After two days, Christian and Caleb helped Sebastian to their jet to return home. Although he hadn’t recovered fully, the hospital discharged him at Caleb’s insistence.
“Be careful, bro,” said Christian, as he helped him to the seat. “You can lie down inside after takeoff.”
“I’m fine here with you.” Sebastian closed his eyes as a wave of relief washed over him. He had never imagined he would see his family again.
Christian and Caleb occupied the seats beside him and waited for takeoff. They were bursting with curiosity to know what was happening. The last few days, they couldn’t ask him anything in the hospital with the cops always around them. It was only after Sebastian could give a brief statement did the cops leave him in peace. Caleb coaxed the doctor to permit them to take the patient to Cleveland while Christian hastened the discharge formalities.
Now, after take-off, they relaxed and looked at Sebastian curiously. Did he know about uncle Sylvester’s death?
“Tell us what happened, bro. How did Steele kidnap you? Did he torture you for money?” asked Christian.
“Steele? Who’s he? Four masked men stopped our car and kidnapped us at gunpoint on our way to church. I never saw their faces. Thereafter, they blindfolded me and tied me up and left me in the car’s trunk. We stopped somewhere, and they changed cars in between. It was only when they dumped me in a basement cell, did they free me. I revolted to escape and they thrashed me.”
“Oh, I think those four were Desmond Steele’s goons,” said Caleb.
“But who’s Desmond Steele? What does he want from me? Earlier I thought uncle Sylvester had hired people to stalk me or call me to extort money out of me. When the men kidnapped him as well, I realized he wasn’t involved.”
“Did you, too, receive extortion calls?” asked Christian with surprise.
“Yes, for almost a year.”
“I think when grandpa ignored Steele, he started calling Seb,” said Christian and Caleb agreed with his reasoning.
“Yes, I think so too.”
“What’s going on? Can you explain, Chris?” asked Sebastian, massaging his temples.
“Desmond Steele is grandpa Ben’s illegitimate son. Grandpa didn’t know of his existence until the criminal started calling him for money. He started threatening him and grandpa paid up. When he stopped, our parents faced a fatal accident. For years Grandpa didn’t hear of the criminal until two years ago,” said Christian.
“The cops located him in the same place as you were imprisoned, but he escaped,” informed Caleb.
“Oh, I wasn’t aware of anything that was happening around me. Where’s uncle Sylvester? He used to stalk me and I considered him a criminal.”
“They’ve murdered uncle Sylvester and dumped his body at a construction site before escaping with you,” said Caleb. Sebastian gasped with horror.
“They’ve killed him! Oh, how will I face Erica? It will devastate her!”
“Erica knows. You aren’t responsible for his death. He died because he was protecting you,” informed Christian. Sebastian’s eyes glistened as tears pooled in them for the man who had died a noble death, protecting him.
“I wish we could save him also,” said Caleb.
“So haven’t the cops arrested Steele yet?” asked a clueless Sebastian.
“Not yet. They’re looking for him.” Sebastian gaped at his brother, realizing what it meant.
“Do you realize what it means?” he asked in a grave whisper.
“Yes, all of us are at risk. The danger persists,” said Christian with a sigh.
Sebastian wanted to rest, and they helped him to the bedroom. They reached Cleveland after two days. Sebastian was doing fine and didn’t need to be admitted to a hospital again. A few days’ rest at home would do him wonders.
The moment their car stopped in the driveway, the whole family rushed out with open arms. Erica wept with joy, clinging to Sebastian, who, too, had tears in his eyes.
“I can’t believe you’re finally here, Sebastian! I thought I had lost you, too.”
“I’m back forever, Erica. No one can separate us now.” He wiped her tears and released her to hug his sister.
“No going out of the house until the cops arrest Steele,” she scolded him.
“Aye, aye, captain!” said Sebastian, and they chuckled. Sebastian hugged grandpa Ben, his niece and nephew, and Skylar’s grandparents too.
Christian briefly glanced at Skylar standing in one corner and watching the family scene. He was upset with her and had been avoiding her lately. He had high hopes for her after his candid admission on his private jet. That night, he had reached out to her. In return, he had expected her to comfort him, to kiss his worries away, but she hadn’t. She hardly spoke to him all month when he didn’t. Did she expect him to always make a move, to initiate everything?
It doesn’t happen that way in a relationship. Sometimes the other partner needed to show that she cared. Maybe Skylar didn’t care about him! After all, not once did she decline the contract marriage. Not once did she tell him she wanted a real one with him. Maybe she still wanted a contract marriage with him!
Well, he would do what she wanted. He would marry her for two years and release her thereafter. You couldn’t force someone to love you.
He watched Sebastian, and Erica’s heartfelt union, and his heart constricted with pain. Why couldn’t Skylar love him that way? Maybe she never would! It was a futile wish! The truth was, Skylar Carnell only loved herself.
He helped his brother inside the house without acknowledging Skylar’s presence. He had waited for her to welcome him the way Erica welcomed Sebastian but she didn’t. Maybe she didn’t miss him the way he missed her!
“Be careful bro. Your ribs are still tender,” he said, laying his brother on the bed. Erica hovered around them, helping with the cushions.
“Do you have his discharge summary, Christian? I could start taking care of him right away.”
“Hey, I’m fine baby! Just be near me and I’ll be 99% better,” said Sebastian. Christian smiled stiffly, his heart filling up with jealousy. He knew it was wrong of him to feel this way but he couldn’t help it.
“I’ll get you the discharge summary. Hang on.” He quickly left the room, to escape from them. He saw Lillian taking care of Caleb, fussing over him. A sigh escaped his lips and he trudged to his room. Skylar was nowhere around, being busy in the nursery like always. It was like he hadn’t returned to her after so many days! Didn’t it make any difference to her?
His phone buzzed with an incoming call from his marketing manager in Paris. He had postponed the important client meeting and arrived here from Venice. The conference in Zurich was over but he couldn’t postpone the Paris trip any longer. Now that Sebastian was back and safe, he had to complete his tour.
In an hour, he packed up and headed out of his room. “Where are you off to now, Christian?” demanded Lillian with surprise.
“I have an important meeting in Paris, Lillian. I’ve been postponing it for a month now but not anymore. I’ll wrap up the rest of the tour and return.”
“Can’t you go tomorrow? You just returned from a 40 hours strenuous journey,” said granny.
“No, granny. This is urgent.” He glanced around and saw Skylar still missing. It was better to escape now before he melted towards her and made a fool of himself again in front of her. He didn’t want to admit his feelings for her. He didn’t want to portray his weak side to her. It was his deepest secret and he would die with it. If she felt nothing for him, he would release her from such a forced relationship.
He left Cleveland for an indefinite period without meeting the one he loved so much.
After ten minutes, Skylar had bathed and fed the kids. She was now free to be with Christian. Her heart jumped with joy and she almost rushed to her room. Now that Sebastian was back, would he be happy? Would he kiss her? Would he spend time with her? Or would he make fun of her if she told him she missed him?
Her heart raced with excitement as she entered her room and searched for Christian. He wasn’t there. She checked the en-suite but he wasn’t there either. Where was he? She went outside, but he wasn’t there in the living area. Maybe he was in grandpa Ben’s room!
She gathered courage and went to grandpa Ben’s room and peered inside. Christian wasn’t there either!
Sighing, she searched the entire house, the terrace, and even outside, but Christian was nowhere to be seen. Panting, she returned to the living room.
“Lillian, where’s Christian?” she asked, gasping for breath.
“Oh, don’t you know? Christian has left for Paris on some urgent work. He will return after completing the trip.” Skylar slumped to the couch, shocked at the roots of her hair.
“Trip? Why didn’t he inform me? I could have accompanied him.”
“Oh, didn’t he? Are you sure he isn’t avoiding you? I don’t want to probe but I think he has been behaving a little strangely since he arrived here,” said Lillian, making her mouth hang with surprise.
“I thought it was because of Sebastian.”
“I don’t think so, Skye. Talk to him and clear the air.”