Chapter 73 Who they were looking for?

Chapter 73 Who they were looking for?
Milie's POV

The moment Alan stepped out of the car, every nerve in my body tightened.

The four men waiting outside our house didn't look like visitors.

Dark clothes, hard expressions. The way they stood was intimidating enough.

Alan quietly shut the driver's door behind him and slipped his phone into his pocket before walking toward them as though he'd expected them all along.

My fingers instinctively tightened around the seat belt. 

"But why are they waiting for Alan?"

"And... Why did Dad call him?"

None of it made sense. 

The tallest man stepped forward until he was almost chest to chest with Alan.

Even from inside the car, I could feel the tension between them.

He said something.  

Alan replied calmly, but still the man was not convinced. His jaw tightened. 

Then, before I could even process what was happening, another man reached forward and grabbed Alan's collar.

My heart stopped. "Alan!" My hand flew toward the door handle.

At the same moment—Alan lifted one hand without even looking at me.

Just one small gesture. "Don’t step out." 

All four in black turned their gaze to me. I froze and looked down immediately. 

The man holding Alan's shirt spoke again, louder this time.

Alan didn't react, didn't push him away, didn't lose his temper, didn't even look afraid.

Instead, he slowly reached into his pocket and took out his phone. 

He then dialed a number, surely of my Dad's, and held the phone toward the man. 

He frowned. "What?"

Alan answered calmly. The man snatched the phone from his hand.

I couldn't hear the conversation. I could only watch the man's expression slowly changing. 

His shoulders relaxed. His aggressive posture disappeared. 

He listened, nodded once, and then handed the phone back. 

The men exchanged a few words among themselves before walking back toward their vehicles.

And just as they drove away, Alan turned and walked straight back to me. 

He opened my door before I could climb out. "Come."

I didn't move. "Alan..."

"Not now. First, Let’s go inside." He held me by my arm and gingerly led me out. 

"No." 

He looked at me properly for the first time. His expression was calm. Too calm. "Please, Mils." 

"Who were they?"

"Let’s talk later, Mils. We will be late for college."

"I don't care about college." My voice cracked louder than I'd intended. "They grabbed your shirt!"

"They didn't come for no reason."

"They came because of something."

"And then Dad called you."

"You walked away to answer him."

"And now you're pretending everything is fine."

"What’s going on?"

"Mils, later, please." His jaw tightened. 

"Later when?"

"On our way to college." He opened the front gate for me. "Now come on, in." I nodded reluctantly.

The moment we stepped onto the porch, the front door swung open.

"There you are!" Mom rushed outside before either of us could say anything.

She wrapped both arms around me so tightly that I almost lost my balance. "Oh my God. You kids scared us."

She pulled back and cupped my face. "You okay?"

I nodded. She then looked at Alan. "You?"

He too nodded, smiling. 

She looked between Alan and me before smiling mischievously.

"So..." Her eyes sparkled. "You two now—"

"Mom." I glared at her. She just shrugged.  

Alan let out an awkward cough. "Let's meet in fifteen."

He walked away, and so did Mom and I. "Dad too is coming tonight."

"He should be home before dinner."

My heart skipped. Dad. The image of those men flashed before my eyes again.

I forced a smile. "That's... good. Lately, he is staying out a lot." 

"Yeah, darling. I complained to him the same."

The way Mom said it, I thought she too was clueless about anything.

I quickly got ready and stood by Alan's car before time. 

"Hey, you are quick." Alan came with a calm expression as if nothing unusual had happened. 

We got in the car, and he started the engine, again trying to make things casual. "Would you like to grab a coffee on the way?"

"No... Who were they? What are you and Dad hiding?" I asked, failing to act cool like him. 

"Mils." He kept his eyes on the road. 

"Now." I folded my arms tightly.

His grip tightened around the steering wheel. "Can you just forget about it?"

"No, Alan. I can't. They seemed dangerous."

"No they are not. It’s nothing serious like you think."

"Then there would be no problem telling. Right?"

He gave me an exhausted look, but I was in no way letting it go. 

"Just tell me... Who is in trouble? You or Dad?"

He glanced at me briefly. I could feel frustration bubbling inside me, but eventually, he pulled the car onto the side. 

The engine fell silent, and he kept staring at the front. "I didn't want you to find out like this."

"You or Dad?" 

He closed his eyes for a second before finally turning toward me. "Your Dad." 

My heartbeat slowed, then immediately sped back up.

"They were looking for Dad?"

Alan nodded slowly. "Yes."

Everything inside me froze. "Why? How did my Dad get involved with such people?"

I shook my head harder. "There has to be some misunderstanding."

"I'm sorry, Mils." He took my hands into his. 

"What happened?"

Alan didn't answer immediately. He looked out past my window, and then back at me. 

"Your father's business has been struggling."

I frowned. "What?!! No, that's not possible." 

"He never said anything."

"He wouldn't."

I shook my head again. "No. Our business is doing fine."

Alan looked at me gently. "That's what he wanted you to believe."

"But... He joked every day, smiled, and never asked us to stop spending. He never—"

"He was protecting you, Mils." His words landed like a punch.

I looked down at my trembling hands. He squeezed them. "Please, don't worry. Everything will be fine." 

"You knew? How long?"

"Since his heart attack... I got to know when he was recovering." 

"What?" I looked back at Alan, completely shocked. "The heart attack was too because of—

He nodded, and tears instantly filled my eyes. "Oh my God..."

"He… He was carrying all of this alone?"

Alan nodded once. My chest physically hurt.

"And I..." My voice disappeared. "I didn't even notice."

"You couldn't have."

"I should have, Alan!" The words burst out louder than I intended.

"I live in that house. I see him every day. I should've known!"

"Mils."

"No… I should've noticed! He looked tired. He worked late. He left home more often."

"And I..." I covered my face. "I never even asked why."

Alan gently reached over and pulled my hands away. "Look at me."

I shook my head. 

"Milie." His voice softened. "This isn't your fault."

"It is. I was busy worrying about myself."

"I was busy avoiding my own problems."

"And Dad..." Another sob escaped. "Dad was drowning."

Alan quietly shook his head. "He was hiding it because he loves you."

"He wanted you to finish college without carrying his burdens."

Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. "He always told me… You always told me to focus on studies."

"Yeah."

I wiped my face with trembling fingers. "Those men… were they there because of money?"

Alan didn't answer immediately; he kept looking at me. 

My heart sank all over again. "So… Dad borrowed money."

He slowly nodded. "Yes." 

I leaned back against the seat. Everything suddenly made sense.

The late-night calls, saying 'I'm just tired' every other day, the mornings he left before I woke up, Alan and his conversation in every small gathering. 

"Oh… God." I held my head between my hands. "How did I not notice? How did I not care to ask?"

Fresh tears trickled down my face. "Mils, please— 

"How bad is it, Alan?" I interrupted, looking at him through blurred eyes.