Chapter 1

Kyler's POV— Six years old

{Fourteen years ago— The past}

" It's been six good years now. Don't you think the boys deserve to know the whole story surrounding their birth? Don't you think they deserve to know the truth about what happened to their father, then their mother? "

I heard from inside the room and immediately, I identified the voice. It was that of Nanny Carlota but I couldn't figure out who she was talking to. The door was closed and probably locked up and as expected, I shouldn't be hanging around, I should be sleeping in my room like the rest of my brothers.

After having dinner, Nanny Carlota had made sure we brushed our teeth before tucking each of us in bed but just before she left my room, someone had visited and she needed to leave without making sure I was asleep like she always does.

She had rushed out even without closing the door properly and being paranoid, I went to close it myself when I overheard her talking in whispers. Not that I cared or it was any of my business, I was only a small boy but something I overheard them say had gotten my attention.

" The boys should never hear about this until it's decided upon. If possible, we hide the truth from them forever "

After saying that, I heard a door open and close without knowing if someone had walked or come in but either way, I got down to check only to find out that they had retreated into another room to carry on with their conversation. What truth were they talking about anyway?

" Them not knowing that their parents died and they are orphans is already too much for them to know Carlota "

" But one of those is a lie. We need to tell them the truth while they're still children " Nanny Carlota insisted and I could sense the worry in her voice. Did she just mention that part of what we were told about our parents were lies? My eyes widened as I stared at the closed door incredulously.

" Carlota, their mother poisoned their father to death and also attempted to take their lives just when they were three days old. You know the story, you were there. Those boys, the four of them would've been buried alive by those men if not for your intervention. You pleaded for their lives to be spared and went into hiding with them until you were sure their mother was gone. Is that the story you want to tell them? How would you even go about it, Carlota? "

The shock from hearing all of those was enough to throw me off my feet as I dropped on my butts. My nerves were quivering, my skin sweaty and my heart was pounding heavily against my chest. My throat suddenly felt dry like a drop of liquid hasn't gone through it for years and at that moment, I felt so cold that I started shivering.

In all our six years on earth, we've been made to believe that our parents just died and we were orphans. That our father died of cancer and our mother had taken her last after giving birth to us due to a huge loss of blood but now... Now, what were they saying? What was this new story I overheard?

" Their mother had always been evil and thought of no other person but herself. Too bad their father's obsession for her led him to his early grave but right now, we have more concerns than worry about telling them the truth. Let's just hope she's resting in peace and out of their lives forever "

I couldn't listen to any more of what they were saying and getting a hold of myself, I sauntered up to my room. I felt so weak and dizzy at the same time with this heat radiating from my head. My mind felt muddled as tons of questions piled up in my head. I still couldn't believe what I had just heard.

Growing up, I learned that the greatest love of all was the mother's love for her child and throughout the past years, we all cried and wished she was here. Why did she die? was always the question on my mind, why did they die, leaving us in a world where everyone mocked and laughed at us for being the bastard sons of the late rich lord?

The other kids in school used to make jest of us, everyone did and we'll end up crying. Why did our own story have to be different?

Nanny Carlota was the only person we had in our lives who showed us love and cared for us. As the story had it, she had worked for our father as his nanny and when he died, she decided to take care of us but was that even true? The story had been one-sided as they had ripped the other part off.

The other part of her begging for our lives and saving us. The other part of which she had also kept a secret from us but why?

Why would a mother want to kill her children? Didn't she have the least thing as love and compassion for them? To what height of sin did we owe such a manner of wickedness?

Even before finding out the truth about our mother and everything she must have done, I had sworn to protect my brothers at all costs. I learned to fight using a penknife and sticks and even when I kept hurting myself in the process, I wouldn't stop. I had to be their shield and protector.

When they were crying about being bullied and laughed at, I made sure I found whoever hurt them and kicked them hard on the ass. That way, no one dared to mess around with them anymore. No one dared to mess with me cause as the pain had come, it made a demon.