547: His Angry Ghost

His Angry Ghost

Without Chris noticing, Amelia wiped the stray tear away. Her mind brought her back when she was still working in Shadow so many years ago—when the organization was her only life. Despite being far away from Damien, her son had always been on her mind whatever she was doing. She kept a picture of him with her all the time, keeping it safe in a place where only she knew—away from the possibility of Shadow knowing her secret.2

Seeing Chris for the first time when she came back after an overseas mission, her heart throbbed. He was older than her son, but the two were probably about the same height—what with Damien being Lawrence's son—he was tall. Indeed, Chris reminded her of Damien. She wondered if they would be friends if the two met, or if her son was also interested in learning martial arts like she did.

When she saw how hardworking Chris was, she just had to help him out. Oh, how she wished she could also teach her son a thing or two. But at that time, she already knew Lawrence had their son learn how to defend himself and had him attend regular training sessions with a master.

Chris was a fast learner. And Amelia admired how easily he could adapt to situations. Feeling bad for the boy who came from an orphanage, she made sure he felt welcomed and took care of him. It didn't take long enough for Chris to feel comfortable around her, and the two began to spend more time in Shadow. 

Seeing that Amelia was a good influence on Chris, Bianchi, the first director and one of Shadow's founders, officially assigned her to be his mentor. 

She saw how happy Chris was upon hearing the news, which motivated him even more, to excel in his training that he surpassed a lot of his batchmates. Whenever he achieved something, he was always happy to share it with Amelia. 

In return, Amelia treasured him and did her best to be a good role model and a mentor.

Looking back in the past, she questioned whether she was wrong in taking care of Chris like a son. For thirty years, she endured being away from Damien—a punishment that she caused to herself. But never once did she think of Chris as a replacement. She loved both differently.

Her heart ached, learning about Christopher's realization. Because although she didn't think like so, she now began to question herself—was that what she really did? Had she unknowingly done that?

Footsteps from the side caught their attention, and she looked up to see Damien coming over.

"Styles found something," he said as he stood a few feet away from them.

Wordlessly, Chris got up and headed back inside, slowing down when he passed by Damien on the way and muttered in a low voice, "You're lucky she's your mother."

Damien's brows knitted upon hearing the other's statement, baffled as to why he said it. He watched him walk away and disappear inside the house. 

Turning to face Amelia, that's when he noticed the sad expression she had on her face. He didn't know what the two talked about, but he could see that his mother was dispirited.

Damien walked towards her and offered his hand for support, helping her up to her feet. Her hand was cold when she placed it on his, and it suddenly felt too fragile. 

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She pulled the corners of her mouth into a smile when she nodded and reassured him, "Yes." He kept his stare at her without responding—it looked as though he didn't believe what she said, and that made her chuckle. She was reminded of his father. Lawrence was very perceptive, and she could see that Damien was also the same. "I'll be okay," she said.

"Did he say something to you?" he asked in a cold yet calm tone.

Instead of answering him directly, Amelia talked about the past. "I knew Chris since Parker brought him to the organization. He never spoke about his past before he joined. No one did actually. It was a rule. But the kids came from orphanages—all without family. I was closer to him than the others, and he grew attached to me since I became his mentor. I guess he saw me as a mother figure."

She squeezed his hand as though she was giving him strength, but she was actually the one needing it. She looked up and saw the worried look on his eyes, concern written all over his face as he stared at her. 

There was never a day that went by when she regretted that she left her boy. She wished that life had a rewind button—but even if it had, by then, she probably would have done the same things as she wouldn't know how her life would be afterward. She was sorry to him. And she would forever feel this way until her last breath.

"They must be waiting. And it's cold out here, so we should head back," said Amelia.

"We should visit him one day," Damien suggested just as his mother had taken a step. When she turned to face him, he added, "Dad. We should go and say hi."

Amelia's heart sunk. She looked to the ground as memories of her past with Lawrence flooded in her mind. From time to time, she thought of him, but she had only visited him once since he died. And it hurt her deeply when she saw his tombstone.

Noticing the change in her expression, Damien guessed what she was thinking at the moment. Then he spoke on behalf of his father, "Have you gone to visit him? I'm sure he would love to see you. It's been a while since my last visit… He'll be less mad at me if you come with me."

A laugh reverberated from within her chest when she imagined an angry Lawrence Park glaring at them. "We don't want that to happen. I love your father, but I don't want to see his angry ghost. Let's make sure to bring him his favorites."

Amelia hooked her arm with her son's as they walked back inside. 

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