CHAPTER 65: MR. BEAR

Gio fell silent on the other end of the line before letting out a low whistle.

"Oooh... now that sounds interesting enough for me to get involved. Haha. Don’t worry—I’m just as curious about the results. I’ll personally look into it and see for myself what those twins look like. Bye!"

The call had already ended, but Rome was still staring at his phone in silence.

Gabriel had said that Egypt and Paris were good kids—obedient and respectful toward their mom.

Just hearing that was enough for him to know Sylvia had lied to him.

She told him Paris and Egypt weren’t her children—but something in his gut told him otherwise. And when he suddenly showed up at her house, she panicked. She acted like she was hiding something from him.

Even their names. Egypt. Paris.

Just like Gio pointed out—wasn’t it strange? Why would Sylvia name her children after places... just like his name—Rome—if there was no connection at all?

He remembered hearing those names once before—back when he secretly followed Sylvia and saw Alpheus dropping her off.

The names stuck with him. Even then, something about them had unsettled him.

He remembered feeling a flicker of doubt, a nagging suspicion. But somehow... he brushed it aside.

He should’ve paid more attention. He should’ve followed that feeling. Instead, he buried it.

Now, everything felt like a mess.

Confusion. Regret. Anger. All tangled up inside him.

If it turned out those kids were really his—what was he supposed to do? How could he even face Sylvia? Or face them?

How could she have hidden them from him all these years?

But more than anything else—how had he never noticed she was pregnant before she left him?

If the twins were around Gabriel’s age, maybe they weren’t his. Gabriel was born a few months later... It was possible Sylvia had gotten pregnant by someone else after she left him.

There was also a chance...

That Daniel might be their father.

Daniel, huh...

Just thinking about him made him sick. He couldn’t accept the idea of Daniel being the father of Sylvia’s children. Not him—not someone like him.

But what if it’s not him? he tried to convince himself.

Damn it...

If Sylvia had already been pregnant before she left him, then the twins could very well be his.

How strange would that be, if it were true?

How could he have children and not even know about it? And worse—how was he supposed to suddenly step into the role of a father, just like that?

Sure, he had experienced being a father figure to Gabriel... but from the beginning, he always knew Gabriel wasn’t his biological son.

That knowledge alone had placed a limit on how much of himself he could give. He cared for him, yes—but he never allowed himself to fully love him like his own.

But this? If it turned out he actually had twin daughters... then it would be a different story altogether. This wouldn’t be like taking care of someone else’s child. These would be his children.

They’d probably hate him if it turned out he was their father. And maybe... he wouldn’t even blame them.

He hadn’t even met them yet, but already, his emotions were a tangled mess. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t calm the storm raging in his chest.

Once again, Rome lifted the bottle and took a long swig of liquor.

Wait... how many bottles was this now?

He stared at the one in his hand—empty. Again. He usually felt lightheaded after just a few drinks, but tonight... it was like the chaos in his head was drowning out the alcohol’s effects.

He began tapping his desk—again and again—each tap harder and heavier than the last.

What was he even doing?

Nothing would happen if he just sat here, waiting for Gio to finish investigating. He had to do something. He couldn’t just sit still. He had to know the truth.

He needed to see the twins with his own eyes.

He never got a clear look at them that night—it had been too dark.

But if they really were his children... and if they were also what his friends had been keeping from him—then he didn’t even know how he was supposed to feel.

Still... once the truth came out, he wasn’t going to sit quietly.

He’d demand that Sylvia let him be with them.

After all... how could she hide them from him? Didn’t he have the right to be their father?

"Hah... what a joke..." he muttered bitterly, letting out a dry, humorless laugh.

He tilted the last bottle to his lips and drank the final drop—his sixth bottle.

Only then did the alcohol finally start to hit him. The room spun just slightly, his limbs growing heavy.

And then, the heat rising behind his eyes.

His lids grew heavy as the tears welled up, and without another word... Rome slowly closed his eyes.

-------

Next day.....

Damn it.

Rome couldn’t stay still. He kept glancing around nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

He was currently standing outside the twins’ school—the one Gio said they were attending.

He still had a hangover from drinking too much the night before, but the moment Gio called him with the information about the twins, he didn’t even hesitate. He rushed to the location without thinking twice.

He didn’t even know what the twins looked like. Gio had refused to show him any photos, insisting with a teasing laugh, "You’ll know them when you see them."

But he had been standing outside the school gate for over an hour now, and despite the stream of kids pouring in, not a single face stood out to him.

He was starting to think Gio might just be messing with him. Testing him.

That jerk...

Rome clenched his jaw in frustration and checked his watch. Sweat trickled down his back, uncomfortable under the oversized costume he had put on for his "disguise."

No wonder people were staring at him.

Parents and children passing by were starting to give him curious glances. He avoided their eyes, pretending not to notice.

Who wouldn’t stare, really? He looked ridiculous.

"Mom, look! There’s a bear man! He’s selling balloons! Can I have one, please?" a little boy squealed nearby, tugging on his mother’s hand and pointing excitedly at him.

Tch...

"Hi, mister!" the mother called out, approaching him. "How much for the balloon you’re holding?"

"I’m not selling it," Rome replied coldly. "I’m giving it to someone."

The woman blinked in surprise, a bit taken aback by his tone, before turning back to her child.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Someone already owns that balloon, so we can’t buy it. But it’s okay, I’ll get you one later—"

"Waaaahhhh!" the kid suddenly burst into loud sobs.

Rome flinched, wincing as the sound pierced his ears.

Damn it...

This was infuriating.

Why in the world did he let Gio convince him to do this? That idiot had actually made him believe it was a good idea to wear this ridiculous bear costume as a disguise.

Rome scowled under the suffocating heat of the costume, the cheap fabric already clinging to his skin.

If it weren’t for the chance that Sylvia—or maybe even some of his friends—might see him and stop him from getting near the twins, he never would’ve agreed to Gio’s stupid plan.

Gio had mentioned that the school was now owned by Alpheus and Alfonso, which meant there was a possibility he’d run into them.

Rome still didn’t want to see any of them. Not after they helped Sylvia keep the kids a secret from him. He wasn’t ready to pretend like nothing happened and just forgive them that easily.

That’s why he chose to wear this stupid bear suit like a total idiot—just to avoid them.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Gio had also told him to bring balloons so people wouldn’t get suspicious about a grown man in a bear costume lurking outside a school. Great plan.

Now, kids were begging for the damn balloons like he was some kind of street vendor.

"Mom, look! It’s the bear man! He’s so cute!"

"Where?"

"There, Mom! The bear man selling balloons!"

Rome was about to groan again when he heard another voice—this time, more familiar.

"Ah, that bear man? Selling balloons in front of a school this early? That’s not even allowed here. How did he manage to slip past the school security?"

His brow furrowed.

That voice.

He was sure it was Sylvia.

His heart thudded hard in his chest. He turned quickly to look for her, but before he could get a clear view of where the voice had come from, the same little brat who had been crying earlier darted in front of him again, still wailing.

"Mom, I want that balloon! I want it now!"

Rome gritted his teeth. He didn’t have the patience to deal with tantrum-throwing kids.

And then he saw her.

Even from behind, he knew.

There she was—Sylvia.

Her back was turned to him, but he recognized her immediately. She was holding the hands of two small children—one on each side, their backs also facing him.

His chest tightened. That had to be them. Paris and Egypt.

For the first time, he was finally seeing them... the twins.

He took a step forward to approach them. However—

"Uhm... mister bear?"

He paused.

Someone tugged lightly at the tail of his bear costume.

He turned his head slowly and saw the mother of the crying child standing there, looking a little embarrassed.

"Could you please just sell that balloon to my son?" she asked politely.

Rome stared at her blankly, then looked down at the balloon in his paw.

Damn it...