The Billionaire's Son

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"Listen, Mallory..." Gideon said slowly. He licked his lower lips nervously and looked away. "I am your brother..."

My heart almost leaped with what he said.

"You're my... what?" napapaos ang tinig kong tanong.

Ibinagsak niya ang kaniyang tingin sa sahig. "Half-brother, actually..." he corrected. "We have different fathers."

Mas lalo pa akong nagulat sa aking narinig. Pinakatitigan ko si Gideon, trying to find any hint that he's just joking and none of this is real. Pero seryoso ang kaniyang mukha at wala itong bahid ng kung anumang pagkukunwari.

Pagod siyang umupo ulit sa upuan. Sage immediately rushed towards my directions and held me in his arms. Napansin niya ata ang pangangatog ng mga binti ko.

"How?" halos hindi ko na marinig ang boses ko.

Gideon smiled bitterly at me. "Well, you see, our mother dated my father for a while. Ang akala niya'y iniwan na talaga siya ng ama mo. Kaya nang ipinanganak ako at bumalik ang iyong ama mula sa laot, iniwan ako ni mama sa tatay ko."

"Gid..."

"It's okay, I'm not mad at you. Or at her. Palihim niya pa rin akong sinusustentuhan. She checks up on me every now and then. But she doesn't want you to know about my existence because... well, it will hurt you. She wanted to preserve your mindset of a happy and perfect family..."

I placed my hand over my mouth, trying to blink back the tears that are forming in my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mallory... I tried to get as close to you but I couldn't. Pinilit kong mabuhay nang walang kinikilalang mama at kapatid, kahit na gustong-gusto ko kayong makasama dalawa. Our mother even tried to stitch back our family together by introducing my father to you..."

I gasped. "S-Si Uncle Marco?"

Malungkot siyang tumango. "Yeah... he's my father. He may be a jerk, but he brought me to this world. And the reason why he's hurting you... it's because he's frustrated of what our mother did to him. Until he died... I don't think he had forgiven our mother."

Tuluyan nang tumulo ang mga luha ko. I remembered all the times when I pleaded my mother to get away from Uncle Marco. Ang gusto niya lang pala ay maging isang pamilya kami. But in the end, she still considered what I feel. Alam niyang madudurog ang puso ko kapag nalaman kong may iba pa pala siyang pamilya bukod sa aming dalawa ni Papa.

"I'm sorry, Mallory..." yumuko si Gideon at ihinilamos ang kaniyang mukha sa palad. "I should've told you earlier. Hindi mo dapat nalaman sa ganitong paraan ang nakaraan ng ating pamilya."

Umiiyak akong lumapit kay Gideon at niyakap siya nang mahigpit. Mukhang nagulat siya sa aking ginawa.

"You idiot..." I murmured. "You really should've told me earlier, Gid. You're my brother... syempre tatanggapin at mamahalin kita. I've longed for a family for so long, Gid, ever since my mother left me. Ikaw nalang ang natira sa akin..."

Niyakap din ako ni Gideon at tahimik na humikbi. Ang panghapong liwanag ay tumama na sa aming bakuran. The wind blew gently. It's my first time seeing Gideon cried. And it made me cried harder.

Hinawakan niya ako hanggang sa mahimashimasan na ako. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwalang kapatid ko nga siya. My heart has never been so happy since I lost my girls. Gideon have no idea how his presence lifted the heavy weight on my shoulders.

"I still don't want to tell Sage about Jasmine..." pag-amin niya isang hapon habang nag-uusap kaming dalawa sa balkonahe. Sage had just left matapos dali-daling kaining ang miryenda na inihanda ko. The farm is busy since it's planting season again. Balita ko'y naghahanap na din silang dalawa ni Aaric nang iba pang puwedeng magtrabaho para lang sa season na ito.