"How dare you speak to him like that?" Jonah's mother scolded.
Jonah bit his lower lip and sighed, "so you are really going to side with him huh?"
Jonah's mother paused looking at him in silence.
"Jonah let us leave." Elliot told him. "It is clear we are not welcomed here." Elliot added.
Jonah looked at his parents tears brimming at his eyes. He turned and left through the front door. Elliot turned to look at his parents with gritted teeth.
"I can not believe a parent would treat their child this way. Your son is dying and you can not even show any concern towards him. You are blinded by your own morality." Elliot scathed.
Jonah's fathers face crumpled, "what do you mean Jonah is dying?" He asked his voice soft.
"He has been diagnosed with leukemia, he has been on chemo." Elliot answered.
"When was this and why did he not tell me?" He asked.
"When you were in the hospital, Jonah did not want to bother you with such." Elliot said
"Oh my God." Jonah's father said the realization dawning on him.
Jonah's mother chuckled, "so you actually believe all this cock and bull?" She struggled to hold back her laugh.
"I can not believe you would cook this up, just to earn some sympathy from us." She said laughing.
"Susan!" Gregory exclaimed. "How heartless can you be?" He asked her.
"Oh please, do you actually believe this Gregory." She said still laughing.
"Susan!" Gregory's voice boomed, a raw mix of disbelief and anger. "How can you be so callous? Our son is ill, possibly dying, and you dismiss it as a lie?"
Susan scoffed, her laughter dying into a thin, dismissive sound. "Gregory, you have always been too gullible. These 'new' people and their dramatic tales. They will say anything for attention." She waved a hand, as if swatting away a fly.
"Attention?" Gregory's voice cracked. "He is our son, Susan! Our only son! And you treat him like a stranger. How could you?"
Elliot, still standing in the doorway, his face a mask of fury, spoke up. "You are a monster," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You do not deserve his love, nor his concern. I can not believe I wasted my breath trying to make you see sense."
"I never believed the day I would see such a heartless mother. Shame on you. You will regret this." Elliot told him.
Susan's eyes narrowed, a flicker of something close to fear crossing her face. "You! Get out of my house!" she screeched, pointing a trembling finger. "Get out, both of you! You are not welcome here!"
Elliot, his jaw tight, turned and walked out, his footsteps echoing in the sudden, heavy silence. The tension in the living room was thick, palpable. All eyes followed the empty space where Elliot and Jonah had stood moments before. They flinched as the door slammed loudly behind him. The distant hum of Elliot's car engine, fading into the city's noise, amplified the silence.
Susan, attempting to break the suffocating atmosphere, turned to Victor, her voice artificially bright. "Victor, dear, please, don't mind them. They are just upset. You know how these 'modern' relationships are, so dramatic." She tried to smile, but it looked strained, forced.
The air remained heavy, the silence broken only by the clinking of ice in Victor's glass. He set it down, the sound sharp and definitive. He glanced at his watch, a subtle movement that didn't escape Gregory's notice.
"Well," Victor said, his voice smooth and even, "it seems I must be going. I have another appointment." He rose, his movements graceful and controlled. "It has been enlightening."
He offered a polite, almost mocking, smile to Gregory, and a cool nod to Susan. "Thank you for your hospitality. I will be sure to check in on you both soon."
He walked to the door, his footsteps measured and silent. He paused at the threshold, turning back to Gregory. "Gregory," he said, his voice low, "about those medical advancements, I will look into it. Just let me know if you change your mind."
Then, he was gone, leaving the Hartfields in a strained silence. He slid into his car, the engine purring to life. The sun was setting, casting long, distorted shadows across the city streets as he drove. The vibrant colors of the twilight sky reflected in the polished surface of his car, a stark contrast to the darkness he carried within. He was headed to Central Park, where Lila waited, a loose end that needed to be tied, a complication that needed to be dealt with. Central Park, usually a haven of vibrant life, was serene. The golden hues of the setting sun scattered on the ground. Victor parked his car on a quiet street bordering the park, the engine's purr fading into the stillness. He stepped out, the cool evening air a stark contrast to the warmth of his car. He walked along a dimly lit path, the rustling of leaves under his polished shoes the only sound. He spotted Lila sitting on a bench, her silhouette a dark, hunched figure against the fading light. She looked tense, her shoulders rigid, her gaze fixed on the ground.
"Lila," Victor said, his voice smooth, devoid of any warmth.
She looked up, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and resentment. "Victor," she replied, her voice strained. "You are late."
"Time is a construct," Victor said, his tone dismissive. "Let us focus on the matter at hand. You seem agitated."
"Agitated?" Lila scoffed. "I'm terrified! Clara is closing in. I can feel it. She's asking questions, probing. She knows something."
Victor sat beside her, his posture relaxed, his gaze fixed on the darkening sky. "And what, exactly, has she discovered?"
"I don't know!" Lila exclaimed, her voice rising. "That's the problem!"
"You act like you are committing some grave crime." Victor told her.
"It is a grave crime. I am literally betraying my sister and my family." She said exasperated.
"Family has issues all the time. Your wrongs would definitely be forgiven." Victor said brushing her off.
"We can never tell Victor anything is possible." Lila said