Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother-Chapter 403: Calling Him Alex

"Let’s head inside," Marina said as she led Justin’s way.

"You look like Alex," Marina commented. "I hope she recognises you."

Justin hummed, and they entered the home. A middle-aged servant, who seemed to be the caretaker of this place, welcomed them.

She looked at Justin and then at Marina. "Madam, the young master looks just like his father."

Marina smiled. "Of course, Vera," and asked, "Is Serena awake?"

Vera nodded. "She is in the rear garden. Doesn’t seem to want to sleep at the moment."

Marina nodded and said to Justin, "Follow me."

She took Justin toward the other side of the drawing room. Vera opened the door for them, which led to the rear garden. It was a beautiful place filled with greenery, and as it was evening, the numerous lights had brightened it up beautifully like shining jewels.

There was a woman sitting in a wheelchair, wrapped in a shawl, staring toward the garden blankly. Her frame was weak, her hair slightly gray, and her eyes dull as if she held no life in them.

Before going to her, Marina explained, "Since that day when she lost your father and her kids, she has gone into shock and doesn’t react to much. She was badly hurt with multiple wounds and bullets in her body and was somehow saved from the brink of death, but she is still caught in the shock of her loss. And after giving birth to another child, it only worsened. She’s more like a living person without a soul left in her. If she doesn’t respond to you, don’t mind it."

Justin nodded slightly and went toward her with Marina, while Vera stayed back.

"Serena, see who’s here. Your son, Aiden," Marina said, but there was no reaction from the other woman.

Justin stepped ahead and knelt in front of the woman, finally catching her attention as she saw him. As he knelt down, her gaze followed his face as if she recognised him. In a moment, her eyes turned moist as she said in a weak voice, "A...le...x..."

Justin simply looked at her as she mistook him for her dead husband, but that was a good sign as well. Though he had no memory of her, he got that familiar feeling from her—that she didn’t feel like someone unknown.

"Alex..." this time she said in a clearer voice. Her hand moved toward his face as she caressed it. "Alex..."

It was as if she could say nothing more than that one word.

The way she looked at him, the depth of longing in her eyes, one could see how much she still loved that man. She was in worst situation of her physical and mental health, but there was one person she couldn’t forget anymore- Alexander Riverdale.

Justin finally spoke, "Yes, Alex."

Tears rolled down her eyes as she continued to look at him, as if he would disappear if she looked away even for a moment. Her lips trembled to say more, but no words could come out.

Justin held her hand in his. It was the first time he was showing compassion to the woman he was meeting for the first time—as per his memories—but it didn’t feel foreign at all. That weak and cold palm felt as if he had held this hand before, but the only difference was it used to be warm before.

"It’s cold outside. You should be inside the home," Justin said to her. "Your hands are cold."

"It’s time for her medicine as well," Marina said. "And she needs to sleep."

"I am taking you back to your room," Justin said, his tone soft.

Serena simply nodded while Justin stood up and pushed her wheelchair inside the home. Inside her room, Justin helped her sit on the bed, and Vera offered her the medicines. As usual, like a quiet girl, she took her medicines. All the while, her gaze was fixed only on Justin.

Justin made her lie on the bed, and Vera covered her with the blanket.

Just as Justin was about to move away, his hand was held. He looked at the woman, who called him once more, "Alex."

From her gaze, he could understand she didn’t want him to go.

"Medicines will take effect and she will fall asleep soon," Marina said.

Justin understood and sat at the edge of the bed, letting her hold his hand. She continued to stare at him, her eyes slowly turning heavy until they closed in the end.

Once Justin made sure Serena had fallen asleep, he freed his hand from her hold and tucked her hand inside the blanket. Just as he stood up, he saw a portrait of his father on the wall opposite the bed. In that portrait, Alexander was young, and no doubt his two sons resembled him greatly.

Once outside the room, Marina said, "It’s the first time since that incident that I’ve heard her say something. She hasn’t spoken for years, so maybe it would be difficult for her to talk all of a sudden."

"We shall have a doctor check on her once more for her speaking abilities," Justin suggested.

"I was thinking the same," Marina said. "Now I feel like it’s not that she can’t speak, but that there is no reason for her to do so. All she does is stare at Alex’s portrait in her room the entire day and sometimes visit the garden. That’s her life now."

Justin looked at the older woman; there was gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you for taking care of her all these years."

"She is family—the woman my son loved the most," Marina said.

Vera arranged dinner for both of them. Justin didn’t reject Marina’s invitation for dinner. As they settled for the meal, they talked about various things.

"Now that you are here, you should visit your father’s grave," Marina suggested.

"I will."

Marina hesitated for a while but asked, "You had a twin brother. Back then we lost him as well. Just like you, was he saved..." she stopped, only hopeful to hear something good.

"He is alright. He was saved by my wife’s mother, Caryn Shaw. She adopted him as her son," Justin informed as he explained in detail. He didn’t find Marina a threat, so there was no need to hide it from her.

Marina was greatly relieved to hear it—happy but emotional at the same time. "Where is he? Can I meet him?"

"He will be here, when the time is right," Justin said, and asked, "Any idea where Aeldric Riverdale must have kept my sister?"

Marina shook her head. "That man is shrewd. He held that child hostage just to keep me here. It’s all my fault. If I had died... but then, no one was there to take care of Serena. I was stuck, unable to do anything at all."

"He told me he is planning to marry her off to the Asteriens," Justin said.

"What?" Marina exclaimed. "Has he lost his mind?"

"That you should ask him yourself," Justin said. "But I won’t let it happen."

"Can you really stop him?" she asked. "You are his grandson, his blood. I want to hope that you can tackle him."

"Maybe," Justin didn’t answer clearly. "For now, I have to make him bring my sister out."

"By keeping her hostage, now he will try to control you," Marina said. "Making others bend to his wishes is his favorite game to play."

"Then, I shall prepare myself to be played by him," Justin said.

Marina could sense Justin must have something planned, so she simply hummed.

"You are married. I would like to meet her, but I won’t want your wife to come here. It’s not safe for her," Marina said.

Justin hummed but replied, "I’m sure she can handle it if she is here."

"Your mother was the same, but see how she has ended up now. I don’t want things to be repeated. You better keep her away," Marina warned.

"Natalie is not weak," Justin commented.

"Do you think your mother was a weak woman?" Marina asked. "I’m sure no one knows who she truly was other than Alex and I."

Justin looked at Marina, only to hear her say, "Your mother was a trained assassin—the topmost at that time."

Justin was shocked to hear it.

"She was sent by our enemies to kill Alexander, but then they happened to fall in love," Marina added. "But having weaknesses can destroy even the strongest person, and that’s what happened with her.

"That last day, she did all she could to protect you both from our enemies. She didn’t lose just like that. She single-handedly killed many of the enemies before they could even reach you two. But everyone thought it was Alex alone who did it. No one thought she was the one by Alex’s side and that both of them fought together."

Justin could only imagine his father and mother fighting against the enemies. He couldn’t accept what his mother had turned into while his father was no more—all because of that one stubborn old man.

"When you were a kid, Aeldric boasted that you took after him, but Alex told me you took after your mother," Marina said as she met Justin’s gaze, "If you know yourself well, then you can know how your mother must be."

It shocked Justin even more. He knew what he truly was, then was his mother truly that capable?

Now he was eager to know more about her. But for that she needed to be treated back to the normal.