BEHIND THEIR MIEN

CHAPTER 25- NATALIE

Nathan's face pales as he stares at me and so does Mason. I initially didn't want to tell Nathan about it, purely out of selfish reasons...what if Aurora is also alive? What if he goes back to them..his family...but then I realize I had no rights to keep him away from his family or whatever delusion I thought of. Our team-Me Nathan and Mason, we were built on pure blind trust and friendship more than anything and I wouldn't do anything to ruin it. I got it for the first time in my life, I am not going to take it for granted.

Luke stays quiet for some time on the other end." Are you there?" I ask and he clears his throat.

" Yes. You said you are coming tomorrow right? I will pick you up and explain everything clearly. You definitely are the smart one...also.. Natalie...about Nate's daughter.." he says with hesitation.... but it's a completely different kind of hesitation.

" What about it?" I ask, looking at Mason instead, unable to look at Nathan.

" Don't even try to tell Nathan about it.. I know you tell them everything but...if you still haven't...don't...I looked into your background...not sorry but you do know the underground system right? You know where I am heading...given you saw her picture on my cock board." he says and I take a sharp intake of air as everything starts to make sense for some reason and it hurts so bad. I shake my head.

" Victoria sold her off?" I growl in anger! My heart breaks for her and Nathan. A daughter he didn't even know about that he already failed to protect!

" NO! Like I said.. it's.. complicated And Please don't tell Nate about it...it will break him! She's too deep in the system...I just can't get her out. You know more than anyone how deep the system runs..." he says with such pain but it's already too late...Nathan looks at the floor, holding his head in pure shock.

I take a deep breath and ask a question I really don't want an answer to but just for Nathan's sake," Aurora...is she alive?" I ask to which he says no, she died years back.

" Natalie, no one can know! A whisper's out and she will be killed as if she never existed. No evidence no accusation nothing! You can't let Nathan know about her until I finally get her out safely!" he says with determination and stress.

" She must be around 10 Luke! How much more time do you need to save and get her out!?" I snap at him to which he snaps back

" You think it's that easy! For god's sake don't talk until you are in my position! Nevertheless ..I am not in any mood to fight with when I need to get on your good grace! I will see you tomorrow then!" he says and ends the call and the room falls silent except for Mary's machines.

" Nathan?" I slowly walked towards him and sat in front of him, taking his hand in mine and Mason opened the door to check if someone was eavesdropping or not and closed the door.

He simply shook his head, unable to say anything!" hey! Look at me! Nathan!" I said to him firmly. I don't know how to be gentle when it comes to such fragile situations. I should have broken the news to him first and then called Luke but I was just too furious and my brain was just running in so many directions since the moment Victoria showed me the album.

" How did you figure it out? Everything? Nothing is making any sense...I think my brain is about to crash.. how?" Mason asked as he sat beside Nathan in defeat. Both brothers...fathers who lost their child even before holding them. I shook my head.

" I only figured out.. Nathan's daughter. I saw her picture in Luke's office when I visited his underground secret mission. It didn't click with me then that the girl looked extremely familiar to Aurora. I only saw her pictures on Instagram and all of them were full of makeup and expensive clothes.. after her make over. It was only when Victoria showed me Aurora's old photos..in less expensive clothes and her bare face that the girl's face came to my mind. It was a pretty big picture on the clipboard...can only picture...it didn't take much time to connect. The girl looked around 8-10, the same time Aurora went missing when she was pregnant with Nathan's child. Do the Math and Science" I told them but Nathan was barely processing anything. Instead he asked me a question that ripped my heart apart.