Chapter 77
Felicity POV.
"What? That can't be true," I said, shaking my head in disbelief.
"Ava, what are you talking about?" I said, incredulous.
Kyle cut in, his tone sharp, "She means that Maximus is the son of the one who killed our parents."
I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. Maximus, my love, the father of my child, the man I had trusted more than anyone else in the world, was connected to my parent's death? It was too much to comprehend. "I'm sorry, Feli. I didn't know how to tell you. I was afraid of what you might do if you found out," Ava said, tears falling down her cheeks. "I thought it would destroy you."
"How could you keep this from me?" I asked, hurt and angry.
"I'm sorry, Feli," Ava said, her voice choked with tears. "I never meant to hurt you."
"You had no right to keep this from me," I said, my voice rising. "What else have you been hiding from me?"
"I just wanted to protect you," Ava interjected.
"Protect me? By lying to me?" I said, shaking my head in disbelief.
"And you knew this whole time?" I asked, turning to Kyle.
"I found out recently and I was trying to convince Ava to tell you," Kyle said, looking at me apologetically.
"How did you even find this out?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around the revelation.
"She managed to decipher other diagrams in the book, and found other Clues in some of our parents' notebooks," Kyle spoke up, "she didn't tell you because she didn't want to ruin your happiness."
I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me. How could they do this to me? Keep such a crucial piece of information from me?
"I need to go see Maximus," I said, feeling numb.
"Feli, wait," Ava said, reaching out to grab my arm.
I pulled away from her. "Don't touch me. I can't believe you both kept this from me," I said, my voice shaking with anger and hurt.
"I'm sorry, Feli. Please, don't go alone. Let me come with you," Ava said, her eyes pleading with me.
"No! and don't call me Feli anymore! this is for the people close to me and not the imposters." My voice was cold like an ice.
Ava looked down, ashamed and hurt. "I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just thought it was better if you didn't know," she said quietly.
"That's the third time you've f*****g lied to me! I feel like I don't even know you Ava. Who are you? What else have you been keeping from me?" I spat, my eyes locked on hers.
Ava's shoulders slumped, and she let out a heavy sigh. "I know I messed up, and I'm sorry. I just wanted to protect you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Protect me from what? The truth? I can take care of myself, Ava. I don't need you or anyone else to protect me," I said, my jaw clenching in frustration.
"I know you're strong, Feli. But sometimes even the strongest people need help. " She said her eyes were red from crying but I didn't care.
"I don't want to hear it," I said. "I need some time to think," I said, my voice breaking. Without another word, I turned and left the room, feeling alone and betrayed.
I couldn't believe that the man I loved, the father of my child, was the son of my parents' killer. It was too much to process.
My eyes were cloudy with tears as I walked towards our bedroom. I knew I had to confront Maximus about what I had just found out. When I entered the room, I saw him sitting on the bed, bottle-feeding our baby. He looked up at me and immediately put the baby down gently and walked towards me when he saw my tears.
"Feli, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked, trying to touch me.
"What's wrong, honey?" Maximus asked, approaching me with concern in his eyes.
I stepped back and yelled at him. "Don't touch me! Don't call me honey! You're just a troublemaker! You lied to me! You knew who your father was all along!"
Maximus looked at me with surprise. "What are you talking about? I didn't know anything!" he said.
I laughed in his face. "Don't lie to me! Your father is the one who killed my parents!"
Maximus was stunned. He didn't say anything for a moment. "I didn't know that, Feli. I swear to you," he said.
I giggle trying to contain my rage.
Maximus looked at me in shock. "I didn't know..."
I cut him off. "Don't lie to me, Maximus! You knew and you didn't tell me!"
"What? Feli calm down! I don't even know what you're talking about."
I was furious. "You didn't know? How could you not know? You're his son!"
Maximus tried to explain. "My father was gone for most of my childhood. He only came back into my life a few years ago before his death. I had no idea what he had done."
"That's the third time you've f*****g lied to me! I feel like I don't even know you Ava. Who are you? What else have you been keeping from me?" I spat, my eyes locked on hers.
I didn't want to hear it. "You're just like him! A liar and a killer!" I shouted.
Maximus tried to defend himself, but I didn't give him the chance. I was too angry. I started throwing hurtful words at him, and he was getting more and more upset. "You're a coward! You're weak! You're nothing without me!" I screamed. Maximus was getting more and more agitated. "That's not true, Feli! I love you! I would never hurt you!"
I was not caring that my baby was crying.
"You're a f*****g brute and a jerk! You'll never change! Kyle was right about you!" I yelled.
Maximus tried to apologize and calm me down, but I refused to listen to him.
But I wasn't listening. I was too angry. I said a shocking word to him and didn't notice it until it was too late. Maximus slapped me, and my head was thrown backwards in shock.
I was speechless for a moment. I couldn't believe he had hit me. "How dare you!" I shouted at him.
Maximus looked at me with regret. "I'm sorry, Feli. I didn't mean to do that. I was just so angry," he said.
"I can't believe you just hit me!" I screamed at him.
He apologized and tried to approach me, but I stepped back. I saw the regret on his face, but I didn't care.
I was too hurt. "You're a f*****g brute and a jerk! You'll never change!" I yelled.
That's when Kyle, Adrian, Ava, and the others entered the room. They saw that Maximus had slapped me, and Kyle immediately jumped on him to fight. But the others stopped him.
I was distraught. I turned to Maximus and asked him to leave.
"You need to leave, Maximus. Just leave," I told him, tears streaming down my face.
He looked at me as if to be sure I really wanted him to go.
"Get lost! I never want to see you again. Never come near me or my child again !" I shouted.
"Fine. I'll go," he said, and left the room.
I collapsed in tears, and Adrian came to comfort me. Ava carried my baby and tried to calm him down. Adrian tried to console me, but it didn't help. I couldn't be help. I was destroyed, more inside than outside. "You'll never change, Maximus," I whispered to myself. "I can't believe I ever loved you.