Chapter 338
Jonathan’s POV
Grand Del Hotel – Hall
The air in the Grand Del Hotel’s hall was thick with the scent of expensive perfumes and colognes.
The expensive catering and fresh floral arrangements were giving an elegant vibe to the atmosphere.
A banner was hanging overhead that announced all charities given will proceed towards children healthcare.
The plan?
A heavily publicized event that would attract every person to attend.
A place full of media.
I, Veronica, Vance, John, Daniel, Isabella were all ready for the event.
Imelda?
She was standing in the center, wearing a tailored silk gown complementing the stolen face she wore.
She was holding a glass of champagne that did make the people who knew Veronica glance at her, as Veronica never drank champagne, for that matter she never drank any alcohol.
She was smiling vibrantly as the news crew was taking her interview thinking she was Veronica.
She was telling them about the cause behind the event and how she and her husband, that’s me, are so happy to be able to organize such an event.
Just then someone asked her about the kids, that’s what shocked me.
She held her phone out and showed them pictures of Veronica with her kids.
“See? This is our son Joshua, isn’t he just like his father p>
“And our daughter, she went on with me, I’m so proud of Janet, she not only took my looks, but my talent as a painter as well p>
She was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“Oh, you have a lovely family,” the news crew said.
“Yes, I’m truly blessed,” Imelda replied, making me feel sick at her acting.
“Her family?” I scoffed.
“How are you raising your son?” the news crew asked her.
“He is afterall the heir to the Rolllings empire p>
“Of course he is,” she smiled.
“I’ve already begun training him to be a young master, and I’m sure he’ll become the best CEO just like his father p>
Veronica took a step forward as I held her back.
“Nicky!” I whispered into her ear.
“Relax, her saying won’t make Joshua her son, and this is the reason we organized this event in the first place p>
“Let her gallop all she wants, she’ll soon fall off the horse she’s riding p>
The news crew moved on as I walked onto the stage, my eyes locked on Imelda.
My sleeve was rolled to the elbow allowing the exposed raw, mottled pink and silver ridge of the deep burn I sustained when I was saving the woman I love, my wife Veronica.
Imelda’s smile faltered, as a flash of pure panic darted across her features before she forced her expression back.
“Darling, what are you doing down there? Come on up, where you belong.” I smiled, clenching my jaws.
“Oh, I was waiting for you to give your speech and host the event,” Imelda said.
“After all this isn’t our collection launch p>
“Its a charitable cause, we should keep it focused, that’s all p>
“Well, even so,” I said.
“We the Rollings are hosting this event,” my voice carried perfectly across the hall.
I turned around and held my hand outwards as Veronica walked forward coming out from behind the curtain, much to everyone’s shock as one Veronica was already standing among them.
As Veronica held my hand, I embraced her and took to the mic.
“And you can stop calling yourself blessed to have this family p>
“As I’m the one blessed to have Veronica as my wife, and blessed she gave me two wonderful babies p>
A collective gasp and whispers rippled through the hall. Reporters flash fired erratically capturing Veronica standing on the ground and the one standing beside me, in my arms.
Everyone was shocked to see a woman standing with the exact face in my arms. She had the same cheekbones, same jawline, and deep-set brown eyes as the woman on the ground.
Then they all glanced at the same face standing on the ground. Her dress was no doubt a tailored silk gown, but the woman on the stage has a posture that was weary but resolute, radiating an authentic, quiet fury that Imelda could not portray no matter how much she rehearsed, she can never replicate in her life.
“What the hell is going on?” Someone from the crowd finally spoke up.
“Mr Rollings, what the hell is going on?” the council head stammered, as he looked between the two identical looking women.
“What kind of sickening performance is this p>
“It’s a clear case of stealing someone’s identity to get something that doesn’t belong to them,” Veronica said, as she held the mic. Her voice vibrated with months of stolen memories and absolute exhaustion.
She stopped as she reached the edge of the stage, and stared at Imelda.
“She wanted to get the Blue Heart from the River vault, as that’s what she assumed p>
“But she didn’t know the Blue Heart was already moved to the Federal vault p>
“Stealing my face…was of no use p>
Imelda didn’t waste any time and recovered quickly. Her voice was rising to an octave and projecting righteous indignation.
“Guards! Remove this imposer! Jonathan has been manipulated by this woman—she’s a fake, a stalker she’s had extensive face surgery that’s why she looks like me p>
“Jonathan, I’m your wife,” she called out.
“Why don’t we let everyone decide who my wife is and who isn’t?” I held onto Veronica’s hand.
I stepped forward and stood before the reporters with their cameras flashing.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out an envelope and removed a legal document out of it.
“Five minutes ago,” I said as I flashed the document in front of the cameras.
“The Federal investigators have already filed a case for fraud of identity p>
“The police will be here soon p>
Imelda stumbled a few steps back as her hands hung beside her.
“Jonathan, Joshua is already ten, how will he feel if he sees all this p>
“So, you claim you’re Joshua’s mother,” Veronica said, challenging Imelda as she stepped onto the stage.
“Then care to tell the press which medical regimen is keeping him alive p>
“Joshua loves spinach, but I don’t let him eat too much p>
“Care to tell what happens if he eats too much spinach p>
Imelda glanced at the food trays with spinach salad, her eyes darting wildly.
“Of course I know,” she said.
“He…he…he has a healthy diet, just like any normal boy p>
“Only overeating can harm so p>
“So,” She exhaled before speaking again.
“Joshua had an intracardiac thrombus removed at age seven,” her maternal authority voice carried across the hall.
“You arranged the catering, didn’t you?” Veronica questioned Imelda.
“Of course I did,” she replied.
“After all, Jonathan had lots of other things to do, this was the least I could do p>
“Well then for your kind information, spinach contains vitamin K p>
“Joshua has to take Warfarin to avoid pulmonary embolism p>
“And access intake of Vitamin K can block the medication increasing the chance of a fatal clot p>
“You lived over at Rollings House for months p>
“You never noticed he ate less of certain things p>
Just then the police entered.
I stepped down the stage and walked over to them.
“My legal wife Veronica, the mother of my children is on the stage p>
“She,” I said pointing towards Imelda, “Is an imposter p>
“She had facial surgery to look like my wife p>
Everyone gasped.
“There’s a bathroom over there,” I told the lady officer.
“My wife had Joshua via a C-section nine years ago p>
“My wife has a permanent silver line and a localized nerve damage as well p>
“She,” I pointed towards Imelda again.
“Has a flawless, unblemished skin, because she never has a C-section p>
“Our daughter was a normal deliver, but our son is a C-section delivery p>
“Whereas she,” I said.
“Imelda,” everyone gasped as I took her name.
“She only had Adrian through a normal delivery p>
Imelda looked around the room.
The cameras flashing were no longer broadcasting the event. They were broadcasting live, a catastrophic unraveling of a woman who went to the extent of changing her face to get what she wanted.
I exhaled as Imelda stood frozen in her own trap.
“I…I She tried to speak, but no words came out.
The only sound that could be heard was the clicking of handcuffs.