Melody
As much as I am trying to understand all of this. I still can't. I mean, it just doesn't make sense. My father was drugged and he had kids with another woman.
I understand if I'm not aware of this because I'm not close to him but I'm sure that this secret has been kept from the others as well because if Malcolm was aware he would have told me about it.
So, this is a secret that the father has kept from his whole family.
As much as I wouldn't want to blame my father for cheating since it wasn't intentional, I still do. I know that I'm in no place to blame him as I am also a victim of being taken advantage of but I never kept mine a secret.
Um, well I did but the truth came out in the end. It always does. However, I wouldn't have kept it a secret if or was married or in a relationship.
I know that my father must have had his reasons for keeping the truth just as I did back then when getting praised by my father was my priority. I wonder what father's priorities were and why he chose to keep this from his family. Which brings me back to my question.
Where is this child?
If she was sent to Mallory as the story states then who is she?
Did my father keep her hidden? But where?
I had several questions swimming in my head but the one who had the answer was far away.
I bet he isn't even aware that Estrella is his child.
"Do you want to know who that child is?" Dorian asked, snapping me out of my confused thoughts.
Wait.
He knows?
How does he know who the child is?
He isn't from Mallory and even though I grew up in Mallory, I don't know her, so how could he?
"Do you know who she is?" I countered, surprised that he would truly know it.
"I know her too well. In fact, I recognized her from the first day I saw her."
"Huh?"
I'm totally lost.
I don't understand what Dorian is saying. He has my mind muddled with this story. I mean, how could he know her very well? He's only visited Mallory once. So how on earth could he know her?
He even said he recognised her from the first day he saw her. How?
Is he making this up?
It all sounds so real, could it all be a lie?
"How do you know her?"
I chose to ask him. I needed to clear my head and be sure of what I was hearing. Nothing made sense.
"Because my father had someone to keep an eye on the child sent to Mallory and he received news about her every time," Dorian paused. "My father wished to correct my uncle's mistakes. He never stopped blaming himself for how his brother turned out to be."
"So, you're saying that your father keeps tabs on the child to make sure that she's okay?"
Dorian's father sounds like a nice man just like him. I guess we represent our parents after all. Just like Derek is like his father, Dorian is like his own father too.
"Yes," Dorian nodded. "A sketch is collected annually to follow the child's growth."
Hm. Sounds good.
If a sketch is available then I might get to know who she is.
Now we're getting somewhere.
I turned around immediately and went closer to Dorian.
"These sketches, do you still have them?"
Dorian's eyes widened and he seemed reluctant. His eyes were quick to return to normal but I could see that he was anxious.
"Dorian, you still have the sketches, don't you?"
He nods. "Yes, but...."
"Please," I took his hands. "Please show me. This is very important to me."
Now it was about me. About my family.
I need to know who the child is, to save my father's honor.
Dorian led the way and ushered me out. He took me to his study. He opened another secret door in his study and went towards the drawers. He opened the uppermost drawer on the right and brought out several sheets.
They were wide. More like cardboard but lighter and white.
I took one of it and peered it open before he handed it to me.
"Melody wait!"
Too late.
I already took a look at the sketch in the sheet. However, my eyes seem to be faulty.
They were seeing what wasn't there.
I rubbed my eyes with my index and shut them tight to open them again but the image was unchanged.
"This.... This... Is this a joke?"
What is the meaning of this? Is Dorian kidding me? Or is he making a full out of me?
"No," Dorian shook his head. "This isn't a joke, Mel, It's the truth that I never want to accept but it is."
Like hell, it is.
This is a hell of a truth that no one should accept. No one!
I blinked repeatedly and pretended like I didn't see what was there.
There is probably a mix-up. I rushed to the drawer and took out the rest of the sketches and pried them open without unbinding them, almost tearing it all up.
I don't care if all burn to cinders.
I just want to be sure that I am not hallucinating and that the image in that paper is what it is.
"Believe me, Melody, I tried to ignore it. I told myself so many times that it isn't true but I guess I can't keep denying the truth."
What truth!
What truth is he talking about?
How am I supposed to accept this truth?
No.
Dorian is messing with me.
He is probably saying all this to pull my legs.
I shook my head in denial and covered my ears. I didn't want to hear anything anymore but my mind still wasn't willing to accept it.
I grabbed the rest of the papers from Dorian and checked it out. My jaw dropped at what I saw.
This can't be possible. I muttered to myself.
Dorian hugged my back and placed his chin on my head.
"Trust me, Mel, this is nothing but the truth."
I shook my head again unwilling to accept this truth. Dorian turned me around and made me look at him.
"You are the child sent to Mallory. You are Maximus' illegitimate child."