Chapter 342 - CASTING DOUBT ON

[APPA destroyed Papa Boss and Mama Boss' relationship…?]

Neoma was in disbelief.

The appa and the eomma that she remembered in her second life seemed to be truly in love with each other. But her Papa Boss made it sound like her appa sabotaged his relationship with Mama Boss.

Her heart thumped loud and hard against her chest.

[Appa isn't that kind of person. But I also know that Papa Boss won't lie about something like this. Papa Boss has already changed for the better…]

At that moment, she heard Trevor's voice in her head.

<"The problem with you is you trust the people you like too much. Of course, it's nice that you trust your allies. But you shouldn't have blind faith in them.">

Blind faith.

Was she having blind faith in her appa?

"Neoma, I'm not forcing you to believe me," her Papa Boss said gently. "I'm just telling you what I remember."

Neoma clenched her hands, then she spoke her mind before she got devoured by fear. "Papa Boss, I'm sure Dion and Jeanne reported the argument I had with Lady Wisteria to you."

Her father nodded. "They did. Apparently, Lady Wisteria accused Gavin Quinzel of manipulating me and your mother into breaking up."

"Is that true, Papa Boss?"

"Are you sure you want to hear my answer?"

She took a deep breath before nodding. "Yes, Papa Boss."

"Did Lady Wisteria mention how Gavin Quinzel turned her into a liar?" her father asked. "Thanks to that incident, Lady Wisteria has become a laughingstock in the high society for a long time. Moreover, all her other potential husband candidates withdrew their marriage proposal thinking that Lady Wisteria was mentally ill during that time."

She clenched her hands tighter until her nails dug deep into the skin of her palms. [If that is true, then I could understand why Lady Wisteria is still bitter towards appa.]

"After Lady Wisteria caused a rumor about Mona and Gavin Quinzel to spread, I asked Glenn to investigate the incident secretly," her Papa Boss continued. "We found out that Lady Wisteria was telling the truth then. Gavin Quinzel really told the owner of the jewelry shop that he would give the hair ornament to the woman he was in love with."

She felt a stab in her chest, but she kept her mouth shut.

"Of course, Lady Wisteria was in the wrong to assume that Gavin Quinzel would give the hair ornament to her," her father said. "But Gavin Quinzel was also a bastard to strongly deny Lady Wisteria's words. He even bribed the store owner to deny sharing that information with Lady Wisteria to make it seem like she was just making a story. If I didn't personally interrogate the store owner, I don't think he'd tell the truth since he received a hefty amount of money from Gavin Quinzel."

Her heart screamed that Papa Boss was lying.

But her mind remained calm while listening to her father.

"I don't know how Glenn and I had forgotten that certain part of our memories, though," her Papa Boss said. "But now, it's clear in my head. I also clearly remember the times Gavin Quinzel provoked me."

"How did appa provoke you, Papa Boss?"

"First, he made me believe Mona would die if she gave birth to you and Nero," her Papa Boss said. "I'm not saying that he's the only one to blame. Back then, I chose Mona over you and your twin brother."

It didn't surprise or hurt her anymore since her Papa Boss already confessed that to her before.

"But I hate the fact that Gavin Quinzel lied about his feelings for Mona," her Papa Boss said bitterly. "The day before they disappeared, he told me he was in love with your mother. I don't know why I believed that lie during that time. But now that my mind is clear, I'm certain that he lied about his feelings."

Hearing that surprised her. "Papa Boss, you don't believe that appa is in love with Mama Boss?"

"No, I don't," her father said firmly. "If he was in love with Mona, I would have noticed. But Gavin Quinzel never looked at your mother the way I did. Moreover, if Mona knew Gavin Quinzel's for her, your mother would have avoided him." He paused before he continued in an embarrassed voice. "I was a terrible lover when I was young. Mona knew I would have, uh, punished Gavin Quinzel if I noticed his feelings for her. Thus, knowing your mother, she wouldn't have let it happen."

Ah, right.

If they would turn her Papa Boss and Mama Boss's story into a fantasy romance novel, then her Papa Boss would fall under the "toxic, possessive ML" category. That kind of ML wouldn't have let the "second male lead," her appa, to get near her Mama Boss.

It made sense, but her mind was still confused.

"In my memories, appa and eomma were happy and in love with each other," she said in a cracked voice. "How did it happen then, Papa Boss?"

"Mona stole my ability to love and remember our happy memories," her father said carefully. "But for some reason, I also lost some of my memories that have something to do with Gavin Quinzel."

"Papa Boss, are you implying that appa also erased some of your memories?"

Her Papa Boss nodded. "If Gavin Quinzel could do that to me, then he could do that to your mother as well. Both Mona and I trusted him too much that we let our guards down around him."

She hated that it made sense.

But if her Papa Boss ended up being right, then the happy and loving family that she had in her second life…

[Is nothing but an illusion?]

She felt like breaking down at the moment.

"I could be wrong, though," her Papa Boss said when he probably noticed that she was about to cry. "Should I have said nothing about this, Neoma?"

Neoma shook her head. "I appreciate the fact that you opened up to me, Papa Boss," she said in a cracked voice. Then she smiled sadly at her father. "But my heart is confused. My mind is telling me that your story made sense."

Pain crossed her Papa Boss's eyes.

Of course, her conscience pricked her. She just made up with her Papa Boss, so if she could, she would avoid anything that could ruin their relationship again. But she couldn't.

Her appa was also precious to her.

Neoma thumped her fist on her chest. "But my heart can't accept that appa could do such a horrible thing to you and Mama Boss." Her tears finally fell. "I'm so sorry, Papa Boss."

Papa Boss smiled sadly at her. "I understand, Neoma," he said softly. "You don't have to apologize for that."

***

"DID YOU CRY–"

Neoma glared at Trevor, making the demon shut his mouth. Yes, she cried her heart out earlier. But she wasn't in the mood to talk about it. "What are you doing in my room?"

The security in her palace was tight.

But it wouldn't work on someone like Trevor.

"I'm guarding the video recording device I handed to you," Trevor, who was on the sofa while lying on his side, said lazily. "You just left it carelessly in your drawer, you know?"

"You told me only I could break it, didn't you?"

"It wouldn't hurt to be extra careful, my Moon Princess."

She was too tired to argue with Trevor, so she just shut her mouth and sat on her bed. Then she opened the first drawer of her bedside table.

The demon raised an eyebrow at her. "You're going to watch Prince Nero's recorded message now?"

She just nodded while picking up the small transparent orb the size of a tennis ball.

To be honest, she wanted to watch it with Lewis. But her "son" was still busy with her other "children." She needed to get her mind off of the conversation that she had with her Papa Boss earlier. Thus, she changed her mind and returned to her palace instead of sleeping in her father's room again.

[It would just make us both awkward if I stayed.]

"I'll put another soundproof barrier magic around your room," Trevor said, then he snapped his fingers. "I'll also cover our tracks with my Darkness attribute."

"Okay," she said, then she looked at the orb in her hand. "Do I just break this?"

"It would be better if you toss it on the wall," the demon advised her. "Once the liquid inside the orb touched the wall, it would turn into a monitor."

"Wow, that's convenient," she said, then she lazily threw the orb to the wall.

The transparent liquid splashed on the wall after the orb broke. Then, just like what Trevor said, the wall turned into a monitor.

A few moments later, Nero's handsome face showed up on the screen.

She immediately smiled upon seeing her twin brother. "Nero," she said, even though she knew Nero couldn't hear her. "I miss you."

<"Neoma," Nero greeted her with a bright smile on his face. "First of all, I miss you.">

She smiled and nodded.

Trevor, on the other hand, slowly clapped his hands. "Wow, you're really twins. You say the same thing to each other at first sight."

She ignored the demon.

Plus, she focused on Nero when she noticed that her twin brother immediately turned serious. Trevor said that the message wasn't urgent. But Nero's face said otherwise.

<"Neoma, we can't waste time anymore, so please excuse me for being straightforward. I know that this will shock you, but I can't think of a gentler way to break the news to you," Nero said in a serious voice, then he took a deep breath before he continued. "Our mother, Lady Mona Roseheart, is still alive.">

It didn't surprise her, though. "I know, Nero. Mama Boss is on Earth while waiting for me and appa."

<"Neoma, our mother has been trapped in an enormous block of ice under the Black Ocean for almost ten years now.">

This time, Nero's message shocked her.

She knew that her twin brother wouldn't lie about their mother. He didn't have any reason to do so.

But how could that happen?

"Trevor."

"Yes, my Moon Princess?"

"Where is the Black Ocean located?"

"It's a dimension similar to the Spirit World, Princess Neoma," Trevor said seriously. "It's definitely not on Earth."

She held her breath before releasing it slowly.

"If Mama Boss has been trapped in that world for almost ten years now…" Neoma said, her tears falling once again. "Then who is the eomma I met in my second life?"

***

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