{CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE}

                                 ~~~~~~~~

"I don't get it, Dad."

The room was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by a flickering, flaky light hanging from the ceiling. It struggled to cast a weak glow across the space, barely pushing back the shadows that dominated in the corners, creating an atmosphere thick with tension.

"I don't get it, Dad!" The words echoed again, this time laced with annoyance. Victor paced around the room, frustration etched on his face as he rubbed his forehead with his right hand, as if trying to process the information his dad had just shared.

"I know how upset you are, son. I promised you we'd wrap this up quickly, but I see now that I was wrong. Just a few more days, I swear—just a few more days, and it will all be ours."

"But Dad, you should have pushed him to check the safe right when he brought it up. If he had done that, we wouldn't be stuck in this situation now. It could have all been resolved by now, and it would have been ours already."

"Son, I understand how frustrated you are, but you have to realize that if he got caught, it would have put the entire plan at risk," his dad said, trying his best to soothe his son and help him see things clearly.

However, it didn't do much to soothe Victor's simmering rage and impatience. "Come on, Dad, who cares if he gets caught? He was just a pawn from the beginning and wasn't getting anything out of this. What really matters is the file."

"You need to calm down and listen to me, son. If Jackson gets caught, we lose everything. Sure, he's just a pawn in this, but without him, we wouldn't even be dreaming about those files and that property. So really think about it: we're better off being patient until he figures out the code," his dad said, knowing how desperately Victor wanted this to be over. It was about avenging his mother's death and settling their score with Reaper. "And besides, I wouldn't want all our plans to fall apart just because we can't wait a little longer."

"You know you should've sent me to deal with this! That guy is in love with her, and that's why he's screwing with our time!" Victor lost control again, his voice booming through the dimly lit room as he pointed his pinky finger accusingly at the door.

"I can't put your life on the line for this. I've already lost a wife, and I can't bear to lose a son," his dad replied, his voice heavy with emotion.

"My life was already at risk the day I killed him." Silence filled the room as the ceiling light began to flicker, making those words hang heavily in the air, each syllable wavering under the intense gaze of both Victor and his dad.

.

.

.

"You mustn't tell anyone about this, not even Mom."

The nanny's eyes widened in disbelief at my words. "But why? Why keep such news from them? They deserve to know the truth."

"I know they do, but not right now. I'm just not ready, at least not yet." I shot her a sympathetic look, wishing she could read my mind and grasp the reasons behind my words. But she didn't, and the next thing that came out of the nanny's mouth left me shaken.

"Aren't you happy about it?"

With a quick motion in response, I said, "Oh, yes, I am! I really am. I just thought it would be better to inform them on my birthday since everyone's so swamped with everything else."

Her mouth dropped open in an "ahh," and a look of realization washed over her as she finally understood why I wanted to keep the news a secret. "I get it now! You want it to be a surprise on your birthday."

"Yes," I replied, feeling a wave of relief that she finally got it. I didn't want her to spill the beans to anyone, especially Mom because I wanted to be the one to share this news. I had it all planned out for a big reveal on my birthday. 'Ouu!' It was going to be a double celebration!

I was escorted to my room by the nanny after we arrived home from the hospital. I was so exhausted that, as soon as I lay down on my bed, my eyes shut almost instantly. I completely forgot about the conversation the nanny and I were having, where she was about to reveal the story behind her secrets before everything happened that led to me being taken to the hospital.

As my eyes fluttered shut, I heard the gentle sound of tiptoeing and the door creaking open slowly. I recognized it was the nanny, trying her hardest to avoid making any noise that might disturb my sleep after she had just dropped me off in my room and was quietly making her exit.

Though I would have loved for her to continue with her previously interrupted story, my sleep had other ideas—after all, the doctor had said that dizziness was one of the symptoms.

Upon stepping outside, the nanny filled a glass with water in the dining room. She downed it in one swift gulp, barely pausing, and a few droplets splashed down onto her chest.

As she set the glass down, she retrieved the necklace and let her thoughts drift back to her family, a habit she always indulged in whenever she glanced at the photos on it. This time, however, her attention and solemn gaze were drawn specifically to the image of the baby in the photo.

She smiled softly as her finger traced the outline of the baby's face, but her tears revealed her true feelings; a single droplet fell onto the photo, landing gently on the image of the baby.

With a fragile smile that she hoped would conceal her sadness, she slowly lifted the photo to her face, pressing her lips gently against the baby's image in a tender kiss.

With her eyes tightly shut, faint squishy marks were visible at the corners, hinting at the emotions she was trying to suppress.

"Where are you, my beautiful son? How I long to hear you call me 'Mother' once more."