chapter 58

Nicolo leaned against the bar counter, watching as Elisa and Dilip laughed together. They looked… happy. It had been a long road for both of them—especially Dilip, who had lost his sister, been forced to rebuild his life, and now, finally, seemed to be settling down. Nicolo had ensured he had the best medical care, helped him when he woke up, and gave him a new path to walk on. But he had never told him the full truth.Dilip still believed his sister was dead.Nicolo took a slow sip of his drink. If Dilip stayed in England, things would get complicated. What if he found out that Amaira was alive? What if he learned what had happened all those years ago? Would he blame Nicolo? Hate him?His grip on the glass tightened.He had already lost Amaira once. He had spent six years longing for her, regretting everything, and now, by some twist of fate, she was back in his life. But not as the woman who had once loved him—no, she was different now. Stronger, independent, and living a life of her own.And then there was Justin.Nicolo glanced toward the boy, who sat quietly, lost in thought. He had been observing Justin for the past few days, and something about him was… different. He was nothing like his usual self. His charm, the way he spoke, even his mannerisms—it was all unlike the son he had raised.For some reason, he found himself drawn to this version of his son.He shook his head, pushing the thoughts away. Elisa was home, Dilip was back, and for tonight, everything was fine. But for how long?Alex sat at the table, deep in thought.He had spent the entire night trying to piece things together, and now, looking at the man before him, the truth finally settled in.This was his real uncle.His mummy had spoken about her brother with love, but when he had asked why she never met him, she only gave one answer: "He will be better off without me."But why?His mummy adored her brother. Then why did she never see him? Why did she live all these years as if he didn’t exist? Did his uncle even know she was alive?His small fingers curled into a fist.There were too many lies. Too many secrets.First, he found out his father wasn’t dead. Then, he discovered Justin’s mother might not even be his real mother. And now, his mummy’s biggest secret—her own brother—was sitting right in front of him, not even knowing she was alive.It wasn’t fair.His uncle deserved to know. His mummy deserved to have her family back.Alex stole a glance at Nicolo.Maybe… just maybe… he could fix this.Just like he and Justin had planned to bring their parents together, maybe he could bring his mummy and her brother together too.A new plan formed in his mind.Yes. He was going to make this right.*** Alex lies on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind is buzzing with everything that happened today—meeting his uncle, realizing the truth about Dilip, and understanding that their family was even more broken than they thought. He grabs his phone and quickly dials Justin.Justin (whispering): "Why are you calling so late? I almost got caught!"Alex (grinning): "Relax, I had to tell you everything! You won’t believe what happened today."He then tells Justin about Dilip, how he was Amaira’s brother, how he thought she was dead, and how Nicolo and Elisa had kept the truth from him. Justin listens in silence, processing everything.Justin: "So… you’re saying our mom has a brother out there who thinks she’s dead? And it's none other than Dilip?"Alex: "Exactly. And it’s our job to fix this. First, we need to figure out why they kept it from him. And second, we need to bring him and Mom together."Justin (hesitant): "I don’t know… bringing Dad and Mom together is already hard enough. Now, we have to fix her whole family too?"Alex: "Of course! If we don’t do it, who will? Plus, if Uncle Dilip and Mom meet again, she might stay here longer. And if she stays here longer, we have more time to make things right."Justin sighs. He knows Alex is right, but this is getting complicated.Justin: "Fine. But how do we do this? We can’t just walk up to Dilip and say, ‘Hey, your sister is alive, let’s have a family reunion!’"Alex (smirking): "No, but we can set things up. Step one: I need to figure out why they kept the truth from him. Step two: You have to make sure Mom doesn’t leave Bristol yet. Step three: We find a way to make them meet… naturally."Justin rubs his forehead. This is a crazy plan, but they’ve come this far already.Justin: "Alright, I’ll do my part. Just don’t mess up on yours."Alex (grinning): "Mess up? Me? Never."They both end the call, knowing tomorrow will be another day of scheming.