The Secrets Within

"I was fifteen when Alex met Sandra Santoro. She was beautiful, young, and rich. She said her family lives in Switzerland and they have many lands there too. She usually bribes my grandmother with money to convince Alex to marry her.

I can still remember that grandma just tell her yes but never do it anyway. When they broke up, Sandra was devastated saying that she will get Alex to marry her someday.

I never thought she would do something as drastic as killing my grandmother just to get Alex. I saw it. I saw it all. The trade, the death, and my brother getting married to that woman. 

She died eventually and Alex re-married to someone better. Or she was supposed to be better since that old hag chose her "very wisely"."

Primo scoffs as he talks about his life before getting adopted with the Santoros as if it is like a normal topic to discuss. It breaks Aiden's heart and it made Daime mad. He didn't know that his cousins can do such a thing. 

"My father had become a bum after mom died and his only option to survive on his own is sell me away to my brother's new found family. 

That old hag liked me the first time she saw me. Telling me that I had a bright future if I lived in the Santoro house. She gave everything to me but she had always hated my guts of answering her back.

What can I do? I hate her. I hate her whole family, except for him and Drax."

As he is saying that, he points at Daime and another away since Drax is not there with them.

"I met Drax when I was on the run away from the old hag and proposed to study here in the Philippines instead of running all over Switzerland. 

He said that if ever the old hag would ask him where I am, he would just say that I went to another country to study.

He didn't specifically say Philippines but he did say Asia. The last news about the search was they are in India to look for me."

Daime laughs when he remembers hearing his sister talks about how stupid Grandmama's goons as they look all over the world for Primo.

She also said that some tried to look for him in other parts of Europe but ended up with no result but finds Primo's other look alike.

"Maybe it's a good thing that I have too many look alike in the Santoro house. They can't catch me so easily."

Aiden looks at Daime for confirmation that Primo indeed has too many look alike in their house. Daime nods enthusiastically as he reminisces how many are they.

"Marcus, Bran, Daniel, Lucas, Albert, Thirdy, Blu, Cyan, and Aries, these are the Santoro boys that look like Primo, in so many angles."

Daime chuckles as he counts the number of cousins that he have that look likes Primo in so many angle of his face from the eyes to his chin, from the left angle to the right.

Such features also made Grandmama furious when she finds out about this after the first report of Primo's disappearance. 

She tries to search for him all throughout Switzerland but Primo's instinct to survive was magnificent even in the eyes of the best detectives.

"How did you survive then?"

Hearing this, Primo stops eating and looks at Aiden with a smile. Daime had never seen such a smile before. He had seen him smirk and fake a smile before but never as genuine as this.

"From my grandmother, of course. Do you really think Alex and I just went to my grandmother's house to have fun and eat her soup?"

It is a sneaky snark but it meant that Primo can survive on his own even without the help of his father or brother. His instinct to survive came from his grandmother and he is naturally gifted by her.

"My grandmother is a criminal on the loose that even the police in Russia had a hard time catching her, hence, letting her go instead of having heavy reports and piling up their desks with paper works. 

She teaches us self-defense and how to hold any weaponry, and many other more. 

She also teaches us different languages, one of the reasons why the old hag wants me to handle any of her foreign clients all over the world.

Which I say no to, of course. I would rather die than help her. Even with that, she trained as if I was born to be her watchdog."

Daime looks at his cousin with a smile on his face.

"You really resent her that much?"

Primo looks at him as if he is joking, making Daime shakes his head and waves his hand. 

"Let's just eat, yeah?"

Admitting his defeat to Primo since he doesn't want to get beat up.

Aiden smiles at them and continues to eat the yummy soup in front of him. He feel light weighted as if something heavy had lifted from his heart. He felt closer to Primo and Daime after their talk.

But there is still something in the back of his mind that would be happening to all of them, he just don't know what.

"Ah. I almost forgot.

Primo looks at Daime and innocently tilts his head. 

Daime firmly pointed at Aiden's direction and looks at Primo while his lips form a thin line. When Primo understood what it was, he sighs and calls out to Aiden.

"Hey."

Aiden looks at Primo as he lifts his spoon and opens this mouth. Tasting the sweetness of the aromatic soup once again.

"Do you mind a three-way relationship?"

The spoon and fork clang against the plates on the table as Aiden chokes on his food. He grabs the glass of water beside the side dishes and drinks it all. 

He looks at the two Santoros with his eyes wide open.

"H-HUH?!"