Chapter 374: Book 5: Seeking Help From The Twins

Declan stared at his best friend’s fingers. Did he imagine them moving?

In the last two years, Declan had done everything he could to help Maddox recover. Yet he sank into oblivion with each passing day. His body was functioning, but he refused to wake up. He had slipped into a coma the day after his accident with no signs of recovery ever since.

The police found Maddox’s charred car and traced his details through the VIN stamped on the engine block. They called at Escapades to inform him. Declan wasted no time and had been at Maddox’s side ever since.

Despite Everett Drexel’s attempt at destroying evidence, the cops unearthed everything with Declan’s help. The traffic cameras nearby helped the police identify the murderer and his vehicle. A probe linked him to Evangeline Laurier, and he was arrested from his hideout in Lancaster.

With Drexel serving a life sentence in prison, Declan could concentrate on his friend. Every day, he discussed ways with the doctors to revive him. The doctors declined permission to move the patient. Declan didn’t risk going against them.

He talked to Maddox every day, urging him to wake up and look for Iris. He reminded him of his child. Yet Maddox didn’t respond. Declan knew Maddox could hear him, but something was blocking him. Physically he was fit, but something was hampering his response to the treatment.

Yet the doctors didn’t give up hope, and neither did he.

Declan knew who could help him – Iris. But where would he find her? Where would he look for her? Should he meet her brothers?

With no news of Iris, Declan felt restless. The businesses were suffering, and Roselyn was getting frustrated with him. But he couldn’t abandon his friend. Neither could he shift Maddox to a hospital in LA without the doctor’s permission.

With no options left, he considered visiting the twins at their university.

Declan drove over to Stanford University afterwards. But the twins had left for their internships at a software development company in Palo Alto. Refusing to give up, he drove over to ByteDev Softwares where the twins worked.

He sent word to the twins about his visit, but the staff returned alone. “Both Mr. Isaac and Mr. Ivan are busy right now. They’ll meet you next week, Mr. Forrester.”

Declan frowned at their weird behavior. He didn’t have so much time. He had to revive Maddox before the doctors gave up. “This is urgent. Someone’s life is at stake. Please take me to them.”

“I’ll inform them.” He sighed and went back.

After two minutes, the twins emerged from a room. One look at their pale faces made him realize they were hiding something. They knew Iris’s whereabouts.

“I’m Declan Forrester, Maddox Laurier’s best friend and GM of the Escapades Group. Do you know where Iris is?”

“No, why do you ask after two years? I’m sorry, we can’t help you, Mr. Forrester,” said Isaac, eyeing his twin. They had promised Iris and would stick to their promise.

Declan sighed and faced the duo. He had to be truthful to get the information out of them. “Maddox had an accident on his way here. He’s lying in a coma at a hospital. I need Iris to help him recover. Please tell me where I can find her.”

Ivan narrowed his eyes at him. “Why was he coming here after two years?”

Declan sighed and faced him. It wasn’t their fault. They were just looking out for their sister. “He wasn’t. Maddox has been lying in a coma at O’Connor General Hospital, San José, for the last two years.” He frowned at the duo. Didn’t they read the newspaper article about their mother’s case?

“Oh! Didn’t his wife help him recover?” Isaac hesitated a little before asking him.

Declan frowned at him. “Wife? Maddox hasn’t married since Iris fled. He was supposed to marry her. Now the marriage certificate has expired as well.”

The twins gaped at him for minutes. Had Iris misunderstood Maddox? “But he was planning to marry Lucille Hartley, I heard.” Ivan looked unconvinced.

“Lucille Hartley is in prison. Evangeline Laurier and Gary Laurier were executed two years ago. Didn’t you read about it in the newspapers? Maddox had reopened your mother’s case as well and cleared all allegations against her. He had ensured Gary Laurier received a death sentence.”

The twins had tears in their eyes. They had no idea about Maddox’s unconditional help. How had Iris misunderstood him? “I’m sorry, Mr. Forrester, we didn’t know. Iris wanted us to change our SIM cards and avoid all interactions with Mr. Laurier. We believed her blindly.” Isaac gave him a guilty look.

Declan frowned at the information. “So you have met Iris. Can you tell me where she is? Maddox had been looking for her when the accident happened. It has been two years, and only Iris can revive him. We have very little time on hand. I want to find Iris before the doctors give up on him.” He almost pleaded with them for the sake of his best friend.

“But we promised Iris not to give her away.” Isaac glanced at his twin for help.

Declan gave the duo an agitated look. “Don’t you want her to reunite with Maddox? Don’t you want her to be happily married to him? It doesn’t matter if you break a promise for her welfare. She was pregnant when she fled. If she has given birth, then I think you need to consider the child’s future as well.”

Ivan nodded and turned to face his brother. “Mr. Forrester is right, bro. I can’t see Iris struggle so much. It’s killing her, but she won’t accept help. But we will help her.”

He turned to Declan. “Iris fled to Alpine Farms in Portola Valley that night. A BMW was stalking her, and the man was armed. He would have killed her if she hadn’t taken shelter at the farm that night. Now she lives there with her daughter, working on the farm for a living. We tried to convince her to move in here and take up a job. But she claims to be happy there. Only we know the truth. I’d be happy if she unites with Mr. Laurier.”

Declan nodded. “It’s the same man who caused Maddox’s accident. He’s Everett Drexel, Evangeline Laurier’s brother. The police have captured him. Now he’s serving a life sentence as well.”

Declan’s phone buzzed with a call from the hospital, and he gave them a frantic look. “It’s from the hospital.” He walked away to take the call.

“Mr. Forrester?” said a female voice from the other end.

“Yes?” Declan frowned with worry. Why were they calling him? Had something untoward happened to Maddox? “Is anything wrong?”

“No, Mr. Forrester. I’m calling from O’Connor General Hospital. Your patient, Maddox Laurier, has shown some improvement. The doctor wishes to discuss the new treatment plan with you. We need your signature to start the new treatment. How soon can you come over to the hospital?”

Declan’s heart pounded with excitement. Hope swelled within him. He had to rush right away. There was no time to go to Alpine Farms in search of Iris.

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” He disconnected the call and jogged back to the twins. “That was an urgent call from the hospital. I must reach in fifteen minutes. Please, can you inform Iris about my visit? Ask her to come over to O’Connor General Hospital right away.”

“Yes, Mr. Forrester. We’ll ensure Iris goes there.”

Declan left in a rush while the twins tried calling Iris. Strangely, she didn’t accept their calls this time.

“What’s wrong with her? Why can’t she take our calls?” swore Ivan in frustration.

Isaac groaned as the call buzzed and got disconnected for the tenth time. “Maybe she’s thinking we’re calling her for the trip to Lake Tahoe.”

“Damn! What do we do? We’ve already taken leave for this trip. I don’t think we can go to Alpine Farms now. How will we inform Iris?” Ivan was at his wits’ end now.

“I’ll leave a message for her.” Isaac typed a message and sent it to Iris. “Hell, she isn’t even online.”

Ivan grunted with annoyance. “I’m leaving for Alpine Farms right away. I don’t care if I lose my internship. We can get another elsewhere. But if anything happens to Mr. Laurier, Iris will regret it all her life. Esme will never see her father, and we can’t afford that.”

“I’m coming along, bro. This is more important than anything else in the world.”

They left for Alpine Farms immediately, but when they reached the place, there was no sign of Iris. “A gentleman arrived and took them away with him,” informed a farmhand.

Isaac turned towards his brother. “Did Mr. Forrester pick her up on his way back?”

Ivan shrugged. “I think so.”

They returned to their jobs feeling relieved that Iris had finally united with Maddox.

They had no idea that it wasn’t Declan who had visited her. Instead, it was Derek Morris who had come down to visit Iris. He liked Esme so much that he took them home to his wife.

Iris was glad to escape her brothers for a few days. She wouldn’t go to Lake Tahoe with them. She switched off her phone, disturbed by their never-ending calls.