The Kiss From Hell

Ryan brushed the grass off his pants and gently stroked John’s head. When John stopped at his touch, Ryan looked puzzled. Perhaps he hadn’t realized what he was doing.

“What happened?”

“…no, it’s nothing.”

John’s lips became small. For no reason, his cheeks were red and his lips puffed out.

He had never had a father so he didn’t know how he felt… Maybe having a father feels like this?

John, who seemed fine in his opinion, touched his bangs. Ryan laughed briefly when he saw the puzzlement on  John’s bashful face, and then walked into the house.

Ryan, who rushed into the mansion, was about to go upstairs.

“Are you here?”

“Valentine?”

Valentine, who he thought had just left the room, was standing on the porch. As he approached Valentine, Ryan looked carefully at his face. As before, his expression remained cold and firm. Ryan gave his son a worried look.

“What’s going on?”

“You must have become closer to John.” 

Ryan was confused at the wrong answer, that also had nothing to do with what he was asking.

“What?”

“That place is mine.” 

Valentine’s blue eyes looked at Ryan coldly.

About ten minutes ago Valentine had been desperate to go to the garden after riding class. He wanted to meet John who was waiting for him, but what Valentine discovered there was,  unexpectedly, John was with Ryan.

He soon realized the familiarity, which didn’t exist until yesterday, between them. John’s gaze at Ryan was appreciative, and he even looked excited. The olive-colored eyes shone like sunlight reflected on the surface of the water.

Has John ever looked at me like that?

The moment his thoughts reached that point, the temperature of the air surrounding Valentine dropped in an instant.

“Valentine… what are you talking about?”

Ryan asked Valentine, not hiding his absurd feeling. He also did so, because he never imagined that Valentine would be mad at him for that reason. Rather, it would be understandable if Valentine was jealous of John. It was a natural feeling, which would be felt when a child, who was used to being the sole recipient of their parents affection, realized that the parental affection was being redirected to someone else; but the object of Valentine’s jealousy was undoubtedly himself. That was embarrassing to Ryan.

“You forgot it?”

Valentine smiled and asked. However, the eyes were still cold and the artificially created smile was discordant, like a symphonic dissonance.

“What I got as a birthday present this year.” 

Ryan’s expression hardened from what Valentine said. But instead of stopping, Valentine finished, drawing out the truth which Ryan had wanted to hide.

“How did you get John?”

“…”

“You are the father who abandoned John.” 

“You…”

“John is mine.” 

If Ryan had owned one of the world’s most treasured items, it was definitely Valentine. An angelic appearance, a brilliant mind, and a small but robust body. Valentine was, in itself, a brilliant display of the Lindbergh blood. Furthermore, he was also a rare specimen, an Alpha that was extremely dominant. 

Valentine was a boy who would take over the kingdom that Ryan had built, and Ryan was willing to do anything for him. The decisive reason why Ryan had brought John to live with them, was because Valentine wanted so.

It was last year that Valentine became aware of John’s existence. Valentine hid in the library to surprise Ryan, and accidentally overheard the conversation between him and Carter. From that moment, Valentine became very interested in the unknown John.

If Valentine hadn’t been so persistent, it was clear that Ryan wouldn’t have brought John home.

“But still…”

Ryan, wondering which answer would be the most accurate, slowly opened his eyes.

“Of course, you played an important role in getting John here. I won’t deny it.”

“…”

“But Valentine, John is not your toy.”

“Of course I know.”

Valentine laughed as if he had heard a funny joke. The smile on his delicate face was as beautiful as ever, but it came out coldly.

“I know…”

Tilting his head, Valentine stamped the ground with his feet and touched the tip of his nose. The long golden eyelashes fluttered slowly in the air. Valentine, who stared at the ground for a while, seemed to clear his thoughts and looked up again. His eyes, where there was no hesitation, were clear as heaven. The voice, as clear as resolution in the firm eyes, flowed through the small mouth.

“But the fact that I’m the most important person to John, doesn’t change.”

Valentine was smart, so he knew that everything that happened wasn’t a mystery. All his freedom, will, future and rights were limited to what Ryan decided. But for him, John was the first, not Ryan.

The innocent look of a weak creature that relies only on itself; a harmless smile, sad sorrow and a favor that cannot even be found in doubt. Every feeling which John offered Valentine, was such a vivid and intense feeling, and he had no intention of sharing it with anyone.

He said once more, vigorously. “No one can take that place.”

“Valentine.”

“Not even my father.”

Valentine’s blue eyes overflowed with a sense of possession. It was like an animal in heat, marking its female. The moment he realized it, Ryan felt a little nervous.

This is the last chapter with them as childs! Were you surprised that Valentine was the one who asked to adopt John? Even if it was kinda obvious, I didn’t see that coming at all.