Chapter 0448 "Don't worry, Theodore. Everything's fine," Peter replied with a faint smile.
Theodore poured the coffee and exited, aware of the tension in the room. As he closed the door, he silently cursed the timing of Marcus's visit. It seemed cruel that on the very day Peter had taken a rare step out of his shell, the past had chosen to collide with his present.
In the silence that followed, the atmosphere was so heavy that the faintest sound could have been deafening. Peter sipped his coffee, his mind briefly drifting to the cinnamon laced brew Celeste had served him.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I know why you're here," Peter finally said, breaking the silence. He cleared his throat before continuing. "You must have a lot of questions." "I only have one, Peter. Why? Why didn't you cback to us?" Marcus's voice trembled with a mix of anger and pain.
Leaning back in his chair, Peter closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his temple, massaging it slowly.
"Do you want the truth?" "Yes!" Marcus exclaimed, his fists clenching tightly. "Do you have any idea how long I blamed myself for your death? I felt like I failed you-I should have protected you better!" "You did protect me, Marcus," Peter said, his voice steady. If I survived, it was because of you. Remember New York? Frank Levett put a hit on you, and you found someone who looked like you to throw him off. I followed your example. I did the sthing." Marcus's face tightened. “You knew they were coming after you?" "I suspected it, yes. That's why I hired someone who looked like me. He even got the stattoos I had. When you identified my body based on the tattoos, you believed it was me. But if they had done DNA tests, they'd have known the truth." Marcus's hands trembled as he rubbed his face. "I can't believe this..." "There's something I need to confess," Peter continued, his tone softening. "The accident robbedof my memories. I only know who you are because Theodore helpedpiece things together. If you askwhether I remember you, the answer is no. I don't recall anything we lived through together." "What are you saying?" Marcus asked, his nice breaking.
"I lost my memory, Marcus. Everything. I've never recovered a single moment-not of you, not of Maximus, and certainly not of..." Peter paused, his voice faltering before he could say the name.
"...Mary?" Marcus finished for him, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't remember her," Peter admitted. "I even sought her out once, hoping to jog something-anything-but nothing cback to me. My head is... broken." "Then tellexactly what happened. What caused all of this?!" Marcus demanded, desperation clear in his voice.
Peter sighed heavily. "Frank Levett put a bounty on my head. Theodore found out and tried to warn me, but we didn't realize the full extent of his plan until it was too late. Theodore wanted to help, but someone else was already closing in. The accident? It was real. I jumped out of the car before it exploded. My bodyguard was the one who died in my place." "You knew Frank wanted you dead?" 1/2 +25 BONUS Chapter 0448 "According to Theodore, yes." "And the accident?" Marcus pressed, his tone urgent.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
"All I know is what Theodore told me.
I jumped from the car, landed far away from the wreck, and hit my head hard. I suffered a severe m traumatic brain injury. Marcus, my skull was shattered-it's a miracle I'm even alive. There were countless times I almost didn't make it. Theodore wanted to inform my family, but with Alexia Levett already embedded in our lives, he couldn't risk it. He feared someone would finish the job while I was still in the hospital. So, he kept silent."
Marcus sat in stunned silence, his mind reeling from the Peter's calm delivenelations of such a harrowing story only deepened the weight of the moment. "And now?" Marcus asked, his voice barely audible.
"And now," Peter said, "I live with what's left." The content is onm novelenglish.net!