The Ultimate Chance-Chapter 65

After having their breakfast and making sure Angel had enough toys to keep him busy for a while, the two called Mabella over to stay with him in case he got bored and sat on his bed to discuss. She brought a bucket of popcorn and placed it between them, and he laughed.

"That’s appropriate. This is literally a movie." He knew she was in for a roller coaster ride.

"I’m ready." She took in a deep breath, ready to let her world view be shattered. She knew nothing good could ever come out of her family.

"Your great grandfather and mine were best friends." He started. "Well, at least everyone thought they were. They wouldn’t hang out often but they could take bullets for each other–yours did for mine, actually."

She was caught off guard. If it was going to be about best friends, betrayal would make sense if they didn’t take literal bullets for each other.

"They trusted each other enough to want to build an empire together. So they did." He continued to the part he thought was obvious and so much unlike men with their thinking capacity.

"The empire was thriving fast and everyone was happy. But do you know what made everything come tumbling down?"

"A woman?" She guessed, even though she hoped not.

"Well, a child in this case. They had a mutual friend that they both secretly loved, and in secret, she was seeing them both. None of them confessed how they felt for fear of causing a rift in their friendship. But when she got pregnant, she had to come clean with the father of her child–and she wasn’t certain who it was."

Avery facepalmed. So it was about a woman after all.

"They fought. But of course, they were both mature men and their friendship was worth more than a woman, right? They decided it was best for the woman to choose who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The agreement was that no matter whose child she was carrying, her husband would take care of it as though it were his own."

Avery held a breath. "I don’t think I like where this is headed."

"It’s not what you think. She ended up choosing your great grandfather. She loved them both but after thinking about it, he was the man she believed would make a good husband. Then your maternal grandmother, Sophia, was born."

She sat up, popcorn in hand. "Wait. Are you saying my grandma Sophia wasn’t really my great grandpa’s child?"

"She was." He dropped the bummer in the entire tale. "That’s what caused the rift between the best friends. My great grandfather would have loved it if part of him stayed with the woman he loved. He felt everything was unfair and in his fit of jealousy, destroyed the empire they had built together."

It was a strange turn of events, she had to admit. But even if it was,

"That only explains why our great grandparents don’t see eye to eye." She glanced at him. "What about our grandparents? Our parents? Us? How does it come to us?"

"The feud ended with the ruin of their heard-built empire. Your great grandfather never thought to seek revenge. It was all over until, after my great grandfather’s death, an apology letter was found alongside his will. He had asked for forgiveness for his petty actions–and his family knew what had happened. For years, They felt indebted to your family, but that was until my grandfather decided to cheat on my grandmother with someone from the Vaillant family."

"Are you kidding me?" She was shocked. "Why? And..." She paused when she thought through all the women who could have been the culprits. "My grandaunt? No. She would never."

"He was a cradle snatcher." He gave a hint, unable to say the words out loud.

"My aunt? My father has no sister..." Her body froze. "No."

"Yes. It had to be your mother."

She shook her head in disbelief. "I know Amelia Vaillant is the worst mother on earth but why would she ever do that? She is a good wife and... that was the enemy! Besides, your grandfather?"

"She was a ’good wife’ in your eyes because she knew of the ticking time bomb that resulted from her actions. A family was wrecked because of her. My grandfather had to leave. Your father definitely doubted her after the truth was revealed."

"I think I’m gonna be sick." Her stomach chined with what she thought must be bile building up. She had asked for the whole story but how could it turn into this? He was staring at her intensely and it made her uncomfortable until she finally asked a terrifying question. "You’re not my nephew, right? Because then Angel would be my grandnephew and I’m not ready for such a bomb in my life."

"I feared so. Thankfully, there’s no such link." He explained, to her relief. "But I found out all this when I did a lot of digging in the last five years. Before, I only knew our families hated each other way too much."

She threw a popcorn into her mouth. "It would have been juicy if we were not talking about families that actually exist. How did they even..." She looked at him. "Is it a coincidence that we ended up going to the same schools?"

She had finally gotten to the question he knew she would ask one day after finding out the truth. It was easy to lie to her and shirt responsibility but that would make things worse between them. Although it scared him, he could only tell the truth.

"Actually, I knew about you before I met you. I had heard all about you and your family. I knew Gabriel was going to take over the family business as soon as he was old enough. My family wanted to use me for revenge."

She shook her head, not understanding.

"I needed to make Gabriel trust me and be friends with him. The schools I went to were all Gabriel’s schools. I had no intention to actually approach him so I stalled–until I couldn’t anymore." He continued apologetically. "Then I learnt you were in the same school. Everyone knew there was only one way to Gabriel’s heart–through his sister."

SHe shook her head in denial. "Tell me you didn’t."

"I did plan to befriend you, make you fall in love with me and use you to get to your brother." He admitted. "But that was before I met you, Avery. I couldn’t ever do that to you when you turned out to be different from the spoiled little bitch I’d hoped you would be. It’s easily justifiable to do that to a mean girl." He wanted to turn away so he wouldn’t see the hurt in her eyes, but he couldn’t. He needed to reassure her. "You were an angel. I didn’t ever want to see you sad. How could I do that to you?"

She shrugged. "As you’ve told millions of women you used."

"I don’t use women." He knew it was pointless telling her but he tried nonetheless. "I didn’t have a choice at the time. As soon as I did, I wanted nothing to do with it."

"When you said you wanted to break away from your family..." she brought up something he had said within an hour of knowing each other–or rather, her knowing him.

"I meant I couldn’t go through with their plan." He confessed. "I didn’t want to hurt you, but at the same time, I wanted to be with you. I knew it was selfish of me but I couldn’t tell you the truth." \

She nodded. "Okay. Now I know why your family hates me so much." She slid off the bed, trying not to let it break her. "I mean, if a woman slept with your father and her daughter suddenly becomes your son’s girlfriend, you would freak out. It’s kind of a big deal."

"Avery," he slid off the bed to hold her. "I know it’s a lot to take in."

"It is." She forced a dry laugh. "I need to go."

If she left, she would probably avoid him for weeks. Alas, there was nothing he could do when she needed some time to process things on her own. He could only hope to see her soon.

...

Leaving Damon’s villa, she drove around and was glad she had not taken Angel with her. She didn’t think she was in the right mind frame to be driving around but she did anyway, until she got to the place she didn’t think she would ever go.

She parked her car and got out, her hands and legs trembling with every step she took towards the elevator. This was the place she knew she would find him. She had never thought she would want to speak to him especially after what happened at the hospital five years ago.

She entered the elevator and pressed the button of the eigth floor, then she shut her eyes to avoid feeling trapped. It was hard not to, when she was meeting the man she had thought of as a monster for years.

Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should have brought someone.

It was too late to regret coming as the elevator slid open, leading right into his penthouse.

Gabriel was at the window staring out when she walked in, and he turned when he heard the sound of the elevator.

"Vivi? I wasn’t expecting you."

"Why do you hate Damon?" She asked.