The Royal Contract

1067 Forever be part of the family

She was not surprised to see many of their families and friends who came over to welcome their first child. But as much as she loved to see them, she also felt exhausted.

She still needed to recover from her labor and the lack of sleep since she had her child. Of course, based on what she learned, it would still be a long road before she could feel close to normal again.

“I think your eyes are about to give in. Why don’t you rest for a while and let me take care of my grandchild.” Laura stood before her as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

She did not want to leave their guests, but her mother was right. It was getting harder and harder for her to keep herself awake. She could feel her body starting to shut down.

“Don’t you mind? I don’t want Ares to be a burden.” Dani knew that having a child meant owning to the responsibility and not passing them on to someone else.

She suddenly felt guilty. But then again, she told herself that she was human with physical limitations. She could not be too hard on herself for admitting that she needed help.

“Hey, taking care of Ares will never be a burden to me. And don’t worry, I still remember how to take care of a child.” Her mother reminded her as she gently pried her baby out of her arms.

She finally conceded that she needed to sleep as she opened her mouth and yawned loudly. She could deny anymore how much her body craved the soft mattress of her bed.

Honestly, it was not easy to sleep in the hospital despite the privacy of her room and the comfortable bed they had provided. It was still not her home or her bed.

.....

“Have you seen Alex?” She finally asked her mother-in-law, who also joined them.

She strained her neck at the guests scattered in their living room area but could not find him anywhere. Jacky was talking to some of their friends, but Marcus was also out of sight.

She could only conclude that the two must be somewhere private, talking about business again. But she could not blame her husband. He had been by her side throughout her labor until they had reached home. He must have tons of piled-up work to do.

“I saw him go to his office with his friends. If I was not mistaken,” Katherine answered her. But her focus had always been on her grandson as she waited for her turn to take him.

Dani guessed she had no problem with a nanny since two had already volunteered to take charge. In the meantime, she needed to find Alex before she disappeared for a few minutes, an hour or more, to take advantage of a much-needed rest.

She carefully treaded away from the living area toward the hallway that would take her to his office. He knew he would prefer to talk here because it was quieter and the privacy.

She, too, could not wait to return to work, but she decided to take some time off until she could learn to balance her career with motherhood. Of course, her child would always be her priority.

“Alex?” She knocked on his door, but it appeared nobody was inside since nobody answered her. She tried again, but still no response.

She tried the door, but it would not open. When she tried listening to the wooden panel, she heard nothing from the other side. She concluded that nobody was indeed inside.

Where could they be? She could check the kitchen or the places in the house, but she doubted they would be there. Then, an idea popped inside her head. That was more likely.

Quickly, she walked back to the stairs and went to the next floor, thinking her husband might be there. Otherwise, she would go straight to their room and crash on their bed. Then, she would worry about him when she woke up.

Slowly, she climbed the stairs and opened the door, smelling the fresh air. She could hear familiar voices floating in the air, so she knew her husband was there.

But before she could call him to alert him of her presence, she heard something that surprised her. “Are you sure it was him?” Alex asked whoever he was talking to on the rooftop.

“I am not positive, but I think it is Gerald.” The voice sounded like it belonged to David as she walked closer. “I think that is his body in the morgue.”

Wait! This time, she stopped in her tracks. She did not understand the full context of their conversation, but from what she heard, they were talking about her brother. And David just declared him dead.

“But you said that the only reason for them to suspect that it was him was because of his identifications. Other than that, his body was completely unidentifiable.” Marcus seemed to clarify.

She could not help but wonder what had happened to her brother as she stood immobile in her place, listening to their conversation. And if the body was Gerald, why were they keeping it from her?

“Yes...” David answered. “But they intend to do other tests to confirm his identity.” He added. “By the way, the police might contact all that may have any involvement with him.”

Dani could feel her heart thumping wildly inside her chest. Her head was spinning with the news, and her body shook with the shock. Despite what Gerald had done to her and her family, she could not disregard that he was her brother.

“What happened to Gerald?” She moved closer to the three men talking in the middle of their roof garden. They might not have noticed her before, but they were looking at her now with startled expressions.

She guessed they were keeping the news from her, thinking they were protecting her. She could not blame them. She believed she was still weak. But still, she had to know, especially if David was right.

Her father loved him, and in a way, she and her mother started to accept him in their lives. Not many might have known about their relationship, but she did. He would forever be part of the family, just like her father had always wanted.