***Chloe***
I was walking downstairs when I heard voices. But I couldn’t look at them because I was in the middle of the stairs and I don’t want to stumble myself. Suddenly the laughing stopped. But I continued to walked until I was about to move on the last step when I heard his voice.
“Chloe?”
I looked up to him and my eyes widened.
“Denyx?”
My dad and all of them looked at us with confusion.
Everyone was silent for a moment until my dad broke the silence and he spoke.
“Do you know each other?” He asked
“Yes uncle, Chloe Mack is working at Johnson’s company which currently expanding their business here. We work together on housing development project” Denyx explained
“What do you mean Chloe Mack?” My dad asked again and his face wrinkled.
“Dad, let me explain it later okay?” I told him.
Denyx and his mother were shocked when I called my father dad.”
“Chloe is your daughter uncle Arthur?” Denyx asked my dad.
My father walked closer and stood next to me then held my hand.
“Denyx and Kate Moore meet my only daughter again Anna Mc Len.” My dad introduced.
Mrs. Kate and Denyx were even more shocker than while ago knowing I am Anna. They couldn’t even bring a word. They were all speechless.
“Come on let’s all have a sit and I’ll explain everything.” Dad lifted his right hand and pointed his finger to the couches to signal us to sitdown. We all walked and sat. Denyx sat next to Mrs. Kate then dad and I sat together opposite to them.
“Anna wasn’t dead as you think.” Dad took a deep breath. While Denyx and his mom was listening he was looking at me seriously still shocked.
“When the accident happened I thought I lost both Amy and Anna but then the doctor said she was revived and she was fifty – fifty in the hospital.” Dad continued while squeezing my hand.
“I was devastated at that time. The police report came that it was an accident but one of the police officer, late friend of mine secretly told me that it wasn’t just an accident and something was suspicious.” He looked at me and again looked back to them.
“He told me that he wanted to help me to investigate the case but we need to hide Anna for her safety because they might look after her life again if she became a witness.”
“Oh my goodness!” Mrs. Kate startled and cover her mouth with her hand as she gasped.
“It was then that I spoke to the doctor that we can’t let the public know that she wasn’t dead. We need to announce that she was also gone with my late wife.”
I saw Mrs. Kate was crying while Denyx hugged her.
“We hid Anna in one of my rest house where no one knows until she recovered a bit.” My dad continues. Denyx was just silent and at the same time looking seriously.
“When my friend, her doctor said that she’s ready to travel, I didn’t take single minute to doubt. I arranged everything and moved her to Boston where she can start a new life under her new name Chloe Johnson.”
My dad looked at me again and wiped off the tears on my face.”
“I hid her for so many years because I knew it was the best thing to kept her alive and give her a normal life without looking back to her past which is a nightmare for her.” I took a tissue on the table next to me and handed it to Mrs. Kate while she continues to cry.
“I can’t believed how stupid I was living with the person who was responsible of your misery sweetheart.” Mrs. Kate said.
“What do you mean Mrs. Kate?” I looked at her while asking.
“Sweetheart, yesterday Denyx came to look for me and he found me at your mom’s grave. He was investigating the case and he found out when he took over the Moore corporation this time. He dug on the record and found that Mike was forging some documents even transferred a huge amount of money to other accounts. He was all behind these things.” Dad explained
“And the worse thing is he was trying to fooled mom that he cared and he’s been there for her until mother fell on his trapped and married him.” Denyx spoke at last and I saw how he control his fists.
“Am so sorry Mrs. Kate.” I stood up and walked toward her and held her hands.
“No Anna, I should be the one to say sorry for you. I really don’t know until last week my son told me about everything he found out. I am sure he killed my late husband too. He was cheating on me as well so I filed a divorce already.” She squeezed my hands.
“It wasn’t your fault Kate and I am not blaming you to any of these. You were just one of his victim.” My dad said.
“I’ll make sure he will pay for it.” Denyx said angrily.
“The warrant of arrest will be release tomorrow and he can’t run away with it.” Dad informed us.
“This is the reason why I set up this dinner for us because I want to thank Denyx for helping me secretly to solve the case where those scumbag officers enjoyed their lives with money from Mike which belongs to us.”
I looked at Denyx and our eyes met. Then my dad spoke again.
“Sweetheart I want your life back. You deserve to live peacefully and I knew after all these years you’re doing everything you can do not to complain in order to protect me from hurting.”
I ran to him and hugged him tightly.
“Dad thank you! Moving back here really mean a lot to me. All I wanna know is what really happened because everyday my past is hunting me. You don’t have any idea how relieved I am right now.” I cried on his shoulder.
“I know sweetheart and I understand that you pretended to be Chloe Mack while doing your own investigation too. But Jerome has something to explain as well for this.”
“Dad Jerome has nothing to do with this. It was my plan even he disagree you know he won’t allow me to come here alone.”
“Alright I spare him for this but still we need to talk.”
“He’ll be here tomorrow evening and I will tell him face to face about everything not just on call. He is helping me with the company even we both knew it wasn’t his line. He wants to go back soon as possible in his military life.” I told my dad.
I moved my arms away from dad and faced Mrs. Kate.
“Mrs. Kate, I am sorry about Mike and thank you for coming over tonight.” I told her smiling. She looked at me and smiled.
“Dear you don’t have to be sorry for me. Mike deserve to be rotten in jail for what he had done to us. I won’t let him get away from this and that’s a promise. I am really glad you’re alive Anna because someone was been miserable all of his life since we all knew that you were dead.”
She looked at Denyx with a smile. He was been quite most of the time and I can feel that he is hurt and still shocked.
“What do you mean Mrs. Kate?” I was confused.
“Sweetheart I think you and Denyx need some air to figure it out. Go ahead there’s a swing in the garden where you used to sit whenever you’re thinking. Bring him there so you two have some privacy to discuss your unfinish business.” Dad shoo us away.
“Yes son, you owe her an explanation too. Tell her who you are.” Mrs. Kate smiled to Denyx.
Both of us looked at each other until he broke the silence between us.
“Can I have a word with you?” He asked.
I nodded my head to him to let him know that I am okay with it.
“Come follow me.” I told him
Dad and Mrs. Kate both smiled when we started walking away from them.
“You two take your time, we will send Grace to call you later when dinner is ready.” Dad informed us.
“Thanks dad.” I replied
I walked him outside the mansion where my favorite swings were still in the same place.
We were both quiet until we reached the swings.
“Are you alright?” I asked him.
“I guess so.” He replied.
“Come let’s sit here on the swings. I need to explain something to you.” I told him.
We both sat on the swings. I was on the left side and he was on the right side and we were facing the mansion. I took a deep breath before I speak to him.
“Am sorry if I lied to you Denyx. I really didn’t mean it. The reason why I did that because I was trying to get an inside information so I can get a solid evidence who hit our car that day.” I looked at him and our eyes met.
“Anna I understood. Even though you won’t explain it, I don’t care because the only thing matter the most is that you’re alive.” He was tense.
“Yeah, I guess so. All I want is to find the killer because everyday that nightmare hunts me. I still remember that day when mom and I were so happy and I saw the lorry was coming intensionally to hit our car. Then the next thing I know when I opened my eyes was my mother’s gone.” I was sobbing
He stopped swinging and held my hands. I can feel his pain too.
“I’m so sorry Anna for losing your mother that way. When my father died the pain was too heavy to bare. Believed me I had been with that feeling too.” He squeezed my hands. I continued to sobbed and he stood up and assisted me as well to move on the bench. He didn’t let go of my hands until we both settled on the bench.