My Cold-Hearted Husband Wants Me Back
Chapter 157: Hidden Away

Chapter 157: Hidden Away

For a moment, no one moved.

The quiet between them stretched, heavy and trembling. A bird chirped somewhere far off, absurdly out of place in the weight of the moment.

Lucas stared at Eryx like someone trying to recognize a stranger in a mirror. "I’m sorry... what?" he repeated, slower this time.

Eryx didn’t answer.

He couldn’t.

His throat felt like it had closed up entirely. The image of Lucas, alive, standing there, real, warred with the memory of a casket, the sound of dirt hitting the lid, the echoing silence that followed the funeral.

Lunara watched the cracks forming in real time. Not just on Eryx’s face, but in the air between the three of them. Something had broken. Or maybe something buried had clawed its way back to the surface.

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. "Look, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I just came to grab a key. That’s all. I don’t know what this is about, but... I think maybe you’ve mistaken me for someone else?"

Mistaken?

The word hit Eryx like a slap.

Lunara tightened her grip on his arm.

"You don’t remember him?" she asked softly, unable to help herself. "Anything at all?"

Lucas frowned. "Should I?"

Eryx’s breath came in short, shallow bursts.

Then, without warning, he closed the distance between them and pulled Lucas into a tight, desperate hug.

Lucas stiffened instantly. "W-What—?"

His arms stayed frozen at his sides, bewildered and unsure if he should push away or stay still.

"You’re alive," Eryx whispered against his shoulder, voice cracking. "God, you’re really alive."

Lucas blinked hard, his body tense. "Okay—uh, I really don’t know what’s going on here, but—sir—"

"Eryx," Lunara said quietly, stepping forward, eyes glinting with emotion. "He doesn’t remember."

Lucas slowly, awkwardly brought his hands up to lightly pat Eryx’s back, clearly just trying to be polite now. "I think there’s been a mistake. I... I don’t remember you. I don’t remember... any of this."

Eryx didn’t let go.

This was not a mistake.

This was a miracle.

"Sir?" Lucas’s voice was cautious as he gently tried to pull away, clearly overwhelmed by the sudden contact.

Finally, Eryx released him. He stepped back just enough to meet his eyes, the eyes he hadn’t seen in years and gave him a warm, trembling smile.

"I really... miss you, bro."

His voice cracked, thick with the weight of everything he’d held in for so long.

Lucas blinked, clearly startled. The words didn’t land the way they should have. Not yet.

"...Bro?" he echoed, uncertain. "I think... you must be mistaking me for someone else. You know..." he paused, scratching his head in confusion, "I mean, I really don’t know you."

Eryx’s smile faltered.

Lunara swallowed hard, her chest aching as she watched the scene unfold before her. She turned to Eryx, tightening her grip on his arm.

"I think it’s best if we go back first... and let Mom explain everything."

"No," Eryx said sharply, shaking his head. "Allan... just hear me out..." He gulped, his voice already cracking as he prepared to spill the truth.

But before he could say another word, Lucas suddenly held up a hand.

"Sir," he said, his brows furrowed as he stared hard at Eryx.

There was something in the way Eryx had said that name ’Allan’, like it belonged to him. And it struck deeper than anything else had.

Lucas’s breath caught. A pressure bloomed behind his eyes, and then his head started to spin.

He winced, clutching the side of his head with a shaky hand. "I... I don’t know why, but that name—" he stumbled a step back, blinking rapidly as flashes of something flickered at the edges of his mind.

Lunara stepped forward instinctively, alarmed. "Lucas?"

He didn’t answer. His gaze drifted out of focus for a moment before settling back on Eryx, now filled with uncertainty and something bordering on fear.

"I don’t understand," Lucas said hoarsely. "Why does that name sound like it’s mine?" He held his forehead, "I mean...I know the name is mine..."

Eryx stepped closer, slowly, cautiously—as if any sudden movement might shatter the fragile thread of memory hanging between them.

"Because it is," he said softly. "Lucas Allan Grantham. You’re my brother."

Lucas didn’t speak. His hand was still pressed against his forehead, his expression torn between disbelief and confusion.

"I thought you were dead," Eryx continued, voice trembling. "For three years. Three, Allan. I really...really thought you were dead."

"What do you mean?" Lucas’s eyes already flickered with panic and anxiety, "I don’t understand a thing."

"Me too," Eryx’s eyes reddened, "I also did not understand the whole situation, but...I believe...mom could explain everything."

Lucas shook his head, panic rising in his eyes. "I don’t understand. You’re saying I’m... your brother? That I’ve been gone for three years?"

Eryx nodded slowly. "You were in an accident. We thought we lost you. But... Mother... she must have hidden you. I believe one of the reasons was to protect you."

Lucas still looked shaken, his brows tightly furrowed. He kept glancing between Eryx and Lunara as if hoping one of them would suddenly say it was all a joke. "This doesn’t make sense," he muttered. "You’re saying we’re... brothers? And I’ve been... hidden away?"

He took a step back, his hand pressed to his temple. "No, this... this feels insane."

Lunara let out a long breath and, despite the tension, gave a small half-hearted smile. "You probably want proof, right?"

Lucas blinked at her.

She motioned between the two men, waving a hand toward Eryx. "Copy." Then she pointed at Lucas. "Paste."

Eryx gave a faint snort, even through the tightness in his chest. Lunara shrugged. "Can’t you tell? You’re almost identical. Just... different versions. A few years apart."

Lucas blinked hard again, his eyes darting between their faces. Now that she said it out loud, it was impossible to ignore. The jawline. The shape of the eyes. Even the way they stood.

"I..." Lucas’s voice faltered. "I don’t remember. I don’t remember you."

Eryx nodded, a sad smile pulling at his lips. "It’s okay. You don’t have to right now. We’ll take it one step at a time."

There was silence for a beat.

Then Eryx added gently, "Let me take you home."