Chapter 30:Pretending

Steven felt all his blood rush to his head. He blushed with anger and could not accept the truth. When he remembered his daughter, he felt even more hatred for Nicole if it was true that she was the real mother of the child.

"Let go of her!" Kanor shouted from the doorway. Many people were outside and curious because of the noise they heard.

Everyone looked at Kanor at once. Nicole breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the gentleman. She knew he was there to help her get through it all.

Instead of letting go, Seteven tightened his grip on the woman's arm. "Are you also one of this woman's accomplices?" he asked Kanor angrily.

"I don't know what you're talking about. But I know one thing, her life is in danger again."

Rox looked at the newcomer in confusion. They don’t know him and don’t know what is his connection to their daughter.

"That's definitely part of your pretending with Nicole too!" Danica angrily scolded the gentleman. "You conspired with her to get into this company. You two are both ambitious!"

Kanor smirked because of Danica's skill in making a scene. But he was not discouraged. He gave Nicole a meaningful look and she had to go according to everything he had to say.

"How well do you know that old woman to believe her?" Kanor pointed at Soledad.

Danica and Soledad were suddenly nervous. From what they see in the gentleman, it seemed that he had a key information.

"She brought the child to us before. If she is a bad person, she would have taken money from us and the child's father."

Kanor looked sadly at Nicole's mother. He didn't think that they really trusted others more than their daughter.

"Do you know what she went through back then?" he asked the lady angrily. "Are you really her mother? You judged her immediately without knowing what really happened to her?"

The couple went silent because of what the man said. They looked at Nicole, she had changed a lot, but she's still a scaredy-cat.

"Don't talk like that to Aunt and Uncle because you don't know what they went through just to give Nicole everything she wanted!" Danica defended the couple.

"I just want to ask, who are you in Nicole's life?" Kanor asked Danica calmly. He needs to play with her first.

"She was my best friend, but she was able to betray me because of a man." She answered with her head held high.

"So, what's that old woman's motive for attempting to kill Nicole?"

Everyone looked at the person Kanor was pointing at. Steven is confused by the course of the commotion. He saw Soledad's face turned pale.

"Why did you say she was trying to take Nicole's life?" Steven asked in a flat tone of voice. He now believes that Nicole is indeed the mother of his child.

"Because Nicole didn't really fake her death. It's true that she's not my daughter and I only found out her true identity because I investigated when her life was in danger again."

"You mean someone wants to kill her?" Joey asked the man.

"Yes, whatever that old woman says is untrue. Because when I saw Nicole on the road, she was bloody and dying!"

The couple gasped because of what they heard. Steven didn’t know what he should feel. Whether he should believe Kanor's story.

Soledad became anxious and Danica seemed to be running out of things to say.

"This is the proof that I'm not just making up a story." Kanor showed the picture on his phone to Steven.

The young man clenched his fists when he saw the picture.

"She was almost lifeless when I saw her with a child. When she regained consciousness, she didn't remember anything."

Danica's eyes widened and looked at Soledad. She did not mention about another child. When she averted her eyes from her, she confirmed that Nicole had more than two children. Her lips were almost bleeding from being too pressed together.

"Child?" Steven whispered.

Nicole felt like her head would explode with nervousness and fear. She didn't know what Kanor wanted to happen, why he revealed Sean as well. Her chest suddenly tightened and she had difficulty breathing.

"No… No!" She hysterically shouted and stepped away from everyone to relieve the tightness of her chest. Even her mind was blank and she could not think rationally. All she wanted was to escape with her son.

Steven quickly approached the woman, but she seemed scared of him. She was pale and he could see she was short of breath.

"We need to take her to the hospital!" Kanor panicked when he saw her state. It last happened to her when she woke up from a coma.

Steven quickly picked up Nicole and ran out of the company. The employees were confused again and none of them could leave the company because that was the young man's order. Even Nicole’s parents were not allowed to leave, especially Soledad.

"What are we going to do now?" Soledad asked Danica in a whisper. They are now in her office and Nicole’s parents are outside. They are insisting on getting out to see their daughter to the hospital.

"I do not know!" Danica muttered angrily at Soledad. She pulled her own hair out of frustration.

"They will definitely jail me and make me the mastermind of all of this." Soledad whispered restlessly.

Danica looked at Soledad. "Right!"

Soledad stared at the woman, dumbfounded. She seemed to have thought of a solution.

"They'll definitely hand you over to the police and accuse you. I know Nicole was just pretending to be hurt to make everyone believe in her. So you just have to admit you're guilty."

Soledad would not have agreed with what Danica wanted to happen, but she also had no choice. She had to confess her crime in one condition. Danica said the two children were definitely the reason she came back. She allegedly just pretended not to remember anything to make them fall into her trap. Now Danica will use Natasha to not reveal the fact that she is the mastermind.

"Don't worry, I'll make a way for you to escape and get away forever with Natasha." Danica convinced Soledad.

The conversation between the two was interrupted when the couple entered. They approached Soledad angrily.

"Who are you and what actually happened to our daughter?" Joey asked the lady angrily.

Soledad closed her mouth and shook her head. She doesn't want to talk because the problem may get worse. She will only be more damaged because the couple already thinks of her as a criminal.

"Calm down first, we need to find out the truth now." Rox stopped her husband.

"What will happen to my relationship with Steven? I love Daniela and I can't afford to be separated from her." Danica asked sobbingly.

Rox didn't know what to answer to Danica. Their daughter needs them more and she has the right to meet Daniela.

Danica was even more frustrated because she did not hear an answer from the two. Their mind seemed to be full of thoughts about Nicole. They were more worried about Nicole than her feelings.

Danica didn't expect her initial plan to be ruined. Kanor was good and seemed to have prepared for what happened earlier. He has evidence, proof that Nicole was indeed drying.

Steven and Kanor remained outside the emergency room while Nicole's condition was examined. Steven's heart almost broke earlier as he hugged Nicole tightly. She trembled with fear and asked for help.

"Perhaps some of her memories came back earlier when she saw the woman who knew what really happened." Kanor said sadly.

"I don't know," Steven said dejectedly.

"That old woman shouldn't escape because she's the key to the truth."

Steven stared at the gentleman intently. He said that Nicole had been taken to Canada to recover. He allegedly did not know what his relationship was with Nicole. Apart from seeing her name on the pendant of her necklace, he knew nothing else about her identity.

"Thank you so much for saving their lives back then." He said with a hint of sadness.

"I consider her my daughter and I already love your child. I just beg you not to surprise them to accept you into their lives."

"I understand." Steven was thrilled to learn that Daniela's twin was a boy. Even though he had never seen the child, he knew the two were alike.

"Please don't take them away from me either." Kanor pleaded with the young man again and was saddened to think that the two would be separated from him.

"That won't happen." He reassured him.

When the emergency room opened, the two went to get to the doctor.

"Too much forced was applied to her shoulder that it bled. Let her rest first and avoid giving her resentment. As far as I can see, she is suffering from depression. Do not let her see anyone she doesn't want to see."

The two thanked the doctor at the same time. Nicole was asleep when she was moved to a private room. He let the woman's parents leave the company with Danica. But when they insisted on getting close to Nicole, he refused. They are one of the things that confuse her mind, so she can't see them yet.

Steven called Grey and handed Soledad over to the police. He needs to know the truth from her.

Madame Asuncion immediately went with Steven's personal assistant when she heard what happened.

####Chapter 31:His statement

The maid could not stop Sean when he insisted on going to the hospital to see his mother. She accompanied him with the driver.

Arriving at the hospital, Sean gracefully walked in and searched for his mother’s room. He could not see his grandfather around, but there were men standing in front of the door.

"Let me in!" Sean commanded the man who stopped him.

Madame Asuncion turned to look when she heard a boy's voice. She just arrived and they can't enter the room yet because there's a limit to how many people can visit the patient. She did not yet know the full details of events because she had not talked to her grandson.

Grey's lips parted when he saw the boy standing not far from them.

Sean turned his gaze in the direction in which he felt someone staring at him.

"He's that boy…" Madame Asuncion couldn't finish what she was going to say when she saw the annoyance on the child's face.

"What are you looking at?" he asked the old woman rudely. He remembered her and he didn’t like the way she looked at him.

"You boy! You're talking to an elderly, Young Master Sean!" The boy's caretaker rebuked him and apologized to the old woman for how he acted.

"Is he the boy Kanor talked about?" Grey whispered, but Asuncion heard it.

The Madame had a feeling about it, so she followed the child who was forcing his way into the room.

"I want to see my Mommy! Let me in!" Sean went crazy and cried because the guard didn't want to let him in there.

Grey and Asuncion’s lips parted at the same time. They were surprised to confirm that he was Nicole’s son. The Madame approached him to comfort him, but he was aloof.

"Sean's outside." Kanor whispered to Steven. Nicole was still asleep and they were the only ones there.

Steven stood straight when he heard his son's name. He felt so many emotions. He was nervous even though he would just be meeting a little boy.

"Please let me explain everything to him first before I introduce you to him."

Steven nodded at the gentleman with his mouth closed. He watched him as he opened the door.

"Grandpa!" Sean quickly jumped up and let him pick him up when he saw him.

"Shh!" He covered the boy's mouth. "Your Mommy is still asleep and she can't be disturbed."

Sean knit his brows and he peered his head from his grandfather's shoulder. But the first thing he saw was the man who looked like him. He quickly hid his face in his grandfather's chest and whispered. "Why is he here?"

Kanor smiled at the boy and whispered back. "You have to pretend you don't know him."

When Sean nodded, he looked around. He saw the Madame who was staring at her grandson.

It was as if a horse had kicked Steven's chest when he saw the face of his son. He is undeniably his child. He let out a sigh to clear his throat before approaching him.

"Hey, buddy, nice to meet you!" Steven smiled as the boy knit his brows while staring at him. Perhaps he saw the similarities of their faces, but he preferred to remain silent.

"Did you hurt my Mom?" Sean asked him.

"No!" he shook his head. He wanted to take him from Kanor, but it seemed that he didn't like him.

Madame Asuncion who was just watching them was in tears. Her intuition was accurate, from the very moment she first saw him. She was very happy because their clan already had an heir.

"Grandpa, please call Daddy Gaven to come to take care of Mommy." Sean requested to his grandfather when he saw his sleeping mother.

Steven's jaw clenched when he heard what the boy had said. He looked at Kanor, asking who Gaven is.

"Ah, Hijo. I'll leave you here first and don't be naughty or noisy so that your mommy doesn't wake up." Kanor made the child sat on the chair next to Nicole's bed. He motioned for the maid to watch the child before leaving the room followed by Steven.

"Gaven is my son." Kanor explained to the young man as they left the room.

Steven's veins in his neck tightened even more and he gave Kanor an unfriendly look. He could not accept if the two had a serious relationship.

"Sean knows that Gaven isn't his real father. He's just used to calling him Daddy because he's been with him since he was a baby. My son provided for all their needs when Nicole couldn't stand on her own feet."

The anger Steven felt was somehow reduced by Kanor's explanation. But he could not help but be jealous. Perhaps if he had only found Nicole back then, he would have been the only recognized father of the child.

"How about Nicole?" Steven's conscience asked himself.

Steven sighed and averted his eyes from Kanor. He didn’t know what to feel for Nicole. All he knew was that the child needed to know him as his father. And have a right to him, thus he could be with his twin sister.

Danica went home quickly to talk to Rita. She called her and asked many questions because she had heard what had happened.

"Is that true? She's the real Nicole?" Rita immediately asked Danica.

Danica nodded tearfully and hugged Rita tightly. "I don't know why she's doing all this. It's very obvious she planned everything to snatch Steven from me!"

Rita felt sorry for her friend, but she was also confused. "Why was she taken to the hospital and she has no memory?"

"I don't believe she has an amnesia. It's definitely part of her plan to make everyone believe in her." Danica said toughly.

"I don't know how to fight for you against Grandma. She must be in that woman's favor now because of Daniela's twin." Rita said, problematic.

Danica broke the hug and faced her angrily. "I can't allow her to take Daniela from me! I am the mother of the child and I will never give up my right to your brother!"

Rita looked at her friend sadly. Sometimes she seemed to be someone else when she's angry.

Danica quickly calmed herself when she saw how Rita looked at her. She made a sad face. "You also won't let that woman take Steven away from me, will you?" She asked expectantly.

"You know I'm always on my side. You're the one I want to be my sister-in-law, but I don't cover the situation anymore. It's too complicated." She gave an honest reply.

Danica bit the inside of her mouth to prevent herself from uttering a bad word to Rita. "I wish I had just died when we were little. I wish I didn't have to go through this." She said, trying to poke her conscience.

Rita stared sadly at her friend. She could do nothing but hug her and make her feel that she would not leave her no matter what happened. "I'm sorry!"

Danica wanted to scold Rita and say she didn't need her pity. She just vent her anger through tears.

Nicole woke up and saw her son. She tearfully called him and asked him to come closer

From outside the door, Steven saw how his son cared for his mother. He would have liked to join them, but he was hesitant. Nicole still needed a break and he didn't want to disturb them.

"Let's go home first and we need to talk about this matter." Asuncion said, she had been observing him.

Steven turned to his grandmother, but there was no emotion in her eyes. He nodded and started to leave.

Kanor breathed a sigh of relief when the two were gone. He went inside and ordered the maid to take Sean for a walk outside.

Sean, on the other hand, understood that he can't listen to whatever the elders would talk about.

"How are you feeling?" Kanor asked the woman.

"I'm fine, thank you very much for coming earlier." She said sadly.

“Fortunately, I hired a person to watch around your house, so I found out Soledad went there."

Nicole got up when she remembered the old woman. But she laid back down because the wound on her shoulder hurt. "Where is she now? We can't let her escape."

"Don't worry. She's incarcerated now and Steven is taking care of the case. All you have to do now is pretend you have an amnesia until Danica confesses to her wrongdoings."

Nicole finally understood everything Kanor wanted to happen. Danica can't harm her directly with her other child because she has no memory.

"Don't think too much and it's not good for your health. I'm just here and Gaven is coming home to help you."

"Thank you!" Nicole said tearfully. She became resentful to her parents again because of what had happened earlier.

Kanor ordered the guard outside not to let Nicole's parents inside because she was not ready to face them.

"We just want to know her condition." Rox pleaded with Kanor when he went out to talk to them.

"She's fine, but she's not allowed to be stressed. I'm sorry, but she's the one who doesn't want to see you. She's afraid of you because of what you did and she doesn't remember you." Kanor lied to them again.

Rox and her husband were hurt by what they heard. Depressed, they left but would not give up in order for their daughter to remember them. Kanor was right, they weren't like parents to Nicole. They judged their daughter without even knowing the truth first. Rox remembered what happened when she kicked Nicole out. She never thought she needed her at that time as her mother. But what did she do? She chased her away like a dog and didn't even listen to her explanation.

"That's enough, even if we repeatedly blame ourselves, we can't go back in time." Joey sighed.

"What will happen to Danica now?" Rox asked her husband.

"Can we worry about our daughter first? Ever since Danica lived with us back then, your heart has become distant from our own daughter." Joey said in a scolding tone.

Rox bowed her head and cried again. Her husband was right and she just realized that. But she couldn't hurt Danica because she felt sorry for her. She saw her young self in her. She grew up lacking in love because her father and mother divorced and married someone else. She grew up going back and forth to one of her parents because their new spouses disliked her. She didn't want Danica to experience something like that. But because of that desire, it was her own daughter who experienced what she went through.

"I'm sorry!" Joey said because he hurt his wife's feelings.

Rox did not say anything again. She felt bad and locked herself in their room.