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Feeling her son's hand on hers, Amelia's resolve cracked. She wanted to keep a safe distance between them because she was afraid to scare Damien away. After all, it's the first time that they had the chance to just sit down and talk. He squeezed her hand gently as though he was silently telling her comforting words without really speaking.

She was somewhat taken aback. The gesture was too sweet and too warm that soon, the corners of her mouth turned up. His initiative gave her the strength to move forward and continue what she had to say. 

"Your grandfather never agreed to a wedding. He didn't give us his blessing. He wanted to fire me from Lawrence's security detail but he didn't have the power to do so since your father was the one who hired me—I was one of his personal security details and not the Park Family's. Honestly, I couldn't give up the job too. It was a high paying one and I needed the money for my grandmother. She was old and sickly.

"Eventually, your grandfather found Miriam Zhao whom he thought was suited for Lawrence. He planned their wedding and forced your father to marry her. Your father didn't agree but if he didn't go through with the wedding… your grandfather would have made my life difficult. We managed for a while but then when my grandmother had to be taken to a hospital, they turned us down..."

Damien's grandfather was quite an influential person. If he wanted something to happen, he was sure to make it happen. Amelia didn't have to say more and Damien could already guess what happened next.

"In the end, Lawrence married Miriam… but he still went home to me. I got pregnant a few months later. It was wrong… he was already a married man. But I… I also couldn't give up on him. My grandmother died before you were born, so I really only had you and your father then and no one else. I guess I was vulnerable and needy. We were able to keep it a secret for a while but a month before my due date, your grandfather learned about my pregnancy."

This time, a tear fell from Amelia's eye, landing on the back of Damien's hand. It started with a drop and then another followed… and another… until the tears just kept flowing out.

Damien froze at the sight. He had just known her for a short period of time but seeing her cry crushed his heart. But his body won't move and all he could do was order his hand to squeeze hers again.

Amelia chuckled and reached for the tissue on the table, wiping her tears away as she said, "Sorry, I'm a bit emotional just remembering the past. I'm okay… it's just... a sad memory. That's all."

Damien pulled his hand back, his heart irregularly beat upon listening to her sniffs. The dreaded question that he had always wanted to ask her crept up once again, nagging him to ask her now but he hesitated, unsure if he was ready to know what she had to say.

Amelia seemed to understand what he meant too and her heart pricked at the thought of him wondering why she left him with his father. 

"When I gave birth, I stayed in the hospital for a couple of weeks because you weren't very healthy. It wasn't anything serious but they had to monitor you. When we were allowed to discharge, Lawrence brought me to the Park Mansion. I didn't want to… but he didn't let me go, I was still recovering and needed the help I could get to take care of you too.

"I didn't know Miriam very much as your father never talked about her. While I stayed there, he was always with me and helped me take care of you. Almost two weeks later, your grandfather came to me… He told me to leave without you and gave me a case full of money. I declined his offer. I could never exchange you for money."

The mother and son exchanged looks. Even without him speaking, she already knew he was asking 'why' with the way that he held her stare. 

Taking a deep breath, Amelia continued, "Your grandmother is a very kind woman. She was kind to me, at least… Even if I wasn't the legal wife. Lawrence had become the CEO and in front of everyone, Miriam was his wife… And then I realized that I could never give you the kind of life that you deserved…

"Your father was a responsible man. I just knew that he could never leave Miriam or his family for me. There was no way your grandfather would allow me to stay. I was young… but I didn't leave because I didn't love you. Believe me, part of me died when I left you with them. But I thought it would be best for you that way. They could provide you with anything… If I brought you with me… I… I just didn't want you to have a hard life."

Amelia wiped her tears when Damien asked in a soft voice, "My father… didn't he stop you?"

She shook her head. "I didn't tell him I was leaving. I left after he went to work."

Damien couldn't understand what he was supposed to feel. There was something heavy inside of him yet he didn't know what it meant. He was pissed at his grandfather. He wanted to be angry at her, but he couldn't. He was mad at his father for not doing enough to keep her.

If Amelia was special to his father as Katherine was to him, he couldn't bear to think that he wouldn't do everything to save their relationship. So why? Why did his father fail to do that?

He had too many questions for his father but that's all they were going to be. They will be left as questions with no answers.