Chapter 71
Lena’s POV
A small cafe
I was seated by the window when I saw a Cadillac Celestiq park right in front of the door.
I exhaled.
“He’s here,” I raised my hand.
“One more coffee please less sugar p>
As Jonathan walked in, eyes turned towards him.
Even though he looked exhausted, he was still as handsome as he was seven years back.
“Lena?” He said come over.
“Hi,” I said, pushing the coffee over. “No sugar p>
I knew what he wanted to ask how I knew and I had to win his trust so I spoke before he could ask.
“Veronica told me,” I said.
“Why choose…here?” He said looking around.
“You mean it should’ve been a controlled, quiet place? Well, this is the least type of place Fredrick would imagine us to meet at.
“He’s in jail,” he said in a frank voice.
“Does that even matter?” He said leaning back into his chair.
“Jonathan, do you think he has p>
“If he had,” He cut my words midway.
“He would have been out p>
“Nothing matters more to him than Harmon Designs. Now it’s a one room with one ceo-cum-employee p>
He was relaxed as he told all this.
Relaxment of a businessman who knows how to deal with his pros and cons.
“Anyways,” he continued.
“The only reason I came is if you can tell me about Veronica p>
All the while he was talking, I kept studying him.
He was calm, not like before, always anxious.
His calm measured like an arc that cast over him.
I smiled inside as I realized he even knows which question to ask.
His voice was neutral and restrained that made it hard for me to evaluate his emotions.
Though I had my reasons to call him, I have to tell only then he’ll help me.
I leaned forward on the table.
“So, what do you think happened?” I asked.
“I mean the reason she left p>
I had to know to what extent he understood Veronica back then, and how much he was able to understand her now.
“I know she didn’t plan all of this in those seven days p>
I leaned back asI wasn’t expecting that.
I thought he believed she did everything in those seven days.
“What do you mean p>
“I found files that state Veronica worked for Imelda long before I made her p>
His face lost its color as he spoke.
His first emotion.
“She had planned it long ago as she knew if she stayed it would be bad for me. Imelda was the one who forced her into leaving p>
I was happy inside as this meant he understood her and now knows what happened with her.
But this was incomplete as I don’t know what he understood of her now.
“From what you said, you understood her actions, but not her condition p>
“Her actions if anyone knew…was me,” he said looking down.
“I knew she wasn’t fine p>
He trailed off a bit.
“I always thought it was cause I kept my distance, I made her live like a widow, and neglected Janet p>
“I never knew if it was Imelda, had I known back then, things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did p>
“What?” I was shocked as I didn’t think so.
“If I knew Veronica already knew about Adrian, or about her doing those late night work, I would have broken free from her and been with Veronica p>
“I never cared about her releasing that video,” he said leaning forward. Determination was clear in his eyes.
“I was only afraid Veronica would think I betrayed her p>
He trailed off again.
“And in a way…I did p>
“Jonathan, you didn’t.” I said in a frank voice.
“Veronica herself told me when she found out she was angry at you for not trusting her p>
“Jonathan, didn’t you realize when you woke up about this?” I asked her to keep the recorder on the side.
“When I woke up, she was beside me, no clothes and crying p>
He hesitated a bit. Probably uncomfortable talking about such a matter in front of a stranger.
“It’s okay if you don’t p>
He cut my words.
“No, that’s not it. It’s a night I never want to recall. What do you want to know?” His voice was frank over frank that sent chills down my spine.
He knew I meant I wanted to know in detail.
“If you’re comfortable, do or else p>
I trailed off as I was an outsider and shouldn’t have him talk about this before me, but I had my reasons.
He held onto his cup as if his life depended on it.
“When I woke up, I wasn’t wearing my clothes. But even as she was crying and telling me about how we spent the night. There was something that was just not right. Whenever Veronica would have love with me, I always had a physical memory of it no matter how sleepy I was. Even when I came back drunk a few times, I had a discharge. With her I just felt sick, heavy and drunk p>
I removed the recorder out of my purse.
“Listen to this p>
I played the recording between me and Veronica.
“So he was drugged and that was the cause of Adrian’s existence.” I was shocked.
“Then Adrian is p>
Veronica cut my words.
“He’s not my husband’s son, if that’s what you’re going to say.” Veronica said in a flat tone.
“There’s one thing about him. It’s not possible to have sex with him when he’s asleep, and drunk? That’s impossible p>
“Trust me, I’ve been with him for eight years p>
I saw his fingers curl into fists as he heard the next line.
“When he used to come home and would sleep directly she trailed off.
“I knew he avoided me as he didn’t want us to have another child. At the time I thought it was because he was with them, but now I realize it was to save the other child from suffering the way Janet did. But I was a woman with desires. When he would come, I would try. As long as he was half awake, he would but once he dozed off, there was no chance p>
“Looks like you should have told her. Anyways, so you did suspect her from the beginning, then what about the video that proved you did p>
He passed his phone and gestured to me to play a video.
Jonathan was on his side with Imelda, both with no clothes. They were kissing.
Or at least that’s what a normal eye would have seen.
But I saw only she was kissing and he was still, or unconscious to react.
“Anyone who saw that on the first watch believing we were kissing, it would be impossible to explain I wasn’t p>
“You were afraid Veronica would believe you were kissing and the rest would be official p>
His silence answered my question.
I was at a loss of words as their misunderstanding was basically their lack of communication.
“So even if you knew nothing happened, because of this video, you had to go along p>
“Yes,” he exhaled as if he was releasing the weight he had been carrying for so many years.
“Anyways, I don’t think you came to meet me to know about this, did you p>
That’s the Jonathan I knew. Straight to the point.
“You know about Marcus Vane, he was Fredick’s private investigator,” I said as my voice became a little emotional.
“Marcus was my sworn brother,” I said.
“Our bond of trust and loyalty was beyond that of blood.” I continued.
“He worked for Fredrick and would always follow patterns to find out whatever he was after p>
“While working with Fredrick, he was involved in Veronica’s work as well. He knew what she was doing. He never questioned her, but he understood her reason p>
“Marcus had uncovered Imelda’s structure of controlling Veronica. He had found out the pattern p>
“He even told me Veronica was being cornered systematically p>
I paused for a brief moment.
“He even told me he was going to meet you and let you know p>
Jonathan leaned forward anxiously.
“An obvious hit-and-run with witnesses who gave a plate number, who gave a description, still it was closed without any further investigation.
“The reason was the driver was Fredrick’s. He got Marcus killed because he knew too much about Veronica and was getting close to you p>
I could see Jonathan was absorbing the fact that right from the night, everything was orchestrated all along.
“I personally met Veronica because of her being your wife.” I said, taking a deep breath.
“You are the only one who can help me avenge, and for that I need your trust p>
“I was going to meet you, but then Veronica left, and I realized she needed me more so p>
“Marcus was killed four years before she left. Why did you take the extra three years to contact me?” he asked.
“At the time I thought you didn’t love her, so you wouldn’t help me,” I continued.
“It’s only after she left, I realized I also should have approached you sooner p>
“As for me and Veronica, she never came to me, I made my way to her. I won her trust, and then began helping her p>
“When I met her I trailed off a bit.
“Emotionally she was quiet and contained. Physically she was weak and strained p>
“But she never blamed you p>
I had to tell this to him.
“She wasn’t angry at you. The reason she left was she knew if she stayed back it could cost you more than your reputation p>
I paused for a brief moment.
“Her leaving you was to protect you, she wasn’t escaping from you p>
“After working with Imelda, Veronica learned through the system she worked with p>
I explained her ways to him.
“She learnt making small withdrawals would be less noticed. She kept public travel so her path could not be traced. She kept minimal cash movement so nothing could be tracked back p>
“She adapted faster than Imelda even realized p>
“And more than what she ever expected. Veronica had no formal training, she was purely on survival instinct p>
“She didn’t leave with much cash,” I said as I knew he knew she only had five hundred with her.
“She had a job waiting for her. The pay was less, but it was stable enough to pay the rent, Janet’s school fees and the bills p>
“When we became friends, I told I could help her, but she refused as she wanted to be independant p>
“And Janet?” His eyes were full of emotion.
“Janet p>
I paused a bit.
“She was aware of everything that was happening. She knew Daddy loved her, but maybe he preferred his son over her. She was raised in awareness as she knew everything that was going around her p>
“Do you know why she kept the name?” He asked as he looked into his empty cup he was still holding onto.
“Rollings?” I asked even though I knew that’s what he meant.
“Jonathan, she didn’t run away from you, I just told you that,” I continued.
“So why would she leave her identity? She was your wife back home, she was your wife there. Janet was your daughter back home, she was your daughter there p>
I leaned back into the chair.
“She began her career as a painter. Even though she was a once famous painter, the seven year gap had taken its toll p>
“She had to make her place from scratch p>
“She kept your name, but never let anyone know it was you p>
“She wanted to make her own name, and not because she was Jonathan Rollings wife p>
“That’s Veronica,” he said finally with a smile on his face.
“She was a dignified girl even back in college p>
I couldn’t waste anymore time so I spoke before he could ask any other question.
“The reason she came back is she knew you didn’t betray her p>
“It was a misunderstanding that was cleared now. She knew you were suffering all along as well p>
“The reason I sent you the letter was so you could prepare yourself for her, and you would know who I am so I could speak to you p>
“I need your help to get Fredrick to pay for killing Marcus p>
I spoke again before Jonathan could.
“I know you’ll say he’s already in for life, but p>
He cut my words midway.
“But he’s not in for killing Marcus,” he said.
“Don’t worry I’ll get him convicted and sentenced for that as well p>
The way he leaned back looked as if he already had a plan in his mind.