Chapter 198
Veronica’s POV
Suite Apartment – a few minutes later
We were still sitting on the floor with the piggy bank broken before us and Jonathan was still holding the letter in his hands.
I had told the kids to carry on with their routine.
I saw Jonathan was smoothing out the paper, and I knew he was mustering up his strength as there were still some lines left.
He exhaled and began to read.
I never claimed the River inheritance even after I survived. I could have, and the hardships we endured, the life you had to see, even though you were the only young master of the Rollings and River house, could have been avoided. But I chose to not expose you. If I had claimed it, they would have known the heir to the vault survived.
“She chose silence over revealing you being alive,” I said, softly.
“She gave up her comfort so no one could find me.” He whispered.
He continued to read:
I knew as long as you are safe and alive, one day you will inherit the River and Rollings wealth. And if my hard work of keeping you hidden from them, your inheritance is waiting for you.
I looked at Jonathan as I knew all of this was overwhelming for him.
He just found out his mother didn’t abandon her inheritance because she didn’t want it, but because she was saving him.
She also wrote how the Rollings house became part of the River house.
He read:
After I found out, I was expecting our families to be overjoyed. You would be the future of the Rollings and the Rivers. I was three months pregnant when father, your grandfather decided to move the vault over to the Rollings House where your father lived since birth. After marriage, I also lived there. Sorry, I could never let you live in your own house.
He paused so I took the letter from him.
I exhaled as I saw the next lines were about his father.
A man he never knew anything about except the fact…his surname was Rollings.
So I began to read:
I’m sorry for never telling you about your father. I just wanted to protect you. I do hope you never thought your father was a nobody. He was a man of character, height, and grace. A man any woman would dream to have, and I was that lucky woman. I can never thank my parents enough for choosing him as my husband. At the time, all I knew was the less you knew, the safer you would be.
I exhaled as I realized why we never knew about the Rollings house as I did read about the River’s back in college as a once prominent family.
“So, she made sure I would live on without knowing anything and the day I would, I would be ready,” Jonathan said, quietly.
“Jonathan,” I said, softly. “I think you should read the rest p>
“Huh?” He said as he took the note.
“About my father?” he said, shocked.
He continued:
Your father was an elite jewelry designer. No one could come even close to his talent. He was famous for his extraordinary rare gemstone jewelry designs. But he always kept a low profile. Only a few knew who he was. For the rest he was just a rich man. In fact he is richer than the River’s. But no one ever knew. Because of his wealth, he also faced kidnappings when he was young. So he never used his real name. If you have followed your father’s path and are a jewelry designer, then you may have heard of an alias designer…You.
He stopped reading and only said in a low voice.
“You p>
I noticed his expression changing.
Then he looked at me and again said in a low voice.
“You p>
He continued to read.
The reason he used the alias You, was he wanted everyone who wore his jewelry to be themselves. He wanted them to let everyone know who they are and not be someone other’s want you to be. His logo was simple…Be yourself by You.
Even I remembered the alias You’s designs became famous back then and today are rare collectables. Even the ones who own his jewelry, consider themselves proud.
I knew Jonathan admired him from his college days.
“He’s the man I idolized all my life Jonathan spoke in a broken voice.
“No wonder I agreed to his design philosophy p>
“So many people told me his and my finishing signature style was so similar p>
“My love for rare gemstones p>
“Now makes sense p>
“I always the reason everything I do is so similar to him, was because I admired him since childhood p>
“If everyone knew I was his son, I don’t want to know the life I could have p>
“I’d be the most envious child in the world p>
I held his hand as I knew he was struggling with this realization that hit him.
“I spent my childhood admiring him and his work p>
“I always wanted to understand his work, and some of his designs came naturally to me p>
He paused.
“My mother gave up everything for me p>
“Her family, her inheritance, her identity, her family’s place in the jewelry world, my father’s identity p>
“All to keep me alive p>
I sat beside him all the while.
“Jonathan,” I said, softly.
“Mother never denied you your identity p>
“She only kept it from you and waited for fate to make you come face to face with it p>
“She hoped, by that time, you will be ready p>
Just then Daniel and Isabella arrived.
“You guys?” Jonathan said, surprised.
“Veronica called us,” Isabella said as I smiled.
“We already knew knowing about the Rollings House would not be so simple,” Daniel said.
“Only didn’t expect it to be your birth place p>
“Anyways,” he continued.
“I’ve already told the Staf security to secure the Rollings House p>
“I’m having the house under twenty seven surveillance p>
“Yes,” Isabella said.
“I got John to jam the signals and also have a air surveillance so if anyone uses drones, we’ll know p>
“Oh,” she said.
“I heard Alex is still looking for a vault p>
“I think we should pay a visit to my house,” Jonathan said, making us all worry.
Going there won’t be as simple as said.
“If we are going there, we can’t go unprepared,” Daniel said.
“John,” Daniel said on the phone.
“We’re going to head over to Rollings House p>
“Could you please arrange the security p>
“Check the access points, and make sure the old records of the house are secured p>
“On it,” John said.
“But don’t enter casually and only Jonathan should touch as he’s the heir p>
So we all took our leave for Rollings House.
Rollings House
It was an hour drive from our apartment to Rollings and River property.
We had crossed the fence millions of times, never knew Jonathan’s paternal and maternal homes were across from it.
Even though I wanted us to prepare first, Jonathan had become impatient, so we went along with him.
“That place holds my father and mother’s life,” he said.
“I can also know what and why Alex is so determined to get the Blue Heart p>
“We can finally know what she was protecting all and even after her life p>
I knew why Jonathan was so eager.
So far, the revelations about his mother were only inheritance related.
But with his father, it was a personal matter.
He was a person who should have been the one showing him the ways of life.
Now when he had something tangible connecting to him…he couldn’t wait any more.
“I still wish she was able to tell me,” he said as we stood at the gate of the entrance.
Just then Isabella noticed a letter in the letterbox.
“A letter?” Isabella said as she removed the letter.
“Whoever sent or kept this letter here, sure knew the letterbox is weather proof p>
“It’s aged, but intact p>
“Open, and read it please p>
She did as Jonathan said.
She showed the note to him.
“That’s mother’s handwriting,” he said.
She opened it carefully, and removed a small note from the envelope.
Jonathan’s expression changed as she read it.
When the River representative arrives p>
We all looked around and noticed there were CCTV cameras.
“He must have seen us, we’ve arrived.” I said on seeing them.
“Isabella, continue,” Jonathan told her.
She nodded and began:
The River representative is a legal family who have served the River’s for generations. They have maintained the records. But to get the inheritance, lots of fakes are also looking for you. Therefore, when the River presentative arrives, be careful he is the real one.
We all looked at one another in confusion as to how we do that?