Chris And Hazel - Volume 1 Chapter 53 52

‘Chris? Chris?’

Her gentle voice pulled me back to reality.

‘Yeah..?’ I responded looking back at her.

‘Are you okay? You kinda froze up’ she asked worried sick.

Somehow her concerned look soothed my pain. At that moment all I could think was maybe if she was there for me during that time, it wouldn’t have become a scar today. Well I can’t blame her. It was my decision to push her out but at least I am happy that I was able to protect her.

‘I am okay honey. I will be’ I said slowly pulling her close.

‘Just calm down..! Okay? I am here’ she comforted settling in my arms.

I nodded slowly embracing her back.

‘Chris?’ she called after a few minutes of silence.

I looked down at her waiting for her to continue.

‘Grayson is actually scared of you, right?’ she asked me wearing an innocent look on her face.

I broke into laughter on hearing her question.

‘Yeah, he is!’ I answered as she pulled back from me still wearing her thinking face.

She stared at me for a few seconds. I was pretty sure of her next question.

‘The pen drive my brother told me about contained some important information about Grayson’s misdeeds’ I started beginning to explain everything to her.

‘Till I went through the details in it, I didn’t know whom to suspect behind Adam’s and Evelyn’s death. Though the info was entirely on Grayson, I still wasn’t sure it was him but he did the honors of clearing that doubt. After a week of their death he came to our house. I never saw him before so it was hard to recognize him at first. He came to give me his condolences and that’s when I started growing suspicious because we made sure that no one knew about their death and later he himself confirmed it by accepting it was him who did it. I was furious but at that time I couldn’t do anything’ I paused to look at Haze. She was keenly listening to me.

My heart-ached a little as I slowly recollected everything. The memories that I never wanted to revive. It was something that has been weighing in my heart for a very long time, something that was buried deep inside. The reason I prolonged telling her all these is because the pain grew with each day as the accident replayed in my mind. Each day I would prepare myself to face Hazel and tell her everything but how can I tell her something I myself want to run away from. It is not easy telling people the trauma you’ve suffered for years especially something I have been meaning to forget but it was necessary for her to know. I made sure not to spill anything about Adam and Grayson to anyone. Well I didn’t anticipate that Grayson would be back. He had the nerve to be back and I knew right from the beginning that he wanted revenge and that’s why I have been getting cautious before doing anything.

I didn’t have anyone to hear me when I wanted to pour out but now that I am numb and cold I am asked to talk about it. These dreadful things were buried way too deep but were still fresh maybe that’s why it was too hard to talk about it, before and now.

‘Chris?’ she called out looking at my expression. I don’t know what she thought or what expression I was wearing at that time. She slowly hugged me again telling me that she understands.

I always believed that no matter how much you go through in your past telling it to others wasn’t going to be of much help and so I don’t tell anyone. They can never understand your real pain and it will only make you seem weak. But what do I know?

The girl I was holding proved it wrong.

She showed me she understands my pain making words useless at the moment.

I didn’t feel weak in front of her like I thought, for the first time after so many years I felt like I was myself again. I found myself.

‘I had to go back and take care of the company I had no idea about’ I continued slowly still holding her. I didn’t feel like letting go, I needn’t anymore.

‘I didn’t even know how many businesses we were running or tied to. The reason I despise my dad now was because he didn’t see the need to be there for me at that time in spite of knowing how much I knew about the company. It was true that we had a complicated relationship before but above all that, I loved and respected him. But after Adam’s death he flew abroad not able to cope up with the loss and my mom went with him to be his moral support and here comes the funniest part they thought my moral support was four walls filled with papers’ I said as a mocking laughter escaped my lips.

‘It was hard at the beginning but it didn’t kill me so I learned to live with it. I had Rob and Aurora; they were my moral support and my family. I had to take over the business. It was chaos when I entered the meeting room, everyone was asking for Adam and I had no idea how to convince them. The only possible explanation was that he went to take care of some urgent business overseas. They weren’t entirely convinced but then I avoided the subject when questioned further or later. I had to learn about our share market and all the details were in Adam’s study. I avoided going to their room since the accident, it felt weird without them there and the agony only increased when I tried. There was no way out and so I locked my emotions up and went to learn everything there. It was confusing and frustrating at the same time. I didn’t have a choice but endure. The following week our share market value came crashing down. It was a huge loss for the company. I thought we were doomed…’

‘Then..?’ Hazel cried out urging me to continue as I stopped to take a breath.

‘The company stood strong even after facing the loss. It didn’t affect our net value much’ I continued.

‘That’s when I understood how strong our company was but something didn’t add up. I spoke to the board members trying to figure out what went wrong with our plan but our plan was flawless that’s when I figured out there was a mole among us. On the other hand I have been trying to figure out the information in my brother’s pen drive. It had some bank details and contract papers. It did take a while for me to figure out the information but finally I found it. Grayson’s company was tied up to ours for a project. Adam accepted the project from the government as a social promotion but Grayson had been robbing off the funds transferred. It seemed that Adam was already keeping track of Grayson’s actions because he was quite aware of Grayson’s deeds before. Once I got that, the evidences in the pen drive were pretty clear to me. Grayson was over. It had each and every detail of Grayson’s misdeeds in business so I decided to call Officer Brian and explain things and take Grayson into custody’ I finished.

‘Is that why Grayson stopped meddling with you?’ Hazel asked looking over at me.

‘No sweetie! He’s a lot more complicated than that. I was just a rookie that time and did you really think I could overthrow a guy who devoted his life to the devil? I spend days and weeks trying to find out the killers as a solid evidence to put Grayson behind bars. And when I finally tracked them down and brought them to the court they said they don’t know Grayson at all’

‘But what about the evidences you had?’ Hazel asked on impulse interrupting me.

‘Gone’ I answered her in a low voice.

‘What? How?’ she cried out in shock after hearing my response.

‘Remember the mole I told you about? She revealed my plan and while I was busy finding out the killers managed to get all the other evidences I had to Grayson’

‘She who..?’ Hazel asked puzzled.

‘Adam’s secretary! I had no idea she was working for Grayson as she helped me a lot when I took over the company. The case closed and that two guys were arrested but the real killer wasn’t. I was enraged with anger, not on my secretary or Grayson but on myself. It was my fault for being too vulnerable that I hadn’t noticed the things that happened right under my nose. And so I decided to learn everything by myself and not trust anyone. I went through all our companies’ old records and compared it with our current market value. Adam sure made it look easy but it wasn’t. Though I was making process as a businessman I fell behind as a dad. I didn’t have time to take care of Rob and Aurora and that was the time my mother forced me into hiring a nanny for the kids. Though I didn’t like the idea there was no way out because I was trying to pull down Grayson by collecting the evidences I lost and that decision was something I regret till this day’ I stopped as I heard my phone ring.

‘I need to take this’ I said walking away from her as I entered the room.

‘Yeah Steve..?’ I asked answering the call.

‘Mr. Finch, Grayson and his lawyer William had left town for some urgent business on receiving some anonymous letter. Should I follow them and find out what they are up to?’ Steve asked informing him about Grayson’s whereabouts.

‘No, don’t! For now, let’s not meddle with Grayson. I want him to strike first but keep an eye on William though’ I informed Steve.

Steve is the only person I could trust after all the things that had happened to me. He is the only one who executes my plans regarding anything. Well he did earn my trust. Grayson has many small businesses around the country and I bet most of them are illegal and that’s why he needs a skilled lawyer like William so it’ll be better if I don’t act in haste. It’s important for me to know about the talk Hazel had with him. Grayson wouldn’t just let go of the prey that stepped into his cave. Maybe he’s got something planned so I need to be prepared before jumping in because Hazel is involved now. Already I am not able to figure out how managed to stand back up? I made that guy go bankrupt! Does that mean he had more money hidden somewhere else? God..! I should’ve just killed him that day.

I went back to Hazel still debating inside my mind. It felt strange talking about it out loud to someone else. I don’t have a choice, do I? If I procrastinate any longer she’ll definitely kill me.

‘What happened?’ she asked turning towards my side.

‘Grayson and William left the town in a hurry’ I replied sitting down on the chair in the balcony.

‘So?’ she asked not getting the reason why I was notified about that.

‘So, Steve called me to ask whether he should follow them or not’ I said clarifying her doubt.

‘Why? You have people follow Grayson?’ she asked perplexed by the fact.

‘Yeah, not all day but if he leaves town or country’ I responded not understanding why she was too startled by this fact and so I decided to keep the fact that I had my men follow her before under wraps. Because I had a feeling that she was not going to take that fact well even if I tell her it was for her safety.

‘Chris, did you have men follow me around?’ She asked after a moment of thinking.

“Busted..!” I thought to myself as I shrugged for a reply.

‘No… ‘I replied in a low voice.

‘You are a very bad liar’ she said laughing out loud.

‘I was just worried. And it was years ago’ I answered as she saw through my lie.

‘It’s fine. I am not angry’ she replied taking my hand into hers. A sense of warmth washed over me as I held her warm hands.

‘Why did you regret hiring a nanny for Robert and Aurora?’ She asked after sometime.

‘I found a doc.u.ment in my brother’s study. It was stated that Grayson was donating all his profited money to the charity and it even had Grayson’s company seal on it but I knew Grayson would never do such a thing. It was Adam. And the only thing missing from the doc.u.ment was his sign so I decided to complete the game my brother started, the one thing that Grayson dread more than being dead is being poor. It was the perfect punishment. All I had to do was get his signature and that was just q piece of cake for me. He thought only he could forge a person in to my company but little did he know that I had one in his company too. I managed getting his sign and in a flash all his money went to charity. That was the best day of my life and his worst. But I still didn’t want to let him go but at that time I didn’t want to act harshly so I remained quiet but he paved way for his own doom’

‘He touched my kids and I wanted him to pay’ I stopped as I grew enraged just thinking about it.

‘Rob and Aurora..?’ she asked in a voice barely audible turning gray.

‘Yeah..! Between work and collecting evidences I asked my mom to hire a nanny for the kids but only during the day time’

‘Was she sent by Grayson?’ Hazel asked interrupting me.

‘No honey!’ I answered laughing lightly on her guess.

‘She wasn’t sent by Grayson. In fact she was good but careless for a good nanny’ I responded clutching her hand, turning serious.

‘I managed to get familiar with my business and then took up my brother’s dream company. I didn’t want his dream company go down. I was not ready to lose it. I cancelled the partnership with Grayson’s company after exposing how much he robbed the funds from the project and it led to his company’s downfall in the market and he had to compensate double times he robbed us off. As I mentioned before, the only thing he fears more than being dead is being poor. He lost his mind, he couldn’t take up the loss he wanted revenge’ I continued looking into a distance remembering the events.

‘He didn’t harm them, did he?’ Hazel asked in a worried tone.

‘He tried!’ I answered turning look at her.

It was awful but thank god nothing happened. Should I tell Haze? I really don’t wanna think about it, the day I almost lost the most precious people in my life.

‘He wanted to run them over’ I answered shutting my eyes as the event flashed before my eyes.

‘I had no idea that the nanny took the kids to the park that day. When I heard about it, something didn’t feel right so I rushed there but Grayson already executes his plan before I reached. I reached the spot when the tires of a car screeched to the side of the road as someone happened to pull the cradle away from the spot before the car could hit it’ I stopped.

I couldn’t continue further, if that person wasn’t there then…

I just couldn’t think of it.

I would’ve never recovered from it.

‘I fired the nanny right away and took the babies home and then went to meet Grayson. I didn’t need proof to know it was Grayson. Only someone as rotten as him will think of killing infants. I went over to his company with my gun’

‘Your gun..?’ Hazel asked startled by the fact. Her expression changed right after I said that. I had a feeling that she didn’t like it.

‘I wanted to kill him. He touched my kids’ I shouted.

I knew I sounded angry but I just couldn’t control myself. I calmed down before speaking up again.

‘I barged into his office. I wasn’t thinking straight and I didn’t feel the need to. I broke all the things in his apartment and pointed the gun right at him. The next moment I was surrounded by his security, holding out their guns at me. He really thought that would stop me. I was damn determined to kill him before a bullet could hit me. I wasn’t afraid but I noticed fear in his eyes. He knew I would kill him. He sent his security outside hoping I won’t kill him after I was safe. Little did he know that I really didn’t care about my life! No one around believed I would pull the trigger but Grayson knew I would. It was clear he feared death. I couldn’t get myself to lower the gun and let him go but what would be the difference between him and me if I pulled the trigger? I already defeated him in life and to me he was already dead so what was the use of killing him. It would only degrade my character if I acted like him’ I finished as I closed my eyes trying to console myself. It was all over and there was no need to regret that I wasn’t protective of my kids that time. I am protecting them well now and according to mu conscious I am a good dad.

I started afresh after that. It has been three years since all this happened. After Grayson was completely out of the picture I focused back on the business and the kids. I didn’t want to make any more mistakes in any of the case at hand. But it was time to make certain things right and get back to the mistake I did during college and that’s what I am doing now.

I looked at her next to me, she looked rigid. I couldn’t understand what she was thinking. I have never seen her look like that before. In the attempt of making things right did I screw it up? I wondered, afraid that she was not happy with the way I acted with Grayson by threatening his life. But even if she did have a problem with that and hate me after this, I wouldn’t regret the way I acted with Grayson. In fact, the only thing I regret till now is not killing him. I would have easily got away with that anyway.

Though I didn’t regret anything, I was regretting having told Hazel about it because she was awfully quiet and didn’t look at me at all. She didn’t seem pleased at all. Was she upset? I couldn’t tell.

Did she think I was too harsh? Or does she feel like I am not the same Chris anymore? Oh for heaven’s sake just say something Haze.

I was getting worried as she was still quiet. Should I ask something?

Her silence made me grow impatient with each second.

‘Haze..?’ I called not able to bear it anymore.

‘…’

She hates me! I knew it, look what I get for being too honest.

I got up from there ready to leave her room meaning to give her some space.

‘Chris..?’ she called out as I stepped out of the balcony.

‘I don’t think I told you this before but I think it’s important for you to know this now. The only reason I am telling you this now is because it is important for you to know how I feel after hearing about the way you acted with Grayson’ she continued as I stood there not liking the way things were turning.

I stood there sweating like hell as she completed talking. I was pretty sure that I wasn’t gonna like whatever was gonna accompany her last sentence. But again, what do I know?

The words she mouthed after that ended up being the best thing I have ever heard.

‘Chris, I love you’ she mouthed in a low voice, jumping into my arms.

‘I love you too’ I replied embracing her back as a genuine smile washed over my face.

You know sometimes when you know that though things haven’t cleared up in life it will probably get better soon, I felt the same. Trust me! This will always be the best day of my life!