Chapter 10

MEANWHILE ON THE OTHER SIDE

Braylon is completely drunk and can't lift his head from the table. He doesn't want to, either. Alex is really worried about his friend, who has been crying like a baby ever since Revilla left the bar.

Two hours have passed, and Braylon is still crying, drawing strange looks from everyone around them. Alex was happy to see Braylon this morning, but now he realizes their relationship is in worse shape than he thought. What a hassle.

After paying the bill, Alex helps Braylon up. They walk out together and get into the car. Braylon keeps mumbling about how much he missed Eryx during the past four years and how hard it has been to live without him.

Alex listens silently. He doesn’t mention anything about marriage or his son, which makes Alex suspicious. He decides not to ask, figuring Braylon isn't ready to talk about it, so he just listens to whatever Braylon rambles on about.

When Alex asks Braylon for his address, he's shocked to find out that Braylon lives near where Eryx used to stay during college. It’s clear Braylon still loves Eryx.

After they reach Braylon's apartment building, Alex helps him inside. Old memories flood his mind—those were such wonderful days, with no worries and everything under their control.

"Alex, does Eryx hate me? I didn’t do anything wrong. I just went to study for my master’s degree, so why was he angry? He doesn’t even know about my love for him,” Braylon cries out.

Alex is utterly shocked. Why didn’t Braylon confess back then? If Eryx didn’t know, why is he angry for no reason? Caught between them, Alex doesn’t know what to do.

He helps Braylon to the bedroom, noticing that no one else is there—not Braylon's son or his supposed mysterious wife. However, the toys scattered on the floor confirm he does have a child.

"Then I'm leaving, Braylon. Get some rest and come back to work tomorrow," Alex says. He takes off Braylon's shoes, covers him with a blanket, and then walks out of the apartment.

Afterward, he heads back to his own home, which is just a kilometer away from Braylon's apartment.

NEXT DAY

Warm sun rays kissed Braylon’s soft skin, and the curtains danced to the rhythm of the breeze. The hangover from last night still lingered, and his head hurt.

He got up from bed and walked to the bathroom. The memories of last night were fading, but he remembered that Alex was the one who brought him home. Suddenly, he jerked up from the bathtub.

Braylon walked out of the bathroom and searched for his son, Alan, but he wasn’t there. He realized Zaneta must have taken him to her apartment. He felt some relief, grateful that Alex didn’t see Alan.

How would they react if they saw Alan? Alan looked exactly like Braylon, which would confirm he was his son. Yet, his personality was a carbon copy of Eryx—stubborn, slightly arrogant, and elegant.

He sighed with relief. After changing into his suit, he left his apartment early, calling Zaneta to check on Alan.

"Sister, how is Alan doing? Has he woken up yet?" he asked while getting into the department car, not paying attention to his surroundings.

"He's fine, but he talks in his sleep and misses you a lot. It's normal for him to miss you since he's been alone so much. Don’t let your absence affect him too much," Zaneta lectured Braylon.

Braylon couldn’t help but worry about Alan. He's always busy with his studies and had only stayed with Alan for six months after his birth. Since then, he’s been away working on projects. He let out a deep sigh.

"Just take care of him. I will spend time with him this weekend, I promise," Braylon sighed. Then he noticed the figure sitting next to him and was startled. It was Eryx. Did he hear what he said earlier? Braylon had mentioned "sister," but Eryx didn't seem to notice, only catching the part about spending time over the weekend.

"You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep," Zaneta shouted. Every time Braylon promised, little Alan always waited for him, but Braylon always broke those promises. How could she not be angry? He always disappointed the little one.

"Don't shout at me. I want to spend time with him too. What should I do? I can't..." Braylon stopped mid-sentence, feeling a shiver down his spine from Eryx's gaze.

"Whatever. I don’t want to spoil my mood talking to you this early. I can take care of him. I'm hanging up now," Zaneta said, ending the call before Braylon could respond. Braylon felt incredibly awkward.

The car was on its way to the office. Braylon kept his distance from Eryx, who sat next to him. A big question lingered: didn't Eryx have his own car? Why was he taking the department car? Braylon didn't dare to ask, since Eryx had acted indifferently to him yesterday.

They reached the office after half an hour of tense and awkward silence.

When they entered the office, Franklyn was already there, ready to greet them as if it were their first day. He had always been like that, a naive little junior.

Alex was deeply engrossed in reading a document and didn’t notice their arrival. He was already focused on the case at hand.

"Ahem!"

Eryx clears his throat, his face looking gloomy. Braylon notices but doesn't say anything. Franklyn, confused, realizes they were friends from college but wonders why they are acting like strangers. He’s curious about their relationship but doesn’t dare to ask.

Alex's gaze finally lands on the two standing in front of him. His eyes look lifeless and shadowed by dark circles, which nearly terrifies them. What on earth is happening to him?

"Man, are you alive or is this your corpse?" Eryx pats Alex's shoulder and sits beside him. He knows Alex loves Revilla and believes they should talk things out themselves, so he hasn't interfered until now. But everything has changed, and the situation is now a mess, tangled up by everyone for no reason.

"I was drunk last night, couldn't sleep well. Nothing much," Alex lied.

Once he regained his composure, the first thing he did was check if Revilla had come to the office or if she would take another day off whenever her boyfriend showed up. Eryx noticed Alex’s expectant face, hoping not to be disappointed again.