I still couldn’t believe he was here.
Why is he here?
Seeing my hesitation to go to him, he sighed. He cautiously walked towards me, as if I was like a bomb that could detonate at any moment.
“You really didnt think that I would be capable of hurting you, right” He asked standing so close to me with his loving expression filled with adoration, which was once everything to me. I almost forgot what he asked and seeing the effect he still has on me, he smirked.
And finally, at last, I granted my wish.
I slapped the smirk out of his face.
How dare he?
“Okay. I deserve that.” He groaned while rubbing his stinking cheeks. Though I am now very well acquainted with that pain, I wanted to slap him again.
But me underestimating him got me breathless. When I raised my hand again, he caught it and twisted my arm to pull me to his chest.
If the close proximity earlier got my heart beating fast, now I doubt my heart is dead.
“I am so sorry for causing you to cry when I promised them I wouldn’t.” He breathed in my ear causing me to shiver, but the moment I heard him mentioning his promise to my parents all my walls broke.
I started crying. Not the sweet cool crying but ugly ass crying with snots and all.
He turned me around and chuckles while looking at me. He pulled me into his chest and wrapped me in the hug I missed so much. The hug that truly makes me feel complete.
He buried his face on my neck. Feeling the wetness in the crook of my neck, I understood he was crying with me. I tightened my arms around him.
Was this fast? Maybe.
But all my anger, hurt, just blurred while we both cried in each other’s arms.
After a while, we pulled away. He cupped my face, wiping the tears off.
As much as I loved this reunion I need answers. I pulled away from him completely, causing him to sigh again.
“Why?” I asked. I am incapable of forming complete questions but from the look in his eyes, that one word was all that was needed.
“This was the only way I knew how to protect you. I know you were smart to bring him out but if I were to be with you, my company being equally powerful he would know all my moves and would still continue hiding while planning our demise the same way he had our parents killed. It would be easier for him to prevent our moves if we were moving together. By this way he had miscalculated our breakup to be your downfall and not otherwise.” He explained.
“So all these times?” I sobbed. “In police station, in the warehouse where Natalie took me to?” I asked in between my sobbing.
He nodded while wiping my tears, even the snots, with his hand sleeves. The thought of a clean freak like him soon going to regret that move, made me laugh.
Seeing me laugh, he shook his head while laughing.
“Your ability to laugh in serious situations still baffles me.” He chuckles.
“Its about you wiping my snot off.” I laughed again. It must be an ugly sight with tears running down, snots threatening to run down plus laughing as well.
It was then he noticed what he did. “Yeah, I am definitely going to regret that. But don’t worry I have a spare shirt in the car.” Of course he did.
Hearing the other two clear their throat, I realised I really did forget about them and the situation we were in.
That realisation made me sober up , seeing me, he too sobered up. We have little time left till Nathaniel wakes up.
“Unlike what you had asked then, I was not the one to sue Mr. Simon, it was Nathaniel, so that you would come to this town. I had been there to bail him out while making sure you were safe.” He explained.
“But I thought it was Neo who bailed him.”
“You think the case by Black Jack would be solved just by the power of Neo?” He asked to which I realised he’s right Neo’s mayoral power is just not enough to go against Black Jack’s power. .
If that was the case, the previous mayor could have had held BlackJack responsible for the numerous death they caused.
“Your fathers have made it so powerful that even those in power cant do anything to the one holding the CEO power of Black Jack.” He said.
“Even at that warehouse how do you think Amanda reached there?” He asked.
“He called.” Amanda confirmed.
“But you would have known through Nathaniel right? Since he was still in the pretending phase at that time? ” I asked.
“Why do you think Nathaniel caught you first then I arrived? He didnt even tell me. The bastard must have been there to make sure you were dead.” Amanda grumbled while looking at the still unconscious Nathaniel.
“If Ryder hadn’t informed me and if Nathaniel hadn’t known about my arrival, this scene wouldn’t have happened with you alive.” She states that made me shiver in fear.
“How did you know that I was kidnapped?” I asked Ryder confused.
“You think just because we broke up that I wouldn’t be tracking your movements?” He asked in return.
“Stalker much?” I chuckled.
“Calling your saviour a stalker. Wow Katherine you wound me.” He chuckled.
Even after all the explanations, one question still remains.
I turned to look at the person looking lost and with a sad look on her face while looking at her brother.
Feeling my gaze she turned towards me.
“Why were you trying to covet my mother’s asset.” I asked. She sighed. “Seeing you with Nathaniel I thought you were in his plans. I didnt know whom to trust. All I knew then was that, I should protect what my sister and her husband worked for and even if I couldn’t save BlackJack I had to with Marshal co.” She explained.
Still feeling my confusion, she continued. “When I knew about Nathaniel’s fake contract, I had immediately gone to him to ask about it, but to my stupidity I didn’t think that if he is capable of killing one sibling blood-related or not, he wouldn’t bat an eyelid to kill his real blood-related sibling. If not for Ryder I don’t know what would have happened to me.” She teared up.
I turned towards Ryder again to hear his part of explanation. He sighed.
“Just when I thought I could take a break. At the end when Nathaniel’s plans are revealed to you, I wanted you to have not only BlackJack but Marshal co. as well. You deserve to have what your parents left for you without having anyone’s hold on it. Hence I started investigating about Carol and that’s when I knew about Carol trying to only protect it for you but got trapped as well. I felt I should help her thinking it must be what you want.” He said.
“Thank you.” I whispered to him. Even if I had hated Carol once, she still was my mom’s beloved sister, about whom she talked about non-stop.
It was also a reason why her taking my mom’s co. shocked me to my core.
Carol came towards me and held me by my shoulders.
I turned towards her. Seeing her tear up felt like an ache to my heart. I sighed and hugged her.
After all she’s my mom’s little sister.
The fun aunt I had once yearned to meet.
“Sorry kiddo, I really only wanted to protect what was theirs. In a way it was my guilt of not being able to do anything about their death.” She cried.
“I understand, Carol. I really do.” I said trying not to cry as well. I have cried enough for today.
She just did what I would have done.
She had the same guilt like me.
About how I wish I could have protected them. And that’s the guilt that’s going to be there with me my whole life.