Chapter 187: Manipulative father

“How can you tell him we have nothing?” Alex continued, stepping forward, eyes burning. “You know exactly what we have. You know how much I care about him. Why are you doing this?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. He crossed the room in quick strides and reached for Lucas’s hand. He held it gently but firmly, as if it were the only thing keeping him grounded.

“Sweetheart…” His voice softened instantly. All the anger melted into something raw, and desperate. “I know he’s your father, but please, don’t believe everything he’s telling you, okay?”

Lucas looked up at him, eyes wide, torn and searching.

“I’m your Alex,” he said quietly, his thumb brushing over Lucas’s knuckles. “And I would never hurt you. Never.”

Lucas’s fingers were still loosely wrapped around Alex’s when the older man stormed forward and yanked their hands apart.

The sharp motion startled both of them.

“Don’t touch him!” his father barked, stepping in front of the bed like a shield. His chest heaved, eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and fear. “Son, don’t make the mistake of believing a word he says. He will only hurt you again.”

Alex staggered back a step, stunned. “Sir, please stop doing…”

“You’ve done enough!” the man snapped, cutting him off harshly.

Lucas flinched at the raised voices, his gaze darting between them in confusion. “Dad… what are you talking about?” His voice trembled, fragile and uncertain. “Why are you sounding like this?”

His father turned to him, the anger softening into something pained, almost desperate. “Lucas,  you were kidnapped.”

The room seemed to go still.

“W-what?” Lucas blinked.

“Yes.” His father swallowed hard, as if forcing the words out were painful for him. “You were taken…it’s all because of him.” He shot Alex a glare filled with accusation. “By his ex.”

Fear crept into Lucas’s expression, slow but consuming. His fingers curled into the bedsheet. “Kidnapped…?” he whispered, as if the word itself didn’t belong to him.

Alex shook his head quickly, stepping forward again despite the hostility. “Lucas, listen to me. It’s not like that. I never…”

“The day the police rescued you,” his father continued firmly, overriding Alex’s voice, “was the same day you got into that accident.”

Lucas’s breath hitched.

Fragments spiraled in his head but nothing was clear. It came, just like shadows flickering at the edge of his mind. Panic surged in his chest as his heart raced too fast.

“I… I can’t remember.” He said weakly, pressing a hand to his temple as if doing that would make the memories return.

Alex’s face crumpled, desperation written all over it.

“You couldn't remember because you were hurt, Lucas. You lost your memory, but I was there. I’ve been here the whole time. I would never let anything happen to you.”

“Stop lying!” his father snapped again, stepping closer to the bed. “If it wasn’t for you, none of this would have happened!”

Lucas’s breathing grew uneven. His eyes, once soft when they looked at Alex, were now clouded with uncertainty and fear.

“Please…” Lucas whispered, his voice barely audible. “I… I don’t understand. Who are you?” His gaze locked onto Alex, searching, but finding nothing to hold onto. “Why does it feel like I should know you, but everything sounds so wrong?”

Alex froze. That question hit harder than anything else. He shook his head.

Please, don't say that. You feel it because you know me. You just need time to heal, okay.

“It feels…” Lucas paused.

For a moment, he couldn’t speak.

Then, quietly, painfully, Alex said, “It feels confusing to you, because I’m the one who loves you. I will never hurt you. We have our ups and downs but we love each other very much.”

But Lucas didn’t move or respond. He only stared at him like a stranger.

Alex’s phone buzzed again.

“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath, shooting the device with an irritated glance as if it had personally betrayed him.

The tension in the room was already suffocating, this wasn’t the time.

He lifted his head and faced Lucas’s father, his patience finally snapping.

“With all due respect, sir, stop what you’re doing,” Alex said, voice tight with restrained anger. “You’re confusing him.”

“No, Alex,” the man snapped immediately, stepping forward again, his presence hard and unyielding. “You should stay away from my son.”

Lucas flinched at the sharpness in his father’s tone. His gaze darted between them, his heart raced with uneven breath.

“He nearly died because of you,” his father continued, each word heavy with blame. “He has no future with you. Leave him in peace.”

Lucas’s chest tightened.

Nearly… died?

His fingers curled into the bedsheet again, knuckles whitening. Nothing made sense, but the fear… the fear was real.

Alex’s phone buzzed again. It seemed to sound louder this time.

He ignored it.

His eyes stayed locked on the older man, fury simmering just beneath the surface.

“When his memory returns,” Alex shot back, voice low but cutting, “you’re going to regret this.”

Lucas’s breath hitched.

Could Alex not be blamed? Could his father be mistaken? Could his memories ever come back?

The questions echoed in his head, stirring something restless, and something out of reach.

“You know I love him,” Alex added, his voice breaking slightly despite his effort to stay composed.

“I don’t know anything,” Mr. Westman replied coldly. “And I don’t care.”

Lucas looked at his father, stunned by the harshness.

“The fact is,” the man continued, his gaze hardening into something almost hostile, “He doesn’t love you. And I want you to stay away from him.”

The words landed like a final blow.

A crushing silence followed.

Lucas felt it, as something twisted painfully in his chest. He didn’t know why but hearing that… It hurts.

His gaze shifted slowly to Alex.

There was confusion, fear, something deeper… something fragile he couldn’t name.

Alex stared at Mr. Westman for a long moment, his eyes filled with scorn and disbelief.

Then… he exhaled and turned to Lucas. Everything about him softened. The anger disappeared, replaced by something gentler and yet aching.

“Lucas…” he said quietly. He stepped closer.

Lucas didn’t pull away or move.

He just watched him, lost and searching.

Alex reached out and cupped his cheek, his touch warm, familiar… almost too familiar.

Lucas’s breath caught.

For a split second, just a second, his body reacted before his mind could. A strange sense of comfort washed over him… and it scared the hell out of him.

“Don’t worry,” Alex murmured, his thumb brushing lightly against his skin. “You’ll get your memories back.”

Lucas’s lips parted slightly, like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. His heart was beating too fast.

Why does this feel… right? He wondered.

Alex held his gaze for a moment longer, memorizing him… as if afraid this version of Lucas would disappear forever.

Then he let his hand fall. The warmth vanished. And just like that, it felt cold.

Lucas’s fingers twitched, he almost reached out to stop him, but he didn’t. He really wanted to but he couldn’t.

Alex turned without another word and walked toward the door.