The Royal Contract

He had his eyes fixed on the road. He could drive on this street even with his eyes closed and still know where he was going.

He had grown up on this street, knowing every inch of its road, corners, and alleys. It had been part of his training since his father said he would inherit the family business someday.

Yet, he realized too late that nothing could stay the same. The term set in stone was not reliable. Everything could change in an instant.

"Where are we going?" Mike sat beside him on the passenger side while Samson was on the back, quietly minding his own.

He could make up a story, but that would beat his purpose. It was time that he included Mike in the loop. He deserved to know his deepest secret. The one that he had kept from him.

Mike was his best friend, and he should start putting his faith in him. It was time he stopped doubting his loyalty after all the sacrifices he had gone through for him and Haley.

"To meet my family," Gerald answered, not beating around the bush. The face he saw when he glanced at his friend was priceless.

Mike was visibly stunned. Of course, his friend was not expecting a bomb like that to land on his lap. And he guessed he should have told him before.

Regrettably, he admitted that trusting was one of his weaknesses. But he would correct that now, knowing who to trust with his life and family.

"Family?" Mike finally let the question pass his lips as he stared at him in bewilderment. "Have you hit your head or something while we were on the mission?" His friend asked again, looking stupefied.

He could not blame him for his reaction. Who would have thought that he still had living relatives? He almost did not believe it himself. But the proof was overwhelming.

Although he could not confirm it with his mother or father since they were already dead, science helped him corroborate his biological father's claim.

"Or is this one of your pranks?" His friend looked uneasy in his seat as he adjusted his position to get a better look at him.

"Well, it is not funny since both your parents are gone. And you know I don't like going to the cemetery, especially at night." Mike rattled on, clearly not liking his plan.

Of course, his friend would think they would visit his parents at their graves. But that was not the plan.

Although he would love to put flowers on his mother's tomb, that would have to wait.

He turned on the stop light, moving along at a careful and steady pace toward their destination. The last thing he wanted was to alert the authorities of his plan.

He did not need a police car flagging them down in the middle of the street. Then, blowing his cover before he could arrange his situation.

Of course, he was not innocent. He did not claim to be, but comparing him to other criminals, he was ready to amend his ways. And he just wished for a second chance.

"Don't worry, Mike." He assured his friend. "We are not going to the cemetery. At least not tonight." He was not ready to deal with the dead, but he could use the help of the living.

He continued on the path, not stopping unless necessary. And if he continued at this speed, he calculated they would arrive on time.

"Then, if not your parents, who are we seeing?" Again, his friend's face was a picture of the Mona Lisa. It was a mixture of emotion, bafflement, curiosity, and amazement.

He could keep the suspense until they arrived at the place, or he could tell him now to end his misery. But somehow, he was enjoying the part where his friend was clueless.

"Can you make a guess?" He asked him, wondering if he could somehow come up with the correct answer if he gave him some clues.

He could see from his rearview mirror that his other companion was also curious about the answer as he kept looking their way.

"Really? Are you making me guess?" His friend did not seem to be in the mood for games. But the seriousness on his friend's face was too good to miss out.

Usually, it was Mike who had made fun of him for his seriousness, but now, he was enjoying turning the table at him.

But he doubted his friend could easily guess the mystery behind his family tree. It was too bizarre that even he had a hard time believing it.

Still, he was thankful to Ethan and his family for respecting his wishes to keep his identity a secret. He never saw the point of coming out as Ethan's child.

First of all, he was already dead. He could not spend another minute with him as his father. Next, somehow, he guessed he did not want to include his stepmother and half-sister in his life, at least, the messy part.

He could only assume that meeting Ethan and learning a few things from him had taught him to grow a heart and a conscience. He never expected it would happen, but it did.

"Well, I will give you one of my mansions if you can guess it right. You two, Samson, if you are up for the challenge." He looked at the rearview mirror before returning his eyes to the road.

He gauged that they were still a few minutes away. His friend and companion still had time to make their guesses. "I will give you both a chance until we arrive at their place."

He watched the two think, probably considering his offer. But eventually, his mind wandered off to the family he never had the chance to get to know more.

Somehow, he regretted the time he deprived Ethan of a chance to be a father to him. But he could not do anything about that now.

"I don't know if I should believe you or not." Mike still looked skeptical as he gazed outside his window, probably discerning the direction of their vehicle.

"Believe me, my family is real and very much alive." He told his friend, guaranteeing that this was not a hoax. He might have lost his two fathers and a mother, but he had gained a new family.

On the other hand, he believed he could still be a family to the people his father had left behind. He always liked Laura. She reminded him of his mother.

He guessed his mother, and Laura was Ethan's typical woman, strong, kind, and sweet. And when they loved, it was eternal.

Those incredible women never held grudges against his two fathers. They loved them for who they were. And he believed he saw that in Haley.

"I hope you are not talking about Haley. Because as far as I know, where she is can't be reached by car." Mike said, raising his brows at him in question.

Of course, they were not going to Haley. He could not reveal himself to her, not yet. He believed it was better she stayed clueless about what was happening to him.

"No, definitely not Haley." He responded as he kept the suspense going, watching his friend's frown increase its line and grow deeper.

Suddenly, he wondered if Haley finally discovered who he was, would she forgive him for all his past crimes? Would she get through the things he had done to survive and be with them?

He guessed he would know when the time came. Until then, he could only hope. He could not keep speculating and worrying until he had settled everything about his past and moved on to his present.

Then, he could finally build his future. And hopefully, with Haley and their child. Would he be there when his child was born? He guessed only time would tell.

But he wished upon the star as he gazed on the sky ahead. A few had graced them with their presence. Their light might be faint, but those twinkling stars still brightly illuminated the darkness like diamonds in the sky.

"You could at least give us a clue. There are millions of people in this place alone. I doubt we could guess one from the entire population." Mike complained as he looked at Samson on the back, who agreed with him.

At least his friend was willing to play his game. And it appeared that he was not offended about his behavior of keeping that a secret from him.

"You know them." Gerald gave his first clue, but he doubted that narrowed the choices.

Mike might know thousands of people in this place alone. Therefore, it could be anybody.

"Maybe you would like to give us something more detail because that is like finding the needle in a haystack." Mike philosophically answered as he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Of course, his friend was right again. Mike would never guess it in those few lines. However, he did not doubt that once they had reached their destination, his friend, and even Samson, would figure out the mysterious family member. And he would lose his bet.