VegasPete : The rival Venice

49 - Take me home

Venice's POV

["Sir...it's time"] - mandarim

A guy dressed in white approaches Dad and say something to him. Although it is not Thai, I can understand.

Looking again, my Dad is also dressed in white...there's this golden brooch on his lapel...

"Do you like it?!"

"Uh?!"

"My golden phoenix..." He takes it out of the suit. "I'll give it to you."

"It's beautiful...Why are you calling me Khun Venice, Dad?!"

"Stop it, Venice. Pete is not your Dad." Father Vegas takes the brooch of my hand "Pete just took care of you for a while when you were a baby, that's all. He's nothing to you." Then he turns to Dad and put the golden brooch back to its place. "Don't be attached." (In English)

I'm not sure he was talking to me or to Dad or both of us.

My Dad's gaze to father was fierce.

They continue to stare at each other with animosity.

Then Dad breaks the gaze and turns to me.

"Take care, kid." Dad leaves followed by the other guy in white.

"No! Dad! Don't go!" I try to get out of bed, but father stops me.

"Stay still, Venice!!" He says angrily to me "Haven't you created enough problems already?"

"Hey, brother...brother Venice is just confused." Uncle Macau tries to calm Father down. "Give him some time."

"Alright. I'm going to the company." Father walks to the door not saying goodbye.

"His son comes back from a coma and he is the one in a bad mood."

"Hey, Venice...don't say something like that. Vegas was so worried about you. He did something I never thought we would."

"Like what?! Not going to his Office."

"Like talking to Pete."

"Uh?!What do you mean?! They had a fight?!"

"Well...anyway...I'm so glad you're back, little brother. You were unconscious for a week.

"A week?! It felt like months...and the last thing I'd like to see was they fighting because of me."

"Listen, Venice... every time you were about to wake up, you called for P'Pete, but then you would fell unconscious again. So hia decided to ask Pete to come to visit you. Pete came from Taiwan the same day. And it worked! Once Pete was here with you and brother Vegas, your brain started to react and you woke up as magic!"

"From Taiwan?! Dad doesn't live with us anymore? Why? Why doesn't he live with us anymore? Is that because of me?"

"What are you talking about? I guess your memory was affected. Do you have memories of when you were two years old only? Pete and Hia have been separated for a long time. They haven't spoken to each other for years since the incident on Chumpton Island. This was the first time since then." (reference to fanfic Chess Room - Chapter 56 - Chumpton Island)

"I don't understand."

"Hey, don't call Pete 'Dad'. Maybe because of how you've recovered some fond memories of when you were raised by him, but...hia can't hear Pete's name or any mention of the old days...Your adoption was canceled. We're all just siblings now."

Pete and Vegas are no longer my parents. It makes sense. Since the one who raised me as a son initially was Pete, when he left home, my brother started to raise me just as his inconvenient half-brother.