Chapter 5
1277 Words
"Two children," Miguel murmured, more to himself than to her.
His voice held a note of wonder. "I never... I didn’t expect this."
His gaze was no longer on Elizabeth as it wandered off into space. He stared impassively into the distance.
"She was pregnant when you left, but she didn't tell you," Elizabeth added in a whisper, reaching to place her hand on Miguel's shoulder.
"I have two kids?" Miguel repeated to himself, trying his best to understand the role this news was going to play in his life.
Elizabeth nodded, her expression softening. "I know it’s a lot to take in. But there’s more you need to know, Miguel."
Miguel turned to face her fully, his brows knitting together. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Elizabeth sighed, gathering her thoughts. "Laura... she’s been through a lot since you disappeared."
The mention of Laura's name instantly darkened Miguel’s joy. He hadn’t seen her in years, not since the day he had been forced to leave everything behind, including her.
He had left without a word, without an explanation. He hadn’t even known she was pregnant.
"Tell me everything," he urged Elizabeth to explain further.
"But she's alright, right?" Miguel said in a low tone, trying to suppress the troubling memories in his head—memories of the night he left her.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. "When Laura found out she was pregnant, she kept it a secret at first, hoping you’d come back."
Miguel's gaze fell from Elizabeth's eyes in regret.
"But I didn't come back as she had expected," he murmured, and Elizabeth nodded.
"But... as time passed and you didn’t return, she realized she was on her own. It was clear to everyone that she was alone in everything."
"Her family... they weren’t supportive. They wanted her to demand compensation from our family, but she refused. She said it wasn’t about money. It was about the children having a father who actually cared."
Miguel’s heart sank as he heard this.
He truly would have wanted to be that father who would always be there, just as Laura had expected, but he failed her.
He could picture Laura at that moment. He knew Laura had always been stubborn and strong-willed, so he knew that probably helped her stand her ground against her parents' manipulation.
"I was not there for her, Elizabeth. How could I have let her down like this?" Miguel said with regret.
"And what happened to her after she disobeyed her parents?" Miguel asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Her family disowned her. They kicked her out when she wouldn’t agree to their demands. She’s been living in a run-down part of the city, struggling to make ends meet. She’s... she’s been through hell, Miguel. And when I tried to visit her, to see the children, she wouldn’t let me. She blames us... blames you... for everything."
Miguel’s chest tightened with guilt. He had never imagined his actions would lead to this.
"The thought of Laura..." Miguel began, his voice trailing off. "I have to make this right."
Elizabeth looked at him with worry in her eyes.
"Are you sure? She’s been through so much... I don’t know if she’ll even want to see you."
Miguel paused for a while, thinking about what Elizabeth said to him. He also knew it was possible for Laura to refuse to see him.
"I have to try," Miguel insisted. "I owe it to her. To the children."
MCGRATH'S FAMILY ESTATE
Miguel's parents had been forced to commit suicide, and the grand family estate was now on the brink of ruin.
Leo, one of Miguel's father's personal servants who had served humbly for years, walked into the mansion with a group of masked men.
"Hey, you all! There's nothing to be afraid of. I told you that Mr. McGrath and his wife are dead," he explained to the group of four men.
"He committed suicide and his wife followed, so you don't even have to wear a mask," he cautioned them.
He pointed at the mighty structure of the mansion and sighed.
"You see that? The job is simple! We are taking every valuable thing in there. They're dead and their son, Miguel, is not even in the country," Leo said to them, and they nodded.
"That makes things easy," one of the men said, and Leo nodded.
"Now, follow me," he ordered the group, and they followed immediately.
As they broke through the main gate and headed directly for the entrance to the mansion, a middle-aged man heard the noise and walked into the corridor.
The middle-aged man was Frank.
Frank was the loyal butler who had served Miguel’s family for decades.
He stood in the doorway of the grand corridor, his heart heavy with dread.
"Leo?" he murmured, shocked to see the masked men Leo was commanding.
Hearing sounds behind him, Leo turned around only to see Frank standing in shock and staring at them.
"Leo, what are you doing? And who are these men with you?" Frank asked, shocked.
"That's none of your business, fool!" Leo replied.
Frank was not stupid; even without Leo answering the question, he knew what Leo was up to.
"You can’t do this," Frank pleaded, his voice shaking with desperation. "You served this family for years. How can you betray them now?"
Leo chuckled at Frank, his face twisted with years of pent-up resentment.
"Served? I was a slave, Frank. A tool. And now that the family’s power is fading, I’m taking what’s mine," he said to Frank.
Frank shook his head, stepping forward to block Leo’s path. "You were never a slave. You were trusted, respected. This family took care of you—"
"And now I’m taking care of myself," Leo snapped, pushing past Frank.
He motioned for his men to begin ransacking the estate. They tore through the rooms, grabbing anything of value—paintings, heirlooms, jewelry.
Frank watched in helpless horror as the men carried out their looting. He had dedicated his life to serving this family, and now he was witnessing its downfall at the hands of someone who had once been considered a brother.
"Please, Leo," Frank begged, his voice cracking. "You don’t have to do this. There’s still a chance to stop—"
"Stop?" Leo’s laugh was cold and mirthless. "Why would I stop now? I’ve waited years for this. Do you know what it’s like to be overlooked, undervalued? Well, no more."
He turned to his men, who were now carrying armfuls of stolen goods out of the mansion.
"Burn it," Leo ordered, his voice devoid of any remorse. "Burn it all, I mean the mansion, not the goods!"
Frank’s eyes widened in horror. "No! You can’t! This house—it’s everything the McGraths have!"
Leo glanced at the grand hall, its walls adorned with portraits of the family.
His expression hardened. "It was everything. But now it’s just a relic of a dying legacy. Let it burn."
As the men set about dousing the mansion with oil, Frank fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
He had been powerless to stop the looting, but the thought of watching the house—the home—he had cared for all his life being reduced to ashes was unbearable.
"Leo, please," Frank whispered, his voice breaking. "Think of all the memories, all the lives this house has touched. Don’t destroy it."
But Leo had already made up his mind. He struck a match, watching as the flame flickered to life.
With a single motion, he tossed it into the oil-soaked room.
"Now, we watch it burn! Hahaha!"
- Writer
