Chapter 41 No Mercy
A few months ago, Giovanni Dawson was in the middle of a midday conference meeting with some partners when someone barged in. Despite established protocols, there were close relations exempt from them.
"Hector, what are you doing here?" The executives at the conference appeared upset, but Giovanni remained calm. Hector wouldn't have interrupted if it wasn't urgent.
"Please, Uncle Gio, I need your help." The desperation in Hector's voice prompted Giovanni to pause the meeting and address him.
"Gentlemen, I apologize, but we need to reschedule. This is a family emergency."
At the mention of 'family,' the executives swiftly gathered their files and left the conference room. Everyone in the Dawson Group knew that family was their top priority.
Hector sat across from Giovanni. "Uncle Van, I need you to protect someone important to me. It would mean a lot."
Giovanni frowned. Hank was usually the one to handle protection requests, so Hector's plea was unexpected. "You should ask your father for this favor. He's more suited for it."
Giovanni regretted halting the meeting and having to reschedule again. This wasn't the type of emergency he had anticipated.
Hector's expression shifted from vulnerability to despair. "I did, Uncle Gio, but he can't act against Roger without your approval."
Intrigued, Giovanni asked, "What's going on?"
"Uncle Gio, remember my arrangement to marry Karen, the second daughter of the Fletchers?"
Giovanni recalled Hank mentioning the impending wedding plans, despite rumors that Karen wasn't enthusiastic about it.
"Yes, I remember. You called it off at the last minute. You seem indecisive."
Hector's gaze dropped. Calling off the arranged marriage wasn't his intention, but circumstances led to it. "Roger forced me to do it."
Giovanni felt conflicted, unsure of whom to believe. Hector was trustworthy, but Roger should have consulted him first or sought his opinion.
“You know what, tell me the whole story,” he closed his laptop, giving Hector his full attention.
“Uncle Gio, remember my best friend, Dexter?”
“The late hacker?” He had seen the nerdy guy a couple of times with Hector and Hendrix when he went to visit.
Hector nodded. That friendship was brief but deep, lasting for just a few months.
“Yes, on his deathbed, he made me promise to protect the woman he loved. He loved Karen but the day he wanted to confess it, he began coughing blood. After discovering he had cancer, he felt it best to not start a relationship.”
Giovanni didn’t know where all this was going and was getting rather bored. “I stopped a very important meeting for you. Can you get to the point?”
“Yes, but you also know I’m a detailed person, but here’s the thing. Dexter entrusted me with the said woman, Karen. I didn’t know what better way to protect her than to marry her, so I told dad and he began making the arrangement when Roger stopped me.”
“Why would he do that?” It didn’t make sense to Giovanni, but these kids had grown, and he realized that they no longer confided in him as much as they confided in each other, which was also acceptable.
“According to him, Karen was pregnant for him, and he needed her to give birth to his child first.”
Things were now beginning to make sense. The same girl Roger had told him later was pregnant for him was the same one Hector had decided to marry before. This was more complicated than he thought.
“I guess you agreed, so why do you need my help?”
Hector inhaled deeply. This was the first time he was going against Roger, and it was all because his father refused to help. The only person capable of going against Roger was his father.
“There was an argument today. Karen said she wasn’t pregnant and demanded to leave, but Roger refused to let her go. Uncle Gio, you should have seen him.”
Giovanni was not surprised. Roger was a sophisticated being, and his experience in the matters of love was like a cup of water from the deep ocean. So bijou.
“So, what do you want me to do?” He threw back the question, and Hector sighed.
“Uncle Gio, Karen left in anger, and I’m afraid something bad might happen to her. Can you please use your authority to ensure she’s fine? Roger doesn’t care from how I see it.”
Giovanni pondered deeply. With Roger involved, how could he say no? “I will request an investigation.”
“Well, dad, I already did that work and I have it all here,” Hector removed a folder from the inner pocket of his jacket, leaving Giovanni stunned.
Months had passed with everything duly in place, and now seeing Karen, Hector regretted calling off the arranged marriage.
Everyone was whispering about her appearance, and Roger went crazy. No one had ever seen him go crazy for any woman like he did for Karen.
The richest man in the world was the desire of all women and yet, Karen did not seem to even want him close to her.
“Hector?” Karen hummed as if the name was too heavy for her. The same man who confessed to not loving her had sent Roger's father to protect her?
Giovanni explained further, signaling Hector to come over. Hector's eyes had been glued to the table since Karen arrived, so he saw the sign even through the blue LED lights.
"Yes, Hector barged into my office that day, insisting that I check on you because you left Roger upset. I did a little digging and easily located you. You happened to need the help.”
Roger was not surprised. Hector was the one who betrayed him, but if he hadn't, Karen would have been dead. Now, the anger he felt towards Hector dissolved into appreciation.
Karen was still grateful for the help, and besides, Van was not as biased as she thought. “I need to thank Hector then.”
Giovanni nodded. “We are family, so there’s no need to rush things. He’s right here.”
She turned in Giovanni’s direction and saw the familiar figure walking elegantly towards them. His arm stretched towards Karen for a handshake as soon as he arrived.
“Hi Karen, you look gorgeous.”
Karen hesitated but accepted the handshake. “Thanks, and thanks for sending Van to help me. I forgive you for seeing me as a toy,” she uttered, causing all eyes around the table to squint.
“I’m lost here,” Hector said after she withdrew her hand but Karen stared him in the eyes with a look that made him uneasy. She was no longer as shy and timid as before.
"The day I left, I arrived earlier and heard you both talking in the kitchen," she revealed. Awkwardness washed over both men, hoping she wouldn't air their dirty laundry in public, but Karen wasn't merciful.
"Roger confessed that I was gullible and too easy to please, and that he still loved Tonia. He hoped that Tonia would give him a chance after the baby was born."
Roger and Hector's gazes lowered, but Karen was resolute.
"And Hector, he requested that Roger give me back to him because of a promise he made to a friend. All they see in me is a commodity to be traded however hey want," she ended. The atmosphere tensed as Giovanni's cold gaze swept between his son and nephew.