Femme Fatale: The King’s Deadly Temptress - Chapter 655: Gerard's Past (2)

Between school and work, Gerard’s days were busy.  But the distraction helped him move on with his life at the same time also grieve his brother’s death.

The loss was painful. The only family who took care of him since he was a child was now gone. All the hopes and dreams that he made with his brother were shattered. Gone were the promises that George made with and for Gerard, along with that was the hope that Gerard wanted to travel and see the world with his brother. He looked up to George so much that his dreams were built around his brother’s dreams. And now that George was gone, it felt as if his own life had no more purpose.

When Theodore paid for his schooling that year, Gerard felt both appreciative and also pitiful for himself. He didn’t want to be treated like he was a charity, so when he had the chance, he told Theodore not to do that anymore. Gerard wanted to save up for his studies. He knew his brother would want him to support himself and not depend on others.

Several months later, Gerard was leaving the school and was about to walk to the library when a pregnant woman approached him. He hadn’t seen her before, but she looked at him so longingly that he was compelled to listen when she asked for a chance to speak to him. Gerard sat down with her at a nearby coffee shop, and that’s when he learned that the woman was George’s lover.

Apparently, George had gotten her pregnant before he met his demise. The woman found out about George’s death through the local newspaper, and she mourned the loss. But it wasn’t until a few months later that she discovered her pregnancy. At that time, Gerard was no longer in the apartment where she thought George and his brother lived. It took her a while to find out where Gerard was staying and when she did, she hesitated to go to him.

Having left no choice now that she was full term and needed his help, the woman had to meet Gerard. He had heard about her through his brother, but it was the first time that they met. Learning that she was with child—not just anyone’s child, but George’s—Gerard felt responsible. It was heartbreaking that George didn’t even know he was going to be a father.

Gerard became resolute. His brother left him a new family, so Gerard vowed to help the woman and George’s child. With his small savings, he helped her with the medical expenses. He didn’t feel the need to tell Theodore about this because it wasn’t Theodore’s problem. Moreover, George’s lover hadn’t met Theodore. Maybe after the woman gave birth, Gerard could tell Theodore about it, but at that moment, it was Gerard’s responsibility.

Unfortunately, the woman had a complicated pregnancy that led to her death weeks after giving birth. Just like George and Gerard, she did not have parents and was only living with a friend. Even though Gerard wanted to take care of the baby, he couldn’t raise the child by himself. Not knowing what to do, Gerard thought it was finally time to tell Theodore about the child and the woman.

Gerard sought Theodore at the mansion. Knowing that he spent most of his time in the library when he wasn’t working, Gerard went there after dinner…only to hear what he was not supposed to hear. He stood frozen when he heard Theodore’s father, Theodore Senior, on the other side of the door.

“George is gone and his death is causing more problems than it is bringing money to the company. You are losing thousands every week with projects pulling out after that accident. The accident that could have been avoided if you had only listened to me.”

“That can’t be right…” Gerard whispered to himself, his heart racing so fast he could feel the pulse in his ears. He took a step back, his hands shaking as he waited for Theodore to deny what his father just said, but to Gerard’s shock, Theodore remained quiet for a few moments, and the next words he heard only proved his doubt.

“And you think the acquisition will solve all this?” Theodore asked.

“It’s time to turn the page and bury all of this behind us. People will forget about the accident eventually. Sign the acquisition, son. We can find another architect that you can work with. And in a few years, you will take my place and continue our family’s legacy. This tragedy will be long forgotten.”

Gerard got out of the mansion fast, not wanting to hear any of it anymore. Theodore let him believe that he was helping him because he promised George he would. Not only did Gerard learn that the accident was avoidable had Theodore listened to his father, but that Theodore agreed to an acquisition?

Gerard might have not graduated yet, but he understood what that meant. Young Corporation was going to acquire Young Wyatt Construction. When that happens, people will forget about his brother and his death. Everything George worked hard for would be for nothing.

Filled with so much anger, Gerard left the mansion. And after wandering for a while that night, he found himself in the apartment where his niece was staying. As he stared at George’s baby in his arms, there was only one thing in his mind: revenge. He had never harbored so much hatred against one person before. No wonder Theodore wanted to help him. Theodore only took him in because he was guilty of George’s death.

Later that night, Gerard held his niece in his arms and made a promise. “My sweet Deborah, I promise you. We will get justice. It doesn’t matter how long it will take, those vultures will get what they deserve. Theodore will know how painful it is to lose a loved one when he least expects it. And you, my child… You will get what belongs to you.”

***

“So you killed my parents?” Katherine’s tone was hard, darkness filling her eyes the more she listened to Higgins’ story. It didn’t take a genius to understand that he planted his niece in the house of his enemy. He put Deborah in the mansion to destroy the Youngs from the inside.

Even after listening to Higgins, she still refused to believe that her grandfather was a bad person. He might’ve made mistakes or made decisions that lead to the tragedy—for which she wouldn’t know until she heard it from her grandfather personally—but she believed in her heart that he didn’t intend for people to die.

Higgins glanced at Deborah and said, “Deborah learned the truth about her birth. It took a while to find her after she left the mansion, but when I told her the truth about George, she did not think twice to join me.”

He slid his vicious stare to Katherine. “Aren’t you the same now? You want revenge for your parents’ deaths.” He scoffed. “Mason was in the way. We simply took care of hurdles to pave Deborah’s right to her wealth.” His voice was so cold, that it made the church feel even more haunting.

From across the room, Katherine glared at Higgins. Her chest heaved as she took harsh breaths. It felt like the room didn’t have enough air. From where she was, she could see the tiny smirk slipping on Gerard’s face. This was the man who groomed Deborah. He was like Parker to Katherine.

Right now, all Katherine wanted was revenge for her parents’ deaths. She wanted to kill Higgins.

“Let go of me, Damien,” she said in a voice so low it was barely a whisper.

Damien could feel the anger vibrating off her frame. Instead of letting her go, he tightened his arms around her. From the way he saw it, he believed that Grandpa Theo didn’t have a choice.

Katherine was not thinking clearly at the moment, and he didn’t want her to regret anything later. He wasn’t stopping her from ending Higgins’ life because he pitied the man. Damien heard everything, and he wanted to kill Higgins himself too. But if Katherine did it out of pure rage, she would lose herself. So if she calmed down and still decided to do it, he wouldn’t stop her. “Katherine,” he called out, hoping he wasn’t too late.

The moment Katherine shifted her eyes to meet Damien’s, he knew he lost her. Those weren’t the eyes of an innocent woman.

They were pure destruction. Chaos. Lethal.

“Let. Me. Go.”