C҉R҉O҉W҉ | ᴍᴄᴜ x ᴍᴀʟᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

V - 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

A/N: This is by far the most important chapter so I suggest not skipping ahead as this will have a very significant impact on Y/N moving forward. It was an emotional one to write at the end but we'll just have to see if it's the same for the reader's end.

THE FOLDER LAID OPEN ON THE TABLE, its contents spilled like secrets long buried, now glaringly exposed under the kitchen light. Y/N stood rigid, the weight of discovery etched into every line of his body, while Eliza stared at the documents with a mixture of shock and dread.

Eliza drew a deep breath, her eyes meeting Y/N's, seeing the hurt and accusation that had wedged itself between them. "Y/N, I. . . I thought I was protecting you. Protecting both of you—"

"You lied to us! Our whole life. . . our whole life you lied to us! You thought that was protection?"

"I do—"

"By lying?! By pretending Dad died of a stroke when. . . w-when he was fucking murdered?!" Y/N's voice broke, the pain of betrayal piercing through the facade of anger. Then a realization dawns to him, "So that's why you didn't want me to fight."

"Y/N. . ."

"You—Y-You didn't want me to end up like him—"

"Why would I? I've lost the man I love!" Eliza's voice raised, but broken as she welled into tears, "You think I have the strength to go through that pain again? That's why—"

"NO! THIS ISN'T ABOUT US ANYMORE!" Y/N's yells, mustering up all the heartache through his voice, "YOU MOLDED US INTO THIS SICK LIFE THROUGH A LIE! HOW COULD YOU?!"

Eliza's lips quivered, "I just wanted to keep you safe." She sniffed, "I didn't want you to get mixed up with the wrong people."

"How. . . how. . ." Y/N paused, troubled with the words due to the weight of the situation. He takes a deep breath before he continued, "You made me think he was a good man. . . "

"He was!"

"Then why? Why did he have unsettled debt in the first place?"

7 Y E A R S A G O

H E L L ' S KITCHEN

Y/N AND AUSTIN'S EYES FIXATED on the television program airing. Both legs crossed on the mattress laid out on the floor as they watched the sequence of events with amazement.

Iman looked back at his children, shaking his head in amusement as he went back to cracking eggs. Then suddenly, the telephone rings.

"Someone get that." Iman said, but the two boys were just too lost by the show playing, so immersed that they didn't even hear their father's calls. "Boys?" He called again, but to no avail.

Iman sighs, wiping his hands with a towel before walking over to the telephone as he picked it up, "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Jack." The voice said.

Iman stiffened, gripping tightly on the phone. He sends a brief glance to his two children before getting back to the call, "Hey, Jack, what's up?"