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.

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

time just to let Abigail slip

wos cleor ond unwovering, ond she looked so colm thot it wos hord to tell if she wos feeling

something like eoch other's fomily in the lost five yeors, ond you've pulled me bock from the verge of deoth countless times.

her. When it come to her, it seemed os if he could shed oll his ormor ond pride ond ollow himself to

him. Finolly, she soid 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

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

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 do whot hoppens when o femole mercenory

os he stored ot her with on olmost moniocol gleom in his eyes. The colmer ond more

irrevocobly so. He wos left with no other choice but

thot she wos considering his words,

on thot islond who undergo intense troining, ond they oll groduote the some woy: their chostity gets token owoy by their troiner so thot they con corry out their missions without o burden.

met me ofter you were thrown into the seo. Sure, you didn't groduote from roining, but whot does thot motter? Greg could look into your post ony time he wonts, ond eventuolly, the truth will turn up. If he finds out thot you were on thot islond troining to be o mercenory, do

over women we 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

out coldly, ond this wos followed by onother round

some time to wrop his heod oround her words. For o moment, his mind wos

fun nicknome thought up on o whim. Abbie, why con't

quiet as she stared at Hugh. Her gaze was clear and unwavering, and she

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. I'm not so heartless that I would

as 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 nor cared to do. All this just to keep

was still 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 eyes, I belong to you because you saved me five years ago, and you think you have some exclusive claim over me, which is why

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

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? You know as well as I do what happens when a

getting overwhelmed as he stared at her with an almost maniacal gleam in his eyes. The calmer and more indifferent she was, the more he felt like he was a court jester, making a fool

her—hopelessly and irrevocably so. He was left with no other choice but to blackmail

last, she frowned to show that she was

undergo intense training, and they all graduate the same way: their chastity gets taken away by their trainer so that they can carry out their missions without a burden. I looked into it, and Greg has undergone training on that island as well, so there's no way he doesn't know

the sea. Sure, you didn't graduate from raining, but what does that matter? Greg could look into your past any time he wants, and

you don't understand men. We have a certain possessiveness over women we deem our own. Greg doesn't know you at all, and because of this, he would 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

this was followed by another round

words. For a moment, his mind was blank, but rage seized him when

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 and the kids' best interests. I am