CHAPTER 19. Family Denial
1730 Words
Pearl kept pulling the crying Crystal through the crowded hallway until they finally reached the lobby of the towering building.
“Please, stop! I need to see Grandpa!” Crystal cried as she struggled against Pearl’s grip.
“Crystal, what are you doing?” Pearl snapped in frustration, turning to face her. “Didn’t you hear what the woman said? Rachel Morris is Teofilo Alonzo’s only granddaughter. Even I know that. Why do you keep insisting on something so impossible?”
Pearl stared at Crystal with growing concern. Her tangled hair, trembling body, and her eyes look completely lost.
“You know what?” Pearl sighed heavily. “I think I should take you to the hospital instead. Come on.”
“No! That’s not true!” Crystal cried helplessly. Tears streamed endlessly down her face as she tried to pull away again. No matter what happened, she refused to give up before the night ended.
“I said stop!”
With a sudden burst of anger, Crystal shoved Pearl away.
Pearl stumbled backward and fell hard against the cold marble floor. The loud sound immediately caught the attention of the nearby security guards.
“Hey! What’s happening here?” one of them shouted while rushing over. “How did you get—”
“I told you I’m not lying!” Crystal interrupted furiously. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she glared at them with tear-filled eyes. “If you’re not going to help me, then leave me alone!”
Pearl remained frozen on the floor for a moment, stunned by Crystal’s sudden outburst.
Crystal wiped her cheeks roughly before storming toward the exit.
“Miss! Wait!”
One of the guards hurried after her.
When Crystal turned around, she immediately recognized him as the same security guard who had stopped her earlier near the elevator—the one who seemed to know her father.
The man’s expression softened the moment he saw her properly.
“What happened to you?” he asked carefully. “Where is Sir Christian?”
Crystal swallowed hard.
“I need to see my grandfather,” she whispered desperately. “Can you help me?”
Pearl slowly stood up behind them, rubbing her aching back while listening closely.
“You mean Mr. Teofilo Alonzo? The president of this company?” the guard clarified, still confused.
“Yes!” Crystal cried impatiently. “How many times do I have to say it?”
The guard stared at her for several seconds.
“You… you’re Sir Christian Alonzo’s daughter?” he asked in disbelief.
Crystal clenched her fists tightly.
“You know what? You’re all wasting my time.”
She turned away again.
“Wait!” the guard suddenly called out.
Crystal paused.
“I know where Mr. Teofilo is.”
Her eyes widened instantly.
“He hasn’t stayed here for months,” the guard explained quietly. “After he was diagnosed with cancer, he moved back to the Alonzo Mansion inside the residential courtyard.”
Crystal froze.
“What?” she whispered weakly. “Cancer?”
The guard nodded sympathetically.
“He’s staying there now.”
“Yeah…” Crystal muttered faintly. “That’s where Momma and Da took me before.”
“I can write the address for you,” the guard offered.
“There’s no need,” Pearl interrupted while stepping forward. “I know where it is.”
Crystal looked at her coldly.
“Thank you, Pearl. But I don’t think I need your help anymore.”
Pearl crossed her arms.
“I’m still driving you there.”
Crystal opened her mouth to protest, but exhaustion finally overcame her. She simply lowered her gaze as Pearl grabbed her wrist and guided her back toward the car.
The ride became quiet after that.
Rain clouds slowly gathered above the city while the headlights cut through the dark roads.
After several minutes, Pearl finally spoke.
“I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” she admitted softly. “But I’m still confused.”
Crystal remained silent.
“If you’re really Christian Alonzo’s daughter… then why has nobody ever heard of you?” Pearl continued carefully. “Rachel Morris lives like royalty. Everyone knows her. But you suddenly appeared out of nowhere claiming you’re part of one of the richest families in the country.”
Crystal stared silently at her trembling fingers resting on her lap.
Pearl sighed.
“I just… don’t understand.”
A long silence followed.
Then suddenly, Crystal spoke in a weak voice.
“What is cancer?”
Pearl blinked in surprise.
“Huh?”
“What is cancer?” Crystal repeated quietly.
Pearl’s expression softened.
“It’s… a very serious illness,” she answered carefully. “Sometimes doctors can treat it if they discover it early. But other times…”
She hesitated.
“It becomes very dangerous.”
Crystal’s lips trembled.
“There’s still a cure, right?”
“Well…” Pearl sighed. “People still hope for miracles. Treatments can help patients live longer.”
That answer alone shattered Crystal completely.
She covered her face with both hands and broke down crying again.
“Why is this happening to me?” she sobbed painfully. “Do the Spirits really hate me that much?”
Pearl glanced at her in confusion.
“What do you mean? What spirits?”
But Crystal did not answer anymore.
She simply cried quietly while staring out the window.
Not long after, they finally arrived at the enormous entrance of the Alonzo residential courtyard.
Crystal’s eyes were swollen and red from crying, but she no longer cared about how she looked.
The moment the car stopped, she hurried outside.
However, before she could enter, the security guards blocked the gate.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the courtyard, Rachel sat inside Gabriel’s car beneath the shadows of the tall trees surrounding the mansion.
The atmosphere between them was tense and intimate.
Rachel leaned closer to him with a confident smile.
“You’ve been awfully quiet tonight,” she murmured teasingly.
Gabriel smirked faintly.
“Maybe I’m just tired.”
Rachel brushed her fingers against his chest.
“I doubt that.”
The dim lights barely reached the dark corner where they had parked.
Rachel laughed softly.
“You know,” she whispered, “you could at least pretend to enjoy my company.”
Gabriel gave her a lazy glance.
“Who says I’m pretending?”
Rachel smiled proudly at his response.
Just as she was about to say something else, movement near the entrance gate caught her attention.
She narrowed her eyes.
“Wait… is that?”
“What?” Gabriel asked.
Rachel opened the car door.
“Stay here,” she said quickly before stepping out.
Gabriel watched her walk toward the commotion near the gate.
From a distance, he noticed a woman arguing desperately with the guards.
The bright lights near the entrance made it difficult to see her face clearly.
“What is she doing here?” Rachel muttered irritably as the sharp sound of her heels echoed against the pavement.
“Oh, look who’s here,” Rachel greeted coldly the moment she reached Crystal.
“Rachel!” Crystal cried in relief. “Thank goodness you’re here!
She tried to approach her cousin, but Rachel immediately stepped back.
“Don’t touch me,” Rachel said sharply while looking at Crystal with disgust.
The guards exchanged awkward glances.
“What’s going on here?” Rachel asked them.
“We’re sorry, Miss Rachel,” one guard answered nervously. “She keeps insisting she’s Sir Christian’s daughter and demands to enter the mansion.”
Rachel scoffed.
“Haven’t you seen my uncle’s daughter before?”
“N-not clearly, Miss,” the guard admitted. “I’ve never really met her personally.”
“Rachel, please,” Crystal begged while wiping her tears. “I need to talk to Grandpa. Mom and Da need his help.”
Rachel’s expression hardened instantly.
“My grandfather is resting,” she replied coldly. “If you need financial assistance, go back to the company office tomorrow. Someone there will help you.”
She turned away dismissively.
“And if she keeps causing trouble,” Rachel added without looking back, “call the police.”
Crystal felt her knees weaken.
“No… please…” she cried desperately. “Rachel, I’m begging you! My parents are in danger!”
“Crystal, enough,” Pearl whispered while trying to calm her down.
Rachel rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“She should’ve never come here in the first place.”
She started walking back toward the car.
“Rachel! Please!” Crystal screamed as she banged her fists against the steel gate. “I need to see Grandpa!”
The sound of her voice made Gabriel suddenly stiffen.
He quickly stepped out of the car and looked toward the gate.
There, beneath the bright entrance lights, stood a trembling woman desperately crying Rachel’s name.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes.
Something about her voice felt painfully familiar.
“Crystal?” he whispered under his breath.
His heart suddenly pounded.
He took a step forward.
But before he could get closer, Pearl hurriedly dragged Crystal back toward the car.
“Wait!” Gabriel called instinctively.
He broke into a run.
By the time he reached the gate, the vehicle had already sped away.
Gabriel stopped in the middle of the road, breathing heavily as he stared at the disappearing taillights.
“Am I losing my mind?” he muttered.
Inside the moving car, Crystal cried uncontrollably.
She clutched her chest tightly as if trying to stop the unbearable pain crushing her heart.
A few moments later, Rachel caught up with Gabriel.
“Gabriel?” she called out while frowning. “What was that about?”
He turned toward her immediately.
“Who was that woman?” he asked quickly. “What’s her name?”
Rachel blinked in surprise.
“Why are you asking?” she replied suspiciously. “She’s nobody. Just some desperate woman asking my grandfather for help.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
“Did you hear her name?”
Rachel sighed impatiently.
“Seriously? It’s not my responsibility to know every stranger’s name.”
Gabriel looked back toward the dark road where the car disappeared.
A strange uneasiness settled inside him.
Still, he forced himself to look away.
‘Yeah…’ he thought bitterly. ‘That’s impossible.’
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD