Chapter 55
DEREK’S P. OV
I furiously punched my mirror in a fit of rage, watching it shatter on the floor. I felt a mix of anger and fear as my blood boiled.
I’m furious because Joanna’s stubbornness angered me to the core. I wish she knew the danger she’s willingly walking into. I wish she knew that she’s my father’s prime suspect and he wouldn’t hesitate to end her life if she’s somehow related to that little girl in the picture he showed me.
As I was lost in thought, a sudden idea popped into my head. I hurried to my wardrobe and pulled out the envelope that Jaxon had brought to me.
I quickly removed the pictures from the envelope, including the small picture my Dad had given me at his mansion of the girl he wanted dead.
I compared the two pictures and it was clear that it was the same person in different clothes. As I looked closer, I noticed that she was wearing the same moon-shaped necklace that Joanna had around her neck.
I do not doubt that I have seen this moon-shaped necklace on five different women’s necks, all of whom are now deceased. I can’t help but wonder if the necklace is somehow connected to their deaths.
The sight of the same necklace around Joanna’s neck sends chills down my spine.
That was definitely the reason why he suspects Joanna, as she also had the same necklace just like the rest of the ladies I killed.
But I won’t allow him to harm her in any way. I just need to prove to him that Joanna should not be on his death list.
I think my only solution is to locate this child, who is now a grown woman, and everything connects to Dominic because she’s his daughter.
If his child is seeking revenge as my father had mentioned, then I suppose she’ll have to deal with me before she can hurt my father.
I swiftly grabbed my phone and called Jaxon, and after a few rings, he answered.
“Good evening, Mob.” He greeted, softly.
“Where are you right now,” I asked instead, ignoring his greetings.
“I’m at the club chilling. You need me?” He inquired.
“I need you in my mansion, in less than an hour. I want us to go somewhere together.” I spoke and ended the call without giving him a chance to speak.
I slowly sank onto my bed, my mind racing, and it suddenly occurred to me that I had never inquired about Joanna’s background or family details.
Getting to know more about her will at least help clear her name with my father. He will realize she’s not who he believes her to be.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on my door. I recognized it as Jaxon, so I chose to ignore him. Jaxon interpreted my silence as permission and barged into my room.
As he hurried in, I stood up and walked out the door without saying anything. He followed behind me as we descended the stairs and saw Idris and Diane playing. Idris was the first to spot us and ran over to hug my leg.
I crouched down to his level and playfully ruffled his hair, prompting him to chuckle softly. As I looked up, I noticed Jaxon intensely staring at Idris without blinking.
This piqued my curiosity.
“Why are you staring at the kid like that?” I asked, standing up. Idris quickly ran off to continue playing with Diane, who was patiently waiting for him.
He looked startled when I asked him, and then let out a dry chuckle. “His face looks familiar to me. His eye color and hair are the same as someone I’ve seen before,” he blurted out before trying to cover his mouth with his hand.
My head pounded at his words, and I turned to him furrowing my eyebrows, “And who is that?” I inquired, turning to him fully.
He let out a soft sigh as his shoulders slumped.
“He looked just like Dominic. I mean, his facial features are the same as his. Did you notice his sparkling ocean-blue eyes? And his thick black hair?” He softly voiced his observation, making me see the reason for what he was saying.
I wasn’t convinced by the mere coincidence. It happens sometimes that we find someone with similar features, but that doesn’t mean we are related.
So I shrugged it off and walked past him, leaving the building without saying a word. I couldn’t help but notice his resemblance to Dominic, but it didn’t make any sense.
“Mob… Have you done a background check on him?” He ran and stopped in front of me, questioning me.
“And why would I do that? It’s none of my business who son he is.”
“Of course it does,” he yelled in my face, and my eyes widened at his sudden change of reaction.
But then he quickly realized his action and bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Mob, for raising my voice at you. It wasn’t intentional.”
I gave him a deadly look and said, “I know you’re not stupid enough to do it again. Otherwise, I’ll chop off your head.” I warned as I got into my car, and he followed before we quickly drove away.
We were silent as we drove, and then he turned to me with a softened expression.
“Mob, I’m sorry for how I reacted before. I was mistaken about Dominic’s son and I shouldn’t have let it affect our relationship.”
I sighed quietly, nodding in agreement to his apology.
Jaxon has always been loyal to me, and this behavior was out of character for him, leading me to believe that something must have influenced him. I knew he was curious about Idris, but I will show him that he was wrong.
“I accept your apology, Jaxon. Feel free to run a background check on him. Just send me any information you find,” I said, pulling up a little distance from a tall building.
We both exited the car, and Jaxon’s gaze continued to wander. He appeared lost, and I could empathize with his feelings because everywhere was almost covered with bush.
“Wow, why is this place so heavily guarded by well-armed men?” He exclaimed in shock, his jaw dropping. “I’ve never been in such a place before,” he said.
My father’s men were scattered around the exterior of the building, dressed in black coats and armed with heavy guns as they positioned themselves around the tall tower. 20 well-trained assassins had been guarding my mother for the past 25 years.
For the past twenty-five years, this spot has been my go-to. I never got any closer to the building, because my father personally ordered them to shoot me dead whenever they saw me around. So I just stand from a little distance and watch, then head back to my mansion.
“This is where my Mother has been kept for the past twenty-five years,” I sighed.
“What?” He exclaimed, stepping back.