Chapter 47 THE NIGHT FREDERICK DIED.
47.
~KIMBERLY~
A soft gasp leaves my mouth at Rafael's admission, I'm terribly scared of how vulnerable he will be tonight as well, how he would have to exhume all the memories he spent years hiding.
"Rafael,I..."
"Please don't say anything, Kim. I don't think you should be there anymore too. Rowan will be there so..."
My shoulder slumps as I stare at him, his face isn't anything like the words he just said and It makes me wonder if Rafael is just scared or doesn't want me to know more about it.
"It's fine then." I mumble, the drive to the company is eerily silent, the only thing audible is the soft slow and low sound from his car stereo.
Getting there, Rowan was already outside the board room, leaning at the door.
"Hey." He waves at me with a small smile on his wave, his fingers tapping against the glass door.
"Hi, Rowan. It's been a while." I smiled, returning his shake which is quite awkward because Rafael was busy staring and ogling behind me.
His hand pressing against the small of my back possessively. Is he trying to pretend that we're happy couples to his best friend again or is this a mechanism to distract himself from what he's going to face in the next minute?
"Yeah, are you ready, Rafael?" He asks, turning to Rafael directly.
I crane my head up to catch a glimpse of his face but he's busy staring into non-existent.
"Sure."
"Kim, let's go then."Rowan urges me, ushering me in the room but I shake my head.
"I think I'll pass this time around, maybe next time."
"Bullshit, come on." He tilts his head persuasively.
I remove Rafael's hand from my waist and turn to him to give me a go ahead but his expression is still plain as ever until he speaks up.
"Rowan, I..."
"You're so full of bullshit, you know I will definitely be on the other side and won't be able to rein down the question, It's important to have someone beside you."
"Sure." He finally rasps out, linking his hand to my waist again and we both walk in, after Rowan though.
The lawyers are already seated, the one who seems like their boss is sitting in the middle of the five chairs at the other end of the room with two junior lawyers flanked beside him on both sides.
They all rise on their seats on our arrival, bowing in respect but Rafael's hand only tightens on my waist, almost hurting me in the process because he needs all the support he can get.
Rowan takes the chair at the end of the long glass table while Rafael and I occupy the seat in front of the five lawyers.
"Declan will ask most of the necessary questions and you have to answer everything with sincerity so we can know what to expect from the opposing counsel's lawyer and how to answer them." Rafael nods simply and stares down at his hands under the table.
But as Declan starts to flip the papers, he raises up his head and snaps his fingers at him.
"Give the associate lawyer beside you, I'd rather have her grill me."
Declan's eyebrows jut together in a frown and turns to Rowan but he only gives him a nod to accentuate his order.
The paper is passed to the female lawyer sitting beside him, she gulps nervously and rearranges the camera to face Rafael.
"When did you have your first depression diagnosis?" She shoots, going straight to the point not asking the basis which almost makes him freeze.
"I think it was over ten years ago."
"What pushed you to have the diagnosis? Have you been having the signs and..."
"Yeah, I knew I had it, because my mom had a severe clinical depression and I saw some of the signs in her in me, so...." Rafael trails off, his jaw in his hand which is rested on the arm of the chair.
"Was it prior to her death that you realize the signs you saw in her pertain to your assumptions about you inheriting it from her?"
"Yes, right before her death, but I wasn't thinking much about it."
"Why didn't you think much about it?" The lady presses again, staring at him keenly.
She's such a tough cookie for an associate lawyer and Rafael is getting the brunt of it because of how his left hand is clenched tightly and the permanent scowl on his face.
"Have you ever had to take care of a depressed adult? Right from when you were barely four?" He throws back defensively.
"Rafael." Rowan calls, making him turn to him, Rowan shakes his head at him, Rafael scoffs and relaxes back on his chair.
"I was so deep in responsibilities that were never mine to take, I didn't even have the luxury to have four hours of sleep everyday, there was no time for me to go to the hospital and get my head checked." He answers in a more calm tone this time around.
"How did she die? Was it..."
"Why the fuck are we talking about her death? Is that even related to the case?" He growls, kicking the chair off his butts immediately.
The lady quickly clamps the camera shut and Declan collects it from her.
"Rafael." I call from his side, daring to place my hand on his back.
"Are you that curious to know how messed up your boss is? The thought must have kept you awake in the fucking night." He adds, referring to Declan who was busy assessing him with his eyes, not saying a word which only aggravates him more.
"Why the hell are you getting defensive, huh?" Rowan lashes out, throwing the papers in front of him angrily as well.
"Because I don't want to talk about it, why should I tell the whole world how my mother died?"
"Did you think your depression has ever affected any of the decisions you made?" The associate lawyer in charge of probing earlier suddenly asks in a pitched tone.
The boardroom suddenly turns silent, her audacity shut the words back into our mouths, including Rafael who was gaping at her, a disbelieving look on his face.
"You're fucking fired."
"The hell you're not." Rowan shoots back at him, not sparing the lawyer in question at a glance, the two men glare at themselves defiantly.
Rafael was right, I shouldn't have come here, I can't just bear being present here to watch Rafael actually go through this gruelling moment. I thought he would break into sobs and cry in the presence of his lawyers but no, this is so much worse than it. Because he's doing everything not to trash right now, and that will confirm the fears his lawyers are nursing concerning him.
"I'm still not saying anything about her, Rowan, I don't..."
"Then you might as well tell me why Eliana came to visit you earlier this morning." Rowan cut him off, his voice gaining steam.
Rafael shrinks back immediately, a befuddled expression on his face but that's not what is nipping my bud right now, the fact that Eliana came to his office this morning makes me restless, because why?
Or did she know the actual event that went down the night Frederick died?