Chapter Thirty-One

My world literally stopped. My mouth became half-open trying hard to figure things out. I glanced at Dad. Seeing Ethann don't say anything, didn't even fight a little when Dad grabbed his collar, made me think that it was true. I heaved out a heavy sigh. Sigh out of frustration and confusion. I sat unconsciously back on my bed thinking about it almost stopped my heartbeat and broke my whole system.

H-How come?

My heart is beating so fast and it sends shivers down my spine. The last thing I knew, Dad grabbed me and we went out of that room. While we were heading on somewhere, my tears fell down. I can't accept the fact. Did really Ethann just betray us? But why?! We were not doing anything wrong for them. All along, they are acting like a great colleague—might as well friend to us. How could they do it?

"You traitor, stay away from my daughter!"

Traitor... Traitor...

That only means that Ethann is a traitor—as well as the Gladstones. But how come they're betraying us? They even helped us with everything! And Ethann even said such overwhelming words to me. He says he always care for me and he acts like he truly did. How come he did it? I bit my lower lip while holding my Daddy's hand tightly.

Is this really happening? Maybe this is just a dream, right? I want to wake up! I need to wake up! 

Until we reached the parking lot, my mind was still hanging. I looked like a dead plant trying hard to live in the middle of a desert. Daddy immediately opened the car for me to enter. My world is spinning, convincing myself to figure this all out.

"D-Dad!"

Dad drove to our mansion. The moment I saw our luxurious gate, I felt nostalgic. It's been months and I miss my home. I should've been happy right now because finally, I am finally back but the world said no.

Dad didn't leave my hand the whole time until we reached my room. I felt nostalgic again. The pastel and plain design of its interior made my eyes glow. I remember, Daddy asked someone to clean my room. Probably a maid.

“Dad, please,” I begged when we reached the living room.

He turn his head to me and massaged his temples. "Just stay here, okay? Daddy will just handle some things, if you want something, just call your Aunt Hussey, she's outside. She is going to take care of you, okay? Daddy will be back after this." He held my hair and kissed me softly on my forehead.

I just nodded. "What's happening, Dad? I am curious. W-What traitor are you talking about?" I furrowed my brows.

"I'll explain everything later. For now, Imma leaves you here. You must be tired, daughter. Just rest okay? We are safe here. We have bodyguards."

"O-okay... "

He assured me with a smile that's enough for me to trust him for this. He will be the only one who will handle these all. It must've been hard for him that the people he trusts the most since the beginning, little did he know, they would be the ones who are betraying him. Now, it must be hard. Handling things alone and I feel bad because I couldn't help. I don't know such things to help him regarding these messes.

"Dad," I called him before he lifted the doorknob of his office.

"Do you need anything?"

I shook my head and smiled at him simply. "I love you, Dad," I said with full sincerity.

"I love you too, Helleon.” He let out an assuring smile. “So I will handle this for you. I want you to cherish your remaining life freely, Helly,” he responded before he left me in the room.

And then, I realized. It's not important anymore. I just want all of these to be okay. I want to spend my life with the most important people in my life and not with those negativities.

I didn't rest the whole time when Dad left me. Somewhat scared of what might happen again. I just stayed in the dining area with my Aunt Hussey. Among Dad's siblings, she is the closest one to my Dad. She has the soft girl vibe, clingy to the people around here. She is the youngest among them.

She is wearing a mustard yellow simple dress and her curly hair defines her soft ambiance. She has white skin and the sweetest smile—pinkish lips. Almond eyes and pointed nose. She's thin too. She got divorced from her husband that's why she's single now. She still doesn't have any children.

For the whole time I was there, she baked cookies for me. She even said, when she knew about my cancer, she almost cried. I don't deserve all of the pain that I got. That's why she is so willing to be my 'mother figure'. She wants to take care of me. I almost cried while hearing her words of wisdom in life.

"So the Hadleys are innocent, Dad?!" That was almost a yell.

He nodded slowly. Feels guilty for accusing them without knowing the real truth.

My heart raced so fast. There's a ghost of happiness in my heart that wants me to scream but now's not the perfect time to do that. However, after knowing the real culprit, the anger ran to my whole system.

"If I observed the moves and actions of the Gladstones, it shouldn't be this hard to handle. The hell! The real culprit was just behind me! Acted like they really wanted to help us to gain our trust! I'm so sorry Helly, I was so stupid that I didn't know it immediately."

I bit my lower lip again and went to him and give him a warm hug. On the other side, I can see the sadness on Aunt Hussey's face.

"Dad, we both didn't expect all of these. Little did I know that my annoying and consistent suitor would betray me."

"If I just listened to you Helly. When you said you don't want to marry that Gladstone, then it must've not come this far. I regret everything. On trusting Ethann more than you. I didn't know that I am slowly sinking my own daughter while giving all of my trust to those men."

I tightened my embrace to him and laid my chin on his shoulders. Until now, I still couldn't understand why they has to betray us. Is planning my marriage with Ethann is part of their plan as well? Of course. Probably.

“Our lawyer went to me and talked regarding his concerns about the pieces of evidence that the Gladstones showed us. He said, it has a lot of flaws and he suggested that we alone should find another investigator to investigate it clearly, again. He doesn't think those evidence are enough in the court.” He paused a bit and continue. “So we did. Without the help of the Gladstones this time. At first, I felt guilty for not asking for their help. They must be willing to. However, some thoughts have been playing in my mind. What if it's not the Hadleys all along because come to think of it, I'm not even having a relationship with that Bricianna. So, I pushed those thoughts away and decided, finally, to investigate it without them. We did everything we could until we found something in their secret files. The real footage of CCTV at that time. There he stood, clearly, your suitor, Helly. They've been hiding it for a long time and showed us the manipulated and false evidence.”

“Goodness, I didn't know they are capable to do such a thing, Dad! Especially Ethann.”

He sighed. “Me neither.”

Ethann himself did it. He almost shot my dad with a few shots. He has decided to do it. Yes, he did it without thinking about how would I feel if Dad got shot, if ever. He is a selfish jerk. That's real. He's been selfish all along, especially to me. 

“He even tried to get me out of the hospital, Dad, ”I unconsciously muttered.

He lifted his brows. “They have probably realized that I already know the truth and he must be trying to convince you—might as well manipulate you just like what his family did to us.”

“They are the culprits and don't even felt even a pang of guilt.”

"So, what are you going to do now, brother?" Aunt Hussey asked.

"I will make sure that they will rot in jail. They even planned on kidnapping Helly lately. What a shameless dickheads."

***

'Third Person POV'
(BEFORE THE INCIDENT)

Richard Gladstone was sitting pretty on his swivel chair while sipping a glass of red wine. His eyes were bloodshot as hell. It's like a predator who is going to attack its prey anytime now. He was all alone in his office but he laughed soulfully as if he just heard a wind-whispered joke. Judging by how he acts right now, you could think that he's insane. Anyone would probably think that he is out of his mind but perhaps no. It's just, that an idea popped up in his head. A devilish idea.

He then went to his secret room by pushing the pile of books through his palm. It was placed in the middle of the bookshelves. It is their hide-out. He then grabbed a Springfield XD MOD2, a type of gun, and wiped and put it in a safer place.

"I am gonna use you, soon," he said.

After that, he changed his clothes and put his wallet that has a bundle of paper bills on the inside. He then closed the closet and went to his wife who was peacefully watching Netflix.

"Where are you going again?" Dymieyle asked coldly.

"Somewhere you don't need to know," he answered and left the house.

She clenched his jaws and held her fist firmly. She knows that her husband is doing such things that can ruin their image but she can't do anything about it. It's for business.

Richard went to a club where a group of people was currently dancing wildly on the dancefloor. The music was too loud and the DJ even made it louder. It doesn't matter to him, though.

He was smoking there and went to a women's couch. He then wrapped her waist through his hands on a familiar woman. Bricianna Hadley was alone there that's why, when she felt something on her waist, she smiled seductively. She loves it. She loves to flirt with every boy she will see. She doesn't even care that it will hurt her own family. Especially Dawn.

That was the beginning of their affair. Richard is playing dirty in this game. Bricianna wasn't aware of all of it.

"We'll see again tomorrow?" Richard asked Bricianna.

"Uh, let's just meet in the parking lot of AMC. I have an appointment with my OB." She said while half of her body was trembling.

"Why, what happened?" Richard immediately became curious.

He is not worried but he is curious. Despite what he is doing, he can't deny that he only loves Dymieyle. He is doing this not for the other things. It's for their business. He wants to gain Bricianna's trust as well as the whole of Hadley's trust. When that time comes, he swore to himself that he was going to kill Bricianna.

"None of your business," she said and left the car.

As Richard was so curious, he tried to stop her by talking to her. But he was late. Bricianna successfully entered the Addingston Medical Center.

That time, he was leaning on his car to wait for Bricianna. However, half an hour had passed, and he almost had a heart attack when he heard a "boom!" four times.

Ethann Gladstone on the other side felt guilty immediately. He was hiding in one of the cars that were being parked at AMC's parking lot. He then realized that he almost killed his own father because of anger. He pulled the trigger that made the whole hospital rattle. It also happens that Timothy Addingston was there, just gotten out of his car. Parked nearby where Richard and Bricianna are standing.

He then realized what he did. He became furious as he thought his father was cheating.

"What the hell did you do, Ethann!" he shouted frustratingly. And then he realized again, that maybe he was just misinterpreting everything. Why didn't he trust his father's actions?

Actually, they planned everything. One night, when Ethann just got home from school, his father immediately called him to go to their library.

"How's your courting with that brat?" Richard asked while reading something on one of his files.

"Fine, Dad," he answered. "What's the plan?" he asked and then Richard put the papers down and looked at his son firmly.

He then grabbed something on those papers and handed it to his son. Ethann's brows furrowed. It was a photo of a man, who has perfect jaws and an almost perfect physical appearance. No other than, the heir of the Hadley.

"Shoot him, I will shoot his parents," Richard said with his full determination.

Ethann stopped for a while. Who the hell would let his son kill someone? He asked his mind. But he didn't disagree. He wants to shoot this man too because this is his rival. Not just because they were both business rivals but they are rivals in Helleon Eummer Addingston's heart.