Chapter 190 The Truth That Shattered Me
Chapter 190 The Truth That Shattered Me
Liam's POV
I looked toward the entrance again even though I knew Mia wouldn't be there.
She had left the city and changed her number, yet some irrational part of me still hoped she would appear and tell me not to go through with this.
That morning, I had even called her old number. When the same recorded message told me it was no longer in service, I sent her a text anyway.
I love you, Mia. I never stopped, and I never will.
She would never receive it, but I needed to say the words somewhere.
My gaze moved to the front row, where Mom sat beside Dad. He looked better than he had in weeks. Since I agreed to marry Glydel, his condition had steadily improved.
I told myself that was enough. Mia was gone, but at least my father was still here. If marrying Glydel gave him peace during whatever time he had left, I would live with it.
The music changed, and Glydel appeared in her wedding gown. She looked beautiful, but my eyes moved past her one last time.
No Mia.
When Glydel reached me, she placed her hand in mine.
"You look miserable."
"I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize to me."
The ceremony began, and I answered whenever the judge required it, barely registering the words.
Anabel wasn’t among the guests. Yesterday, she had looked me straight in the eye and told me she would only attend my wedding if Mia was the bride. After working beside me for years, she knew I didn’t want this marriage, and apparently, she refused to pretend otherwise.
The judge was speaking when the distant sound of helicopter blades grew louder.
Several guests looked toward the sky, and even the judge paused as a helicopter descended somewhere behind the house.
Probably one of Dad's guests arriving late.
The noise gradually faded, and the ceremony continued.
I had no idea who had just landed on our property.
The judge eventually looked between Glydel and me.
"By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Applause erupted around us.
Before he could continue, my phone vibrated.
I almost ignored it until I saw Albert's name.
He knew I was getting married today. He wouldn't interrupt unless it was important.
"Albert?"
"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I found something you need to know. It's about your father."
I immediately looked at Dad. "What about him?"
"Anabel asked me to investigate his condition. She became suspicious when his health improved so quickly after you agreed to marry Ms. Garcia."
My brows drew together. "What did you find?"
"Your father isn't terminally ill, sir."
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
"What?"
"The prognosis was false. I verified it through more than one source before calling you. Your father is not dying."
My grip tightened around the phone.
"What about the collapse that put him in the hospital?"
"He may have suffered a medical episode, but there is no terminal diagnosis and no prognosis giving him less than a year to live."
Everything suddenly made sense.
Dad's rapid improvement. His insistence that marrying Glydel was his final wish. The guilt I had carried after his collapse.
And Mia had believed it too.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes, sir."
I ended the call and stared at Dad.
His expression changed the moment our eyes met.
He knew I had found out.
"Liam?" Glydel touched my arm.
The judge reminded us that the marriage documents still needed to be signed before the ceremony could be completed.
"I'm not signing anything."
Silence spread through the garden.
Dad immediately stepped forward. "Liam, whatever happened can wait."
"No, it can't."
Mom rose beside him. "At least finish the ceremony."
I turned to Glydel. None of this was her fault.
"I'm sorry, Glydel, but I can't finish this."
Her face went pale. "What happened?"
"I'll explain later."
I faced my parents. "We need to talk. Inside."
Dad tried to argue, but I walked away without giving him the chance.
By the time we reached his study, my hands were shaking with anger. I waited until Mom and Dad entered before closing the door.
"Are you dying?"
Neither answered.
"Answer me, Dad. Are you terminally ill?"
His jaw tightened. "No."
I stared at him. "How long have you both been lying to me?"
"Liam, let us explain," Mom said.
I turned toward her. "You knew?"
Her eyes filled with tears. "We thought it was the only way to make you understand."
"Understand what? That neither of you cared what I wanted as long as you got your way?"
"Everything we did was for this family," Dad said.
"You made me believe you were dying to force me into marrying Glydel. You let me believe my refusal was putting your life at risk."
"You weren't thinking about your responsibilities."
"And Mia?" My anger finally broke through. "Was destroying her part of my responsibility too?"
Dad fell silent.
"She walked away because she knew about your health condition. She believed choosing her might cost you your life, and you let her believe it."
"Mia made her own decision."
"Based on your lie!"
My voice echoed through the study.
"She returned my ring and disappeared because she thought she was protecting us. You watched me lose her knowing the reason she left wasn't even real."
Mom wiped her tears. "We never meant for things to go this far."
"How far did you think it would go?"
Neither answered.
I looked at them and barely recognized the people who had raised me.
"Am I even your son?"
Mom flinched. "Of course you are."
"Then how could you do this to me?"
"We love you," she whispered.
"Love doesn't manipulate someone until he gives up the woman he loves."
Dad's expression hardened. "Everything I did was to protect this family and the company that will eventually be yours."
"I don't want it."
He stared at me.
I removed my office keys and placed them on his desk.
"You're healthy enough to run Alcaraz Global yourself. You wanted control so badly, now you can have it."
"Liam, don't be ridiculous."
"I'm not. I don't want the company, your money, or anything else you think gives you the right to control my life."
"You cannot simply walk away from your responsibilities."
"You're still capable and apparently too greedy to let go anyway. So keep the company. I will never be part of it again."
Mom stepped toward me. "Please don't do this."
I looked at both of them.
"You already did."
"Liam," Dad warned. "You are my son."
A bitter laugh escaped me. "Am I? Because I can't imagine doing this to someone I love."
Mom began crying, but I had nothing left to give either of them.
"I'm done being your son."
I walked out of the study and ignored Mom calling after me.
I had almost reached the front door when I stopped.
Mia needed to know.
She had made her decision believing my father was dying. Whatever happened between us after she learned the truth would be entirely up to her, but I couldn't let her spend another day carrying guilt that had been built on a lie.
I called Josh.
No answer.
Daniel didn't answer either.
For a moment, I considered going to everyone Mia knew and begging them to tell me where she was.
Then I remembered who I still was, at least for a few more minutes.
I called the head of corporate security.
"Sir?" he answered.
"I need you to locate Mia Villaruiz."
There was a brief pause. "How soon?"
"Immediately. Use every legal resource available to you. Contact our people and find out where she went. I need her location as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir."
I ended the call.
It would be the last time I used my authority as CEO of Alcaraz Global.
I had spent years believing that power meant having the ability to control everything around me. Now I wanted to use it for only one thing.
To find Mia.
Not to force her back into my life or convince her that she owed me another chance. I only needed to tell her the truth, no matter how humiliating it was to admit what my own parents had done.
After that, the choice would be hers.
If Mia still wanted to walk away, I would let her.
But if there was even the smallest part of her that still wanted us, I would spend the rest of my life making sure she never regretted choosing me again.