Chapter 110: Confused Foster Father
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"I am planning to do my daughter's funeral soon," Justin said when he sat down comfortably in the bar in his friend's house after they greeted each other.
"Anna or Rose?" Damon asked knowing very well what his friend was thinking. It seems it was really easier to move a mountain than to change someone's character.
"It can't be Anna. Anna is still alive," Justin replied confused.
"What makes you think Rose isn't alive too?" Damon asked with a frown. His friend wanted to get rid of Rose, obviously. That was his character, it stand with only people who bring him good benefits. He was very much aware that the council was pestering Justin about Rose's true identity.
"I spoke to you about her. She haven't been found yet," Justin replied. "A funeral is best so my wife and Anna can go on with their lives," Justin justified his earlier statement.
"I found Rose. You trusted me with her safety. Won't it be an insult on my part if I can't protect my friend's family?"
Justin gulped. He prayed as his heart began pounding fast that Rose shouldn't be alive.
"I found Rose. She is alive. She will return soon. She needs to be taken care of for a week more. She will return home next week," Damon said putting his word on the line because he was not sure he will be able to persuade his son to release the girl to return to her family on time.
Justin's heart literally stopped for a few seconds. He could not express how he felt. He was supposed to feel angry and unhappy since he seriously wanted her gone from their lives but felt a weird feeling of relief. He exhaled.
"You might not love the girl like your daughter or Anna but it won't be good for me to lead you to adopt a child and the child only suffers in your home. It will make me feel guilty," Damon informed his very heartless friend as he hoped this friend of his does not get to a fatal end before he was done using him.
"Oh, I take care of her," Justin said with an awkward chuckle. "I might be too busy just like my wife but she gets along very well with Anna."
Damon nodded. 'Blood is really thicker than water. The more the blood relation, the more the bond," Damon thought comparing the relationship between Rose and Anna and the relationship between Rose and Valerie.
"You should tell your wife and daughter that Rose will return soon. They should prepare for her return," Damon told his friend.
"Oh, I don't know what to repay you with," Justin said with a smile.
"Just take care of the girl better and tell your enemies to make you the target and not those innocent kids," Damon said knowing fully well that whoever attacked Rose did that because of her identity which was connected to the late Queen.
"Oh . . ." Justin said looking down at the glass of tequila. He pressed his lips together and tried to ward off all the guilty feelings that began building up from the pit of his stomach.
"When Rose returns, you should invite us to a dinner to celebrate," Damon suggested with a friendly pat on his friend's shoulder. His son was trying hard to keep him off Rose. He did not want a fight between them so he chose to use Rose's foster father.
"Oh. Sure," Justin agreed immediately. "Thank you. I thought you were not going to help me find her," Justin said a little skeptical about Rose's well-being. He wondered why it took so long for her to return.
"It took me a while but I had to find her even if it's her corpse. It will make me appear less powerful than I am if I can't protect someone under my care. I have already made a mistake by letting her get hurt. I hope it does not go out that she got hurt due to my negligence?"
"No, you have done enough. I have troubled a friend. I should feel indebted for the rest of my life," Justin said refilling his now empty glass.
"I hope you remember what you just said," Damon said now wearing his usual mysterious look as he lifted his glass to his friend and their glasses of alcohol clicked against each other with a crisp sound.
"I definitely won't," Justin said with a smile. Damon was a businessman and won't let go of such an opportunity to get something from him with the cheque he just laid down. He hated to admit it but he was grateful.
He remembered burying his late daughter and no matter how he tried to lie to himself that he was okay and have forgotten his very beautiful daughter, he could never forget her funeral. It left him really heartbroken.
The girl was not very healthy from birth but she was a very beautiful girl. Half of the time when she was sick, she would cry but those times she was not crying, she was smiling. She was a very happy child when she was not suffering from pain.
Then, he tried to spend a lot of time with her. She would have survived her sickness after a successful surgery but things don't always go the way people wants and he lost his princess.
The little girl would have looked just Rose if she survived it because she looked so much like his wife except her eyes which she inherited from him.
Burying another girl would have been a relieving event because it meant the Royal council won't doubt him any longer but aside from being their messenger, he was also a man. He was a man who had already lost a daughter and he was unhappy to lose another girl who looked like his wife.
"Justin, are you okay?" Damon asked his friend who was completely lost in his world of thoughts.
"Yes," Justin replied with a sigh.
"You won't bury another daughter," Damon encouraged Justin gently with another gentle pat on his friend's shoulder.
"Uh?" Justin asked wide-eyed.
"I know you don't want to lose Rose," Damon said and stood up from the bar stool.
"Oh," Justin said looking down at the glass of alcohol he held. He shook his head slightly as he scolded himself for being so readable.
He also warned himself not to lose focus of what he really wanted by concerning himself with an adopted daughter which might lead to him losing the favor of the Royal council.
"Will you have dinner before you go?" Damon asked him confused friend.
"No, thank you. I should eat with my family," Justin replied with a smile at his expressionless mysterious friend.
"Sure then," Damon said maintaining his expressionless look as he saw his friend out of his home.
"Thank you once more," Justin appreciated clear-headed now since he had bottled up the past memories that made him get emotional.
"You are welcome," Damon simply replied.
When his friend drove out of the gate afar off, Damon walked back into his home. He decided to find his first son for dinner. He hoped Liam won't be strong-headed and refuse to release Rose by the following week.
***
"You can go back home tomorrow," Liam said making himself comfortable on a sofa in the living area of Rose's hospital room.
"Why, all of a sudden?" Rose asked confused and suspicious.
"Do you want to keep staying with me?" Liam asked teasingly with a smirk lifting a corner of his thin lips. "If you want to, I will take you to my house," he continued when his teasing tone won a blushed from Rose that she tried to hide by looking away from him.
"I will miss Leah that's all," Rose said truthfully. The more time she spent with Leah she found her to be someone no one will want to part with. Her stay in the hospital would have been very torturing without Leah companionship.
She wondered why Liam was acting so friendly with her today. Since he proposed to her, he hardly came over and when he did, he spends only half an hour before leaving with his expressionless handsome face not showing any emotion.
"This might sound rude but are you bipolar?" Rose blurted out and immediately wished she could turn back the clock and think before she speaks.
Liam was taken aback by her question but he smiled slightly, "maybe," he replied thoughtfully.
Not taking what he said seriously, Rose nodded. "Did you let my family know I will return soon?" Rose asked. There was no TV in the room nor did she have her phone for all these while so she knew nothing about what was happening outside.
"Yes," Liam replied. "We will have you moved to the hospital where you will meet them tomorrow," Liam explained unhappily. He had been really busy lately that he could not spend much time with Rose but now she was leaving.
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"I am planning to do my daughter's funeral soon," Justin said when he sat down comfortably in the bar in his friend's house after they greeted each other.
"Anna or Rose?" Damon asked knowing very well what his friend was thinking. It seems it was really easier to move a mountain than to change someone's character.
"It can't be Anna. Anna is still alive," Justin replied confused.
"What makes you think Rose isn't alive too?" Damon asked with a frown. His friend wanted to get rid of Rose, obviously. That was his character, it stand with only people who bring him good benefits. He was very much aware that the council was pestering Justin about Rose's true identity.
"I spoke to you about her. She haven't been found yet," Justin replied. "A funeral is best so my wife and Anna can go on with their lives," Justin justified his earlier statement.
"I found Rose. You trusted me with her safety. Won't it be an insult on my part if I can't protect my friend's family?"
Justin gulped. He prayed as his heart began pounding fast that Rose shouldn't be alive.
"I found Rose. She is alive. She will return soon. She needs to be taken care of for a week more. She will return home next week," Damon said putting his word on the line because he was not sure he will be able to persuade his son to release the girl to return to her family on time.
Justin's heart literally stopped for a few seconds. He could not express how he felt. He was supposed to feel angry and unhappy since he seriously wanted her gone from their lives but felt a weird feeling of relief. He exhaled.
"You might not love the girl like your daughter or Anna but it won't be good for me to lead you to adopt a child and the child only suffers in your home. It will make me feel guilty," Damon informed his very heartless friend as he hoped this friend of his does not get to a fatal end before he was done using him.
"Oh, I take care of her," Justin said with an awkward chuckle. "I might be too busy just like my wife but she gets along very well with Anna."
Damon nodded. 'Blood is really thicker than water. The more the blood relation, the more the bond," Damon thought comparing the relationship between Rose and Anna and the relationship between Rose and Valerie.
"You should tell your wife and daughter that Rose will return soon. They should prepare for her return," Damon told his friend.
"Oh, I don't know what to repay you with," Justin said with a smile.
"Just take care of the girl better and tell your enemies to make you the target and not those innocent kids," Damon said knowing fully well that whoever attacked Rose did that because of her identity which was connected to the late Queen.
"Oh . . ." Justin said looking down at the glass of tequila. He pressed his lips together and tried to ward off all the guilty feelings that began building up from the pit of his stomach.
"When Rose returns, you should invite us to a dinner to celebrate," Damon suggested with a friendly pat on his friend's shoulder. His son was trying hard to keep him off Rose. He did not want a fight between them so he chose to use Rose's foster father.
"Oh. Sure," Justin agreed immediately. "Thank you. I thought you were not going to help me find her," Justin said a little skeptical about Rose's well-being. He wondered why it took so long for her to return.
"It took me a while but I had to find her even if it's her corpse. It will make me appear less powerful than I am if I can't protect someone under my care. I have already made a mistake by letting her get hurt. I hope it does not go out that she got hurt due to my negligence?"
"No, you have done enough. I have troubled a friend. I should feel indebted for the rest of my life," Justin said refilling his now empty glass.
"I hope you remember what you just said," Damon said now wearing his usual mysterious look as he lifted his glass to his friend and their glasses of alcohol clicked against each other with a crisp sound.
"I definitely won't," Justin said with a smile. Damon was a businessman and won't let go of such an opportunity to get something from him with the cheque he just laid down. He hated to admit it but he was grateful.
He remembered burying his late daughter and no matter how he tried to lie to himself that he was okay and have forgotten his very beautiful daughter, he could never forget her funeral. It left him really heartbroken.
The girl was not very healthy from birth but she was a very beautiful girl. Half of the time when she was sick, she would cry but those times she was not crying, she was smiling. She was a very happy child when she was not suffering from pain.
Then, he tried to spend a lot of time with her. She would have survived her sickness after a successful surgery but things don't always go the way people wants and he lost his princess.
The little girl would have looked just Rose if she survived it because she looked so much like his wife except her eyes which she inherited from him.
Burying another girl would have been a relieving event because it meant the Royal council won't doubt him any longer but aside from being their messenger, he was also a man. He was a man who had already lost a daughter and he was unhappy to lose another girl who looked like his wife.
"Justin, are you okay?" Damon asked his friend who was completely lost in his world of thoughts.
"Yes," Justin replied with a sigh.
"You won't bury another daughter," Damon encouraged Justin gently with another gentle pat on his friend's shoulder.
"Uh?" Justin asked wide-eyed.
"I know you don't want to lose Rose," Damon said and stood up from the bar stool.
"Oh," Justin said looking down at the glass of alcohol he held. He shook his head slightly as he scolded himself for being so readable.
He also warned himself not to lose focus of what he really wanted by concerning himself with an adopted daughter which might lead to him losing the favor of the Royal council.
"Will you have dinner before you go?" Damon asked him confused friend.
"No, thank you. I should eat with my family," Justin replied with a smile at his expressionless mysterious friend.
"Sure then," Damon said maintaining his expressionless look as he saw his friend out of his home.
"Thank you once more," Justin appreciated clear-headed now since he had bottled up the past memories that made him get emotional.
"You are welcome," Damon simply replied.
When his friend drove out of the gate afar off, Damon walked back into his home. He decided to find his first son for dinner. He hoped Liam won't be strong-headed and refuse to release Rose by the following week.
***
"You can go back home tomorrow," Liam said making himself comfortable on a sofa in the living area of Rose's hospital room.
"Why, all of a sudden?" Rose asked confused and suspicious.
"Do you want to keep staying with me?" Liam asked teasingly with a smirk lifting a corner of his thin lips. "If you want to, I will take you to my house," he continued when his teasing tone won a blushed from Rose that she tried to hide by looking away from him.
"I will miss Leah that's all," Rose said truthfully. The more time she spent with Leah she found her to be someone no one will want to part with. Her stay in the hospital would have been very torturing without Leah companionship.
She wondered why Liam was acting so friendly with her today. Since he proposed to her, he hardly came over and when he did, he spends only half an hour before leaving with his expressionless handsome face not showing any emotion.
"This might sound rude but are you bipolar?" Rose blurted out and immediately wished she could turn back the clock and think before she speaks.
Liam was taken aback by her question but he smiled slightly, "maybe," he replied thoughtfully.
Not taking what he said seriously, Rose nodded. "Did you let my family know I will return soon?" Rose asked. There was no TV in the room nor did she have her phone for all these while so she knew nothing about what was happening outside.
"Yes," Liam replied. "We will have you moved to the hospital where you will meet them tomorrow," Liam explained unhappily. He had been really busy lately that he could not spend much time with Rose but now she was leaving.
"I am planning to do my daughter's funeral soon," Justin said when he sat down comfortably in the bar in his friend's house after they greeted each other."Anna or Rose?" Damon asked knowing very well what his friend was thinking. It seems it was really easier to move a mountain than to change someone's character."It can't be Anna. Anna is still alive," Justin replied confused."What makes you think Rose isn't alive too?" Damon asked with a frown. His friend wanted to get rid of Rose, obviously. That was his character, it stand with only people who bring him good benefits. He was very much aware that the council was pestering Justin about Rose's true identity."I spoke to you about her. She haven't been found yet," Justin replied. "A funeral is best so my wife and Anna can go on with their lives," Justin justified his earlier statement."I found Rose. You trusted me with her safety. Won't it be an insult on my part if I can't protect my friend's family?"Justin gulped. He prayed as his heart began pounding fast that Rose shouldn't be alive."I found Rose. She is alive. She will return soon. She needs to be taken care of for a week more. She will return home next week," Damon said putting his word on the line because he was not sure he will be able to persuade his son to release the girl to return to her family on time.Justin's heart literally stopped for a few seconds. He could not express how he felt. He was supposed to feel angry and unhappy since he seriously wanted her gone from their lives but felt a weird feeling of relief. He exhaled."You might not love the girl like your daughter or Anna but it won't be good for me to lead you to adopt a child and the child only suffers in your home. It will make me feel guilty," Damon informed his very heartless friend as he hoped this friend of his does not get to a fatal end before he was done using him."Oh, I take care of her," Justin said with an awkward chuckle. "I might be too busy just like my wife but she gets along very well with Anna."Damon nodded. 'Blood is really thicker than water. The more the blood relation, the more the bond," Damon thought comparing the relationship between Rose and Anna and the relationship between Rose and Valerie."You should tell your wife and daughter that Rose will return soon. They should prepare for her return," Damon told his friend."Oh, I don't know what to repay you with," Justin said with a smile."Just take care of the girl better and tell your enemies to make you the target and not those innocent kids," Damon said knowing fully well that whoever attacked Rose did that because of her identity which was connected to the late Queen."Oh . . ." Justin said looking down at the glass of tequila. He pressed his lips together and tried to ward off all the guilty feelings that began building up from the pit of his stomach."When Rose returns, you should invite us to a dinner to celebrate," Damon suggested with a friendly pat on his friend's shoulder. His son was trying hard to keep him off Rose. He did not want a fight between them so he chose to use Rose's foster father."Oh. Sure," Justin agreed immediately. "Thank you. I thought you were not going to help me find her," Justin said a little skeptical about Rose's well-being. He wondered why it took so long for her to return."It took me a while but I had to find her even if it's her corpse. It will make me appear less powerful than I am if I can't protect someone under my care. I have already made a mistake by letting her get hurt. I hope it does not go out that she got hurt due to my negligence?""No, you have done enough. I have troubled a friend. I should feel indebted for the rest of my life," Justin said refilling his now empty glass."I hope you remember what you just said," Damon said now wearing his usual mysterious look as he lifted his glass to his friend and their glasses of alcohol clicked against each other with a crisp sound."I definitely won't," Justin said with a smile. Damon was a businessman and won't let go of such an opportunity to get something from him with the cheque he just laid down. He hated to admit it but he was grateful.He remembered burying his late daughter and no matter how he tried to lie to himself that he was okay and have forgotten his very beautiful daughter, he could never forget her funeral. It left him really heartbroken.The girl was not very healthy from birth but she was a very beautiful girl. Half of the time when she was sick, she would cry but those times she was not crying, she was smiling. She was a very happy child when she was not suffering from pain.Then, he tried to spend a lot of time with her. She would have survived her sickness after a successful surgery but things don't always go the way people wants and he lost his princess.The little girl would have looked just Rose if she survived it because she looked so much like his wife except her eyes which she inherited from him.Burying another girl would have been a relieving event because it meant the Royal council won't doubt him any longer but aside from being their messenger, he was also a man. He was a man who had already lost a daughter and he was unhappy to lose another girl who looked like his wife."Justin, are you okay?" Damon asked his friend who was completely lost in his world of thoughts."Yes," Justin replied with a sigh."You won't bury another daughter," Damon encouraged Justin gently with another gentle pat on his friend's shoulder."Uh?" Justin asked wide-eyed."I know you don't want to lose Rose," Damon said and stood up from the bar stool."Oh," Justin said looking down at the glass of alcohol he held. He shook his head slightly as he scolded himself for being so readable.He also warned himself not to lose focus of what he really wanted by concerning himself with an adopted daughter which might lead to him losing the favor of the Royal council."Will you have dinner before you go?" Damon asked him confused friend."No, thank you. I should eat with my family," Justin replied with a smile at his expressionless mysterious friend."Sure then," Damon said maintaining his expressionless look as he saw his friend out of his home."Thank you once more," Justin appreciated clear-headed now since he had bottled up the past memories that made him get emotional."You are welcome," Damon simply replied.When his friend drove out of the gate afar off, Damon walked back into his home. He decided to find his first son for dinner. He hoped Liam won't be strong-headed and refuse to release Rose by the following week.***"You can go back home tomorrow," Liam said making himself comfortable on a sofa in the living area of Rose's hospital room."Why, all of a sudden?" Rose asked confused and suspicious."Do you want to keep staying with me?" Liam asked teasingly with a smirk lifting a corner of his thin lips. "If you want to, I will take you to my house," he continued when his teasing tone won a blushed from Rose that she tried to hide by looking away from him."I will miss Leah that's all," Rose said truthfully. The more time she spent with Leah she found her to be someone no one will want to part with. Her stay in the hospital would have been very torturing without Leah companionship.She wondered why Liam was acting so friendly with her today. Since he proposed to her, he hardly came over and when he did, he spends only half an hour before leaving with his expressionless handsome face not showing any emotion."This might sound rude but are you bipolar?" Rose blurted out and immediately wished she could turn back the clock and think before she speaks.Liam was taken aback by her question but he smiled slightly, "maybe," he replied thoughtfully.Not taking what he said seriously, Rose nodded. "Did you let my family know I will return soon?" Rose asked. There was no TV in the room nor did she have her phone for all these while so she knew nothing about what was happening outside."Yes," Liam replied. "We will have you moved to the hospital where you will meet them tomorrow," Liam explained unhappily. He had been really busy lately that he could not spend much time with Rose but now she was leaving.
