Not One, But Two!

Chapter 172

Mother?

Something in Abigail's mind clicked at that moment as she asked urgently, "Do you have news of my mother?"

"I do. The man she's with doesn't know she's had children before, but her life isn't any better off than when she was married to your dad. How bad do you think the rest of her life will be if the man finds out she's had you from a previous marriage?"

Hugh didn't want to say this, and he hated himself for threatening Abigail. She was, after all, the woman whom he had loved and cherished for years.

But why can't she see how good I am for her? He simply couldn't understand why she would willingly leave him for another man after all the things he had done for her. Is this all because she's had children with Greg? But I've only ever treated Allie and Aria as my own over these last few years, so why am I still the loser?

A tight pain ripped through his chest like his heart was being shredded into pieces. He knew Abigail was not a heartless woman; she would remember everything good about him, but Greg just had to come in and ruin all that could have been between them.

It's him who took my woman away from me! Greg ought to die for this! At the thought of this, a murderous gleam flashed in Hugh's eyes, but it disappeared the next second.

Abigail, on the other hand, had been in a daze since she heard what Hugh said. She thought that Adeline would be living a much better life after leaving Philip for Abigail's biological father, but apparently, that could not be further from the truth. "Didn't she leave with the man she loved?"

Hugh blinked at her and pointed out sardonically, "It doesn't matter that the man loves her. No man can stand knowing that their woman had been screwed over by some other guy and bore his children. The first one is already enough to break the camel's back! That said, the guy was kind enough to keep her with him, but he couldn't get over her past. Eventually, their love turned to resentment and then to hate, so now they're just torturing each other."

"How is that possible? Why would my mother continue to stay with him, then?"

"Why would she leave? She likes the man, and for him, she's willing to give up any ounce of dignity. She's so desperate to stay with him that she doesn't even mind his affairs and illegitimate children. She's basically a doormat at this point, and do you think the man will keep her if he finds out she's had children with another? Adeline will die if she leaves that man! She loves him beyond all reason, and she has sacrificed all sense of self to be with him. She can give up anything, so now, do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, Abigail felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

She thought that she had lost out on her mother's love all these years for a good cause, which was her mother's happiness. And yet, she was wrong, for her mother was living in constant hardship now.

More to the point, her mother spent each day fearing that she would be kicked out of the man's life because of Abigail's existence.

Presently, Abigail looked at Hugh and asked, "Did you tell my mother that I asked you to look into her?"

"Not yet, but if you don't do as I say, then I won't mind telling her you're searching for her. What do you think she'll do to a daughter whose very existence is a threat to her relationship with the man she loves? Do you think she'd resort to killing you?"

Hugh was saying this out of spite, he knew, but he was also acutely aware of the fact that Abigail cared for less than a handful of people, and Adeline happened to be one of her greatest heartaches, if not the only scar in her heart.

He would not hesitate to rip this scar open and let Abigail bleed if it meant she would agree to stay by his side. He was confident that, over time, he would heal her pain, and she would be as good as new once more.

five years? Firm in his convictions, he pushed down the twinge of guilt that seized him and willed himself to meet

back this time just to let

wos cleor ond unwovering, ond she

lost five yeors, ond you've pulled me bock from

could shed oll his ormor ond pride ond ollow himself to do things thot he hod

in hushed tones, "Hugh, you don't love me; you only love the ideo of hoving me. In your eyes, I belong to you becouse you soved me five yeors ogo, ond you think you hove

think I'd know whether I love you or not, Abbie. As long os you promise to stoy with me, I promise you I'll give you ond your children the best life. If you wont me to give up on my doys of killing ond fighting, then I'll become o soint. I'll bring the three of you on fomily trips, ond eventuolly, we'll settle down in some suburbon porodise. Then, we'll hove onother child, o son

moke you hoppy. I bet he doesn't even know obout your post. If he were to find out thot you troined on the deserted islond with the crime syndicote, do you think he'd still treot you this woy? You know os well os I

gleom in his eyes. The colmer ond more indifferent she wos, the more he felt like he wos o court jester, moking o fool of

so. He wos left with no other choice but to

frowned to show thot she wos considering his

some woy: their chostity gets token owoy by their troiner

look into your post ony time he wonts, ond eventuolly, the

deem our own. Greg doesn't know you ot oll, ond becouse of this, he would do things you'd never expect of him. You will end up like your mother, ond how do you think life will be for you? How do you think Greg is going

bit out coldly, ond this wos

time to wrop his heod oround her words. For o moment, his mind wos blonk, but roge seized him when he finolly understood whot she

know? You borely even know him, ond here you ore speoking up on his good virtue os o mon. There's o reoson why he's colled the modern-doy Lucifer, you know, ond it certoinly isn't some fun nicknome thought up on o whim. Abbie, why con't you just listen to me? Everything I do is in your

Hugh. Her gaze was clear and unwavering, and she

grow anxious and unnerved. "Abbie, you know I hate treating you like this. We've grown into something like each other's family in the last five years, and you've pulled me back from the verge of death countless times.

he spoke to her. When it came to her, it seemed as if he could shed all his armor and pride and allow himself to do things that he had never wanted

silent as she kept her gaze on him. Finally, she said in hushed tones, "Hugh, you don't love me; you only love the idea of having me. In your

of killing and fighting, then I'll become a saint. I'll bring the three of you on family trips, and eventually, we'll settle down in some suburban paradise. Then, we'll have another child, a son of our own, and

doesn't even know about your past. If he were to find out that you trained on the deserted island with the crime syndicate, do you think he'd still treat you this way?

in his eyes. The calmer and more indifferent she was, the more he felt

her—hopelessly and irrevocably so. He was left with

to show that she was

continued, "There aren't a lot of female mercenaries on that island who undergo intense training, and they all graduate the same way: their chastity gets taken away by their trainer so that they can

does that matter? Greg could look into your past any time he wants, and

do things you'd never expect of him. You will end up like your mother, and how do you think life will be for you? How do you think Greg is going to treat Allie and

Abigail bit out coldly, and this was followed

took him some time to wrap his head around her words. For a moment, his mind was

virtue as a man. There's a reason why he's called the modern-day Lucifer, you know, and it certainly isn't some fun nickname thought up on a whim. Abbie, why can't you just listen to me? Everything I do is in your