The Secret Heir Return To Wealth And Love

Penn had suggested every viable treatment he could think of, and Wayne had been a willing participant through it all.

But...

His eyelids hung heavy, deliberately ignoring the boy curled up in the opposite corner of the room.

"Ayden" had always been there. When the therapy was excruciating, another Wayne would emerge. However, as his memories returned, day by day, the other Wayne seemed to be fading away, growing weaker.

About those memories...Wayne had gone from outright rejection at the start of his recovery to a reluctant acceptance of his past self, though not without disgust.

Penn had explained to him.d2

The existence of the other Wayne stemmed from an intense self-loathing buried deep within. As Wayne began to accept his past, that other Wayne would naturally vanish.

But the trouble was never really about that other Wayne. It was the seemingly harmless "Ayden" who always managed to put him in danger, often without even realizing it.

Lately, he seemed more pitiful than ever, because Wayne had been ignoring him day after day.

His injuries multiplied, and he grew thinner and more gaunt.

When Wayne realized he had contracted the same illness as Ayden, the greatest fear, deep inside and unnoticed even by himself, was the brutal way Ayden killed Betsy during his episode.

But now, Penn's words echoed in his mind.

Ayden's condition, which had been manageable, was worsened by the wrong medication, complicating and exacerbating his illness.

If it hadn't been for Yvette's malicious actions, Ayden could have persevered with his medication. With the rapid advancements in medical technology and Osmond's ongoing research, it was possible that a cure could be available in five, maybe ten years.

Ayden could have lived a normal life. The same went for Wayne.

His condition wasn't as severe as Ayden's had been.

Back then, Ayden's only reason to stay lucid was Betsy. But Wayne was different. Besides Rosalynn, he had Cory, Ivy-reasons to get better.

Just as Penn had described, the fear in his heart seemed to unravel at once.

Wayne even felt the next breath of air fill his lungs more crisply than before.

He slowly sat up.

For the first time in months, his gaze settled on the boy huddled across from him.

"Let's talk," he said.

The boy looked up at Wayne in bewilderment.

"Can you tell me why you're here with me?" asked Wayne.

The boy's eyes dropped, his limbs tinged with the blue of cold, "You said you wanted to protect me..."

"Yeah, I wanted to protect you. But instead, you got us into this mess," Wayne gestured to his own face, "This isn't right."

"I didn't mean to..." The boy shook his head repeatedly.

"You were born in my mind because of that diary," Wayne continued. "I was too young back then, confused by the cruelty inflicted on you and yet overwhelmed by the leniency and love shown to me. The guilt was inexplicable. And when I learned you were my biological father, that you never wanted my birth-that guilt deepened even more."

The boy trembled, looking at Wayne with fear.