to have someone sneak Maria out right under Hunter's watchful eye?"
Patricia wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes and abruptly sat up in bed. She had been so engrossed in her sorrow that she had indeed forgotten about this inconsistency in the story.
"When I first came to the States, I was afraid Hunter would harm the baby I was carrying, so I didn't tell him about the pregnancy. But as time went on, my belly grew too large to conceal, and he eventually discovered."
"He forcefully took me to the hospital, intending to terminate my pregnancy. I was terrified, fearing for my unborn child's safety. But, as luck would have it, I was blessed with twins. However, because my first delivery had been a cesarean and the pregnancy was advanced, inducing labor would have endangered my life."
"Fearing for my safety, he stopped pushing for the abortion and even hired a nutritionist to take care of my diet."
Despite his ruthlessness and the countless times he had hurt her. When it came down to her very life, it seemed that the last shred of his humanity would surface.
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