Chapter 161 - 159 - Chris, Lucia And Matthew

After that day, Matthew never came back to school. Rumor circulated that he became his father's right hand man. That he was doing everything his father wanted.

Lucia and I continued our lives and I was more persistent on finishing my studies. Once I become a doctor, we will go far away from Flousia, get married and have a family.

After a year, we graduated and I took another year to practice medicine, then I became a doctor, a psychiatrist. We already planned our escape, everything was settled. But something unexpected happened.

"Princess Catherine disappeared. She ran away with a rich man named Benjamin Miller." Lucia informed me.

All I could think of at that moment was Matthew. I was thinking if he's okay. From the photos that we saw in the newspapers, it seems he's really in love with her. Princess Catherine was not a perfect woman. She's a rebellious one according to the rumors.

We tried to contact Matthew for days, weeks and months but he never answered. We're not sure if he was avoiding us or if someone was blocking us from contacting him.

Months passed but we still never heard from him. Then I was shocked when the Forelli Clan suddenly announced the engagement of Matthew and Lucia. I began to get restless when I couldn't contact Lucia all of a sudden. 

After a week, Lucia came to my home one evening. Her eyes were swollen from crying and she looked so thin and stressed.

"Chris, take me away please." She said in a panic.

"Calm down, honey. Did you talk to Matthew about it?" I asked, trying not to show her that I am also anxious.

"Yes. He said he can't do anything about it. He knows about us and he was telling me to marry him and we can continue our relationship. He won't tell anyone about us. He was trying to protect us. If I don't agree, Matthew's father will either marry me off to someone older or he will kill me." She explained.

I frowned. We were sitting on the couch while I held her shoulders, rubbing them gently so she could relax.

"Lucia, if you marry him and someone finds out about our set up, do you think his father will spare you, me and Matthew? He won't."

She nodded in agreement. "That's why I want us to go with our plans now. Matthew is not a bad person. He was suffering ever since we were kids. He was broken and in pain since his mother left. He can't do anything because his father was threatening him." She continued.

"Threatening him? I thought he wanted to be his father's successor?" I asked, confused.

"Yes and no. He wanted to take over his father so he could change the way of the mafia. No, because he always wanted to have a normal life." She answered.

Now I know why his eyes were always full of pain. Lucia told me that Matthew's mother left her when he was ten and never came back. No one knew if she's still alive or if his father had sent someone to kill her. Matthew always thinks of his mother and was worried about her. His father was heartless and he really didn't care about anyone but himself.

I don't want Matthew to sacrifice his safety to protect us and I also won't allow anyone to be Lucia's husband. I know it was dangerous and our lives will be at stake but still I love both Lucia and Matthew, they were important to me. So I asked Lucia to not go back to her family and decided that night to leave Flousia.

Thinking back, our escape was easy. No one actually stopped us from leaving, as if someone was helping us. Maybe Matthew was the one who helped us that day.

We settled in Willow Green, got married and after three years, Jayden was born. We lived there in peace until the day Lucia was murdered. It was the most terrifying experience in my life. My wife was murdered but I couldn't find the courage to confront Matthew.

Yes. I may not have a proof but I know who was responsible for Lucia's death. I just couldn't have the time to investigate it myself because of my son, Jayden. He was with Lucia when the tragic incident happened. He was traumatized and I diagnosed him with dissociative identity disorder because of that.

I cried every night when Lucia died but I couldn't show it to my son. He was suffering from the trauma. He didn't actually see the people who killed his mother. Lucia was able to hide him in the closet but Jayden saw everything they did to her. I never asked my son the details. It was so painful for both us.

I couldn't allow myself to be weak. I have to be strong for Jayden. I can't even think of revenge, I have no time for that. 

Jayden and I moved on but we never forgot what happened to Lucia. We started moving from different places because I always felt that someone was following us.

We were running from Lucia's family, the Castello's and we were also running from the Forelli. The Castello's wanted Jayden to be the next successor and I think the Forelli would like to finish what they started, to kill both of us.

Then the day came that we were taken by Luke Wilson and Alora Smith. Alora was my patient when she was nine. She also has dissociative identity disorder like Jayden. 

The first time we came into their house, a girl named Peggy introduced herself and became Jayden's girlfriend. It happened so fast and I didn't stop my son from having a relationship with her even though I found out that she was the daughter of Benjamin Miller and Princess Catherime Hulls.

When I saw her, she looked like her mother but her eyes were different, it was blue. Somehow, I saw Matthew in her. I know there was a rumor that Catherine had an affair with different men and one of them is Matthew. I ignored the thought and the possibility that this girl was Matthew's.

She was kind and had a good heart. I can see that Jayden was beginning to change because of her. But then fate played tricks on us again, it turned out that my suspicion was correct. Peggy is Matthew's daughter.