Chapter 322 - Ma Roma

The correct chapter sequence is-

319 And you are the reason why God created middle finger.

320- Slowly but surely

321- He was dying

322- Ma Roma

323- Murderer

324- They just love kissing me, just like you.

Please refresh if you see anything different.

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"Susu!" James rushed to Evan's side, wincing at the sight of four imprinted fingers, and takes out his handkerchief from his pocket, holding it against his cheek. "Must you hit him?"

Evan shook his head at James.

Suyin, "He had spent his entire life searching for you. And what does he get in return? Death? Do you have any idea what you have done? Twenty-two years! Twenty-two f.u.c.k*ng years, damit! How could you! Wish it was you at Luo's place, lying on that bed, breathing your last."

"Suyin, stop it!" James's voice rose. 

"Now I'm glad you and Jamie both aren't together anymore. As selfish, disgusting, and cruel as you are, who knows if Jamie would have become your next target." 

"Jesus Christ. Instead of tossing me like a ball between your conversation, will you fill me in, Suyin?" Addressing her by name feels foreign. James ran a hand through his messy hair and sat down. "I'm not moving an inch, and neither letting any of you. Explain." He slides his phone to Evan, "Use this. Let's start with the man inside the room and how is he related to you? Who is going to answer that?"

Suyin sighs, her grey eyes dark and serious. "Luo is Evan's elder brother. He and his mother had been searching for him for the last twenty-two years. As per them, Evan was kidnapped when he was of Honey's age. Which clearly was misleading. 

"If I add up the information you gave me to the one I got from Luo, I'm certain Luo and Evan are stepbrothers, as Romana had only one son when she fled from France. She must have married someone from here to get the citizenship." Evan looked up at James, his eyes swimming in tears as he nodded, confirming Suyin's words. "What remains unanswered is how Evan landed up with Alpha and why he never contacted his family in El Sandrios, making them believe he was kidnapped."

"I'll answer to that."

They turned to see a woman standing at a distance, holding a white packet and a bottle of water. Suyin squinted her eyes, though she wasn't wearing her glasses, the woman's heavy voice and golden braid swinging down her shoulder like a snake were enough to tell she was Ma Roma. Luo's stepmother. 

Ma Roma cast a glance at the closed door of Luo's room and then at Evan, questioning him with a jerk of her chin, to which he joined his palm and bring it against his ear. Sleeping.

There were a lot of looks going back and forth between everyone as Ma Roma joined them on the floor. She takes out a lunch box from the white packet but Evan pushed it away.

"You have eaten nothing since yesterday. Why are you doing this to yourself?"

"He's not your brother. Better get over this." Ma Roma said sharply, instigating Evan. He picked the lunch and raised it over head.

"Ah ah ah, don't disrespect food." Jamie snatched the lunch box from Evan. "Don't forget food plays a pivotal role in your story." He opened it. Rice, curry, chicken, pickle, and sweet. He scooped some on spoon. 

Evan looked up to see James, remembering the blissful time they had shared. His body acted on its own, and he leaned forward to take the bite. 

"What did you say just now? Repeat it for me." Suyin's jaw ticked.

"You heard it." Ma Roma's attention zeroed on Suyin. "I was young, beautiful, penniless, and a woman with a child entered a foreign country illegally. 

"One of my acquaintances introduced me to a man with three kids who had lost his wife to cancer three months back and was looking for someone to take care of his kids and him. He was rich, a widower, working under Tamis at a high post, a perfect ticket to let me and my son start a new in El Sandrios."

A bitter smile came to her lips. "How foolish I was to think that. A step relationship works. None of those boys liked me or my son, nor do we. The feelings were mutual."

Suyin couldn't help but think of her and Honey's relationship. Their relationship doesn't have the word 'step'. It's just a mother-son relationship. A step relationship works, but the first step has to be taken by the mother to let the child understand her, and feel safe with her. 

"My new husband was head over heels for me and loved my son as much as he loved his. Or that's what he made me believe. One day the kids broke into a fierce fight over Christmas gifts as Lucy got the most d.e.s.i.r.ed one," A remote-controlled car it was. "As a punishment, my husband locked up the kids in the outhouse. When I protested, he reasoned to let kids be together alone once. I knew it was a terrible decision. My son was the only one alone among them." Her shoulders hunched. "The next day none of the kids were found."

James's hand stopped midway. He couldn't help but look at Ma Roma, "What happened to them?"

"Kidnapped. Told you, my husband was rich and an influential man working for Tamis." Ma Roma's mouth curved bitterly, "Within a week they found all the three boys but my son. The boys said none of them remember a thing. A week turned into months, but Lucy was untraceable."

"It was your husband," Suyin said. "Evan's underlying condition....."

Ma Roma nodded. "A child like Lucy who is immune to pain is rare, attracts attention. My basta*d husband traded my son for a better position under Tamis' court. He killed two birds- not only he got rid of my son but raised his status.

"Four years passed but I couldn't find my son, and my jerk husband continued pretending as if he was looking for Lucy. But somewhere I knew, he was lying, something was off... "

*Continue in the next chapte