Caught In Your Chaos ✓

Chapter Eighty-Two

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Every minute with him seemed to be an entirety, adding a whole new level of amazement to my life. Before him, I had only lived those moments through the world of my imagination, but Jake made me believe in the beauty of reality. Every time he smiled, his every touch and the excitement in his eyes whenever he said my name made me think, "Who is this guy? Where did he get lost?"

I found him.

While my mind was a buzzing mess, the atmosphere around the breakfast table was painfully quiet. The house screamed of tension between the members. It was the way I had imagined, lifeless, with emptiness echoing through the walls and bouncing off the decorative furniture, which held more importance than the living, breathing souls. Although the warmth of the sunlight filled the room, the coldness between the men of the house was enough to give you chills.

Even the mouth-watering scent of all the food that was served on the table couldn't be savored. The waffles on my plate gave me crazy looks, begging me to eat, and made my stomach grumble. But one look at the man sitting across me had me clenching my fist on my lap. I could read his analytical eyes. The looks in them were clearly showing his disapproval of my presence in his house.

Both Nicolas and Jake drank their coffee in absolute silence. A moment later, I felt Jake holding my hand under the table as he continued competing with his father in staring into each other's souls. I didn't know whether he was trying to settle my anxiety or seeking comfort from me, but it did give me enough nerves to take a bite of the waffle.

"How's your wound?" Nicolas asked, cutting through the skin tearing silence. My head snapped from my plate to his cold face. He resembled Jake with that look on his face. "Did you get it checked?"

"How do you know about it?" Jake's hold tightened around my hand, and I could feel the tension in his body. "Of course, you're spying on me. Fucking Sebastian!"

Nicolas set his coffee back on the table with an audible thud as his eyes moved from Jake to me then back to Jake. "That's called taking care of my son. What were you thinking? Did you think I wouldn't know your little deadly adventure in the underground fighting? You think I wouldn't care. Is that what you think, Jacob? Guess what, unlike your mother, I do care about you."

Jake released my hand, slamming his fist on the table. The impulse made me recoil a little, but I had no other option but to stay silent as the father-son duo danced their love-hate relationship.

"You're the reason she isn't here, but who cares, and certainly you don't. So, if you think your little games would make us some happy family, then you couldn't be more delusional."

A low laugh erupted from across the table as Nicolas shook his head, wiping his mouth with the napkin and tossing it aside. "Yet, you're here."

I shifted my gaze towards Jake to meter his reaction and found him glaring at his father. "I'm here to have some answers. So, tell me, father, why did you renew the lease for Salenger's property? Did you get bored or suddenly bonded with the residents of the Retirement house? What was it?"

"Why do you think?" Nicolas asked calmly. "I don't know what's your deal with that place or rather with the people living there, but I would never let you die over it. You're my blood, my son, and all that I do, it's for you. So, forgive me for loving my son."

I almost felt bad for him. No matter how many differences we have. Our family, our parents always occupy a most sacred place in our hearts. And I could tell from Jake's harsh breathing and tensed shoulders that the little boy inside him still wanted to hug his father. Maybe, it wasn't too late.