12

Iris Parker

Tapping my fingers against Jace's sleeping body, my eyes raised when I heard someone nearing the bedroom.

Liam walked in through the door. He was wearing a white polo and jeans, looking so dashing. His grass-like eyes still held that deep darkness that indicated that he had a lot in mind. My heart tightened when our gazes met and I chose to look away.

"Tomorrow, we'll move in back to the mansion." he says as he leans on the wall and stares at both Jace and I. Jacob and Jamie were with Haley and Gab as Jace rested in the house.

I immediately looked up to him, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion and... anger. "What? No, Liam. We're staying at our apartment."

"Ah, that thrashed place? All redeemable items are already being moved at Venialgo." he says simply which brewed more anger in me. Thrashed?

How dare he? He can't just expect to come back in our lives so suddenly and impose us things. I'm still getting used to him being here and I'm sure the triplets are too. This is all going too fast.

I got up slowly, making sure that Jace wouldn't wake up and got out the room, waiting for Liam to follow me which he did shortly.

"Liam, the kids are still not used to- to you." I cringed at the statement and I notice his look hardening as I said that. "Going to Venialgo right away will be a big change, too much of a change. Perhaps, we need a bit more time."

"You mean, you need more time right?" he answered. I was stunned by his words and my heart gripped for a while. Was it me who needed more time? Something in me rose, more bitterness and anger. I somehow hated the way he spoke to me.

"You know what I mean, Liam."

He scoffed, hurting my heart a bit more. "I don't. This is not about me or you, Iris. This is about them." he says and he walks away.

I bit my lip as I watched him walk away.

-----

I packed the last belonging things that we had inside the bag and zipped it. I sighed as I stared at the room around me.

I couldn't wrap the thought around my head that I was going back to Venialgo Mansion.

The mansion was a huge estate, hidden from the city. It was a way too big place back when only Liam and I lived there and the many maids that lived there, but I know that even now, it's still much too big of a place for all of us.

The Venialgo was designed by a famous architect specifically for the Parkers. The house was huge in width and had about 4 stories, having thousands of empty guest rooms and room for whatever stuff like a theatre room. I'm still convinced to this day that I haven't toured the entirety of that beautiful place.

I laid down the bed, twirling the ends of my hair as thousands of thoughts came to my mind.

I heard laughters outside, laughters that belonged to the triplets and to Liam. I smiled and my heart fluttered lightly as I listened to the beautiful melody.

I could listen to that all day... If only we were a normal family. If only we were normal people. If only Liam...

The room's door burst open and I quickly got up. Jamie came in with a big smile on his face. "Mommy! Hide me! Daddy's out to find me!" he says, his voice hushed, but excited.

I smiled at him and nodded. I gestured that he come to me as I pulled the blanket over him. "He won't find you here." I whispered, trying to convince him and he must've believed me because he pressed against me as I put the blanket over the two of us.

Jamie giggled as I hugged him closer to me.

After waiting, we heard the door open. The wooden floor creaked against Liam's weight as he came nearer. Jamie exclaimed but I quickly hushed him, putting my finger against my lips. He quickly put his hands to his mouth.

I knew that Liam was just right beside me and all of a sudden, he pulled the covers out of us and Jamie screamed at being discovered before laughing heartily. I chuckled softly at him and we both got up. "Dad! You found us!" he says. Liam smiled widely to him. A genuine happy smile I haven't seen in years, but then again. How did I know if anything I ever knew about him was even genuine?

Our gazes met and silence immediately hang in the air, both of our smiles disappearing. I was the one to look away first, because I couldn't stand seeing him for long just yet.

"Let's go find the other two, bud." Liam says as Jamie jumped on the bed and Liam caught and carried him. Before leaving the room, he curtly nodded at me as Jamie said goodbye.

I sighed. I don't think I'll ever get used to this again.

Moments later, I heard a shrieking. That one belonged to Jace and again, I couldn't help but smile.

-----

"Thank you so much, Haley. I promise that I'll come to visit." I told Haley as I hugged her. Her mouth still held that frown that's been there ever since I told her that we were leaving.

She hugged me back tightly, patting my back at the same time. "You know you always have a home with me." she reminded and a smile made its way to my lips. Of course I knew that.

I kissed Gaby's forehead as I waved at him goodbye. His brown hazel eyes perked up as he let out a small laugh.

Mace came beside me, taking the last bag that I was carrying. I muttered a small thank you and waved Haley goodbye and followed Mace.

"What am I? Some bellboy, goodness." Mace complained under his breath causing me to laugh.

"I don't wanna ride with uncle Macey!" Jacob complained as Liam was setting him on the child's seat.

"Huh? What was that kid? As if I wanted a kid in my beautiful car." Mace says again as he put the bag in the trunk and went in the driver's seat.

Liam sighed, shaking his head at his friend.

I slipped in the passenger's seat and Mace immediately looked at me weirdly. "What?"

"Hey, Liam! Your wife's--" I put my hand over his mouth and turned to Liam.

"I'll sit with him for now. Jacob might need one of us, so I'll sacrifice." I excused. Mace tried saying something, but it just come out muffled. I saw Ezra laughing as he closed the back door and turned to come towards us when he saw me already seated in the passenger seat.

I smiled at him and gestured him to turn back around and go with Liam, which he happily did. Liam made his way to the other car and moments later, they started driving away as we trailed behind them.

"Damn, I know a great marriage counsellor you know." Mace muttered low enough for me to hear. I looked over to him and widened my eyes at him.

"That's not what we need, you know that."

Mace looked at his rearview mirror before he said something else. Jacob was happily playing with a car toy.

"Well, what you both need is to talk. This--" he motioned his hand "won't work if you don't talk to each other."

"It's not that easy, Mason."

"Who said things were ever going to be easy? Solving your past problems are not easy, but you have to try--"

I breathed out and shook my head at him. I didn't expect him to be so serious at me all of a sudden. "Do you know how it felt Mason? To find out that all of you have been just fooling me? Did you know how hard it was on me when I found out that he only needed me for my parents' business? To find out that everything was just a lie?" I spat, making sure that he felt the venom that my words carried.

He fell silent at what I said. He knew it was true, it was all true.

Liam Parker only used me to get my parents' business.

What's worse was that I was used as a weapon against my own parents.

Iris Parker

Jacob wiggled himself out of my arms as he saw his siblings running around the spacious doorstep of Venialgo mansion.

I observed the huge vintage wooden doors of the mansion with the same intricate designs that were there ever since I left 5 years ago. Each step I took inside was difficult to take. I'm not ready to be back here.

I'm not ready to be back in a place filled with so many happy memories.

One of the reasons why I left was to protect the memories I so much treasured, I didn't want them to be tainted. I absolutely denied the fact that they were lies.

"Good to be back, huh?" Ezra said lowly beside me and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Not so much." I answered.

The doors swung open and I could see about six maids that were lined up. The triplets stopped as they stared and immediately ran to me, hugging my legs. I smiled at them.

We started walking inside the house and I could only smile sadly at the maids. I recognized them, of course. I spent most of my times with them.

My eyes scanned the whole place. The gigantic crystal chandelier still hang majestically between the entrance and the grand staircase. The entrance was a huge space, and on the corners were small seats. Over to the right side, this led to the spacious living room, the kitchens and the grand dining room. I remember that right outside the dining room was a huge patio, overlooking the beautiful gardens.

On the left side led to the party room, the small gym, the theatre room, a room dedicated to some antiques and a door that led to the pools and the very big backyard. I used to get lost in the backyard until one of the maids found me or I had to personally call Liam over.

On the second floor had the master bedrooms and a few rooms. On the other side of the floor was the library and a few study rooms.

Finally, on the third floor was more rooms and an attic.

As I was pulled off my reveries, I saw an old lady that walked towards me, a very wide smile on her face. I instantly smiled as I walked towards her also. I hugged her tightly and her scent made me remember the times we spent together.

"It's been a long time, nanay Grace." I whispered to her.

"Hays, why did you leave us just like that? I'll make sure you get a handful from me." she said as she pulled away. She noticed the three that were hiding behind me and I watched as her eyes widened, her gaze switching from me to the triplets. "Are they--?" she tried to ask through the shock.

I couldn't help but nod and smiled. I gently pulled the three from behind me. I noticed Liam was also beside me as he also guided Jacob to the front of nanay Grace. He smiled at Jacob and nodded at him.

"Nanay Grace, these are Jace, Jacob and Jamie. They're triplets." I introduced them to her. "Say hi." I ordered the three and although they were hesitant they went towards her. Her big smiled widened as she knelt to them.

"I'm Jace." Jace introduced himself, extending his hand out and after nanay Grace shook it, he immediately came to me, hugging my leg tightly.

"I'm Jacob." Jacob seconded and kissed her cheek.

"And I'm Jamie." Jamie said and hugged her.

Nanay Grace squealed happily, clasping her hands. "My, my. I will be having my hands full, now won't I?" she said

I chuckled. Liam bent down to carry Jamie up. When nanay Grace stood up, she smiled. "Let me show you to your rooms now, alright honeys?" she asked, clearly happy. I looked at Liam questioningly, but he only shrugged.

We followed nanay Grace as he went up the staircase and up the second floor. We turned to the right, the way to the master's. I was starting to hope with all my heart that she wasn't putting us in the same room. And by us, I meant Liam and I.

She stopped in front of the mater bedroom's door and turned to us. "Here we are." she said sweetly. "Now, you five will have to sleep here tonight. If only Liam told me about these three adorable kids, I would have prepared a room for them." she continued, glaring at Liam. In turn, he chuckled softly.

"I'm sorry, nanay. Everything happened so suddenly, I didn't have the time to do so." he explained and plastered a smile.

However, nanay Grace only sighed and shook her head. "Alright, alright. I will leave you to settle down now. Come down in a few minutes, I prepared dinner." she said and before leaving, she hugged the kids and left.

For a while, Liam and I just stood in front of the door. I didn't want to open it, I didn't want to see our old room. I'm not ready. I don't know if Liam felt the same way, but it was only after some time before he opened it.

The room was huge, the ceilings were high and the windows themselves were the floor to ceiling kind. The bed was huge, bigger than a California king sized bed and nanay Grace was right, it fit the five of us just right. Other than the beddings and the curtains, the room was still the same.

All the nightstands and the couches, the vanity and everything was still where I left them.

I smiled sadly.

The three ran to the bed and started jumping on it while Liam and I just stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Everything's still the same." I finally broke the silence between us. He sighed and started unbuttoning his polo shirt.

"Of course, it is." he said, walking away from me. "I'm just going to take a shower. You can take the kids down, if you want." he said.

I shrugged my head. "No, no. We'll all go down together."

The corner of his lip curled upward amusedly.

"As a family?" he asked quite sarcastically, surprising me. I rolled my eyes as I felt the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Whatever, Liam."

"Sure, sure." he said and was about to complete walk away, but he turned around and neared me so close, I felt his bare skin on my arm. He leaned into my ear and whispered. "Let me just remind you because it seems like you're forgetting. You're still my wife, Iris Parker." he said and walked away.