Chapter 91 You chose the right family
“I saw how Dad's anger burned when he yelled in the video. Never. I'll call him Roger, and I'm not adopting him because he's already mine. I'll give him my name, and I will take care of him, he said seriously. Octavia was upset.”
"What do you know about babies? she asked, but Dad stared at her with blazing anger. She added, You promised to take care of me, so how am I sure this little thing would not steal your attention from me?" Roger continued to narrate, pain burning in him all through.
Oriana regretted her slip of the tongue, but it was too late to make any correction. It was too late to stop Roger from narrating her mother's bad youthful life.
"Her gaze on me, just as a baby, was always coated with hate, but it would turn affectionate when she looked at Dad. I came to find out later that my biological father was Gael, whom she claimed was dead," Roger continued bitterly.
"Pain sat in Dad's eyes, and he said the words I would never forget for the rest of my life. Those words built the foundation of every love I grew for him. Not much, but I'll learn. Roger is my world now, were his last words.”
A satisfied smile stretched his thin lips, and even Karen was nodding, understanding the love between the Dawsons.
It was the same kind of love Giovanni extended to her after rescuing her from those thugs.
"Uncle Hank said I wasn't supposed to see that video, and he had secretly recorded it to have Dad's back if Octavia ever came back to claim me. I remember reminding him of what he said, that Giovanni wasn't my dad, but his response was exactly what I needed to hear by then."
"Yeah, per DNA, but he loves you more than his life, Uncle Hank said, confirming Dad's words and actions.” Roger was in tears. "I love that man, I swear it. He's everything I want to be, and more."
Karen embraced him, but Delanie's heart twitched with a strange jealousy. Roger wasn't just hers anymore, and Karen now occupied a great part of his life.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Roger's recounting of even more of the past.
"I understood his words, and the most painful thing I ever did was pretending to hate Dad and Molly, just to save them from my biological father."
“Was he dangerous?" Karen asked, Roger smiled briefly. Her innocence had a way of softening him more than he ever wanted.
"He was nothing to write home about," Roger began recounting the past that side of the past. "Faking his death as if he did it to protect dad to gaslight him into taking care of me and Octavia for him to come and claim after killing dad, but things turned bad for him."
Oriana paled. This was becoming worse and worse, justifying why blood did matter to Roger. His childhood was mentally tough.
A boy who grew up with a family who could sacrifice their lives for him when his own parents wanted to turn him into a terrible person like themselves had every right to reject them.
"I stabbed him, my biological father and God knows, I wanted so much to kill him even when I was just five. Though I didn't get a chance, the happiest thing I saw that day was dad driving a knife through his heart," Roger said with a smile.
No wonder he was so ruthless. "You mean dad allowed you to watch that?" Delanie asked. Roger's smile widened as he asked her, "Do you know why I love you so much, Delanie?"
Delanie shook her head as Roger explained. "Because my biological grandmother, the mother of my biological father, killed our dad, Giovanni's mother and father. Dad never got to meet his mother, and his dad had married my biological father, Gael's mother."
No one knew where this was going, but the best thing was to wait for further explanation, which came faster than expected.
"When Giovanni's father found out his new wife killed his late wife and tried to kill him, he moved all his assets to Giovanni, and they tried to kill him too but the terms stated that everything would go to charity if he dies. But despite all these, he never grew out of love for me even after finding out,” he smiled faintly. “His mother's name is Delanie, so I thought you should have it."
Delanie was more appreciative of the name now than ever, but Roger still had something important to say.
"Do you know why I decided to start my company?"
Everyone shook their heads as Roger smiled in remembrance. "Before my evil biological grandmother was killed by Giovanni, do you know what she said?"
Everyone shook their heads once more as he smiled. "She said, and I quote, 'Roger, Giovanni isn't related to you by blood. I am your real grandmother, and trust me, all his inheritance will go to the child he bears with Molly. You will mean nothing to them when that time comes.”
There was no pain or regret in his gaze, just satisfaction. "I knew she was just trying to make me hate dad for killing her son, my biological father, but I also didn't want a brutal fight for inheritance among siblings, so I decided to start up my own company," he revealed.
Karen was so proud of him. You are right. You chose the right family, and blood doesn’t matter, right Delanie?"
Delanie paused, reminiscing over Karen’s words. It was the truth, but why did she feel empty? "No, Karen, it still doesn’t justify his keeping it from me. They all lied to me."
Roger smiled and rested both of his hands on her shoulders, asking, "Okay, Lani, how can I make it up to you? I’ll do anything."
"Anything?" Delanie asked with a strange smile. Roger didn’t notice it, though Karen felt uncomfortable.
"Anything," Roger agreed. Delanie smiled and said, "Okay, then divorce Karen and marry me. Only then will I forgive you."