Chapter 48 - The Introduction

Lucas felt a tear escaped his eye as he stared at his son sleeping soundly on the hospital bed. Right at the moment, he couldn't help but feel helpless. If only he could take his son's sickness, he would. He would rather suffer from the pain himself than see his own child struggle.

"He usually wakes up late. Around nine-thirty most of the time." Hilda informed him as she quietly placed the fruit basket Lucas had bought on the bedside table.

Lucas didn't respond. He didn't trust his voice at the time. If he spoke, he felt like his voice would crack and end up breaking down right there and then. He quickly wiped his tear with the back of his hand and took a deep breath to calm himself down.

Hilda eyed him. He was oddly meek and silent. She thought he would asked her a bunch of questions. Like, why didn't she tell him about their son? Why did she keep their son's condition from him? Or why didn't she take good care of their son to keep him from getting the cancer in the first place?

But Hilda heard nothing from him. He was just standing by the foot of the bed, staring at their son in sadness and regret. "The doctor said he will get better after he finishes his therapy. He still has three more left." She announced to washed the fear and misery on his face.

"He's a tough kid, you know?" She added in assurance. "Never in my life have a seen such a determined and positively-minded child. I've never even seen him cry. Not since he was a little boy." She smiled as the memory of her son crying because he dropped his ice cream when he was only four flashed in her mind.

"When is his next therapy?" Lucas asked without removing his gaze on his son. He had a dreadful feeling that once he moved his eyes away from him, he would disappear.

"This coming Tuesday."

"Is it okay if I come and watch him?" He asked with a hopeful tone, his eyes still fixated on his son.

Hilda fidgeted with her fingers in hesitation but nodded in obligation anyway. Lucas gratefully smiled and watched Kyle's eyes slowly opened. Kyle blinked a couple of times before his eyes settled on the man standing by the foot of his bed. His brows furrowed in confusion and Hilda was quick on her feet and stood up next to her son.

"Good morning." She warmly greeted and kissed him on the top of his head.

Kyle looked up to her and smiled. "Mornin'..." He greeted back and slowly sat up from the bed. Hilda reclined his bed into a sitting position and rearranged his pillows to make him comfortable. His eyes turned back to the man meekly standing there and shot him a small smile. "Good morning, sir." He politely greeted.

Lucas' heart melted as his son spoke to him for the very first time. At first, he was afraid that his son would reject him and make him leave, but all his fears were washed away when he shot him that warm smile. It made him happy and relieved at the same time. "Good morning." He beamed at him.

"My name is Kyle, sir. What's yours?" Kyle asked him expectantly.

Lucas cleared his throat before answering. "Lucas, I'm Lucas Montenegro." He nervously introduced himself.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Montenegro." Kyle told him and stuck his hand out.

Lucas eyed his thin, fragile hand and slowly shook it with gladness. The smile on his face couldn't get any bigger. He always wished he had a son. He always dreamed to play ball with him, watch sports with him, and even teach him all he knew about business. He had always wanted a successor, a mini-Lucas. "The pleasure is all mine." He truthfully told him. "But please, call me Lucas."

"Excuse me, I'll just go and grab you guys some breakfast." Hilda announced as she took her purse on the couch and left the two of them. She figured that they needed some alone time together. She could tell the anxiousness and the excitement in Lucas. She just hoped that both of them would understand the decision she had made a long time ago and not blame her with all the lost time she had deprived of them together.

When the door was shut behind, Kyle saw the discomfort on the man's face. Lucas looked anxiously at him and Kyle shot him a warm smile to ease his discomfort. "Please sir, have a seat." Kyle invited him as he dragged the light wooden chair near the bedside table and placed it right beside his bed.

"Thank you." Lucas sat down and watched his son take an orange in the fruit basket he had brought.

"Did you buy this?" Kyle asked him as he took some tissue paper and started peeling the skin of the orange.

"Yes."

"Thank you for the gift, sir." Kyle gratefully told him and kept peeling. "Please have some yourself." He offered as Lucas stared at him in awe. It seemed like there was a young man trapped inside a ten-year-old boy's body. His son was remarkably smart and mature for his age. The way he conversed with him made him seem like an adult, all grown up.

"Don't mind if I do." Lucas replied and took another orange in the basket as well. He started peeling it but was stopped when Kyle shoved the peeled orange towards his way. Lucas looked at his son and eyed the orange he was handing him afterwards.

"Take it, sir." Kyle said as he took the orange in Lucas' hand and replaced it with the already peeled one. Kyle continued peeling the skin of the other one, very much aware of Lucas' stare. "So... are you a friend of my mom?" He asked.

Lucas was taken off guard by his question, unsure of how to answer it. He didn't really know if Hilda had given him the go-signal to tell his son about his identity. He didn't want to surprise his son either so he decided to tell him what was close to the truth. "Yes, I'm an old friend of hers." He answered.

Kyle hummed in response and started eating the orange. "You must be very close then. My mother had never brought a friend here before." He informed him and Lucas started to grow anxious again that he felt his palms sweating.

Lucas nervously laughed and replied. "I guess so." He said as he eyed his son's reaction. He was a smart boy, Lucas was sure he would figure out soon why he was there in the first place. He just hoped that he would accept him when he found out. "How are you? I mean, how are you feeling?" Lucas then decided to asked him.

"I'm feeling better today. Some days I feel fine, others I feel sick. It all just depends on what my body's feeling." He said nonchalantly as if it was completely normal to be talking about such a topic. When Kyle didn't hear any further question, he looked up from his orange and saw the sadness and surprise on Lucas' eyes as they stared at him.

Kyle beamed at him widely. "I'm sorry, does it seem too casual, sir?" He questioned and shrugged his shoulders. "It's just, that question... It's an everyday question to me by most of the nurses and the doctors. I guess I just got used to answering it so casually." He told him.

Lucas nodded his head in understanding and patted Kyle's back before he could even stop himself. "You're doing well, kid." He proudly uttered. "You're incredible." He added and Kyle couldn't help but smile gratefully at him. Kyle didn't have many visitors, hearing those words from a man he barely knew made him feel good and amazing. He just really hoped that after his therapies, everything would go back to normal and he could go home.

~ * ~ * ~

"Margie!" Kelsey called out, snapping Margie out of her trance. Ever since she had met Mason, her mind had been distant, far. She didn't know how long she could keep it to herself. She wasn't good at lying, especially to Kelsey.

"Sorry, what was that again?" Margie sheepishly asked, nervously rubbing the nape of her neck.

Kelsey squinted her eyes at her before asking. "I said, is Chinese take-out okay?" She repeated.

Margie nodded and smiled at her. "Yeah, that's great." She answered, avoiding eye contact with her.

"Alright, I'm calling." She said as she started dialling.

"Okay. I'm just gonna go hit the shower." She announced and made her escaped. Kelsey watched her best friend dashed away with scrutinizing eyes. She knew something was up. She just had to find a way to get it out of her.

~ * ~ * ~

Mason left the elevator heading to his office when he saw his best friend leaving one of the meeting rooms. He looked at his watch and saw that it was only eight o'clock. He wondered why Ricky was at his office so early in the morning. Ricky was usually at his restaurant in the morning. He never attended meetings in the morning, it was his number one rule. So Mason was curious as to why his friend was there right at the moment.

"G'morning." Mason greeted, startling his friend. Ricky gasped and held his left chest in surprised.

"W-what are you doing here?" Ricky asked in panic. He looked back at the door he just exited and anxiousness was written all over his face. Mason became more curious due to his friend's weird action as he watched him with scrutinizing eyes.

"What d'you mean? It's my office, I work here." Mason responded with a raised brow. "The more important question is, what are you doing here? You have a very important meeting or something?"

Ricky didn't have to respond when the answer came out of the meeting room Ricky was recently in. Her hair was a bit tousled and her skirt was wrinkled. Her face looked so flushed and red and a bead of sweat was running down her forehead.

"Good morning, Nina." Mason smirked at his flustered secretary.

Nina abruptly halted her steps and looked up at her boss with a terrified and surprised expression on her face. Her cheeks became more red if it was even possible. "Mr. King, good morning." She sheepishly greeted and bowed her head to hide her embarrassed face from him.

Mason chuckled and shot an amuse look at his friend. "So it was a very important meeting, I see..." He told him and Ricky grunted both in annoyance and shame that his friend had caught him red handed. "Can you make us some coffee, Nina? And please, deliver it in my office." He ordered and grabbed Ricky by the shoulder. "Hope you don't mind but I'm just going to borrow lover boy here for a sec, okay?" He teasingly told Nina, causing Ricky to elbow him on the stomach. Mason groaned as he felt the tiny sting on his stomach but had managed to laugh it off. Ricky had always been a sore loser and Mason had always found it amusing.

Once the door was closed, Mason laughed again and sat on his chair behind his mahogany desk. "So, when did this..." Mason said gesturing at Ricky and at the door that was the only thing that was blocking them from Nina. "All started?" Mason finished off.

Ricky glared at him and threw the pillow that was lying on the couch. Mason chuckled again and caught the pillow before it hit his face. "You didn't have to make her feel more embarrass than she already was, jerk!" He said with gritted teeth.

Mason shrugged and smirked at his friend. "So I guess were changed men, huh? Both in love and whipped because of a woman." Mason jokingly announced but Ricky saw the misery in his friend's eyes.

"How did the arranged date go anyway? Was she at least pretty?"

"She was beautiful if I have to be honest. Very simple and kind too unlike those spoiled brats I've met before. But I just can't see myself having a future with her. Besides, she has a boyfriend anyway and I can tell that she didn't want to marry me as well." Mason informed him.

Ricky nodded his head in understanding and sat on one of the chair in front of Mason's desk. "So what are you gonna tell your father? How do plan on getting out of this situation?"

"I have something in mind..."

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