Chapter 214.

"What happened?"

Kylie’s voice was pure concern.

The moment she stepped into Emilia’s room, she knew something was terribly wrong.

Emilia was standing near the window.

Her arms were wrapped around herself, her shoulders tense, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

Kylie immediately crossed the room. "Em?"

Emilia looked at her. She said nothing. Her eyes moved past Kylie.

Christian had just walked into the room.

The moment Emilia saw him, her expression changed. Her face hardened.

Christian stopped. He looked at her carefully. "Emilia?"

She didn’t answer him. She looked at Kylie instead, then back at Christian.

"Can he leave?"

Kylie turned toward Christian.

Christian blinked. He hadn’t expected that.

"Of course." Kylie agreed. "She’s askimg you to leave, Christain. Please, leave."

He took a step back.

But before he could leave, Emilia spoke. "You knew."

Christian stopped.

Kylie looked between them.

Christian’s jaw tightened. He knew exactly what she meant. Adrian had told Emilia about Dante.

Christian looked at her. "I’m sorry, Emilia."

Her eyes hardened. "You also knew."

Kylie frowned. She looked at Christian. "What is she talking about?"

Christian glanced at Emilia.

Emilia didn’t take her eyes off him. "My father."

Kylie’s face changed. "What?"

"My father has been alive." Emilia sajd coldly, with her eyes still fixed kn Christain.

The words seemed to knock the air out of the room.

Kylie stared at her. "Dante?"

Emilia nodded.

Christian lowered his eyes.

Kylie looked at him. "You knew?"

Christian didn’t answer immediately. That was enough anawer for Kylie.

Kylie slowly turned back to Emilia. "Em..."

Emilia’s eyes were still fixed on Christian. "You knew my father was alive, you...." She trailed off, having no right curse to use on him.

Christian swallowed. "I knew Adrian had reason to believe—"

"You knew." Her voice was quiet.

Christian nodded. "Yes."

Kylie looked at him.

Emilia’s face twisted with hurt. "How long?"

Christian shook his head. "We didn’t know exactly when we should tell you."

"But you knew."

"Yes."

Emilia let out a shaky breath. "You all knew."

Christian stepped toward her. "Emilia—"

"Leave my room."

He stopped.

"I don’t want you to explain."

Christian nodded slowly.

Her voice cracked. "You don’t understand what this feels like."

Emilia wiped her cheek. "I spent years believing my father was dead."

Christian said nothing.

"I mourned him." Her voice trembled. "I watched my mother mourn him."

Christian’s expression tightened.

"And you knew he was alive."

"This wasn’t a forever knowledge, Emilia. We found out almost two months after Adrian met you."

Emilia laughed bitterly. "That sounds better?" Her voice became cold again. "Leave."

Christian nodded. He didn’t argue. He looked at Kylie.

She gave him a small nod.

Christian walked toward the door. Before he stepped outside, he looked at Emilia one last time. "I’m sorry."

Emilia didn’t answer.

He left.

Kylie closed the door behind him. Then she turned around.

Kylie slowly approached her. "Em..."

Emilia sniffed. "I thought you might know too."

Kylie stopped. "Me?"

Emilia nodded.

Kylie’s face softened. "I had no idea, Emilia." She swallowed. "You’re my best friend."

Emilia’s eyes filled again. "I could never blame you for this."

Kylie stepped closer.

Emilia looked down.

"I just..." She struggled to find the words. "I didn’t know what was true."

Kylie nodded.

Emilia wiped her cheek.

"Adrian told me my father is alive."

Kylie sat down on the edge of the bed.

"He kept it from me. My father caused his father’s death." Emilia’s voice cracked. "I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel."

"You don’t have to know yet."

"He looked at me every day. And then he lied he love me. Would you love someone who is related to the one who caused the death of someone you love?"

Kylie took a slow breath. "Em..."

"It doesn’t matter." Emilia shook her head. "He kept this from me."

Kylie’s voice softened. "Put me in his shoes, Em."

Emilia looked at her.

"If I was Adrian in this situation, would you ask me to get out without wanting to know my timeline?"

Emilia frowned. "Kylie..."

"Answer the question, Em." She said it softly. Her voice came out as a plea. "Would you?"

Emilia looked away.

Kylie waited. "You’d want to know when I found out." She went on. "You’d want to know whether I knew before I met you."

Emilia’s eyes filled.

"You’d want to know what I knew." Kylie continued. "You’d want to know why I didn’t tell you."

Emilia said nothing.

"And you’d want me to explain." Kylie nodded. "That’s all I’m saying."

Emilia wiped her cheek. "It doesn’t make what he did okay. I don’t want you defending him."

"I’m not."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I’m trying to stop you from making a decision before you have all the information."

Emilia looked at her. "He lied."

"Yes."

"He kept this from me." She sniffed. "He broke my trust."

Kylie didn’t argue with any of it. "But you don’t know why yet."

Emilia’s eyes hardened. "Does the reason matter?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because there is a difference between someone keeping a secret to manipulate you and someone keeping a secret because they didn’t know enough, didn’t know where your father was, or were trying to protect you."

Emilia looked away. "He should have told me."

"Maybe." Kylie didn’t hesitate. "Maybe he should have."

Emilia looked at her.

"But maybe he didn’t know enough to tell you."

"He knew my father was alive."

"Did he know where he was?"

"No."

"Did he know what Dante was planning?"

"I don’t know."

"Did he know when he would appear?"

"I don’t know."

"Did he have proof?"

"He said he had records."

"What kind?"

"Financial records. Communications. Payments. Companies."

Kylie nodded slowly.

"So he had evidence that something was happening."

"Yes."

"But not necessarily enough to tell you everything."

Emilia looked down. "I don’t know."

"Exactly."

Kylie reached for her hand.

Emilia allowed her to take it.

"I am not going to tell you that you’re wrong for being hurt."

Emilia’s fingers tightened around hers.

"I won’t tell you that you have to forgive Adrian."

A tiny breath escaped Emilia.

"But I also don’t want you deciding tonight that everything between you two was fake."

Emilia’s face crumpled slightly. "What if it was?"

Kylie was quiet.

"What if he never loved me?"

"I don’t know."

"What if he only got close to me because of my father?" She asked. "What if every moment was part of his investigation?"

Emilia looked at her desperately. "Then what do I know?"

Kylie squeezed her hand. "You know that you loved him."

A tear slid down Emilia’s cheek.

"And you know what you felt with him."

"That could have been a lie."

"It could have." Kylie didn’t lie to her. "But you don’t know that yet either."

Emilia closed her eyes. Tears left both eyes.

Kylie pulled her closer.

Emilia leaned against her. "How is my dad still alive, and never for once, cared to speak to me?"

Kylie said nothing. She simply patted Emilia’s back gently.

"Adriam should have told me the moment he found out."

Kylie gently pulled away.

She reached for Emilia’s phone. When she found it, Kylie placed the phone in her hand.

"Call your mum."

Emilia stared at the screen. "What?"

"Call your mum right now."

"Kylie..."

"Tell her."

Emilia’s fingers began trembling.

"Tell her your dad—her husband—is alive."

Emilia’s face went pale. She stared at the contact.

Mum.

Her thumb hovered over it.

Kylie watched her. "Do it."

Emilia shook her head. "I can’t."

Kylie’s expression tightened. "Do it."

"I can’t."

"Emilia."

"I can’t do it."

"Do it. Now." Her voice sharpened.

Emilia looked up in suprise. "I can’t."

Kylie stared at her.

"Call her."

"I need time."

"Do it."

"I can’t!" Emilia’s voice broke.

Kylie voice hardened. "You need to tell her."

"I can’t!" Emilia’s hand shook violently. "I can’t call her and tell her that!"

Kylie stared at her. Her eyes softened. "Why?"

"Because I don’t know how!" Her voice cracked. "How do I tell my mother that the man she buried isn’t dead?"

Kylie’s expression softened.

"She spent years mourning him." Emilia began crying. "She cried for him."

Kylie said nothing.

"She still visit his grave." Her voice trembled. A sob escaped her.

Kylie swallowed. Her throat thickened.

"And now I’m supposed to call her and say he’s alive?" Emilia shook her head. "I can’t."

"You have to do it, Emilia." Kylie reached for her wrist. "Do it."

Emilia pulled away. "I can’t."

"Em."

"I need time!"

Kylie’s grip tightened instinctively around her wrist. "Do it. Now."

"I can’t! Stop this, Kylie." Emilia broke down. "I can’t do it!"

Kylie blinked back her tears.

Emilia’s face crumpled. "I need time." Her voice became small. "I need time, Kylie."

Kylie immediately released her. The hardness disappeared from her face.

"I’m sorry." Emilia sobbed. "I can’t tell her."

"It’s okay, baby." Kylie pulled her into her arms. "That was exactly how Adrian might have felt. He might had also needed time to tell you when he found out."

Emilia collapsed against her.

Kylie held her tightly, with one hand moving gently over the back of her head. "And now, you don’t want to listen to him. I’m sorry, Em, but it might had been harder for him to tell you. Just as hard as it is for you to tell your mum."

Emilia clutched her shirt.

"You needed time, and so did he."

"I love him."

Kylie’s eyes closed. She hugged her tighter.

Emilia cried against her shoulder. "But what if he lied?"

"Then you’ll find out."

"What if he didn’t?"

"Then you’ll find that out too."

Kylie parted the hug, and brushed a tear from her cheek.

Emilia shook her head. "If all Adrian told me are true, then that means my father wasn’t who I thoight he was."

Kylie squeezed her hand. Her eyes softened. "The world would still continue."

Emilia leaned against her shoulder.

After a moment, Kylie looked toward the door.

"I’ll tell Christian we’re okay."

Emilia caught her hand. "Don’t tell him everything."

Kylie stood and walked toward the door. She opened it.

Christian was still waiting in the hallway. The moment he saw Kylie, his eyes went to Emilia. He didn’t ask questions.

Kylie shook her head slightly.

Christian understood. He nodded. "I’ll wait downstairs." His eyes moved toward Emilia. "She still needs you."

Kylie gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

Christian turned.

"Christian."

He looked back.

Kylie hesitated. "I’ll need your help."

He nodded. "Anything."

She glanced at Emilia, then back at Christain. "I’ll need you to give her a ride to Adrian’s place."