Chapter 300

e back at it again?”

maid nodded her head and blocked the door, while all I heard was the sound of Tiago’s yells. “It’s not od idea to go in there.”

eased a deep sigh, but this time I respected her job and stepped back. A few days had passed since a’s visit, and Tiago fell back into the same pattern. That was one of my biggest fear, him becoming hed to her-and using her to replace Anya.

Thim I came to visit.”

ok the elevator and made my way outside. I didn’t know where I was going, but I had to leave. The ago. but asion was suffocating me, and I couldn’t stay any longer. I should’ve moved a long time ead, I stayed behind to take care of a brother who could not appreciate my help. family had already embarrassed me more than enough, and especially when Elena was present. I ald never forget the look on her face as she looked at all the demons around the dining table or the way rushed out of the house without planning on saying goodbye.

at was why I did not want anyone to meet my family.

fore I could get to my car, Panther called out my name. I had been avoiding him for the longest, and I it for a reason. Victor’s words had been bothering me, as did Panther’s presence around Cisco, but er the comment at dinner-1 knew it for certain.

co was Panther’s kid, and Panther had been lying to me this entire time. I took a breath as I went ough my options. I had a lot on my mind and took my anger out on Elena, who didn’t have anything to with this.

aybe if I stopped being such a coward and confronted Panther once and for all, it would put an end to of this ad to do it. I had to do it for myself Marvin, where are you going?” Panther asked. I observed the unbothered look on his face and felt like anching him. He likely thought my bad mood was only due to Tiago, not knowing he also played a big art in it Dut Do you want me to go with you?”

How old do I look fiver With the way how you’ve been acting, yes Panther sighed. “Come on. It’s my job”

Then you should do a better job Okay, yes-please.” I shrugged as I opened the car door for him “You and I have a lot to discuss Panther raised his brow “What do we have to discuss t into the passenger seat while I wasted no time and sped off to my destination. This thing between s going to end today, and I was willing to end it myself if he would not give me the answers I ved.

where are we going?” Panther asked after a while of noticing we were heading towards the middle of are. “We’re going hiking!”

ng?” Panther asked, startled. “I don’t even have water with me.”

It worry. You won’t need any.”

ok us some time, but after a while, we had finally arrived at the hiking spot. “You go first,” I told her. I didn’t know what I was doing here, but my anger took over, and whenever that happened, I had raziest ideas.

s go. Panther pushed me aside. As we were walking, I stared at his back while dark thoughts crossed mind. All I had to do was choke him so that I could get on with my life. It’s not like my dad would I had no idea how Victor found out, but one thing was clear.

lad was not aware. If that were the case, Panther wouldn’t have been alive.

sorry about Elena.” Panther began. “I know you’re supposedly not into her, but that doesn’t change fact that your family embarrassed you.”

family embarrassed me? How about you?

e wasn’t there for me. She was there for Tiago.” I told him. “I think he’s into her, but if she can prevent dad from sending him to that facility-so be it.”

ther turned to look at me. “I think you need to stop lying to yourself. You might not notice, but you’re ontrolling person.”

ntrolling? Me?

it me, or is the connection bad out here?” Panther asked. That’s the point, idiot.I rolled my eyes. “It’s just u. Keep walking.”

didn’t know you were into this kind of stuff.” Panther chuckled Neither did LA few minutes later, we had ally reached the top of the mountain. It was finally time for me to get to the bottom of all of this.

One push and you’re finished.” Panther laughed to himself. He stood near the end of the rock and looked own. “What do you say? Should we push Victor?”

ignored Panther’s joke and stepped closer with a dull expression on my face. “Marvin?” Panther stepped ack, almost reaching the tip of the mountain. All that was underneath him was a deep waterfall, meaning e had zero chance of survival.

took my chances and grabbed him by the collar as I pushed him backward. His life depended on me, and eleasing him from my grip was all I had to do to kill him.

Marvin, what the fuck are you doing?”

Me?” I yelled in his face. After everything, he still had the nerve. “What am I doing?”

Panther showed me a nervous smile. “Come on, calm down.”

s probably confused and might’ve thought I was playing around, but I was serious. If there was one did not like, it was getting played.

ot trust many people, and Panther had always been like a brother to me.

down?” I could barely hold back my laughter. “I’m going to ask you a few questions, and you are to answer me. Understand?”

playing.”

playing?” I repeated Panther as I threatened to let go of him. Panther held on for dear life. “Okay, I I got it!”

y isco your son?” I cut to the chase. There was no reason to waste any more time.All I needed was the what?” Panther stared at me with a pale expression. For how long was he planning on keeping it a secret?

isco yours, I repeated.

or no? Just tell me.”

t tell me!”

is!” Panther admitted. “He is, he’s mine-come on, stop this!”

osed my eyes and took a deep breath. For some reason, I thought the truth would help me get over , but it only made me feel worse. He had been lying to me for years, and I had to hear the truth from TOT or how long have you known?” I wondered. Panther looked anywhere but my eyes. “Since the day he s born.”

Des Cisco know?”

Joes my family know?”

nther shook his head. “No, only Victor found out, and Karina didn’t want anyone to know-

Because you are like a son to my dad,” I spoke in disbelief. That’s close to fucking incest, you idiot.

What e hell is wrong with you?”

anther shook his head, unable to give me an answer. He couldn’t answer me because there was no correct ay to justify his actions. “So you took advantage of my sister in her most vulnerable state, knocked her p-and let her take all that backlash on her own.”

I did not take advantage of her, and it wasn’t up to me to tell. She didn’t want to cause any more trouble Sixteen..she was sixteen, and you let her go through all of that on her own.” I corrected him. Even though he was not that much at that time, he should’ve known better. I had almost broken my back searching for Cisco’s father while Panther just sat back and watched.

don’t even have a father, so for you to do the same to Cisco…” I spoke, confused. People could not be ed, and Panther was the living truth of it.

ve been spending a lot of time together.” He informed me as if it mattered.

ers you as an uncle, though,” I told him. Panther lying to me about something this big only made me der if he was the right person to have by my side. What else could he have lied about?

here anything else I should know which you haven’t told me yet?”

her looked stiff, uncomfortable and shifted his weight from one foot to another. The same man who worms for brains and could not go a day without laughing-was nervous.

Iro,” I called him by his birth name, hoping there weren’t any more of his lies.

I swear!” Panther spoke. Then why did I not believe him?

rvin, I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’m not perfect-and neither are you.” Panther breathed.

what, are you going to push me or not?”

night.” I gave him a straight answer. I was definitely considering it. Karina was a professional, twisted, nipulative liar with an unstable mind, so I could not blame her-but Panther?

s not like your son is going to miss you since he doesn’t even know he has a dad.”

you better give me one good reason why I should let your life.”

ather went into deep thoughts. “You can say a lot about me, but I’m the only one who’s on your side.”

at was a good point.

lario doesn’t give two shits about you, neither do your siblings. Your mom is all about Tiago nowadays.

of our allies work for your dad and not for you. Panther ranted. “So you know what? Maybe you ould push me and stay miserable for the rest of your life.” He spoke. “But please trust me when I say that ever meant to break your trust. I hate lying to you, and I am truly sorry.”

he sincerity in his voice and his genuine apology made me calm down.I didn’t really want to kill him.

I just dn’t want him to lie to me.

pulled him closer, so he could get back his balance. Panther knelt to the floor and sighed with his face uried between his hands. “Man, I thought you were going to kill me.” He breathed.

or a second, I thought so too.

How did you even find out?”

Victor, I spoke, Victor had probably expected me to run to my dad, so he could punish Panther in the worst way possible-but he had underestimated our friendship. Someone like Victor wouldn’t step to Mario himself, at least not now.

patted Panther’s back. “Come on, you’re stressing me out. I need a smoke.”

We sat down on a rock in silence, without either one of us saying a word. The only thing I could hear was the sound of the wind and the birds. Was I in the wrong for my reaction? Would things ever get back to normal?

we good?” I asked Panther. He chuckled at my question. “Yes, we are.”

o more lies?”

her remained silent, and there was a slight delay in his answer. “No more lies.”

+5 Bonus d.” I agreed. “And you should know that our years of friendship is the only reason why I’ve kept you the first one to admit that I had, trust issues. I didn’t let people in my life that easily, and after Misty, I promised not to let anyone betray me ever again. No one would make a fool out of me.

her scoffed. “You’re crazy. What if it was Elena-would you have thrown her off that cliff as well?”

was a good question. Luckily for me, Elena had no reason to betray me. She was a good person, with because rmal life-who could not harm me in any way. Perhaps that’s why I respected her as a person, er carefree personality and her honesty.

he had been lying to me about something this important all this time…then yes–I would’ve.”

Are we good?” I asked Panther. He chuckled at my question. “Yes, we are.”

So no more lies?”

anther remained silent, and there was a slight delay in his answer. “No more lies.”

Good.” I agreed. “And you should know that our years of friendship is the only reason why I’ve kept you. live.”

was the first one to admit that I had trust issues. I didn’t let people in my life that easily, and after Misty, I ad promised not to let anyone betray me ever again. No one would make a fool out of me.

anther scoffed. “You’re crazy. What if it was Elena-would you have thrown her off that cliff as well?”

because That was a good question. Luckily for me, Elena had no reason to betray me. She was a good person, with normal life-who could not harm me in any way. Perhaps that’s why I respected her as a person, if her carefree personality and her honesty.

If she had been lying to me about something this important all this time…then yes-I would’ve.”