Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Iris Parker

Tapping my fingers against Jace's sleeping body, my eyes raised when I heard someone nearing the bedroom.

Liam walked in through the door. He was wearing a white polo and jeans, looking so dashing. His grass-like eyes still held that deep darkness that indicated that he had a lot in mind. My heart tightened when our gazes met and I chose to look away.

"Tomorrow, we'll move in back to the mansion." he says as he leans on the wall and stares at both Jace and I. Jacob and Jamie were with Haley and Gab as Jace rested in the house.

I immediately looked up to him, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion and... anger. "What? No, Liam. We're staying at our apartment."

"Ah, that thrashed place? All redeemable items are already being moved at Venialgo." he says simply which brewed more anger in me. Thrashed?

How dare he? He can't just expect to come back in our lives so suddenly and impose us things. I'm still getting used to him being here and I'm sure the triplets are too. This is all going too fast.

I got up slowly, making sure that Jace wouldn't wake up and got out the room, waiting for Liam to follow me which he did shortly.

"Liam, the kids are still not used to- to you." I cringed at the statement and I notice his look hardening as I said that. "Going to Venialgo right away will be a big change, too much of a change. Perhaps, we need a bit more time."

"You mean, you need more time right?" he answered. I was stunned by his words and my heart gripped for a while. Was it me who needed more time? Something in me rose, more bitterness and anger. I somehow hated the way he spoke to me.

"You know what I mean, Liam."

He scoffed, hurting my heart a bit more. "I don't. This is not about me or you, Iris. This is about them." he says and he walks away.

I bit my lip as I watched him walk away.

-----

I packed the last belonging things that we had inside the bag and zipped it. I sighed as I stared at the room around me.

I couldn't wrap the thought around my head that I was going back to Venialgo Mansion.

The mansion was a huge estate, hidden from the city. It was a way too big place back when only Liam and I lived there and the many maids that lived there, but I know that even now, it's still much too big of a place for all of us.

The Venialgo was designed by a famous architect specifically for the Parkers. The house was huge in width and had about 4 stories, having thousands of empty guest rooms and room for whatever stuff like a theatre room. I'm still convinced to this day that I haven't toured the entirety of that beautiful place.

I laid down the bed, twirling the ends of my hair as thousands of thoughts came to my mind.

I heard laughters outside, laughters that belonged to the triplets and to Liam. I smiled and my heart fluttered lightly as I listened to the beautiful melody.

I could listen to that all day... If only we were a normal family. If only we were normal people. If only Liam...

The room's door burst open and I quickly got up. Jamie came in with a big smile on his face. "Mommy! Hide me! Daddy's out to find me!" he says, his voice hushed, but excited.

I smiled at him and nodded. I gestured that he come to me as I pulled the blanket over him. "He won't find you here." I whispered, trying to convince him and he must've believed me because he pressed against me as I put the blanket over the two of us.

Jamie giggled as I hugged him closer to me.

After waiting, we heard the door open. The wooden floor creaked against Liam's weight as he came nearer. Jamie exclaimed but I quickly hushed him, putting my finger against my lips. He quickly put his hands to his mouth.

I knew that Liam was just right beside me and all of a sudden, he pulled the covers out of us and Jamie screamed at being discovered before laughing heartily. I chuckled softly at him and we both got up. "Dad! You found us!" he says. Liam smiled widely to him. A genuine happy smile I haven't seen in years, but then again. How did I know if anything I ever knew about him was even genuine?

Our gazes met and silence immediately hang in the air, both of our smiles disappearing. I was the one to look away first, because I couldn't stand seeing him for long just yet.

"Let's go find the other two, bud." Liam says as Jamie jumped on the bed and Liam caught and carried him. Before leaving the room, he curtly nodded at me as Jamie said goodbye.

I sighed. I don't think I'll ever get used to this again.

Moments later, I heard a shrieking. That one belonged to Jace and again, I couldn't help but smile.

-----

"Thank you so much, Haley. I promise that I'll come to visit." I told Haley as I hugged her. Her mouth still held that frown that's been there ever since I told her that we were leaving.

She hugged me back tightly, patting my back at the same time. "You know you always have a home with me." she reminded and a smile made its way to my lips. Of course I knew that.

I kissed Gaby's forehead as I waved at him goodbye. His brown hazel eyes perked up as he let out a small laugh.

Mace came beside me, taking the last bag that I was carrying. I muttered a small thank you and waved Haley goodbye and followed Mace.

"What am I? Some bellboy, goodness." Mace complained under his breath causing me to laugh.

"I don't wanna ride with uncle Macey!" Jacob complained as Liam was setting him on the child's seat.

"Huh? What was that kid? As if I wanted a kid in my beautiful car." Mace says again as he put the bag in the trunk and went in the driver's seat.

Liam sighed, shaking his head at his friend.

I slipped in the passenger's seat and Mace immediately looked at me weirdly. "What?"

"Hey, Liam! Your wife's--" I put my hand over his mouth and turned to Liam.

"I'll sit with him for now. Jacob might need one of us, so I'll sacrifice." I excused. Mace tried saying something, but it just come out muffled. I saw Ezra laughing as he closed the back door and turned to come towards us when he saw me already seated in the passenger seat.

I smiled at him and gestured him to turn back around and go with Liam, which he happily did. Liam made his way to the other car and moments later, they started driving away as we trailed behind them.

"Damn, I know a great marriage counsellor you know." Mace muttered low enough for me to hear. I looked over to him and widened my eyes at him.

"That's not what we need, you know that."

Mace looked at his rearview mirror before he said something else. Jacob was happily playing with a car toy.

"Well, what you both need is to talk. This--" he motioned his hand "won't work if you don't talk to each other."

"It's not that easy, Mason."

"Who said things were ever going to be easy? Solving your past problems are not easy, but you have to try--"

I breathed out and shook my head at him. I didn't expect him to be so serious at me all of a sudden. "Do you know how it felt Mason? To find out that all of you have been just fooling me? Did you know how hard it was on me when I found out that he only needed me for my parents' business? To find out that everything was just a lie?" I spat, making sure that he felt the venom that my words carried.

He fell silent at what I said. He knew it was true, it was all true.

Liam Parker only used me to get my parents' business.

What's worse was that I was used as a weapon against my own parents.