Xavier~
"Bella, what is he doing with Alan?" I looked at Bella in confusion, my heart pounding.
"Bella, why are you quiet? Answer me: What is Victor doing with Alan?" Her silence sent a shiver of fear through me, even though my mind had already pieced together the disturbing possibility.
"Victor." My voice wavered, barely containing the surge of emotion.
"Where did you disappear after that night? Do you know I searched for you everywhere?" My eyes filled with tears, and I took a step toward him, desperate to embrace my brother after so many years of silence, but he remained frozen. He was so cold, so distant—as if I were invisible to him.
"Daddy, meet my new friend." Alan's innocent voice interrupted the tension, and I stared in shock.
"What? Dad?" The word struck me like a jolt, causing me to remain motionless. Alan tightly wrapped his hand around Victor's, his smile naive and pure. This can't be happening.
"What is he saying, Bella? Is Victor Alan's father?" The realization was like a punch to the gut, the world crashing down around me.
Bella remained still, staring at the ground like a statue. No explanation. No denial. Nothing.
"Bella, we should leave now," Victor said coldly, as if I weren't standing right in front of him. He placed his hand on her back, guiding her toward the car, while my mind screamed with questions that no one seemed willing to answer.
Before they could leave, the journalists swarmed in.
"Miss Luis, how are you feeling now after winning this murder case?" Their cameras flashed, and I waited for Bella to respond, hoping and praying that she would acknowledge me.
"It is my responsibility to expose the truth and bring about justice," she replied confidently, her voice steady, but her eyes still avoided mine. She turned back to the reporters, ignoring my presence as if I had become a ghost.
"Miss Luis, are you planning to reconcile with Mr. Xavier, after the court, declared him innocent?" One of the journalists probed further into our personal lives.
I saw her tense up, just slightly, the smallest flicker of unease in her usually composed demeanor. I stepped forward, ready to defend her, but Victor acted first. He wrapped his arm possessively around her waist before I could intervene.
"I don't think this is the right place to discuss personal lives," Victor said sharply, his voice like ice. "As far as concerns about Mr. Thompson, Miss Luis never believes in repeating her mistakes. Her association with Mr. Thompson stems solely from this murder case, and now that it has concluded, she has severed her ties." His gaze pierced me with hatred, his words dripping with venom.
That look—the disdain in my own brother's eyes—broke me more than any rejection ever could. How could this happen? The bond we had once shared was gone, replaced by this... this anger, this betrayal. All my hopes and happiness shattered at that moment, crushed under the weight of reality. Bella didn't just move on; she moved on with Victor. Why didn't she tell me? Why didn't he tell me?
As if my heart couldn't break any further, a car pulled up.
"Mr. Richard Thompson, what brings you here?" A journalist called out, shifting the attention to the new arrival.
"Dad..." Seeing my father step out of the car gave me a glimmer of hope, but the moment was short-lived. Instead of walking toward me, his gaze shifted past me, straight to Bella.
"I am proud of you, Bella,"he said warmly, pulling her into a hug, his pride clear." Today, you fulfilled my dream by defeating Derrick Merchant."
My stomach twisted painfully. So this was it. She didn't fight this case for me—she did it for him. Why did I let myself believe she cared about me?
"Grandpa, my mama is the best," Alan chimed in, his joy infectious. He ran toward my father, his small arms wrapping around his knees.
"Of course, my sweetheart," my father beamed, lifting Alan into his arms.
"Your mama is a precious gem."
I couldn't take it anymore. The realization that I had never truly been a part of this family was overwhelming me. My father was celebrating Bella's victory, and I—his son—was standing in the background like a stranger.
"Dad, we should leave now," Victor said, glancing at me only briefly before turning his attention back to Bella and my father.
"Of course," my father replied, nodding. "I organized a big party to celebrate her success." As he turned to get into the car, he shot me a furious look—a look that only deepened the wound already tearing through my heart.
Then Alan approached me, his deep blue eyes wide with innocence.
"Dad, I want to invite my uncle to today's party.
Will you come, Uncle?" His voice was so hopeful—so pure.
I tried to smile and tried to find words for this little boy who had no idea how much I was hurting.
"Yes, Alan. I'll come,"I said softly, even though it felt like my world was caving in.
Victor led Alan back to the car, and I watched them drive away, standing alone in front of the courthouse, feeling like the outsider I had become.
Journalists crowded around me, but I ignored them. Their questions faded into the background as I walked numbly toward my car.
The silence in my hotel room felt like it was crushing me, pressing down on my chest until I could barely breathe. I still couldn't wrap my head around it. Bella married Victor. The words repeated in my head, each time hurting more.
I fell to the floor, my legs no longer able to support me. Why did they hide this from me?
Bella had spoken to her husband in front of me so many times—and it had been Victor all along.
Had this been her way of punishing me? Was she exacting revenge for the mistakes I had made? The betrayal felt suffocating, worse than anything I had ever experienced.
I've never cried in my life, but tonight, tears spilled from my eyes, unstoppable. Why did God treat me like this? I would have rather received a death sentence in that murder case than endure such heartbreak.
My phone buzzed, interrupting my misery.
Why is she calling me now? I glanced at the screen in disbelief. "Bella?"
I answered the call, hoping—praying—that maybe she would explain everything, that there was some misunderstanding. But my heart sank further when I heard Alan's voice on the other end.
"Why didn't you attend the celebration, Uncle? I've been waiting for you."
Despite everything—despite the pain and anger—I couldn't bear to disappoint him.
"I'm coming, Alan." My love for that boy outweighed my heartbreak, and I forced myself off the floor. I had to go for him, even if it meant seeing Bella with Victor again.