As Alexander lays eyes on them, a rush of emotions overwhelms him, and he barely manages to only say:"sister..."
He found himself enveloped in the graceful presence of the elegant woman before him. Her smile, laced with femininity, held an almost predatory edge, as though she could devour him with a mere glance. "Ohhhh Captain Alexander, long time no see," she purred, her words dripping with familiarity and temptation.
Aria caught off guard by the sudden intrusion, blinked in surprise before regaining her
composure. "Darling Aria, nice to see you again" the woman continued, her voice honeyed and smooth. "How could you not ask about me all this time?"
Before Aria could respond, the lady's attention shifted effortlessly to Reya, who stood by her side. With a delicate touch, she caressed Reya's cheek, her admiration evident in her gaze."Oh Aria, your beauty knows no bounds. Even your daughter is stunning" she remarked, her words carrying a sense of genuine awe. "Then the girl took her mother’s beauty, and the boys took their father’s charisma."
Turning her attention to the young ones gathered around, she addressed them each in turn.
"Lucenio, you've grown up to be a handsome man," she complimented, her voice filled with warmth. And then, with a tender gesture, she leaned down to kiss Eden on the forehead.
"And you, Eden, I'll wait for you till you grow up" she whispered.
"Mother-in-law, please, this is not the time for chitchat. We are handling a family matter" Carter interjected
"Carter, darling, you need to learn how to have fun and lose the icy attitude. I don’t know how you made my girl fall in love with you" the elegant lady replied, a hint of teasing.
"Mom, it's not the time," cressy interrupted.
"Yes, I know. Come on, it's your sister’s dinner, and Delion wanted his uncle to attend. There's no problem here. Let the couple enjoy this party and stop with the big family talk,"
"Evelyn is right," said the other woman. "After all, Alexander is my brother and Delion's
uncle. And Delion is the groom so he gets to choose who attends his wedding and this dinner."
“See, even Mallora agrees with me. Come on, my cup is empty” Evelyn added.
Mallora then interrupted, "BUT when it comes to Alexander and his family, it doesn’t apply. I
hate to say it, and it breaks my heart, but as a member of this family, I can't accept you
here. But again, as a sister who lost one brother and was a part of her other brother's family for so long, I
hope you can stay because I miss you. I miss your wife and your kids. I was like their grandmother a long time ago. I still hate this word,” said Mallora, with tears in her eyes and a fragile smile after not seeing her precious brother for a long time.
Alexander, heartbroken held his wife's hand tightly struggling to conceal his emotions.
Reya and Eden couldn't hold back their tears, overcome with sadness. Lucenio, though feeling deeply, remained still as a statue, lost in a whirlpool of emotions, muttering to himself, "I CAN'T THINK I'M LOSING IT WHY WHY WHYYY."
Suddenly, a warm hand clasped his belonging to his little brother, who whispered in a low voice, "Brother, stay next to me." This simple gesture brought Lucenio back to reality, and he squeezed his brother's hand tightly, finding reassurance in his presence.
"Mother, we can't let Uncle leave like this," Delion added. "You've cried yourself to sleep every night, and each of us has missed him dearly. He's been our rock, our inspiration. Bran, remember how you wanted to master the spear like him? Marcus, Alexander, he gave you the strength to believe in yourselves. And Carter, we used
to compete for his attention,I know things changed but deep down, we all cherish and miss him."
"And we miss Father," Marcus interjected, his voice heavy with emotion.
A hushed murmur spread among the family members as they listened to this heartfelt
exchange.
"Silence!" Carter's voice cut through the tension, commanding attention. He paused, he
closed his eyes and brought a hand to his forehead, gently massaging his temples as he
began gathering his thoughts "Okay, I will admit we missed Uncle, and his children have the
right to grow with our family and share our joy and grief. But what he did was very
damaging to our family's reputation, position, power, and its members. As I said before, this is a whole family matter, and we need to have a discussion to determine if we forgive or punish. However, it's not the time for this"
He then moved closer to Alexander, their faces inches apart and proposed "How about
this we all temporarily forget what happened or sleep on it until after the wedding. On the
day following the wedding, 6 days before the fourth blood rose moon, we reconvene and accept whatever decision the family meeting decides."
Alexander took a moment to consider, then replied, "Aria, Lucenio, Eden, and Reya are exempt from the decision. If punishment is decided, I'll take all the blame."
"Of course. Do we have a deal?" Carter asked, extending his hand for a shake.
"We have a deal" said Alexander after chaking carter's hand
"Listen everyone until after the wedding Uncle and his family are accepted and once again part of the family. From this moment on the kids are always welcome in this house and I don't want to hear any complaints. Save it for the meeting" Carter announced to the assembled family members. As the weight of the tension lifted, no one could say a word instead the room erupted in screams of joy The family had long awaited this moment, none more so than Mallora, who cried tears of joy as she ran towards her brother. "I missed you so much," she exclaimed enveloping Alexander in a tight hug. The rest of the family followed suit, rushing towards Alexander and his family embracing them warmly.
Carter watched the scene unfold beside his wife. "You made the right choice, honey,"
Evelyn approached Carter. "Oh, my lovely son-in-law, strong, wise, and handsome, would you like to drink with me?
Carter replied "No thank you Evelyn. I don't drink."
After the color returned to Lucenio's face, he felt relieved seeing his family surrounded by loved ones. As everyone started dancing, singing and enjoying the night Alexander sat down with Marella, Delion, and Lily, engaging in lively conversation. Aria and Reya joined Evelyn, crissy, while Lucenio stood alone, holding a snack in his hand.
"So, I'll have to see you on a regular basis, idiot," Markus sneered from behind Lucenio.
Lucenio felt a shiver down his spine, but this time, he summoned courage through his fear.
"Markus, how about we put everything behind us and start afresh? I'd love to be friends like when we were little."
"Hahaha! Me, friends with a loser like you? I'd rather befriend a beggar or a slave. At least they're doing something worthwhile. They have a job; they know their worth. Unlike you, a member of a big family but worth nothing" Markus retorted, his tone dripping with disdain.
Before Lucenio could respond, his face filled with sadness."Markus, I hope you're treating our nephew well." It was then that Carter, accompanied by Bran.
"Come on, little brother, let's go. There are some beautiful girls over there," Bran interjected.
"Hmm... don't worry I'm leaving. My time is more precious than to waste it with this one"
Markus scoffed, ready to depart. But Carter caught him by the hand. "I won't tolerate disrespect. Next time, mind your manners. Now, go," Carter asserted, his tone firm and authoritative
Carter then turned to Lucenio, extending an invitation. "Come with me, nephew. Let's talk
on the balcony." Lucenio followed, and once they were alone, Carter began, "It's been a
while since I saw you last. You've grown into a strong man."
"Thank you. And you, Carter, you're now the head, and I sense a strong presence," Lucenio
acknowledged.
“Are you mad that I became the head?" Carter inquired.
"Oh no, not at all. You deserve it. With my... uncle gone and my father out, you've taken the
lead for the family. I don't have the right to demand leadership," Lucenio replied, his respect
for Carter evident.
"And what about your brother? Would you shed blood for him if he decides he wants
leadership?" Carter probed further.
"I would never draw a sword against you guys, but I'll also never leave my brother alone,"
Lucenio affirmed.
"That's what I wanted to hear. If Eden or even you wanted to lead this family, I would give it
to him. I'll guide and help him. I never hated you guys, and I'll try to resolve this issue. Don't
worry," Carter reassured, instilling hope in Lucenio's heart. Before leaving him and rejoining
the party
Filled with optimism, Lucenio glanced around, but the voices and the pain in his stomach
clouded his thoughts, leaving him speechless.
But after a good look at the environment, the voices hit Lucenio hard. He felt as though his
head was going to explode, unable to understand any word, leaving him speechless and
overwhelmed. Despite his discomfort, he didn’t say anything to not ruin anything.
As everyone departed at the end of the night, Alexander paused to express his gratitude to
Carter. "Before I leave, I want to thank you, Carter. It was a wise decision, and I promise I'll
accept whatever comes after the wedding," he said earnestly.
"I'll do my best, Uncle, to resolve the issue, but I can't make any promises," Carter replied,
leaning in to whisper something in Alexander's ear that left him momentarily stunned. With
that, they bid their farewells and left.
On the way home, Aria turned to ask, "So, how are you guys feeling?"
The boys expressed happiness with the meeting, except for Markus's part. Lucenio shared
his surprise at how time had passed and how Carter had changed. Alexander remained
silent for a moment before confessing, "I felt something... I was happy to sit with my sister
and chat, but I wasn't comfortable. Something felt off. At first, I didn't think much of it, but
afterward, I looked into the eyes of some and felt something was wrong."
"It might be because you can't forget what happened so fast. Of course, some
awkwardness will be present; even the smallest cut needs some time to heal," Aria reassured
"You're right. It needs some time. But how about we do something tonight, boys?" alexander
suggested.
"No girls allowed?"
"No, only boys. But we accept all kinds of snacks," Alexander agreed.
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