#THE_LAST_MINUTE_GROOM_S2
©Sir_Zach
EPISODE 26
*A few minutes later…*
In the sitting room, Valen was made to sit on a chair with his head wrapped in a bandage. A few plasters were stuck to his face to cover the small cuts he got. His arms and legs were bruised but good thing those were the only injuries he got. Nothing serious happened.
Rex, who was sitting in front of Valen, tilted his head to the left and then right like he was about to say something but couldn’t remember what it was.
“I say, nephew, you look dashing.”
“Lame,” Valen responded in a small voice.
“Tch. Even in this condition, you still won’t talk to me with respect.”
“Stop talking rubbish, Valen is unwell. Don’t bother him.” Jeslyn hissed. She had on Maverick’s black suit jacket.
As she looked at Valen who was sitting beside her, Jeslyn couldn’t fathom why a mother would want to ki|| her child. The more she thought, the more confused she got.
“Maverick, why would Vera want to ki|| Valen?” She believed Maverick knew the answer to that.
“She’s not his mother,” Maverick answered without suspense.
Maverick had watched the surveillance Video on his phone and got to know why Vera wanted Valen dead.
Since Valen was already convinced that Vera wasn’t his mother and Jeslyn was also asking him something relating to that, he should as well tell them the truth. After all, he has gotten what he wanted already.
“What do you mean?”
“The witch said I’m as worthless as my mother. She confirmed she’s not my mother.” Valen was elated and it was obvious from his voice.
Good that Vera was not his mother. If his mother is not Jeslyn, then he doesn’t want anyone else coming to this house to say rubbish. He’d rather live with Jeslyn as her stepson than any other woman.
“Valen is your son,” Maverick told the truth.
Jeslyn froze, likewise Valen.
Rex shrank his neck and tried to get up and leave, but Maverick pulled him back down and gave him a side-eye.
“Wh– what are you saying?” Jeslyn’s lips quivered. What son? How is that possible?! She’ll be glad to be Valen’s real mother but certainly not by playing such a joke on her.
Maverick couldn’t talk much, so he glanced at Rex who sighed before opening the can of worms. Even after the whole story from how she slept with Maverick to how she got into a coma was revealed, Jeslyn still couldn’t believe It.
Yes, she has a memory of how she got pregnant and how she gave birth. But isn’t that just another realistic nightmare like every other day?
“Hold on, let’s assume there’s truth in what you’re saying. Why don’t I have any recollection? In that dream, I gave birth to a girl and not a boy… Maverick, I don’t understand anything. Please, don’t tell me it’s true.” Large teardrops fell on her cheeks.
Valen was offended and heartbroken. He had been praying for Jeslyn to be his mother. Now that it turned out she was, she didn’t want to accept him?
The child balled his small hands and lowered his head to hide his eyes which were slowly turning red from holding back his tears.
This pained him more than anything he has ever experienced.
“I did a DNA test for you two.” He looked at Rex and gestured with his eyes for him to go get the report from his room.
Even when Jeslyn was holding the paper in her shaking hands, she still couldn’t believe it.
“Mummy, don’t you want me?” For the first time in his life, Valen sounded pitiful. It shocked Rex so much that he thought for a second that Valen was switched.
Jeslyn slowly looked at the child whose eyes were brimming with tears. She didn’t know when she let go of the paper and hugged him. “Mummy loves you. I promise!”
Maverick watched the mother and child with relief in his heart. Before Pink took some time off work, she told him everything which was what he had been waiting for all this while.
How could he tell Jeslyn an incomplete story or a theory of how Valen suddenly became her child? Of course, he needed solid proof that rhymes with her nightmares for her to believe.
Now that this was solved, he has to find out Ruben’s interest in all of these and as for Damien Yu, he shouldn’t bother coming out of hiding, cause he’ll be sorry.
Like he remembered something, Maverick got up and side–eyed Rex who immediately followed him out.
“Where are we going, brother?”
Maverick didn’t respond and got into his car.
…
Caroline had just received a call and her face was gloomy when Piper walked into the sitting room from upstairs.
“Mum, I’m heading out.” She said nonchalantly without sparing her mother a look.
“You can’t go anywhere today. Cancel your meetings.”
“But why mum? I have a contract to sign and it’s very important.”
Madam Caroline looked at her and sighed. “We need to talk. My plans to use Vera failed and she’s ki||ed.” She massaged her temple, feeling annoyed.
“Ok… what has that got to do with me? Didn’t I tell you to leave my brother and his woman alone?”
“Why should I?! He is my son! I carried him for nine months and fed him my Břě@šť milk for three months! I had to listen to the nanny’s complaints and nagging for so long and–”
Piper rolled her eyes. “Mother, there’s no need for you to scream the house down. We both know the truth, so don’t try to emotionally blackmail me. All I can tell you right now is that you’re pushing brother too far. I believe after what you have done, he still kept you alive because you brought him into this world. I won’t–”
“Shut your mouth, you hypocrite!” Madam Caroline threw her a pillow in a fit of rage.
Piper caught the pillow and laughed. She didn’t take her mother seriously. “I know I’m no good either, but I know how to tell the truth. You’re messing with brother and one day, he might lose his mind and… Kyia!” She made a slitting throat gesture before laughing again.
Madam Caroline waved her hand wearily, “get out, get out!”
“Thank you ma, hahahaha…”
…
Sometime later at Madam Caroline’s house…
Madam Caroline was still in the sitting room, massaging her temple. She heard the sound of the door and without looking she spoke, thinking it was Piper.
“I told you to–” her words got stuck in her throat when she saw who it was.
Maverick and Rex!
Rex’s disgust couldn’t be hidden. It was obvious he didn’t want to be here. Maverick on the other hand, had no expression to give out what he was feeling.
Madam Caroline bolted up from the couch in utter shock. Her kids were here? This was the first time in 22 years plus that her children and get had been in the same closed space. They’d met at parties and ceremonial places but had never been this close before.
The woman looked at her children with mesmerized eyes. They are very good-looking, anyone would want to have them in their family. Maverick looks like their grandfather and Rex looks like their father.
No one would deny that they came from the Lu family.
“Re– Renren…? Xiao bao…?” She called their names like she wasn’t sure it was real.
Rex almost puked when those words left her lips. Wasn’t those the names that were too heavy for her to say years back? Didn’t she call him, “this thing!” And called Maverick, “an orphan?” Where did she suddenly learn those names from? Which professional told her that children should be addressed by their names?
“Do we still have a relationship that hasn’t been severed?” Maverick asked flatly.
“H– huh?” It was like her brain finally returned from travel.
“State your price.” Maverick pulled out a check and pen and threw them on the table in front of her.
Madam Caroline looked from the check to Maverick. Her palm felt itchy, pushing her to write the amount of Zeros she wanted but she stopped herself with difficulty. She loves money, but money is not the only thing she wants.
“Renren, what do you mean by this?”
“The relationship broke the day you left. However, you were not compensated enough. I guess that’s why you feel the need to… poke your nose into our lives. On behalf of my dad… I’m here to pay you off.”
“Brother, that’s too much! She made away with $500,000,000… half of dad’s assets when she left. Because of that money, dad’s company almost went bankrupt and you had to step in at such a tender age. How can you pay her anymore?!” Rex was vexed. He glared at Madam Caroline like a demon would a more powerful human. He wanted to ki|| this woman but he knew he can’t bring himself to… just like Maverick can’t see himself ki||ing his mother.
Even if she is a bad woman, at least she was decent enough to suffer through nine months and push them out instead of going for CS. She Břě@šťfed Maverick for six months and Rex for three months, so the two owe her a debt of gratitude for that.
She had done lots of horrible things to them, but still, they couldn’t touch her. Rex had vowed to ki|| her if he finds out she was connected to what happened to Maverick, Valen, and Jeslyn but as of now, nothing points to her. He just hopes that if she was truly guilty, he’d be able to carry out his vow without thinking of kinship.
Maverick patted Rex’s shoulder and said; “call it… Charity.”
Madam Caroline swallowed the insult and took a deep breath. “I can’t accept your offer. All I want is for us to reunite as a family. I’m ready to make amends.”
“Hmph! Do you still see us as children? Do I look like that child you almost drowned in a pool of mud? Do I?!”
Maverick squeezed Rex’s shoulder, prompting Rex to stop talking and look at him. Then Maverick slowly blinked at him.
Rex didn’t talk anymore after that. He understood that his brother didn’t want him to reveal his vulnerability, else this conniving woman would sink her fangs into his weakness and won’t let him go, ever!
“This is your first and last offer,” Maverick said.
Madam Caroline’s fingers shook, her thoughts conflicting with each other. Still, she didn’t budge.
At that moment, Piper rushed in. She froze when she saw the two men. She was called by her personal servant that Maverick and Rex were in her house. She immediately ordered the car to be turned around and here she is!
Rex looked back. Seeing who it was, he almost threw a knife at her. If Rex h@ťěs anyone other than his mother, then it’s Piper.
Although what Piper did that almost made him get drowned was due to a child’s instinctive reaction towards strangers, Rex refused to forgive her.
Then while growing up, she became a total b!tch to him after she found out he was her older brother. She would rile up bullies to bully him and then call the teachers on him when he fights back.
Piper went as far as setting him up with a girl who claimed he R@P£D her. If not for Maverick and Celestine who appeared at the station with evidence, he would have spent some time behind bars. After all, Maverick was still struggling to hold his ground at that time.
There were other things she did that he cannot speak of. Although Rex took his revenge later on, he still detests her.
“Mom,” she hurried to stand beside her mother, looking lost with the check on the table. “What is going on?”
“Your brother wants me to sell my rights as a mother.” She replied while staring at Maverick’s stoic face.
Piper frowned. “Older brother, don’t you think you are going too far?”
“Who asked you to speak?” Maverick gave her a side-eye.
Piper lowered her head while fidgeting with her fingers. “I– I’m sorry.”
Maverick ignored her and picked up the checkbook. “This is your last chance.” He said and turned out to leave. However, he paused after a few steps and looked over his shoulder. “I took back what you owe me.” With that said, he walked away with Rex.
Madam Caroline frowned. What does he mean by that? What does she owe him? She took her phone to call but instead, a call came in.
“Mrs. Xu, we don’t know what happened but the money in your accounts was withdrawn. We are trying to trace where the money went, but–”
“What rubbish are you telling me?…” Her mind snapped to what Maverick just said and cried out; “Renren has my money! File a lawsuit against him this instant!” She screamed.
“Ma’am, we will need evidence to–”
“f_ck you and your evidence! If you can’t find one, plant one! I don’t care how you do it. If I don’t see my money in my account before three days, I’ll have your head!!” She ended the call and shrieked.
Piper got a fright and took a step back. “Mum, calm down, will you?… What happened?”
Madam Caroline ignored her and opened her bank app. Checking the balance of her multiple banks, instead of nine digits in all five banks, there was $0.00 staring back at her.
She lost her balance and fell back on the couch in a dead faint.
“Mom!… Guards!” Piper screamed and called the guards. In no time, three hefty guards showed up.
“Help my mother to her room, I’ll get the doctors.” She immediately took her phone and started to call for an emergency.
…
Jeslyn was still with Valen when her phone beeped. She took it to see a message from her bank alerting her that a deposit of $500 billion was made into her account. Jeslyn blinked a few times. She didn’t understand the message. She could have called it a scam but her bank doesn’t make such mistakemistakes.