BONUS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED ON INKITT, FOLLOW THE EXTERNAL LINK AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER OR THE LINK IN MY BIO TO GET TO IT. IT'S ABOUT THE TIME WHEN BLAKE FOUND OUT THE TRUTH YOU ALL WANTED TO KNOW.

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CHAPTER 32:

WHAT BEING A "FAMILY" MEANS

      It's been a long time since I found it hard to open my eyes. This time, unlike those when I couldn't recall what happened and didn't find it too hard to get up, was different.

Every word Nikolas told me before I fainted clearly resounded in my head. The words were echoing in the darkness, like mocking laughter, rubbing the salt on my wounds. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't.

My eyes were too dry to produce tears.

I slowly opened them and sighed.
I knew this room all too well. It is my and Blake's room where we spent every night together. I turned to the window and saw that it was dark outside. How long was I out for? Few hours? Days?

I didn't care. Such thoughts seemed like a joke after what I heard from Nikolas. I always thought I knew enough and that my worriers were bih enough, but now... now I can't help but think how laughable my naivety was.

Just what was I supposed to think now?

Suddenly, I heard a sigh and turned to the other side, to the source of it. Vincent.

My real father.

My thoughts couldn't help but wonder to the image of the man who raised me for sixteen years before I compared him with Vincent.

This ain't fair.

My eyes began to tear up as I thought that. Vincent was watching me from the chair next to the bed, his eyes so warm and caring, and I couldn't help but melt beneath that gaze of his.

This man is my real father. Because of another man I called "dad" all those years, he didn't get to see his daughter. Because of that man, he didn't know whether or not was his daughter still alive.

It wasn't fair.

I wasn't fair.

I am supposed to hate that man now, he killed my mother, but I'm here lost about what to think instead.

Where do I find strength to face this man's gaze with thoughts like that? He lost both his daughter and wife because of people I didn't know how to look at!

Am I not betraying him this way?

"Kaley," he began, I cried even more. His voice is so gentle and strong at the same time, every sound it made touched upon my heart, "You don't have to blame yourself."

I do!

"Your father here has lived for a long time. In my whole life, I have only loved one person, and that person was your mother."

Don't!

"She was quite a character herself, she was known as number one woman of London no one could tame. She had zero feminity about her and our first meeting consisted of her throwing a brick at me and ruining my cars. She was from a poor family, and her father was rather... a troublesome person. Since he didn't have money to pay for repairs, he sold his daughter instead."

Why are you telling me this?

"Not even Nikolas knows about this, he's more versed in events that happened after I brought her home. That woman really could blow up the entire house in her rage," he smiled to himself, as if recalling a sweet memory and my tears overflowed.

"Anyway, we somehow managed to get married, though she ran total of thirty nine times since them. She became more docile when Nikolas was about five, she'd run away only when I somehow got her mad, though most of times I had no idea what the bloody hell did I do," he frowned, I clenched my teeth to cry in silence.

"She was amazing woman, indeed. It hurt so much when I lost her."

And I was the reason behind it.

"But you know, even as it hurt me for a long time and I couldn't forgive her murderers, I had to overcome it. Because I had Nikolas, and the thought that you're still out there somewhere and that we will one day meet again."

Stop it!

"Therefore, I understand. I don't want to, but I understand."

No. Please!

"You have spent your first years with those people, and in your heart, they will always be your family. Why you're crying right now isn't because you're sad about the truth; it's because you're torn between two sides. The hardest choice to make it is, after all, when we have to chose between what we want and what is right."

Please stop!

"You are hurting right now, and this time I'm here. I was never there when you needed me in your life, but now I'm here with intention to correct everything."

Don't justify my cowardice!

"I..." he sighed, "Honestly, I do hate those people who took you from me. How couldn't I? They took two must precious women in my life, and I just can't get over it. But I am I, I didn't know those people. You did, you grew up with them. I'm not telling you to forgive them or something, but when I think that they can have mistreated you all those years and made you suffer, but didn't do so... I just can't bring myself to loathe them as much as I want."

Don't do this! Don't hurt yourself to make me feel better! I don't deserve this!

"Well, in any case, don't be torn between me and someone else. I won't be hurt no matter what you do and I don't want to be the source of your pain. If I can't be by your side when you need me the most, then of what use will I be when you don't need me?"

A sob escaped my lips. No matter how tight I clenched my teeth, I couldn't hold my cries any longer.

This man was my father. He didn't need a reason to console me, nor love me, he just did. He was like immovable mountain, shouldering everything behind a stern face.

Yet he didn't let any of that pain reach me. He was hurting himself to make me feel better. I could never forgive nor see in bright light anyone who took Blake and Christian from me, I wasn't that strong.

Those words certainly hurt him, he even opened his old wounds to tell me about my mother. Everything just to make me feel less guilty.

And I was unfair. I was too selfish, I couldn't console him by saying that it's alright, that the deal with my adoptive parents didn't touch me at all. That I only have eyes for him.

Because I was a coward. I was ugly human being, because I was selfish. Because I didn't want to let go of precious memories I had, even if they were nothing but fake reality existing for the sake of covering up the ugly truth.

"I'm sorry," I barely mumbled the words through my lips. I didn't know what else to do.

"Don't be," he shook his head before standing up to sit on the bed, "Even if you can throw away those people, could you say the same for that little brat, Ayden? Isn't he their son as well?" My eyes widened.

I had completely forgotten about him. Vincent had right. How am I going to see Ayden from now on? Just as I finally realized that nothing has changed between the two of us, I found out about my past.

How am I going to face this?

"Nikolas is too young and naive, but I've lived over twice your age. He only searched your parents, but I checked on that kid as well."

I stilled. Why did it sound like...

"He was diagnosed with leukemia, you didn't have money to pay for his surgery."

...like he knew about that night.

"But you suddenly got money from your "friend" and not long after met and married that brat, Blake. Coincidentally, you just happened to be the eight months in pregnancy with his child around eight months since you got the money, and that brat is by no means someone poor."

I opened my mouth and wanted to say something, but no words could be formed.

He was the last person I wanted to know about my past with Blake. Not because I feared his reaction, but because I knew that it would hurt him to know that his daughter ended up in that situation because he wasn't by her side.

When she needed him the most, yet again.

"Honestly, that made me angrier then losing my wife. Not towards you, you were young and stupid, not towards that brat - he was only stupid, but towards myself. I have only looked for you around England. I should've known better and searched around the world for girls born that month, sure it would take me long, but I had over twenty years of time to look for you. Adding my comrades, maybe finding you wouldn't have been so hard, and had I found you a bit earlier..."

"Don't! It's not your fault—" I started, but he interrupted me:

"But it is. Had I found your mother back then, none of your suffering would've happened."

"It's not!"

"Don't mind it, I'm not that weak, Kaley," he sighed, "You have already let go of it and for some odd reason in love with him, so I'll forget about it too. I'm not that stupid to interfere now and make an even bigger mess out of everything, but if you ever need my help to castrate him, I'll fly all the way from London to aid you."

The tears I finally managed to stop from surprise from his words overflowed again. I couldn't stop myself from throwing myself in his arms and crying even more.

This is a father. It's a feeling I knew of thanks to that man who raised me, but it can't possibly be compared to this.

Vincent never asked for explanations, he never judged, he didn't reprimand me for anything. Instead, he gave me his unconditional support and love, expecting nothing in return.

Sure, I had Ryan past those years after becoming an orphan, but he was more of a friend and someone to help me in need than true father. He gave me sense of security, but Vincent...

Vincent gave me a sense of belonging that couldn't be described in words.

I just belonged here. I was safe here. I didn't have to fear anything if he's here.

It was simple as that.

And I never had to fear being alone ever again.

Because he will always be there, by my side.

And that is what being a "family" means.

_________________________

Due to plagiarism, I can't add " Family means that no one is left behind." as the last sentence lol

Vince is best father evah