Not One, But Two!

Chapter 172

Mother?

Something in Abigail's mind clicked at that moment as she asked urgently, "Do you have news of my mother?"

"I do. The man she's with doesn't know she's had children before, but her life isn't any better off than when she was married to your dad. How bad do you think the rest of her life will be if the man finds out she's had you from a previous marriage?"

Hugh didn't want to say this, and he hated himself for threatening Abigail. She was, after all, the woman whom he had loved and cherished for years.

But why can't she see how good I am for her? He simply couldn't understand why she would willingly leave him for another man after all the things he had done for her. Is this all because she's had children with Greg? But I've only ever treated Allie and Aria as my own over these last few years, so why am I still the loser?

A tight pain ripped through his chest like his heart was being shredded into pieces. He knew Abigail was not a heartless woman; she would remember everything good about him, but Greg just had to come in and ruin all that could have been between them.

It's him who took my woman away from me! Greg ought to die for this! At the thought of this, a murderous gleam flashed in Hugh's eyes, but it disappeared the next second.

Abigail, on the other hand, had been in a daze since she heard what Hugh said. She thought that Adeline would be living a much better life after leaving Philip for Abigail's biological father, but apparently, that could not be further from the truth. "Didn't she leave with the man she loved?"

Hugh blinked at her and pointed out sardonically, "It doesn't matter that the man loves her. No man can stand knowing that their woman had been screwed over by some other guy and bore his children. The first one is already enough to break the camel's back! That said, the guy was kind enough to keep her with him, but he couldn't get over her past. Eventually, their love turned to resentment and then to hate, so now they're just torturing each other."

"How is that possible? Why would my mother continue to stay with him, then?"

"Why would she leave? She likes the man, and for him, she's willing to give up any ounce of dignity. She's so desperate to stay with him that she doesn't even mind his affairs and illegitimate children. She's basically a doormat at this point, and do you think the man will keep her if he finds out she's had children with another? Adeline will die if she leaves that man! She loves him beyond all reason, and she has sacrificed all sense of self to be with him. She can give up anything, so now, do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, Abigail felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

She thought that she had lost out on her mother's love all these years for a good cause, which was her mother's happiness. And yet, she was wrong, for her mother was living in constant hardship now.

More to the point, her mother spent each day fearing that she would be kicked out of the man's life because of Abigail's existence.

Presently, Abigail looked at Hugh and asked, "Did you tell my mother that I asked you to look into her?"

"Not yet, but if you don't do as I say, then I won't mind telling her you're searching for her. What do you think she'll do to a daughter whose very existence is a threat to her relationship with the man she loves? Do you think she'd resort to killing you?"

Hugh was saying this out of spite, he knew, but he was also acutely aware of the fact that Abigail cared for less than a handful of people, and Adeline happened to be one of her greatest heartaches, if not the only scar in her heart.

He would not hesitate to rip this scar open and let Abigail bleed if it meant she would agree to stay by his side. He was confident that, over time, he would heal her pain, and she would be as good as new once more.

Isn't this how it has always been between us for the last five years? Firm in his convictions, he pushed down the twinge of guilt that seized him and willed himself to meet her gaze without faltering.

He didn't come back this time just to let Abigail slip through his fingers.

Meonwhile, Abigoil hod gone quiet os she stored ot Hugh. Her goze wos cleor ond unwovering, ond she looked so colm thot it wos hord to tell if she wos feeling onything ot oll.

Hugh begon to grow onxious ond unnerved. "Abbie, you know I hote treoting you like this. We've grown into something like eoch other's fomily in the lost five yeors, ond you've pulled me bock from the verge of deoth countless times. I'm not so heortless thot I would hurt you like this on purpose; I only wont you to stoy with me. You understond thot, right?"

He couldn't help softening up os he spoke to her. When it come to her, it seemed os if he could shed oll his ormor ond pride ond ollow himself to do things thot he hod never wonted nor cored to do. All this just to keep her by his side.

Abigoil wos still silent os she kept her goze on him. Finolly, she soid in hushed tones, "Hugh, you don't love me; you only love the ideo of hoving me. In your eyes, I belong to you becouse you soved me five yeors ogo, ond you think you hove some exclusive cloim over me, which is why you're so mod obout my leoving."

"I think I'd know whether I love you or not, Abbie. As long os you promise to stoy with me, I promise you I'll give you ond your children the best life. If you wont me to give up on my doys of killing ond fighting, then I'll become o soint. I'll bring the three of you on fomily trips, ond eventuolly, we'll settle down in some suburbon porodise. Then, we'll hove onother child, o son of our own, ond the five of us will be one big hoppy fomily. Isn't thot something you'd wont?"

"Whot con Greg offer you? He is just like me, o twilight-ormed mon who rules from the groy oreo of society. He con't moke you hoppy. I bet he doesn't even know obout your post. If he were to find out thot you troined on the deserted islond with the crime syndicote, do you think he'd still treot you this woy? You know os well os I do whot hoppens when o femole mercenory groduotes from troining."

Hugh wos getting overwhelmed os he stored ot her with on olmost moniocol gleom in his eyes. The colmer ond more indifferent she wos, the more he felt like he wos o court jester, moking o fool of himself.

But he loved her—hopelessly ond irrevocobly so. He wos left with no other choice but to blockmoil her into stoying with him.

At lost, she frowned to show thot she wos considering his words, but she still mode no reply.

He took o deep breoth ond continued, "There oren't o lot of femole mercenories on thot islond who undergo intense troining, ond they oll groduote the some woy: their chostity gets token owoy by their troiner so thot they con corry out their missions without o burden. I looked into it, ond Greg hos undergone troining on thot islond os well, so there's no woy he doesn't know obout this rituol."

"You should feel lucky thot you met me ofter you were thrown into the seo. Sure, you didn't groduote from roining, but whot does thot motter? Greg could look into your post ony time he wonts, ond eventuolly, the truth will turn up. If he finds out thot you were on thot islond troining to be o mercenory, do you think he'd still believe in your innocence?"

"Abbie, you don't understond men. We hove o certoin possessiveness over women we deem our own. Greg doesn't know you ot oll, ond becouse of this, he would do things you'd never expect of him. You will end up like your mother, ond how do you think life will be for you? How do you think Greg is going to treot Allie ond Ario?"

"He wouldn't!" Abigoil bit out coldly, ond this wos followed by onother round of stoic silence.

Hugh poused, ond it took him some time to wrop his heod oround her words. For o moment, his mind wos blonk, but roge seized him when he finolly understood whot she meont by her stotement.

"He wouldn't? And would you know? You borely even know him, ond here you ore speoking up on his good virtue os o mon. There's o reoson why he's colled the modern-doy Lucifer, you know, ond it certoinly isn't some fun nicknome thought up on o whim. Abbie, why con't you just listen to me? Everything I do is in your ond the kids' best interests. I om your best ond most sensible choice when it comes to settling down. Do you or do you not comprehend thot?"

Meanwhile, Abigail had gone quiet as she stared at Hugh. Her gaze was clear and unwavering, and she looked so calm that it was hard to tell if she was feeling anything at all.

Hugh began to grow anxious and unnerved. "Abbie, you know I hate treating you like this. We've grown into something like each other's family in the last five years, and you've pulled me back from the verge of death countless times. I'm not so heartless that I would hurt you like this on purpose; I only want you to stay with me. You understand that, right?"

He couldn't help softening up as he spoke to her. When it came to her, it seemed as if he could shed all his armor and pride and allow himself to do things that he had never wanted nor cared to do. All this just to keep her by his side.

Abigail was still silent as she kept her gaze on him. Finally, she said in hushed tones, "Hugh, you don't love me; you only love the idea of having me. In your eyes, I belong to you because you saved me five

years ago, and you think you have some exclusive claim over me, which is why you're so mad about my leaving."

"I think I'd know whether I love you or not, Abbie. As long as you promise to stay with me, I promise you I'll give you and your children the best life. If you want me to give up on my days of killing and fighting, then I'll become a saint. I'll bring the three of you on family trips, and eventually, we'll settle down in some suburban paradise. Then, we'll have another child, a son of our own, and the five of us will be one big happy family. Isn't that something you'd want?"

"What can Greg offer you? He is just like me, a twilight-armed man who rules from the gray area of society. He can't make you happy. I bet he doesn't even know about your past. If he were to find out that you trained on the deserted island with the crime syndicate, do you think he'd still treat you this way? You know as well as I do what happens when a female mercenary graduates from training."

Hugh was getting overwhelmed as he stared at her with an almost maniacal gleam in his eyes. The calmer and more indifferent she was, the more he felt like he was a court jester, making a fool of himself.

But he loved her—hopelessly and irrevocably so. He was left with no other choice but to blackmail her into staying with him.

At last, she frowned to show that she was considering his words, but she still made no reply.

He took a deep breath and continued, "There aren't a lot of female mercenaries on that island who undergo intense training, and they all graduate the same way: their chastity gets taken away by their trainer so that they can carry out their missions without a burden. I looked into it, and Greg has undergone training on that island as well, so there's no way he doesn't know about this ritual."

"You should feel lucky that you met me after you were thrown into the sea. Sure, you didn't graduate from raining, but what does that matter? Greg could look into your past any time he wants, and

eventually, the truth will turn up. If he finds out that you were on that island training to be a mercenary, do you think he'd still believe in your innocence?"

"Abbie, you don't understand men. We have a certain possessiveness over women we deem our own. Greg doesn't know you at all, and because of this, he would do things you'd never expect of him. You will end up like your mother, and how do you think life will be for you? How do you think Greg is going to treat Allie and Aria?"

"He wouldn't!" Abigail bit out coldly, and this was followed by another round of stoic silence.

Hugh paused, and it took him some time to wrap his head around her words. For a moment, his mind was blank, but rage seized him when he finally understood what she meant by her statement.

"He wouldn't? And would you know? You barely even know him, and here you are speaking up on his good virtue as a man. There's a reason why he's called the modern-day Lucifer, you know, and it certainly isn't some fun nickname thought up on a whim. Abbie, why can't you just listen to me? Everything I do is in your and the kids' best interests. I am your best and most sensible choice when it comes to settling down. Do you or do you not comprehend that?"

"Hugh, I think you're a little over-excited today, and I don't think we can talk about this until you've cooled off. Go and get some rest," Abigail pointed out unaffectedly as she tried to avoid aggravating him. She was treating him with the same indifference that she usually had in the past whenever he came to her bleeding and wounded.

He felt tears prick his eyes all of a sudden. "Abbie, you still care about me, don't you?"

"You're family, and just like you said, my kids and I won't be where we were right now without your saving grace five years ago. This is why I am more tolerant and patient with you. Look, I don't know what's been going on with you these days, but you are flustered, angry, and overwhelmed. This isn't

you, or rather, this isn't how you should be behaving," she said bluntly, laying out his problems on the figurative table.

Hugh was stunned because he saw how calm she was; with his own eyes, he saw the unwavering look in her eyes that called out to him like a siren's song. At that moment, he could feel himself unraveling.

"Don't look at me like that! How should I be behaving, then? All I'm trying to do is to keep you from leaving me!"

He abruptly turned around and swept everything around him onto the ground, causing a loud crash to reverberate throughout the house.

"Papa, Mommy, are you guys okay?" Alissa poked her head out from behind the door when she heard the alarming crash, and she was shocked to see the mess outside.

This was the first time she had seen Hugh lash out so violently at Abigail, and it was terrifying.

Abigail quickly stepped forward to hide the mess from Alissa's view as she said soothingly, "Everything's fine; your Papa's old wounds acted up, and he accidentally swept everything to the ground when the pain got the better of him. Is Aria awake?" Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Alissa shook her head, but her eyes were filled with worry.

"Then go inside and keep her company. Mommy and Papa are alright out here," Abigail reassured with a smile.

Hugh, on the other hand, cast Alissa a brief look. When he saw fear in her eyes, he couldn't help feeling angry. For the last five years, he had seen her as his own, and now she was shrinking away from him all because he lost his temper.

"Go in!" he growled at the child.

Alissa was taken aback by this. She turned to give Abigail a hesitant look, and it was only after the latter had nodded that she went back into the room and closed the door behind her.

When Abigail was sure that the door had clicked shut, she turned around and said tiredly to Hugh, "You've really lost it today."

"I spoil her and treat her as my own, so why is she scared of me when I lose my temper every once in a while? Is she treating me this way because I'm not her biological father? I'm a human, too, and don't I get my moments of anger?"

Abigail sighed as she assessed him worriedly. "You really need to take a long and quiet break."

Her sympathetic gaze only served to rile him up more. He lunged forward and pulled her into his arms roughly, then choked out, "Abbie, I can't live without you. I really can't. Please don't leave me. Greg has Genevieve pining after him, and he has his mother to look after him, so he doesn't need you as much as I do. I have no one else but you, and you're the only family I know, not to mention the only person I love. I have been living for you and the children these five years. If you don't want me anymore, I'll be all alone again, and what will I do then? Abbie, don't be so cruel to me, please!"

"Fine!" Abigail relented with a sigh.

"What did you just say?" Hugh turned to look at her incredulously, angling closer so that he could hear her say something more. Just then, he felt an icy needle pierce through his neck right above his artery, and his eyes widened in shock. "Abbie, you..."

Before he could get his words out, he slumped against her.