Wealth (free and completed)

Chapter 18 - Questions and Answers

Janus

I spent the day at the office, feeling out of sorts. I couldn’t even meet Andrew’s eyes. I found myself approving his latest designs without much passion behind my decisions.

“Are you sure about this, sir?” he had asked, delighted and surprised.

Guilt. It was guilt that made me make stupid decisions. I hoped Andrew knew what he was doing because much of Tristan Designs rode on my selections. I wanted to prove that I could do well beyond Sangster Leathers.

I had no plans to make a play for the main business. My biological father had been too generous with my inheritance. What would I do with it? Billions. Once upon a time, I only wanted to graduate from college and move mom to a better place.

But it seemed that now that I had everything, I might struggle to find happiness even more. I thought I had found someone I would spend the rest of my life with - Valerie. People might frown at the kind of relationship we had. On the surface, Valerie and I were ward and biological child respectively. A lot of people would turn their noses at that. There was also the perceived imbalance of power: the one who held more money versus the one who had to depend on everyone else as she got around in a wheelchair. Underneath that, we suspected an even closer relationship. A blood one. But I was willing to forget all that. I was.

My day began with pleasure. Nobody else could make me feel so much pleasure, and I only wanted her to feel the same way. When I discovered that she could, things went sour. But wasn’t that I wanted? For her to get better? What would she have against my dad? But why the secrecy?

As I got busier that day, my mood became more relaxed. There was something about working with a design that calmed me. By past noon, after a couple of meetings, I felt guilt instead of anger.

I should have given her a chance to explain. I should have listened to her. However, the confusion of possibly getting caught in her room and wanting all the answers from her had been too much.

A decision had formed in my mind, something I should have made in the first place. I had to meet with Val’s neurosurgeon. I had to make a call first.

“Hi, yes. It’s Janus. I know you’re surprised to hear from me.”

“Of course, I’m surprised, brother. But also delighted. What’s up? Are you looking for someone to drink with? I’m warning you. Both men and women love me.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Rafael was undoubtedly the best person to call.

“Maybe next time. Right now, I need to know who Valerie’s neurosurgeon is.”

There was a slight pause. Then, I heard him take a deep breath.

“Why? What’s wrong with Val? Something happened? I can go home and leave the theater to see her right away if you can’t leave work.”

“No. It’s not that. I just want to know what the possibilities are. You know, her walking.”

“I know, Janus. I’ve seen you look at her.”

Was I too obvious? We were too obvious? If Rafael had noticed it, then what about intensely eagle-eyed Joseph? Or nosy Emilie?

“Excuse me?”

“It’s why you tried to get her with Andrew. Isn’t it? Okay, I’m sorry if I am butting into your business. You are both consenting adults, strange family undertones be damned,” he sighed. “You’re not the first -.”

Then, he seemed to have changed his mind. What did he mean by that? Was he trying to tell me that I wasn’t the first family member who had fallen for Valerie? Did he? Rafael seemed the easy-go-lucky brother, the token black sheep, but he also cared the most for Valerie.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Never mind, Janus,” he muttered. “Just make sure you take care of Valerie. She had gone through a lot.”

“I – I don’t know how you got the idea that I care for her more than a brother would -.”

“We shouldn’t talk about it on the phone, but I understand. And no, she never told me. But she looks at you differently compared to how she looks at Andrew. She adores you.”

“Has she ever been violent?”

“What? Val? No way. Are you sure you don’t need her psychiatrist’s contact details, not her neurosurgeon’s?”

“Psychiatrist?”

“We all have one, don’t worry. Nothing to fuss about. But you need Dr. Spencer Dillon if you need her neurosurgeon. Check out Raven Ville Medical. He treated her from the beginning, since her accident.”

I took note of the name. Raven Ville was small enough, so it should be an easy search.

“Thank you, Rafael. Do you think he will answer my questions regarding Valerie’s condition?”

“I suppose. You are the new person in charge after dad died and the will’s details had been revealed. Call me if you need more info.”

“Thanks, Rafael. I hope I didn’t disturb you.”

“No problem. Extended lunch break.”

After I said goodbye to Rafael, I called Dr. Spencer Dillon’s office number. I asked for an urgent appointment for after 5 o’clock. When I said I was Theodore Sangster’s son, there was a slight hesitation from the other end. The secretary asked for Dr. Dillon himself.

“Who is this?” he asked. His voice sounded calm, as I would expect a doctor’s voice would.

“Janus Sangster.”

“Janus? The biological son,” he said, his voice a little less tense.

“Yes.”

“Okay, then. I will see you at 5 o’clock, as you wish.”

**

“I noticed that her back has more movement, doc,” I said, hoping that Dr. Dillon would not dig too deep as to why I knew this.

“Yes, there has been improvement,” Dr. Dillon said cautiously.

“So, has it been going on for a while? Will she continue to improve? My father had left me in charge of the estate and of Valerie, as well. I want to understand what to expect.”

“I understand, Mr. Sangster. There are a few things that are a little too confidential. I don’t know if she’d be happy to share a few of these things with you.”

“I want to help her. If she’s in trouble, you know she needs someone to assist her. I feel like she has not been given enough support at home. One of our siblings seems to bully her, and it feels like it has been going on for so long. Do you think this secrecy is sprouting from some kind of hidden anger?”

Dr. Dillon watched my face thoughtfully. He seemed like an intelligent man. Yes, I understood that doctors were generally. Still, some wisdom could only be brought by experience, not just textbooks. That was what struck me when the neurosurgeon inspected my face.

He then sighed as if he had been holding something in for a while.

“You’re right. Valerie needs protection. What we are talking about here, Mr. Sangster, is unrecorded and confidential. We are the only two people in this room, and I don’t have anything to record us. But I would like you to know that if I find out you are part of whatever plan against her, I will report you to the police.”

“What plan?” my heart went into overdrive. What was going on?

“You see – you are asking me if Valerie had any kind of hidden anger. Throughout the years that I’ve known her, she was never violent. She was not an angry child. Her parents died during the accident together. When they were alive, they were neglectful of her. Yes, she shared these things in the presence of Hannah.”

“Hannah, the head housekeeper?” I recalled the woman’s protectiveness over Valerie.

“Yes. Her. She knows about what I’m about to tell you. Valerie is not hiding her anger. She is hiding fear.”

“Fear? Who was she afraid of?”

Please don’t say “my dad.” Please don’t say “Theodore Sangster.”

“Joseph Sangster. I believe that he was the first ward and your biological cousin. I know that he’s Mr. Theodore Sangster’s biological nephew.”

“Why would she be afraid of him? And how is it related to her back?”

Then, he told me. Dr. Spencer Dillon told me about how Valerie discovered Emilie’s and Joseph’s s****l relationship. Joseph caught her and wanted her to be part of his disgusting trois á ménage. So, Valerie had to pretend that her back had not been recovering. Dr. Dillon had become part of the coverup.

“She didn’t want to tell your father because she was afraid the others would come at her harder.”

“What about Rafael? Was he part of it?”

“I don’t think so.”

I thanked the good doctor for all the information. My head hurt. I wanted to drive to Sangster Leathers and beat Joseph up. However, a part of me knew that I should run home to Valerie. I had hurt her this morning.

She didn’t do anything wrong. She was merely responding to her passion. It should be something we should be celebrating, but I ended up accusing her of murder. I had to get home as soon as possible.

I drove home as fast as I could. By the time I got home, I saw that the other cars were already there. Why were they early?

Inside the house, I caught a glimpse of Hannah. I ran toward her.

“Is Valerie in her room?” I asked urgently.

“You should stay away from her, Mr. Sangster. She is badly hurt and shaken. She also does not need this kind of entanglement,” she said, a little furious. Her eyes were tearful. “Valerie is like a daughter to me, sir, from when she arrived her. She had gone through so much.”

Everyone was saying that about her, making me feel even worse.

“I love her. I just didn’t understand how she couldn’t tell me about her back and how she was improving. I just want to know what is going on so that I can help her. I want to protect her, Hannah. I’m here now.”

Hannah’s face softened. But I could still sense hesitation. I could not blame her after she had seen and heard about what had been happening inside the house. What else did she know about the family?

“You must promise to protect her. I already beat myself up every day when I found out she was attacked right here in this home. I was only downstairs when it happened, Mr. Sangster,” she burst into tears. “She is strong deep inside, that girl, but she cannot help not being able to get around. Not yet. Yes, she’s getting better as you say, sir, but she still cannot walk.”

A lump formed in my throat. I knew I would give up all kinds of semblance of a reputation for Valerie. It would be easy. After all, who was I before I got the call that my biological dad had died? I was a poor boy struggling to become something more. I always struggled to get up one rung of the ladder at a time. Now that I had my billions, nobody could tell me what to think or do. I got to decide. If I failed Valerie, it would be on me.

“I promise to protect her,” I blinked back tears. I was not the sort to cry over little things, but I felt the frustration and fear that Valerie and Hannah might have lived with all these years. “I will get her out if needs be.”

“No, Mr. Sangster. You cannot leave the place until you have avenged your father. Someone murdered him. I know it! You need to do something about that. Then, you must reclaim everything. It’s not greed. If one or more of your father’s adopted children were guilty, why would they keep the money?”

Ah, revenge. Yes. Valerie and I were stuck here until the murder was adequately investigated and solved. We had to play nice even if I wanted to break Joseph’s jaw.

“Is she in her room?”

“Yes, sir. She is. Take this key.”

I knew what she meant by that. Valerie might not want me in the room, and I couldn’t blame her.

**

The key slid in easily even though my other hand held a tray with food, and the door opened. The room was in total darkness. I turned on the lights, and Val exclaimed. She wasn’t sleeping. She was wide awake in the darkness.

“Hi. You need to eat something. I brought you soup and some salad. Or, you can always go with me to the dining area or outside if you want.”

“What are you doing here?” her voice still sounded like she had been crying. Her eyes were red.

I set the tray on a table by the foot of her bed. Then, I sat next to her. It wasn’t much different from how we were last night.

“I’m here to apologize. I now know about Joseph and Emilie and why you decided to hide your condition. I should have believed you even – even before I found out about them. I should have trusted you. I’m so sorry.”

“Who told you? They were not supposed to tell.

“Dr. Spencer Dillon.”

“He trusted you just like that?”

“I told him I was left in charge of you by dad.”

She was quietly sullen. I knew she didn’t like the idea of having someone in charge of her, and I couldn’t blame her.

“I’m sorry, Val. You may not want to talk to me right now but know this. I am so sorry. I promise to protect you. You don’t have to do anything for me in exchange. Nothing. I will be here.”

I let the silence simmer between us. I would wait for Valerie to say something – to do something.

“I love you, Valerie.”

I swore her lashes fluttered a little when I said that.