Chapter 40 Checkmate
Alexander didn’t notice the tremor that had gone through Roman at the mention of the name Catherine. He just kept talking, lost in the past.
"Later, Catherine gave birth to a beautiful girl—Evelyn. It was a happy time. Until we found out that rat Richard had a mistress who was pregnant at the same time. She gave birth to Maya just days after Evelyn. Although we told her to leave that scumbag Richard, she insisted on staying with him, claiming that despite having a mistress, he treated her well.”
Alexander scoffed. “She even built the Hayes Corporation for him. Without her, Richard would be nothing. It was all going fine until…”
He sighed deeply, shaking his head. “Her health started failing. At first, we thought it was just a normal illness. I even insisted she see Caspian for treatment, but she was so stubborn, working herself to the bone for that ingrate. Then... we got the news. She died. She died!."
Roman, who had been stiff, felt a slight release in his chest when he heard that the Catherine his grandfather was talking about died.
Alexander continued, his voice choking with emotion, the corners of his eyes growing wet. "I remember that little girl I used to take everywhere. Seeing her like that… It broke me. I didn't even cry when Thorne died because I wasn't there, and we were on rough terms before we parted ways. But Cathy... she left her five-year-old daughter behind.”
He wiped roughly at the corner of his eye. “She’d come to me earlier, asking me to look after Evelyn if anything happened. I should have known.”
Roman turned to look at his father. "So she died when Evelyn was five years old?"
Alexander nodded. "Yes."
"But how come I didn't know about her or Evelyn at that time? I was always close to you," Roman asked, feeling skeptical.
"Like I said, she wanted to keep our relationship secret. We didn't interact in public. No one knew we were close," Alexander answered.
"And you're certain she died from illness?"
Alexander let out a long breath. "I'm not entirely sure. Her death was unexpected, but when I investigated, it was indeed listed as illness, and she was indeed sick before she died."
Roman sighed with relief. ‘She's a different Catherine. What a coincidence. But... Evelyn…’ His eyes narrowed. ‘I think it's time to investigate properly on how she got there.’
“When Catherine died,” Alexander continued, anger creeping into his tone, “I went as her business partner. To keep an eye on little Evelyn, I partnered more with Hayes Corp, gave them room to grow. But that ingrate grew arrogant. Forgot he owed everything to a woman.”
The old man struck his walking stick on the ground. Just thinking about it made him angry. “I made him bring his first daughter to every event, just so I could see her. To see if she was okay.”
Roman smiled slightly. He could attest to that. The first time he saw her was at a charity gala held at one of the Sinclair establishments. She had been quite young at that time.
‘But never in my wildest imagination did I think I'll meet her in that cold room and it'll lead to something more complicated.’
He frowned at the memories of that past.
"But..." the old man paused before continuing, "she was sent away at sixteen to study abroad." Alexander sighed. "So I couldn't see or hear from her again. Her whereabouts were kept secret, and every time I asked, there was one excuse or another. Richard claimed it was for her future, and it was her wish. So..."
Roman clenched his fist, his eyes turning bloodshot. ‘It was exactly at that time. Had they been the one to send her there?’
Alexander coughed slightly. "When Evelyn came of age, I had to find a way to bring her back so I could keep an eye on her. So I proposed this marriage engagement for a merger with Hayes. He knew he couldn't refuse the Sinclairs' offer, so he brought her back when she was nineteen."
Roman closed his eyes when he heard that. ‘If I hadn't…’
Alexander turned to look at his son. "At that time, I wanted Evelyn to marry into the Sinclair family so my mind could be at peace. But there was no suitable person I could trust her with. You were still abroad, working as a neuroscientist, and you were cold-blooded then—all you thought about was research and how to cut open human skulls for study. So you weren't my ideal candidate."
Roman listened as his father said those words, his jaw tightening at the thought of those days as a neuroscientist. He never wanted to think about that time again; he'd rather bury those memories of studying Neuroscience and Experimental Medicine.
“So,” Alexander went on, “I engaged her to your nephew. To tie her to this family. But... I wasn't satisfied with that boy. Then you surprisingly came home, saying you wanted to join the company. You changed—though still cold, at least I could feel your emotions as a human more than before."
Alexander smiled slightly. “I realized you might be the perfect candidate I could trust with her. So I had to devise a plan. You took the family name to greater heights, I'll give you that.”
The old man narrowed his eyes, then went on. “But I sensed you wanted more power, which is why I set that clause about getting married and having a child before I'd give you the company.”
Roman smirked, listening to his father. He had suspected as much, but found it slightly unbelievable. Well, they were all Sinclairs, and life was a game of chess.
Noticing his son's smirk, Alexander coughed slightly. "Well, I had to..."
“Set Nathan up with the stepsister,” Roman finished, his voice cool with scorn. “And deliberately mix up the room number so he’d send her to my suite. I can’t believe you did that to your own grandson.”
He gave his father a sideways look. “So why disown him? Why drop the merger? I can't even trust you with your eyes everywhere. Those eyes you planted in my house, better get rid of them or I will.”
Alexander choked, feeling a bit guilty. "Well, Nathan failed my expectations. I can't believe he actually followed that scheming stepmother's plot. As for the Hayes merger, since Evelyn is no longer with them, the merger isn't needed. Wait a minute..."
Alexander looked at Roman. "You knew about my schemes all along?"
Roman’s smirk widened. “You said it yourself. Can’t have just one player in the game of chess. Why do you think I let Nathan off for drugging her and delivering her to my suite? I played along to humor you.” He met his father’s gaze. “Checkmate.”
Alexander laughed, a genuine, raspy sound. “A true son of his father. But you’re forgetting one thing. I got what I wanted. So I won.”
Roman scoffed. "You think I'd agree to marry just any woman because of your plot? Dream on. I married Evelyn because I wanted to," The words came out with a proud, defiant edge.
Alexander’s laughter died. He turned slowly, his old sharp eyes, searching. “As far as I know, you weren’t acquainted with Evelyn. You saw her maybe once or twice at events before you went abroad. You’ve been gone for years. So how could you marry her because you wanted to?"
He looked at his son with narrowed eyes. “Roman. Have you known Evelyn before?”