☨ ☩☣ ☘ † ❂ ⚕ ᴈᴑᴎ ☠ ☢ ⚔ ⚓♰☯☭

STEPHEN's POV

The past

Upon opening the door, I heard a loud noise that came from upstairs followed by a scream, then another loud noise again. I got worried and ran upstairs. The loud noise was coming from one particular room. It was my brother's.

I opened the door without knocking and the messy room that was full of broken things scattered on the floor came into my view. He was standing at the center of the room while breathing hard.

"What's happening to you?! What did you have to break all these stuff?" I couldn't help but to raise my voice. I knew that he'd been frustrated these past few months because he was just staying inside the house. I didn't allow him to go out because I knew that he was being chased after by the people who wanted to kill him.

"I can't take this anymore. I will surely go insane if I'd stay here inside the house for another day!" he roared. I could see that he was having a hard time controlling himself not to explode. He raked his fingers through his hair.

He really looked different now compared to the first time that I saw him after a very long time. We just got reunited just three months ago after 18 years. Yes, we didn't grow up together because when we were both 7 years old, he got kidnapped.

I could still remember that day, same as the day that my parents died. Our parents were on their way home from work while me and Syril just came home from school. We were together with our nanny. It was already 5:30 pm but they hadn't arrived yet but we assumed that they must have went to buy us the surprise that they promised us because we got high scores in our exams yesterday.

We were so excited while waiting for them. Then our nanny made us a snack while waiting. We were so happy eating our snacks while playing our robot toys when a group of armed men wearing full face masks barged inside our house.

They asked us where our parents were. They pointed their guns at us while. We told them that we didn't know but they didn't believe us just like that. We were already crying in fear.

They searched throughout the house but when they didn't find our parents, they forcefully took one of us and that was Syril.

I kept on begging them not to take him away but they didn't listen to my pleas. I didn't know what to do that time. I was just a kid. The household helpers contacted the police right away when those men left while I on the other hand tried to call my parents but they weren't answering.

The police responded and came into our house right away. They took our statements as they deployed other policemen to search for my brother.

We kept on trying to contact my parents but it was the same. They weren't answering.

I thought they were just busy but then another group of policemen came into our house and then told us the bad news. Apparently, my parents got into an accident and they were dead on the spot. My young mind back then was so shock and didn't know what to do. I couldn't accept the fact that I was left alone. My entire family was gone.

My brother got kidnapped while my parents died. It was a nightmare. I couldn't do anything other than to scream and cry.

Even though I was young back then, everything happened got etched inside my head clearly.

Since that day, my life changed. A relative took me in but after a couple of months, he passed me to another one of our relatives. I got passed on from a relative to another relative.

Even though I was young then, I kept on asking the police about the progress of my brother's case. Then one day, they got a lead that the group who took him away was a member of the terrorist group named Horeeya. But after that, there was no progress in the case anymore.

Then a couple of years have passed and I finally reached my 18th birthday.

That was the time when the lawyer of my parents appeared and told me that I could finally take my inheritance. He told me that I got the fifty percent of all the stocks and properties of my parents while the other half belonged to my brother.

My life became better ever since then. I did great in school because I wanted to join the army. I had a goal and that was to find my brother.

Then years passed by in a blink of an eye. I became a soldier and got deployed to different countries where war was still a problem. I accepted the most dangerous assignments because in my head, I might find a clue of where my brother was if I did so.

I even joined the CIA.

When our superiors finally assigned us to eradicate Horeeya, I accepted it without even having a second thought.

But it wasn't that easy. It took us almost a year to finally receive an intel that the terrorist group was actually residing in the tallest mountain of that country. My superiors actually told us that a member of that group was the one who tipped them the information.

They weren't convinced at first because it might be a trap but we planned our strategy very carefully anyway and went there.

To our surprise, when we arrived there, we proved that the information we received was really legit. The group was caught-off guard and wasn't expecting our attack so we succeeded on defeating them.

It wasn't that easy. A lot of our comrades died in the battle because the group had a lot of high caliber weapons just like us.

While the war between us and the Horeeya was happening, I noticed a big tent at the west side of the area. It was far from the other tents. I stealthily went there while trying my best to stay as alert as possible.

Then I saw two men fighting like bulls inside. I was rooted on my feet when I saw the face of one of them. Even though his hair was long, I could tell that he was my long lost brother. Ic ouldn't react right away. I was pulled out of my reverie when I heard a gunshot. I saw that the man Syril was fighting with was already dead with a gunshot in his chest.

When he noticed my presence, he pointed his gun at me but when he saw that we had the same face, his face went soft as he put his gun down.

From that day, I promised to myself that I would protect him from any harm. When he told me that he was a member of the Horeeya and he was the one who gave the information to us, I helped him escape. I didn't let my comrades see him at the scene because they would surely treat him as an enemy and worst, they might kill him.

After the mission, we successfully defeat the Horeeya but unfortunately, some on its members managed to escape.

When Syril and I met again, he told me everything that happened to him. According to him, the group of men that took him away when we were still kids were members of the Horeeya. They brought him to their camp and forced to train him to be one of them. They forced him to do a lot of terrible things.

I couldn't imagine what he'd through that I cried while hearing his story. I asked for his forgiveness because I couldn't save him. When I told him that our parents died the same day that he got kidnapped, he cried as well.

According to him, he made sure to not forget us because we were the only ones that served as his strength not to lose hope in the hell hole that he was into.

After that, I tried my best to hide him knowing that the remaining members of the Horeeya was after him. They surely discovered that he was the one who gave the intel to us.

I contacted some of my friends that had a connection underground and asked for their help because I discovered that a certain group in the underground has a connection to the Horeeya. The remaining members of the group asked their help but they couldn't move because my friends already warned them not to interfere.

They even pulled some strings so that the government would not involve Syril with the said terrorist group. His record as a member of the Horeeya got erased.

But after all that, we couldn't take the risk that's why I instructed for him to just stay in the house the moment we got back in the USA.

"You know that this is the best for you right now. You can't just walk in the streets as if no one is hunting you down"

"But you already asked for your friends' help, right? Besides, I've been using another surname and the wanted Stephen Blades is already dead" he looked so frustrated. I understood that he was already bored just staying inside the house. I felt bad because he couldn't live normally ever since he got taken away from us.

I knew that he wanted to go out and experience the world far from what he grew up with.

I heaved a sigh. I knew that I couldn't keep him here forever.

"Fine. You can go out but I only have two conditions. First, I will assign people to watch you from afar wherever you go and second, you must use my name. Don't ever use the same Stephen Syril because your enemies might find you. Be very careful" his eyes brightened and then smiled. This was one of the things that I noticed about him. He was distant, cold and rarely smiles.

In fact, he only smiles when he was talking to me. He already met my friends and they said that we're totally different aside from having the same face.

"Thanks, T. You don't know how much this means to me" it was my turn to smile and then nodded my head.

The next day, I was so happy because I finally got to talk to Kelly at the shop. She'd been my crush ever since I saw her at one of the parties that we attended before. I thought we wouldn't see each other again but she unexpectedly came to the newly opened branch of S & T Jewels.

"You look happy" Syril commented while staring at me. I didn't even see him sitting on the couch at the living room because my mind was busy thinking about Kelly.

"Yes. I'm indeed happy right now"

"Is it because of a girl?" I smiled and then nodded my head. He shook his head and then focused on watching TV.

Then a week after that, I noticed the change in Syril's behavior. He became cheerful and always smiling.

"You've been awfully happy these past few days" I commented.

"Yes, I'm happy because I've met a girl" I didn't know why but I noticed him looked away when he answered. He looked guilty but that was just for a second or two because he smiled again.

"I really like her even though I've never talk to her"

"What? You should introduce yourself to her before it's too late" I suggested. He smiled grimly.

"I don't know about that. She already belong to someone else"

"Then you should find someone else" he nodded his head.

"Yes. I'll try".

Weeks flew by. I continued going to Kelly's school and our times together were very special and memorable. She never failed to amaze me. When we kissed, I wanted to jump for joy because she reciprocated my kiss with all her heart.

I wanted to officially court her back then but something came up. I got called for an important mission in the Middle East. I had to leave for a month or so.

I said my goodbye to her but I already had a plan the moment I come back and that was to never let her go again and make her mind.

I went to my mission with Kelly as my inspiration but I couldn't finished my mission for a month. It took me two months to do it.

I missed Kelly so much that when I finished my mission, I went home right away. Instead of going home, I went directly to Kelly's school. I even bought a bouquet of flowers for her while holding the necklace that I promised to her.

I waited under the tree near the gate, waiting for her.

When I saw her coming out of the gate, I felt so happy. I was about to walk towards her when I saw someone approached her and then kissed her on the lips. My smile faded in an instant while staring at them in shock. I couldn't believe of what I was seeing.

I went home with a heavy heart. I was so confused.

When Syril came home, I couldn't help but to confront him.

"How come you're Kelly's boyfriend now?" I asked through gritted teeth. He remained silent for a couple of seconds. He looked guilty.

"I'm sorry, T, but I love her" he answered.

"Did you know that she was the woman I was telling you about?" he nodded in response. I felt like I was about to explode.

"I'm sorry, T. I courted her when you left. I pretended to be you and---" before he could even finish his sentence, I punched him on the face.

"How could you do this to me?! There's a lot of women out there but why the woman I love?!" I roared full of resentment and then left.

Syril kept on asking my forgiveness but I couldn't give him. I had planned to talk to Kelly and tell her the truth but he begged me not to. He told me that this was the first time that he became this happy.

Even though it was so painful, I gave way because I wanted him to be happy. I gave him the necklace that I made for Kelly and he was the one who gave it to her...

"Y-You were the first one that I've met? He just pretended to be you the whole time?" Kelly asked after I finished narrating what happened before.

A pain smile occurred my lips.

"Yes, xuxu. I couldn't take the pain that's why I left again after that and stayed away for a few months. I came back three days before he got shot at the bar because he asked for my help. Apparently, his enemies discovered that he's still alive and was already after him. He wanted to protect you that's why he planned on breaking up with you that night. He knew that you followed him at the bar. When he arrived at the bar, he begged me to help him. He asked me to make-out with Ingrid in front of you.

"I didn't agree at first because I didn't want to hurt you but when he told me that it was for your own good if you left him and forget about him, I agreed. We wanted nothing but your safety because his enemies will involve you for sure. Even though it was so hard for me, I did it. I was the one you saw making out with Ingrid outside the bar that night.

"But I've been regretting doing what he wanted because aside from the fact that I hurt you, Syril's enemies found him inside the bar and shot him. If didn't leave him there alone, he wouldn't be in coma. Ever since then, he's in this state and never woke up"

She looked shock of what she heard. Her lips parted, indicating that she wanted to speak but nothing came out of her lips.

"I'm sorry for all the lies, xuxu. I hope you can still forgive me because I love you so much" I said full of emotions. She was about to speak when we both heard a soft groan. My eyes widened and looked at Syril.

His eyelids were moving together with his hands! He's waking up! Finally...

☨ ☩☣ ☘ † ❂ ⚕ ᴈᴑᴎ ☠ ☢ ⚔ ⚓♰☯☭

How's this chapter guys?

What do you think? Who will Kelly choose between the twins?

COMMENT

VOTE

SHARE

FOLLOW