5: The Revelation

Later, Maria settled down with tea, listening to Vivienne and Void's complaints about each other's behavior. They were having lunch together when Marcus, one of the trusted servants, approached Maria, whispering something in her ear.

Maria's expression turned serious. Void and Vivienne exchanged worried glances, wondering if Maria was going to leave again or if there was a crisis.

"Listen, kids," Maria began, crossing her hands and leaning forward. "I have to tell you a truth I've hidden from you both all this time."

"What is it, Mother?" Vivienne asked, concern etched on her face.

"You see, Vivienne, you know that Void has our family's blood in his veins. After the accident, I shared my blood with him as it was a match. But there's more..."

Void's mind raced. What? I didn't know that I was... Was it all a story about being abandoned fake?

Vivienne, looking shocked, pressed further. "What is it, Mother? Tell us!"

Maria took a deep breath. "You two are not siblings. I picked Void and brought him here to be your fiancé. He is the son of two people who took a debt from me but didn't clear it and ran away, leaving him alone. I killed those two, but when I came to their house to see if there was anything left to cover the loss, I saw Void."

"For the first time in my life, I regretted what I did. So I brought him to stay with us. I wanted to raise him as my own child, but this truth was something I didn't want to hide from you two." Tears started streaming down Maria's face. The feared mafia lord was trembling and crying. "I'm sorry, Void, for hiding this from you."

Void stood up, walking towards Maria. His face was unreadable as he approached. Taking out his handkerchief, he gently wiped her tears.

"Mother Maria, why are you sorry for that?" Void said, his voice cracking. "What you did was part of your job. I... I don't consider those who left me and ran away as my real parents. There was only you, Mother, Sir Marcus, and everyone here when I woke up from nightmares. You're my mother, and even if you don't call yourself my mother, I'll keep calling you my mother!" Tears streamed down Void's face as his voice broke. "I'll keep calling you my mother!"

Maria pulled Void into a tight embrace, tears still flowing, but a smile appeared on her face. The guilt and regret she had held onto for so long finally began to lift.