Our Lies

Chapter 8

Agata braved herself to pat his back. "Oh, Gia... you are still the cry-baby. Remember how you always hid at the back of our house when your mother was angry with you?"

"I am not crying. You just looked like you need a hug." Gia pulled away and let her go. Agata noticed the slightly annoyed expression in his face. She giggled.

"Aunt Lily... do you remember her, your mother? Sadly, I heard she passed away not long after you disappeared. She must be worried sick about you. I don't know what happened to your dad after that. Your father... you know..."

"I don't remember them." Gia shook his head, remembering his abusive alcoholic father and the lady he used to live with. Lily was his step mother but she treated him like a servant in the house. I doubt she was worried about me at all. Back then, people around him always thought the wounds in his body were inflicted by his drunk father but it was not unusual for him to get beatings from his step mother too.

Agata looked at him worriedly.

"What is it?" Gia asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing. Mom used to say that you always kept everything to yourself and I should pay more attention to you. After the accident, were you doing fine? Losing your memories just like that, I am sure it must be scary. I am just worried."

Gia was taken aback. "You should be worried about yourself." He smiled sadly and then patted her head.

Again – him with his unconscious brotherly kindness toward her, Agata thought.

"It was hard for me of course, I lost count how many nights I spent crying when I just moved to the orphanage. But the people were kind there. Made a lot of friends too."

She brought his hand down to her face and rested her cheek on his warm palm happily. "I'm happy to see you again, Gia."

"I don't remember you though."

"Must you ruin this moment?" Agata frowned at him.

And then they heard somebody knocked at the door.

"Serogia? Are you in there?" A sweet voice called from behind the double door. Gia recognized the owner.

"You can enter, Miss Lassham." He replied.

The door opened slowly and Agnes' head emerged from between the doors. "There you are!" She walked toward where Gia and Agata were sitting. "I was looking for you. Where have you been?" She took the seat beside Gia and wrapped her arms around his, totally ignoring the other person in the room.

Agata recognized the country's supermodel instantly.

Gia politely removed himself from Agnes' clutch. "It's quite late. I should be going now."

"Huh? But it's still early. Please stay here longer, Serogia. The dinner has just started. In fact, I am actually on my way to bring you there." Agnes begged with her sweetest voice that made Agata feel nauseous.

"Please tell Mrs. Lassham not to worry. My secretary will contact the committee regarding the charity."

"Chari... it's not about that." Agnes refuted but Gia was already on his feet.

Agnes grabbed his arm again. "Fine. You must be tired. Let me at least walk you to the front. Please?" Gia sighed and nodded. "Let's go."

Gia turned to Agata who was still sitting watching them, and smiled. "Good night, Miss Agata."

Agnes shot her a look of displeasure.

"Good... night." Agata replied.

Agnes pulled Gia away, eager to leave the room as soon as possible.

"You won't disappear again, will you?" Agata abruptly asked as the other two approached the door. Gia paused his walk but did not turn his head. "It was nice talking to you, Miss Agata." And the two left.

"Who is that girl? Is she one of the guests? I don't recognize her. Do you know her?" Agnes asked as soon as they were on the other side of the door.

Gia did not answer.

"Serogia?"

He took out his phone and scrolled through the screen. "Just someone I happened to meet earlier in the hall... oh, Jean is calling. We can part our ways here, Miss Lassham. Please send my regards to your parents." He gave her a nod and left on his own.

***

"So, how did it go?"

Agata turned around and saw her benefactor. "Mrs. Graham..."

"Big sister." Sera corrected. She pulled the chair across Agata and sat down after ordering her drink. The two had promised to meet after Agata texted her early in the morning.

"As expected, Gia doesn't remember me. After everything you have done to help me..." Agata let out a disappointed sigh.

Sera shook her head. "At least we try. But is he really the boy you were looking for?"

Agata nodded. "He is. I'm certain of that. The car crash he said he was involved in matched the time they went missing."

"They?" Sera asked.

Agata cocked her head to the side. "Didn't I tell you? My parents and Gia were together at that time."

"That's why... oh dear..." Sera looked shocked.

"After hearing about the car crash, the probability of my parents being alive is..." Agata left her sentence unfinished. Her fingers moved awkwardly around the plastic drinking straw.

Sera placed her hand gently on Agata's shoulder. "Are you okay? Big sister is here if you need someone."

"Thank you." Agata smiled dishearteningly. It felt like her meeting with Gia finally cleared all her doubt. The hope she had been holding on for years had been answered with a harsh fact. The fact that she was now truly alone in this world.

***

"I see that he did attend the dinner with Lassham's daughter." Leo said as he read the newspaper. There was an article about the charity event from the night before.

His secretary nodded. "Mr. Serogia did, Sir."

Leo folded the sheets and the secretary moved to remove them swiftly. The loyal assistant hesitated for a moment before turning to his employer. "Sir, if I may..."

"What is it?" Leo asked.

The secretary presented another newspaper. "I picked this up from the kitchen. I think it belongs to one of the kitchen helpers."

Leo silently took the paper from him. A tabloid. There were two large pictures on the front page. Side by side. Both featuring his grandson. Leo assumed they were taken from the charity event from the background shown. The headline ran 'Arms Around Two Roses' above the pictures of Gia and Minister Lassham's daughter and him with a different lady – her face slightly hidden from the camera. Leo frowned. "What kind of news is this?"

"I have contacted the publisher and already had them removed immediately but it seems a few copies had reached the public." His secretary explained apologetically.

"Deal with it as usual. There is no need for you to inform me about this kind of foolishness." He waved the paper back to his aide, but as the secretary was about to take it, Leo changed his mind and pulled it back.

"Sir?"

"Leave the paper here. I want to see what other brainless rubbish they were writing. You can leave if you have nothing else to do." The old man ordered.

The secretary nodded and left the room quietly.

Leo opened the folded tabloid again as soon as he was alone. He studied the picture on the front page carefully. Not for his grandson nor his friend's daughter, but the other girl his grandson was shielding with his body.