✓ | REBIRTH OF THE REBEL [Book Two]

CHAPTER 35

"You need to talk to Anna," I said. I was combing his hair and only stopped when he moved, making his face a few inches from me. "You said you can recognized her, why don't you assess if she's real or not—"

"Annabelle is dead," he cut me off. His firm voice breaks through my fragility. Umiwas siya ng tingin. "It has to stay that way, wife. Whatever truth prevails, I don't have any intent of coming back to her nor give her a position in my daughter's life," he added.

"If she's Annabelle, Annika deserves to know her real mother," I uttered. My voice may be calm to avoid us fighting over this, but my diction was firm.

Roshan's amber orbs looked at me again. "For five years, I did not mourn for her death. I mourned my heart being broken over her cheating. I accepted the child as my own for she is a half-blooded Redeinsteigh. If Annika's father could have been mature enough to think of his mistake, he would have had the power to save them both, but he didn't."

Nangungusap ang mga mata niya. Ang sakit na matagal ng namumuno sa likod ng kanyang isipan ay lumabas na parang talon na biglang lumakas ang pagbuhos. He never talked to me about his truth regarding the five years of being isolated from her death. And now it's resurfacing.

His gaze, stern and resolute, bore into mine as he continued to voice his unwavering stance. "Now, if she's the real Annabelle, she can be, but she will never take our daughter away. I don't care if losing her memories cost her the chance to be a mother to Annika. Annika will not know her as a mother," he declared, the weight of his words hanging in the air.

I felt the gravity of his determination and the protective instinct that fueled it. The mention of Annika, our daughter, was a line drawn in the sand, one that no force could breach. His walls, built upon the betrayal of infidelity, had cast him as a formidable figure over the past five years. The title of tyrant, earned through the rumors and whispers of the court, seemed a small price to pay for shielding our daughter from the shadows of a complicated past.

As I absorbed his words, I knew that behind the harsh exterior was a man driven by a fierce love for our family. The scars of betrayal had shaped him, molding the duke into a guardian who would fiercely defend what was rightfully ours.

"Your grace," I began, choosing my words carefully, "I understand your concern. But perhaps, before making final judgments, we should delve deeper into the truth of Annabelle's return. There might be layers to this story that we have yet to uncover."

His eyes softened for a moment, a fleeting vulnerability before the walls returned. "I won't let history repeat itself, wife. Annika's happiness is my priority, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect her."

The conversation hung in the air, the complexities of our past weaving into the uncertain tapestry of the future. The challenge lay in finding a delicate balance between protecting what we held dear and unraveling the mysteries that threatened to disrupt our carefully constructed world.

Can you stop sugarcoating your words, Latisha?

Since when did you become talkative, Laviene?

In the midst of our tense conversation, Erwan rushed back into the room, a sense of urgency etched across his face. He glanced at the duke and then at me before delivering the news that would further complicate our already precarious situation.

"Your grace, Madame, there's trouble," Erwan began, catching his breath. "Laphel has disappeared. We can't find him anywhere in the borders."

Napatayo tuloy ako dahil sa gulat. The gravity of Erwan's words sank in, and the room suddenly felt smaller as the weight of concern settled upon us. Without hesitation, we made our way to the living room, where the gathered company awaited news of Laphel's mysterious disappearance.