Lydia was truly hysterical when she received the news that Jonas had been arrested by the police. She immediately contacted Bryan and it didn’t take long for Bryan to arrive with a flushed face.
“Bryan, Jonas.”
Bryan and Lydia did not waste any time. They went straight to the police station, but Jonas was being interrogated, so they couldn’t meet him.
The lawyer was ready. He would be with Jonas throughout the trial. But it wouldn’t be an easy task.
“This is a complex case, sir.”
Bryan tried to calm the shocked Lydia with the lawyer’s words and then asked, “What do you mean?”
“Mr. Andreas must have gathered all the evidence to implicate Mr. Jonas long ago. There are allegations of embezzlement of company funds, illegal collaboration, and the latest is an attempted rape of Mrs. Vlora.”
Bryan could barely breathe and Lydia screamed hysterically. They both panicked at the possibility of terrible things happening to Jonas.
“Bryan, please. Get Jonas out of here.”
Bryan rubbed his face briefly before saying, “Calm down, Lydia. Everything will be fine. I will meet Andreas right away.”
Lydia couldn’t possibly calm down. The worry about Jonas’ situation made her even more anxious. So, she insisted on going with Bryan and they went to Andreas’ house.
Silence greeted Bryan and Lydia’s arrival at Andreas’ house, as if there were no occupants. Only Desmon met them and said,
“They have moved. They no longer live here.”
“That damn boy,” Bryan cursed, crossing his arms in an arrogant gesture. “He ran off after causing all this chaos?”
Desmon shook his head. “He did not run away, sir. As far as I know, they moved to the main house, where they should be.”
“W-what did you say?”
“They have moved to the family house,” Desmon replied without hesitating to repeat his words. He even smiled. “To be precise, to the Sanders’ house.”
Bryan realized something that had almost slipped his mind. He had been too concerned about Jonas’ situation to consider the impending adversity that would soon become a reality for him.
No more cursing. The tirade disappeared. What occupied Bryan’s mind now was the realization that the privileges he had enjoyed all this time were about to disappear.
“No. This can’t be happening.”
The panic escalated. Bryan and Lydia rushed to the Sanders’ house for increasingly complex reasons. For Bryan, it was not only to meet Andreas, but also to find out the truth about Noelle’s words. Was it really as bad as he thought?
The car sped up and from a distance Bryan could see men in all black suits guarding the Sanders’ house. And some police officers.
The uneasy feeling intensified. Trying to stay calm seemed impossible. Bryan couldn’t control himself, especially when the security guards prevented him from entering the house.
“I am the owner of this house! How dare you prevent me from entering?”
Bryan angrily confronted the people guarding the Sanders’ home. He remained undeterred until the head of security received a phone call, then said to him, “Mr. Andreas will allow you to enter.
Bryan growled. His pride was wounded. He shoved the head of security aside and hurried inside. Behind him, Lydia followed without saying a word.
“Andreas! Get out, you bastard!”
Bryan’s shouts echoed. He scanned the area and continued to shout like a man losing his mind. Some of the domestic helpers who were at work immediately shrank back to avoid being the target of Bryan’s fury.
“Andreas!”
The sound of footsteps stopped Bryan’s screams. He turned upstairs to find Andreas coming down with Amanda.
For a brief moment, in a matter of seconds, two pairs of eyes met in a stern stare. Andreas and Bryan looked at each other like two predators measuring each other’s strength. They were no longer father and son, but two individuals in conflict.
“Dad, you finally came.”
Andreas broke the silence with polite words that only fueled Bryan’s anger, especially with the smirk on his face. Bryan felt a knot in his stomach and Andreas made it worse by taking a relaxed attitude as if nothing had happened.
“Please have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”
Bryan realized that all the chaos that had happened so far was nothing compared to his disgust at Andreas’ attitude. His anger surged and his emotions boiled, prompting Lydia to quickly remind him of something far more important than dealing with Andreas’ disgusting behavior.
“Bryan, Jonas.”
Bryan had to suppress his ego. He pointed at Andreas without beating around the bush.
“What do you think you’re doing? Sending your brother to prison? Are you out of your mind, Reas?”
Andreas grinned calmly. “We were just born from the same seed. That doesn’t mean we’ve always been brothers.”
“You.”
Bryan’s hands clenched tightly. He felt the urge to strike Andreas. Andreas’ attitude and expression were indeed disgusting, but Lydia’s panic forced him to restrain himself.
“Drop the charges, Reas. Drop them or you will regret it!”
Andreas stood still. He looked at Bryan for a moment before shifting his gaze to Lydia. There he could see anxiety, worry and fear. All those emotions combined and manifested themselves as tears that had been wetting her cheeks for who knew how long.
“Beg.”
Lydia’s condition didn’t make Andreas feel sorry for her, quite the opposite. He uttered a word that immediately shocked both Bryan and Lydia.
“W-what did you say?”
Andreas sighed deeply and smiled slightly. “Beg. Get on your knees before us and we’ll see together if I’ll be merciful or not.”
“Reas!”
Bryan stood up, shaken by the emotions fueled by Andreas’ words. But Lydia quickly restrained his hand.
“Bryan, I beg you. Don’t let Jonas go to prison.”
Bryan’s anger and Lydia’s desperation amused Andreas. He chuckled and said, “I never thought you could cry. Where’s that arrogant smile you always wore?”
Lydia ignored the sarcasm. All she could think about now was Jonas, and she was ready to do anything to free him. “Reas, I beg you. Release Jonas. I’ll do anything to get you to release him.”
“Anything?”
“Anything,” Lydia nodded repeatedly, showing unwavering determination. “I will do anything to free Jonas. He’s the only one I have.”
Andreas nodded. He rubbed his chin as if thinking, then spoke again. “What if I ask you to turn the clock back thirty-five years? Can you do that?”
*