BLEACHED

72: Confrontation.

Domen swallows his dry saliva as he glances down to the table, feeling the goosebumps on his skin rise as he now knows how worse it actually is.

"So you see, Domen, I'm only helping her out, sparing her entirely. I can't say for sure that they kill anyone but... I want to be on the safe side." She shrugs her shoulders as Domen reaches a hand up to his tie and loosens it.

"I can just let her leave the country." He says as he glanced back at her, to which she slightly rolls her eyes to.

"Even if you were to hide her, they'll still find her, one way or the other." She says as she laces her fingers together. "As much as I wanted to look for your brother, it's safer if I don't."

Domen presses his lips together as she glances back down to the table, feeling his lungs suddenly feel more heavier than they've always been.

"I'm not your enemy." She says as she leans forward and stares at her son's mortified expression. "I'm trying to help you and Lavender."

"So the only way to protect her is to lose the baby... And if I keep both then I'll lose them all." He says as he turns his gaze back to his mother who raises her brows, amused that he's finally getting the big idea.

She nods and leans back to her seat, smiling as she watches her son turn away from her again.

Obviously trying to think.

"Give me up until the pre party, convincing her will take a while." He says as he fixes his tie and sits up straight. "Seems like we don't have a choice."

Heather grins out and nods her head in agreement before getting up from her seat.

"Then I won't pursue her any further. Hopefully you do what's necessary, I can't stop your father if he gets suspicious." Heather continue as she reaches down to his shoulder as she is about to leave. "Soon after the wedding, I'd live if you avoid her all together. We'll be able to get out of this with our heads intact but that doesn't mean we'll get the same luck if it happens again. Best to avoid it altogether. Remember, Perfection is everything to your family."

He watches as she gets out of the cafe shop, getting him to groan and lean back into his seat, feeling his body melt into the seat as he gazes up at the ceiling.

A waitress comes over and starts speaking to him, but he doesn't even try to understand what she's saying, even though it seems she's trying to ask for an autograph.

He shift his eyes to the large window just beside his seat and stares right over the to the company, staring right over to where Lavender's office could be.

As much as he promised he would protect her from his family, even he is starting to feel defenseless against such strong people.

He holds no candle to the rest of them that have been able to tear down people's entire lives just by looking at them the wrong way.

His grandparents have been silent for the last years and never really intervene with their lives as much as they used to.

That was when Desmond had suddenly become more controlling and like a puppet master, he took over Domen's live in a blink of an eye.

Maybe that's how he will end up to be, trapped in a neverending loop with him controlling his children to fit the standards of his grandparents.

A standard that has always placed the Southrens one of the most perfect families world wide with a beautiful, handsome and successful lineage.

No room for errors.

My older brother was an error... I guess. And they got rid of it.

He shuts his eyes as the entire room around him goes blank, not hearing even the clutter of places and cups, nor the children shouting or crying, nor the parents chattering.

What would he have looked like?

Would he have fallen for Lavender like I did if I never got the chance to replace him?

Would he be going through all this and accept things as they are? Or would things turn out different?

"Spoon or knife?" A masculine voice slips into his ears and he lazily opens his eyes and glances over to whomever is talking to him.

Cameron.

Why the fvck is he everywhere?

"The audacity you have to even approach me." Domen glares at him as he watches Cameron take a seat right in front of him.

"I hate myself for even thinking it. But I couldn't help myself but eavesdrop on your conversation. Your mother noticed me but I guess she doesn't care about what I do."

Cameron says as he gently pushes the coffee cup that Heather was drinking from and moves it to the side as he leans onto the table.

"You're not doing her a favour, Domen." Cameron says as he crosses his arms while leaning on the table. "You clearly are the reason she's having problems."

"You're just jealous she likes me more." Domen rolls his eyes as he glances out of the window. "It ticks you off."

"What I don't understand is why the fvck you keep being with her when you're getting married to another woman. Her best friend." Cameron furrows his brows as he leans from the table and clenched his fists. "She told me everything that happened this morning. She was apologizing to me but I was so pissed off I left the office without even hearing the rest of it. I came looking for you and I saw your car here. You keep fvcking with her when you know too well you're only ruining her life."

Domen glares at Cameron and grits his teeth when he can tell Cameron is pouring all his blood into his words.

He's never spoke to Cameron for longer than a minute, simply because it itched him whenever Cameron is around.

Though he's complaining, Domen doesn't want to hear it.

"I like her. It isn't something I can stop doing-."

"- You like her but I'm falling in love with her. Your affection for her is too small compared to mine and unlike you, I'm willing to change for her sake and you are so arrogant that you'd rather out Lavender in danger and if she gone you'd have your perfect wife to fill up the role Lavender was playing in your cat and mouse game in the bedroom."

Domen forces a mocking chuckle but frowns as he glares at him, unblinking.

"I'm willing to raise your child in your place, you stupid bastard." Cameron hisses, catching the attention of a few customers that are within earshot. "That's how much I love her. But you want to be selfish, you want her all to yourself and you don't even want to be with her. You and your family can go to h*ll for all I care. Maybe I should do you a favour and find that illegitimate brother of yours, don't get me wrong, I'm doing this to make your family bleed from their eyes. I'll crush all that perfection when I get the chance."

He gets up from the chair, the fire around him melting off the seats from his boiling anger that fumes from his ears.

Domen drops his gaze to the ground as he clenched onto his trousers, knowing too well Cameron's fuming rage is justifiable.

He's causing a mess he doesn't know how to fix.