Book Three announcement

Book three title: The son of a billionaire in Disguise.

Ongoing now, exclusively on goodnovel.

Preview

The moment Catherine entered the kitchen and saw Parblo with the other servant, she forgot that she was hungry and rushed out of the room, hurrying for Rome's study.

As she approached the stairs, Logan was coming down, and the two locked eyes. She could see the worry in his gaze, and Catherine blurted out, "Is he here?"

"Yes, ma'am. But I don't think you should go in there just yet." Logan hesitated. "He's planning on staying at the Rossi, and knows the relationship between Master and him-"

"Rome is going to be infuriated." 

"Yes. I think it's best you let them talk it out as father and son and try to give them some space for now," Logan suggested, his tone carrying a mix of concern and caution.

Catherine nodded, her own worry deepening. "I understand. But if things get out of hand..."

Logan took a step back, giving Catherine space, stepping aside, and she gave him a faint smile before rushing up the stairs.

When she got to the study, she paced nervously outside the study, her mind racing with what might be happening inside. She could hear snippets of raised voices, but the exact words were lost to the thick wooden door. 

She could only imagine the tension between Rome and Rene, and as the minutes ticked by, Catherine’s anxiety grew. She knew that both Rome and Rene were strong-willed and that their clash could escalate quickly. Her hands fidgeted with the edges of her dress, but she still wanted to give them the space to talk it out as men.

"My son is dead," Rome said as he stood there, looking directly into Rene's eyes. "You are supposed to be dead, Rene."

As his eyes grew wet, Rome tried to compose himself as he looked away from Rene and then mumbled, "I failed you once as a father, and I don't want  to make that mistake again."

"Father," Rene started, reaching out, but Rome drew back slightly, and Rene dropped his hand, clearly taken aback.

"I trusted a bodyguard from the kindness of my heart. I thought he needed the help. Everything was over... The war was over. I thought Catherine and I could finally live our lives in peace. I let my graud down and allowed a traitor in my home. You were four, Rene. I held your tiny body in my hands with a gunshot wound in your chest... Your blood was everywhere on my hands."  

"I-"

Resting his forehead on his hand, memories started to tear their way through Rene's mind, and he couldn't see anything, but his head hurt like crazy. He closed his eyes and tried to take deep breaths, willing the pain away. 

"Daddy!! Daddy, I am scared." 

"Rene, cover your ears and stay down!"

Those voices again haunted his thoughts, but even if he did remember those voices, he couldn't recall much from when he was little. When he opened his eyes again, he focused on Rome, who had sunk to the ground, covering his ears. As he reached out to touch his father's shoulder, Rene stopped. His hand hovered in midair and then he lowered it.

"I tried to protect you," Rome continued, his voice trembling. "I should have known better. I should have seen through the lies. Instead, I passed on my enemies to you just as my father did to me. You were just a baby and I failed you. For years I tried my best for you not to live the life that I  lived. I wanted you to live without the burden of the Ford title. And now look where we are." 

"You faked my death and kept me in the safe house to protect me." Rene's voice broke as his emotions got the better of him, and he turned his face away from his father so he wouldn't start crying. 

Rome sniffled as he fought against the emotion that overwhelmed him. "It wasn't supposed to be for a long while. I thought I could get the truth out of Jacob as to who paid him to assassin you, but he took his life before  I was done interrogating him. I knew he didn't act on his own. But since the announcement of your death, no other threat has surfaced, and no one has attempted to kill your mother or me-"

"That's a good thing, right? Maybe... Jacob acted on his own."  Rene said as sat beside his father, feeling sorry for him but also slightly hopeful.

A weak laugh escaped Rome's lips as he shook his head. "I wish it was that simple. Killing a four-year-old who you just met two days ago and interacted with once doesn't add up to something a single person would do on a whim," Rome said, his voice cracking with frustration. 

"Then why do you think he attacked only me?" Rene asked, confused, trying to make sense of it.

Looking into his son's eyes, Rome smiled faintly, studying his face, "You look so much like your mother. The perfect gift from her... The only one who holds my heart in his hand... My blood, my son and heir. Someone wants to hit me where it hurts, and you are the perfect target."

As Rene looked down, he struggled with the weight of his father's words and then mumbled, "And now? What happens now... I’m here, alive? What do we do next?"

Rome’s eyes softened with a mix of guilt and resolve. “I need to find out who was behind Jacob’s actions. I need to understand why they targeted you, why they wanted to break me through you.”

"But what about the people who helped Jacob? They could still be a threat," Rene said, his voice steadier but filled with concern.

“They are all dead. They ended their life just like him. They all swallowed slow poison before doing the deed.” Rome said, finally meeting his son's eyes again. “That's why I have been more cautious all this time with you... I can't bear the thought of losing you again. I still can't. I need to make sure you’re safe, no matter what length I need to go to. That's why you can never stand by my side as my son until I can be sure it's safe."

"So you can't help me? Is that what you are saying?" Rene asked, staring deeply into his father's eyes and wondering what his next words were going to be.

Unable to take the suspense anymore, Catherine grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open, only to see her son and husband hugging. The sight took her breath away, and for a moment, the years of tension and heartache seemed to dissolve in the warmth of their embrace.

Rome looked up, his eyes still wet with tears, and managed a faint smile. "Honey," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Come here."

Rene, still holding onto his father, turned to face his mother. His eyes, too, were glistening with tears. "Mother," he whispered, his voice filled with a mix of relief and sorrow.

Catherine hurried across the room and wrapped her arms around both of them, pulling them into a tight, heartfelt embrace. 

"You guys good?" she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

Rome nodded, his grip tightening around Rene and Catherine. "We're getting there," he replied softly. "It's been a long time coming."

Rene pulled back slightly, looking at both his parents with a mixture of hope and satisfaction. "I never thought this day would come," he admitted. "But now that it has, I don't want to lose either of you again."

Catherine cupped Rene's face in her hands, her eyes searching his. "So, are you going to stay here and pretend to still be Parblo's son and work for our family as your father planned?"

Looking over at Rome, Rene faintly smiled at his father as he thought, 'You weren't going to lock me in the safe house as I thought.'

The silence between her son and husband lasted for several seconds before Rene sighed, meeting her eyes, and shook his head. "I can't leave her now, Mom. I give her my word."

"Rene, no..." Catherine whispered, her voice filled with concern and hesitation. She pulled back slightly, searching Rene's eyes for any sign of doubt or reconsideration.

Rene met his mother's gaze, his lips twitching as a smile tried to form on it. "Mom, I've made my decision. I can't abandon Maria after everything that's happened. She needs me, and I intend to stand by her side."

"Am I being punished for my family's crime and sins? That my own son would suffer a similar fate as his father." Catherine felt her heartache with the weight of her son's decision. She knew the dangers involved, the complexities of their world, and the risks, and the more memories of the past that came rushing back, her worry increased.

Looking back at his father, Rene frowned as he asked, "What's mom talking about?"

"Nothing. You should leave. I'll calm her down." Rome paused, looking intently at Catherine. "We'll talk about it later."

For the first time, Rene wasn't blinded by anger, and he could see that Rome was helping him. His mother was the one person that he couldn't say, 'no' to and if he stayed any longer than now, she might get him to change his mind and neglect Maria.

"But.." Catherine murmured. "I-"

As Rene walked past his parents, the weight of their emotions ached in his heart, but he still walked out the door. Catherine’s eyes followed him, filled with a mixture of sadness and worry. Rome, still holding her, gently held her chin, turning her eyes back on him.

"Shh-shh," Rome whispered, his voice soothing but firm. "Let him make his choice. He needs to do what he feels is right."

Catherine’s lips trembled as she looked up at her husband, her heart aching with the thought of her son choosing a path that seemed so fraught with danger. "Rome, do you really think this is the right decision? For him to stay with her...?”

Rome nodded, his expression serious but understanding. "It’s not just about what we want for him. It’s about what he believes he needs to do. He’s made his decision, and we have to respect that."

"But what if it leads to more pain, more loss?" Catherine asked, her voice barely more than a whisper, her hands still gripping the edges of her dress.

Rome gently wiped away a tear from Catherine’s cheek, his touch tender. "It’s a risk we have to take. We’ve always known the world we live in isn’t safe, but Rene has always been strong. He’s facing his own battles, just like we did."

Catherine’s gaze dropped to the floor, her mind racing with the implications of Rene’s choice. "And what about us? What if something happens to him while he’s with her?"

Rome pulled her into another embrace, his voice soft. "We’ll be here for him. We’ll do everything we can to ensure his safety, but we have to trust that he knows what he’s doing. We can’t control everything."

The was one last thing left on his mind as Rene approached the kitchen. When he got to the doorway, he looked inside and saw Parblo standing over the stove.

"Dad!" Rene called out, and immediately, the old man whirled around with wide eyes. 

Immediately, Parblo rushed from the kitchen, approached Rene, grabbed his arm, and led him away from the door.

"Where did you go?" He mumbled when they were far from prying ears.

"Well, I went to see master Rome," Rene said, seeing the stressful look on the old man's face deepened.

"And?" 

"He gave me his approval to stay at the Rossi and continue pretending to be your son as we planned." 

"Really?!"

"Yep!"

Exhaling deeply, Parblo busted into laughter, and his face looked ten times younger than a minute ago. "That's great! I was worried about losing everything since Master Rome gave the order for you to abort the mission and come back to the mansion. But now, everything is back to the original plan. Isn't that amazing?"

"Yes," Rene agreed as he watched Parblo grin from ear to ear. "Everything seems perfect... Hey, do you have the contract agreement?"

Raising a brow, Parblo stared at Rene for a few moments, then grinned again. "Of course I do! Do you really think I would lose something like that?" 

"Good. Hand it to me." Rene said, his face turning dead serious.

Parblo's laughter faded as he noticed Rene's serious expression. He blinked, unsure why Rene was asking for the contract. "Why do you need it right now?"

Rene crossed his arms, his gaze unwavering. "I need to review it. There are things I need to be sure about before I go back to the Rossi mansion."

Parblo hesitated, then nodded, understanding the gravity in Rene's tone. "Alright. I'll get it for you."

He turned and went to a small room adjacent to the kitchen, rummaging through a locked drawer. After a few moments, he returned with a thick envelope. Handing it over to Rene, he studied his face, trying to read his intentions. 'What are you up to boy?'