Chapter 166: I Can't Choose Between Them

"He looks a lot like Logan."

"I think so too. I have very little resemblance to him,” Riley pursed her lips in a pout.

"It's so unfair because I was the one carrying him for almost nine months. And when he was born, I was disappointed because Archer looked so much like Logan.”

"Are you having problems with your pregnancy? Archer was born earlier than expected?”

Just as Riley was about to answer Wren's question, Betty suddenly appeared from behind the door and told her that food and snacks had been placed in the living room.

“I will keep Archer here. You can talk more freely in the living room.”

"Okay. Thank you very much, Betty. I owe you a lot. You constantly look after Archer when I'm busy.”

Betty waved her hand in the air. "Not a problem. Besides, I enjoyed playing with him. He's so adorable and cute."

“Archer, be a good boy while with grandma, ok?”

"Okay mom," Archer raised his thumb and smiled broadly.

Riley really wanted to tickle Archer's stomach, but Wren was waiting for her in the doorway. She then stepped out and followed Wren into the living room.

“Well, you have to tell me all the things I've been missing for the last three years. Just so you know, Logan punched me in the face the day you disappeared. He thought I kidnapped you again that night.”

“Oh my gosh, did he really do it? Forgive me. I'm really sorry that you were blamed by Logan."

“I just got home from the hospital after a very tiring night shift. Suddenly, Logan came banging on my apartment door and hitting me. He only asked after a few painful blows.”

"I apologize. The decision to run away actually came at the unexpected last second. I felt the need to get away from Logan's life to raise my child."

"You've screwed him up all these three years," Wren took the cold apple juice and took a sip.

“He was looking for you here and there like a madman. It seems he has hired dozens of detectives to find your whereabouts.”

"I don't doubt it. But I don't think Logan's going to be a mess after I'm gone. Our relationship is not very good. You know that for sure. We had a toxic relationship back then.”

"You were? How about now?”

“A lot of things have changed. I don't even know how to start."

"You haven't told me about your pregnancy."

"Oh, that. Archer was born one month early. I don't know why it happened, whereas previously my doctor said everything was fine."

"Are you sure there's no problem?" Wren looked at her worriedly. "Maybe because you've had a miscarriage. Some people who have a history of miscarriage are prone to preterm delivery in future pregnancies.”

“There were no real problems during my pregnancy. I'm doing well. Morning sickness was still normal, and my weight tended to increase. But I admit I had some stress during my pregnancy. I was afraid that at any time Logan would find me and take my son. I was so afraid of that happening to me that I became paranoid. Several times I went to a psychologist for consultation.”

“I'm sorry you had to go through that, Riley. I wish I could turn back time and undo all the things I did to you. I shouldn't have brought you to Logan."

"I'm fine, Wren. Now we have made up."

"You love Logan? You guys decided to be together?”

“Is that a problem for you? Do you still love me, Wren?” asked Riley skeptically. She might sound cruel, but she was offended by the way Wren asked about her feelings for Logan. Wren had the same expression when he didn't like her decision to keep the pregnancy.

“What makes you think that I still love you, Riley? After three years, don't you think that I might have found another woman better than you?"

"I didn't see it that way when you asked me about my feelings for Logan."

Wren was silent for a moment, looking down at the misty surface of his glass. He was really very emotional when Riley said that she had made up with Logan. He didn't think it was good for him because he was still expecting Riley after three years had passed.

"Why are you silent, Wren?"

“I met some women at the hospital. There's a new anesthesiologist close to me."

"But?"

Wren's words seemed to leave more information that he didn't explain.

“But I only think of her as a friend. I don't think I've found anyone as good as you."

Riley sighed softly. Wren looked like a man his lover had just dumped. Weak and limp in his chair. Wren kept looking down at the dew that had slipped down his glass and dripped onto his jeans.

"I'm sorry, my words were too rude earlier."

“I should have become sensitive by not starting it. When you were first told by Tom that you were pregnant, you acted exactly the same as you are now. You're offended by my words."

"I was. Actually, we are in the same position. I also love someone, but it seems that person doesn't really love me."

"You love Logan?"

Riley nodded weakly. "We've been talking, expressing our feelings to each other - each one of us. A week ago I thought we were fine, but now he's suddenly disappeared without a word. It's been a week. And I haven't heard anything from him. You think he's with another woman?"

"It's hard to say."

Riley sighed heavily. Wren couldn't even tell her anything, even though Wren had been friends with Logan for a long time, and he certainly knew what Logan had been up to all this time.

“Alright, forget about that stupid feeling. I assume we're even. My advice, you should try that woman. I mean try to open up to her. Maybe she's nice and kind."

"Thanks. I'll try later. So what do you want to talk about?”

"About Logan. You say he told you I was here? How could it be him?”

"Why not?" Wren asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought Logan had been a little jealous of you all along."

"Oh yeah, he's jealous of me. But… he asked me to look after you.”

"Why?"

"Because...."

Wren was at a loss for words. Suddenly, his brain was stuck trying to find an excuse. He didn't know the exact reason to tell Riley. Actually, Logan never told him to promise to keep this secret. So it shouldn't be a problem if he told Riley now about the things he just found out.

"I heard you're in college now."

Riley raised one eyebrow. Confused by Wren's sudden question.

"Yeah, I'm. Why? What does my lecture have to do with the topic we are discussing?”

"You took a psychology program, right?"

"That's right. So?"

"You know that Logan is bipolar and has an alterego?"

"Landon you mean? Yes I know."

"Since when did you know?" asked Wren in surprise.

"Not too long ago. Well, I've been feeling weird for a long time. But I found out about a week ago that the body has two separate personalities. There's Landon in there, occupying that body."

"So, you already know. What do you think?"

“I feel better after knowing the facts about their alterego. Now I know how to treat them because they have different personalities.”

“To be honest, I also just found out that Logan has an alterego named Landon. Logan told me rather frantically after he found you in South Carolina. He looked very worried and scared.”

“Logan is afraid that Landon will hurt me and Archer, right?”

Wren nodded, then looked at her seriously. "So who's been with you lately? Logan told me his alterego was getting stronger. He's worried that his alterego will hurt you while you're here, whereas he himself might be deactivated by his alterego. So Logan asked me to watch over you. But, I got a news that Logan is on a business trip abroad, and you are fine at home."

“I didn't know Logan was worried about me like that. All this time I was with Landon. He does have a dark and evil personality. At first, it was like that. But lately, Landon's attitude has changed. I tried to love him and treat him more gently. You know that Logan's dark side emerged because he experienced various kinds of violence and crime in the past. So I guess I have to love him if I don't want to be hurt by him."

“Did it work? I heard Logan never saw Doctor Liberton again."

"The doctor is dead. Landon killed him."

“Seriously? Shit, he really is crazy. I heard the news that he had disappeared. His assistant couldn't find him anywhere. His cell phone was left on the table. The last time he was seen at his house. But then he disappeared. So was it all Logan's doing? But how come no one saw Logan there? There must be CCTV or something that will record Logan's whereabouts."

"I don't know. Logan must have done it carefully to clean up the mistakes made by Landon. Logan cleaned up Landon's mess. It is always like that. I also regret that it had to happen. That's why I'm trying to get him back on track. I don't want Landon or Logan to be murderers," Riley wrung her fingers in concern.

Even now she was afraid that Landon was committing murder out there. There was no news that she could hear from Landon. And that's unsettling.

“This is damn complicated. How come I never noticed it all this time,” Wren punched his palm with his left hand. It was annoying because he never even knew that Logan had been hiding such a big secret all along.

"What are you going to do after this?"

"I don't know. Our relationship is back to ground zero again,” Riley cupped her palms to her face and looked down at the floor.

“Can you trace where Logan is now? His men didn't say anything. Just a little bit of information that gets me nowhere.”

"I'll try to find out later. But hopefully, Logan will be back soon. I don't know Landon very well. But if Landon were Logan's dark side, I'm sure he could be a lot worse out there."

"Well... hopefully." Riley replied languidly. Today is the most chaotic day. Wren and Kaella, each of them made her mood worse with all the news they brought. If Logan or Landon didn't show up today, she'd be even crazier tomorrow morning thinking about that guy.

"Who do you choose among them, Riley?"

The question made her realize who her feelings were for. Logan and Landon both have a place in her heart. But she didn't know who had the most place in her heart.

"Who do you choose between Logan and Landon?" Wren repeated his question again because Riley was daydreaming instead of answering his question.

“I… can't choose between them.”

“But in the end you have to choose. The body cannot accommodate two souls at once. There will be one that will have to be sacrificed.”

Riley buried her face in her palms again, looking both frustrated and sad at her heart's insecurities.

"Can not. I can't choose one. I want both of them and I can't lose either of them,” Riley said hoarsely with tears welling up in her eyes.