The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never cos from your enemies. Rather, it cos from those you trust the most. It is a painful reminder that trust should be earned and never taken for granted.
For as long as he could rember, Senator Gregory had always believed in his brothers. He trusted them with his life, with his family, with his business and everything he stood for. He was always been supportive of their goals and visions. He was there for them when they faced their various challenges in life. And he never failed to carry them along in his business prospects.
For once it never occurred to the senator that his brothers were the ones behind his multiple failures in life. It never crossed his mind that they would ever turn around and betray him. But all that changed after he received an anonymous video of his runaway son-in-law, who abandoned his pregnant wife to be assaulted by his younger brother.
At first, the senator didn't believe the authenticity of the video due to its anonymous nature.
The man in the video, who was seated in a dimly lit room with an overhead light shining directly on his slightly bruised face not only looked like Jerry Morgan but sounded very much like him.
Everything Jerry said about his life, his deceitful marriage first to Alia and then to Gwen, his money laundering business and his current abscondnt from his marital responsibility checked out perfectly.
However, when Jerry talked about Alia's abduction and how he and the entire family aside from the old woman had planned everything, Senator Gregory felt sothing snap in his chest.
Locked up in his office, he replayed the video, over and over again until the agony of the truth began to creep slowly into him, shattering his heart into a million pieces.
Listening to Jerry indict every mber of his family in the abduction and attempted assassination of Alia felt like relieving a nightmare from a horror movie. It felt like a thorny vine wrapping slowly around his heart and squeezing his soul out of his body.
In addition to Jerry's nurous cris, he also confessed to being the one responsible for knocking the senator out cold, after Alia tried to expose them with the email sent to his laptop which was later re-edited.
But the part that left the senator completely stunned and even more horrified was the indictnt of his head of security, Lin Fox in the scandalous cri.
The senator couldn't believe that soone, he had trusted his life to since his appointnt would partake in such a heinous cri.
After a few minutes of sitting still and reflecting on the truth he had just learnt, the senator decided to take certain necessary precautions to avoid escalating the issue until he had enough solid proof to take imdiate action. He carried on as if nothing had happened, going about his duty for the day.
With the help of his most trusted friend, Engr Van, he discreetly acquired a new phone with which he tried to communicate with Alia. But instead of Alia, he ended up speaking to her husband, who was less infuriating and disrespectful than the last ti.
Later that sa day, after the senator and his friend arrived at Judith's place, he willingly agreed to the new change of eting venue without carrying Lin Fox along as always.
Unbeknownst to his security team who were waiting patiently outside Judith's mansion premises, the senator, alongside his friend and Judith, boarded the helicopter Blaze sent to pick them up and left for his villa.
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Alia and Blaze were in the middle of an interesting conversation while eating when the head servant approached them politely and inford them of the guest who had just arrived.
"They are here already?" Alia asked dropping her spoon, her eyes darting towards the entrance to the dining room.
"Yes, madam. I ushered them into the sitting room."
"Aweso." Alia picked up her napkin on the table and dabbed her lips. She could barely contain her joy at the thought of seeing her father after their last altercation. She was eager to make peace with him after expressing her disappointnt and pain.
"Offer them so refreshnt. We will be with them shortly." Blaze said dismissively with a wave of his hand.
"Yes, sir." The head servant bowed politely and left.
"Wow! I can't believe my dad ca down to your house after everything that happened the last ti between you two. How did you do it?"
"I can be very persuasive, you know," Blaze said, winking at her.
"Yeah right!" She eyed him, chuckling. "So how did you persuade him?"
"I sent him a video."
"A video! What video?" Alia arched her brow.
"A full confession from Jerry indicting himself and the rest of your family mbers who were involved in your kidnap and attempted assassination."
"What! You told him already?" Alia's forehead furrowed.
"I had to, especially after today's attempted attack."
"Attempted attack?" Alia was even more puzzled. "Are you by any chance referring to today's episode with Lorenzo?"
"No." Blaze released a sigh, as he pulled his chair away from the table to face Alia. "For so years now, I've always considered your father an enemy due to his involvent in the death of my father."
"But Blaze..."
"Wait, I'm not done talking." Blaze cut Alia off seeing how protective she was about her father. "I used to think your father was the enemy until recently."
"So you think soone else is behind the death of your father?" Alia asked hoping he would say yes.
"I can't say for sure until I'm done with my investigation."
"But you won't hurt my father, right?" Alia said, her heart beating really fast.
"That is what I'm trying to prevent," Blaze answered objectively. "I have no plans of hurting an innocent man until proven guilty."
"Then I will prove to you that my father is innocent," Alia said with determination.
"Until then, let's focus on the reason why I sent your father the video."
"Okay."
"Early today, after Lorenzo got you on that bus ride to Oatal County, I got a call from a very good friend of mine, informing of an attempted biker's gang hit. The plan was to ss up and destroy my properties."
"What!" Alia's jaw dropped, almost touching the floor.
"Fortunately I had friends in high places, one of them being the biker's gang godfather. He was able to call them off before they started a war. As restitution for their mistake, they sent their apologies with compensation and the na of the person who had contracted them."
"Who contracted them," Alia asked, a na already echoing in her thoughts.
"One of your uncle's."
"Matt?" Alia said in disgust.
"The very sa one and he was going to make your father take the fall."
"That bastard! I can't believe we are related by blood." Alia clenched her fist in rage.
"If it makes you feel any better there is always a black sheep in every family. Their weakness is jealousy, greed and pride."
"I hope Matt suffers a miserable life for everything he has done to and my father," Alia said, standing up, her heart heavy and her fist clenched.
"Don't worry, darling." Blaze rose to his feet and took Alia's clenched fist into his hands, stroking them tenderly. "His ti will soon co. His days are numbered."
"Have you told my dad about his affair with my stepmother?" Alia asked looking up at Blaze with sullen eyes, embarrassed by her disgraceful family.
"No. I don't think we should tell him directly." Blaze said thoughtfully. "We could leave him clues to figure out the truth all by himself."
Alia released a sigh. "I think that is a better idea. Thank you."
"Are you ready to go et with your dad?" Blaze asked gesturing towards the door.
Alia hesitated before asking.
"What about Dr Martin? Isn't he waiting for us too?"
"Yeah!" Blaze faced pald his forehead. "I completely forgot.
"Do we have to remove the implant tonight?"
"It all depends on you. We could remove it this night or tomorrow morning or anyti you like."
"I think I'd like to keep it a little bit longer as long as it doesn't have any negative effects on my well-being."
"No, it doesn't. According to Martins, it can last between five and ten years, before needing replacent or repair."
"Cool. I'll let you know when I'm ready to get it off. But in the anti, I would like to see my aunt and dad first before you join us. Can you give us like five minutes to talk alone?"
"Sure. Take all the ti you need. I'll see Dr Martins off."
"Thanks, honey." Alia gave Blaze a feathery kiss on the lips before exiting the dining room.
Back in the living room, Judith and Van were happily chatting away, enjoying so delicious treats. But Senator Gregory kept to himself brooding over his thoughts. His head was lowered, and his heart was heavy as he waited patiently for Alia and her husband to join them.
'What am I going to say to her? Where am I going to start from? I have failed her as a father and I failed my late wife. Will she ever forgive ?' the senator queried his thoughts in agony.
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