Sonata of The Shattered | Book I

What Supposed To Be Her First Love

17 June 2022

Earlier today, he watched a documentary of a single mother taking care of her autistic child and his mind couldn't escape from the thoughts of Christine and Fransesca. The two angels in his life whom he never thought would have a special place in his heart. Two angels who turned his life upside down, into a brighter one for sure.

He knew that after the incident yesterday, where he couldn't keep his emotions in and himself composed, it would be hard to talk about the matter with Fransesca. To even talk with the woman herself would be a hard thing to do, let alone to let her know that he knew Christine was his daughter and for a chance to meet and fill his role as a father; sounds impossible.

Suddenly, a call from Claudius turned his attention from the television screen to his phone on the table in front of him. He took it and put the gadget on his left ear.

"Vincent invited his friend for a study session but you know, the house will receive some guests. Would you mind if I sent him and his friend there instead?" asked Claudius in his cold, super short tone of talking. The usual way of how the man interacted with someone else, even his family. "Sure. How many?" asked the younger one. "One. A girl who you drove her home last time, Christine." Claudius answered.

"Do you actually know who is Christine?"

"Fransesca's daughter."

Again, Claudius succeeded in making him speechless. All these times, the man knew that she's Fransesca's daughter? All these times, his own brother knew where Fransesca was and things regarding the woman while he needed to search around to find something about her?

"You.. you— actually know that she's around?"

"Well, I have no problem with her. She talked with me regularly about her daughter and I asked her about parenting stuff when Vincent went into puberty." Claudius replied. "Why don't you tell me?" Clayton asked the man. "You never asked me. You do know that I never meddle into someone else's problems, not even yours. When she told me to keep things a secret from you, I had no reason to say no." he responded.

"But do you actually know who is actually Christine?" Clayton asked him, making sure whether his older brother knew the other fact or not. "Which one? All I know is that she's Vincent's best friend and she's her daughter, that's all."

"Christine is my daughter."

"Shit."

Never once he heard Claudius cursed just like that. "I'm hanging up. The guests are here. Don't scare Christine off or do something that would make Fransesca furious. They're on their way from the cafe with the driver."

Claudius hung up the phone, leaving Clayton speechless again and again. His brother really kept things all by himself and never got involved with others matters. He never stuck his nose to someone else's problems and sometimes it brought him to this unbelievable feeling; how his brother managed to be the most neutral person he ever met in his lifetime.

"What's wrong?" Melissa asked as she put down a cup of tea on the table for her, coming out from the kitchen and sitting herself on the sofa. "Christine and Vincent are coming here to study. Claudius is having some guests back at home. He knew that Christine is Fransesca's daughter all these time and even in contact with the woman regularly." Clayton explained to Melissa the situation.

Melissa nearly spurt out her tea when he heard the new fact from Clayton regarding Claudius and Fransesca. "He knew and was close with her all these times?! I have to hire a private detective and receive nothing yet he's actually one of her closest friends?!" Melissa asked him, making sure that what she heard was true. Indeed, it was when Clayton nodded his head.