CHAPTER 87: BUT WHICH ONE?

"Y-you’re the father of the twins... and Sylvia’s husband?"

Tess, Sylvia’s closest neighbor, asked in disbelief. She stared at the man in front of her, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Though she couldn’t deny the striking resemblance between him and the twins, Tess knew Sylvia had never had a husband.

At most, he might be the twins’ father, but she was certain Sylvia had always been a single mother, raising the twins alone.

"Why have you been knocking for so long, Mister? I saw you standing here since earlier. Did Paris and Egypt lock you out?" asked Jepoy, Tess’s son, who often played with the twins.

The smirk on Daniel’s lips slowly faded. He glanced at the boy and the woman before him. Their interference irritated him, but he quickly masked his annoyance with a sorrowful look. He couldn’t afford to reveal his true emotions.

"The twins were probably startled to see me. After all... they never expected to meet the father they’ve never once seen standing right at their doorstep. That’s why they shut me out."

His voice dropped into a heavy sigh, as though weighed with grief.

Tess hesitated.

Could this really be the truth? Her mind swirled with doubts.

Maybe Sylvia’s relationship with this man had been complicated that she had left him while pregnant. Perhaps he regretted it now, and had finally come back searching for Sylvia and his children.

"Y-you see, Mister... Sylvia isn’t home today. The twins are probably too shy to face you. It’s best if you come back another time. I can’t let you talk to them if they don’t want to... and I also won’t overstep Sylvia’s place as their mother."

The man’s expression shifted. His sorrowful mask vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling coldness that made Tess’s skin prickle.

Tess froze, startled by the sudden change in his demeanor.

"Tsk. Just tell Sylvia that Rome Hariston came here to see his daughters. I’ll return another day."

He turned on his heel. But before he could walk away, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Another man was walking toward them.

Tess’s eyes widened in disbelief.

This man looked exactly like the one who had just introduced himself as Rome Hariston.

In an instant, the newcomer seized the first man by the collar, yanking him back with fury.

Tess’s heart pounded in confusion and fear as she stared at the two men.

They looked identical down to their cold, piercing eyes.

"What are you doing here, Daniel?"

Rome’s voice was tight with anger, veins standing out on his forehead as he gripped Daniel firmly by the collar.

Sweat still clung to Rome’s brow. He had driven in a rush to Sylvia’s house. Fortunately, Alpheus’s company wasn’t far, so he had arrived just in time to catch Daniel.

Daniel, though briefly startled, let a faint, mocking grin curl across his lips.

He hadn’t expected Rome to find out so quickly that he planned to approach the twins.

All Daniel wanted was a bit of amusement. He wanted to see how the children would react if he pretended to be Rome.

Rome and the twins hadn’t even met yet, and Daniel was growing bored and impatient waiting for that moment.

Long before Rome discovered the truth about the children, Daniel had already been digging into their lives.

He was the one pulling the strings, ensuring their paths would eventually collide.

And it wasn’t only about the children. Daniel was curious. He wanted to see with his own eyes how Rome, the perfect brother, the flawless Hariston, would act in front of them.

Just once, he wanted to peel back that composed image.

Now, though, staring into his brother’s fury, Daniel felt only disappointment.

Rome’s reaction was predictable. Dull.

In his eyes, his brother had always been slow when it came to handling his feelings and emotions.

Tsk...

"B-brother... what are you doing? Why do you look so angry?"

Daniel forced a sarcastic grin.

Rome couldn’t help but clench his fist tighter, his grip on Daniel’s collar growing harsher.

"Don’t call me brother. I should be the one asking you that. What did you do to them? Huh?!"

Daniel’s lips curved into a wider grin, only fueling Rome’s fury. He tilted his head, pretending to be innocent.

"Come on, bro. W-what are you saying? Haha... I’m just strolling around this area. So what are you even—ow!"

That only made Rome’s anger burn hotter. He knew Daniel too well, and he hated how Daniel could spout those words with that smug grin still plastered on his face.

"Don’t pretend, you bastard, like you don’t know what I mean."

Daniel’s grin faltered, twisting into a pained grimace as Rome’s hold on his collar pressed harder against his throat. For the first time, Daniel’s breath hitched.

"Tell me what you did to them."

"Pffft—haha—ow!" Daniel coughed as Rome’s grip tightened, forcing him to clutch at Rome’s arm.

"B-bro... I c-can’t b-breathe..."

"G-gentlemen.. W-what do you think you’re doing? Please stop!"

Tess’s trembling voice broke through the tension. She had been frozen in fear, but the sight of the two men nearly strangling each other pushed her to intervene. She hurried between them, her hands shaking.

She couldn’t stand watching them fight, not right in front of Sylvia’s house.

By now, a few neighbors had already stepped outside, drawn by the raised voices. They whispered among themselves, eyes wide with intrigue.

In their neighborhood, gossip spread faster than wildfire, and the sight of two wealthy-looking men in such a heated confrontation was something they wouldn’t miss.

Rome finally shoved Daniel away, releasing him at last, making Daniel almost stumble to the ground. His glare never left him, his expression still dark and full of anger.

On the other hand...

"Did you hear that, Paris? Seems like something’s happening outside. Do you think it’s finally Uncle Alpheus who arrived?"

Egypt whispered, pressing her ear against the door.

"Okay, let me check for a second."

Paris carefully dragged a stool beneath the window and climbed up, slowly opening the jalousie, which was set high enough that she had to stretch just to see outside.

From her vantage point, she spotted their neighbor, Tess, standing between two men.

One of them probably the newcomer, had his back turned toward her direction, making it impossible to recognize him.

Paris frowned the moment she noticed the man who had arrived wasn’t Alpheus. Still, there was something odd about the two of them.

Both men were of the same build and height. The newcomer was wearing a business suit, yet there was something about him that felt strangely familiar.

Her heart sank as she watched the man who had introduced himself as Rome Hariston shoot an irritating, almost mocking look at the man in the business suit. A smug grin tugged at his lips, as if he was enjoying provoking him.

Paris grimaced. She already hated that man.

"Well? Was it Uncle Alpheus who came? Let me see!"

Egypt insisted as she climbed up onto her own stool and peeked out the window beside her sister.

Her face immediately fell in disappointment when the two men stepped farther apart, with Tess trying to keep them away from each other. The other man still had his back turned to them.

"W-wait—are they going to fight?" Egypt’s eyes widened in alarm.

"We can’t let them fight!" she cried, turning to Paris. "Let’s stop them!"

"Wait, Egy—"

Paris couldn’t protest further when Egypt grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the door. With no choice, Paris let herself be dragged along.

**********

"What did you just say?!"

Rome’s glare never left Daniel, his face twisted in anger as every part of him screamed to wipe that infuriating grin off his brother’s face.

"Did I say something wrong, brother?" Daniel drawled mockingly, tilting his head slightly, his grin stretching even wider.

"I only asked if you were hiding something. Is that really enough to make you this angry?"

His words were deliberately taunting, meant to get under Rome’s skin. To provoke him further, his eyes flicked toward Sylvia’s house.

Tess, growing more anxious as the tension between them escalated, stepped forward once again to stop them.

"P-please, gentlemen, could you not fight here? If there’s a misunderstanding, maybe—"

"Stay out of this, old woman."

Daniel’s cold voice cut her off, his gaze as hard as ice.

"This is a matter between siblings. Don’t meddle."

Tess flinched, her shoulders trembling.

Rome’s patience finally snapped. His jaw tightened as his frustration boiled over.

He gently shoved Tess aside and stormed across the small gap between them, his fist raised, ready to finally land the blow on Daniel.

But then—

"S-stop! D-don’t fight here!"

The sharp, high-pitched voice cut through the heavy air.

Daniel’s lips instantly curved upward, amusement flickering in his eyes as his brother froze in place.

Rome slowly lowered his arm and turned stiffly toward the source of that small yet commanding voice. He knew that voice all too well.

There stood Egypt, hands on her hips, her little face scrunched in anger even though her voice quivered. She was trying to be brave, even while clearly terrified.

"H-how could you f-fight right here, in front of the house—" she began, but her words broke off.

Both Egypt and Paris gasped at once.

Their eyes widened as they looked at the man in the business suit, now fully facing them. He bore the exact same face as the man who had earlier introduced himself as Rome Hariston.

Two of them. Identical.

"T-they’re twins..." Paris whispered, loud enough for Egypt to hear.

Her gaze darted between the two men, then flicked to her sister before snapping back at them. Her disbelief deepened.

The resemblance was undeniable. It was like staring at older, male versions of herself and Egypt.

Paris’s heart pounded in her chest.

She couldn’t deny it, not with how much they resembled her and Egypt. One of these men had to be their father.

But which one?