Chapter 93 Apologize For Him

Chapter 93 Apologize For Him
EILEEN POV:

“Do you have time to come with me?”

Dan smiled. “I am not straying from your side from now on,” he swore. 

My eyes widened and belatedly, I realized that he too felt guilty for being absent. 

“And what about Samantha?” I questioned. 

“I found a good team for her. Reliable men that will keep her safe and her life private. I don’t need to be around any longer.”

I doubted Samantha wanted to keep him around for that. Of course, the people Dan found were amazing, but she wanted to spend time with him. 

“Arthur will hopefully be in jail and I won’t need you around all the time. Don’t blame yourself for doing your job, Dan. You are our friend, too. I want you to have a life of your own… a life that doesn’t just revolve around your work.”

His brows furrowed. “We will see about that.”

I shook my head because I knew he didn’t consider his work for Dominic and the family as that. In a way, it was great to be protected by the proverbial older brother, but on the other, I found my heart ache for the efforts of each person around us. 

They walked on eggshells, trying to shield us from pain and the world. And they had so little for themselves left. Dan was one of them. And I hoped he would take my advice to heart. I doubted he would, but I could plan something later to make sure he saw the light. 

Right then, though, I was more concerned about meeting Arthur’s parents. 

.

The hospital had graciously provided us with an examination room for us. Two cops stood in the corner, glancing between the elderly couple and us. They didn’t want a conflict between the victim and the assailant’s family, but they also needed to make sure these people weren’t aiding or abetting in the crime. 

“Can we talk in private?” Arthur’s father spoke. 

I had no interest in finding out their names. I recognized them from pictures that Arthur had shown me, but I had long forgotten their names. In my head, they were just his parents, unimportant figures associated with a man I had long since considered dead.

I glanced at the cops. “It’s alright,” I told them. 

They showed some hesitation but Dan gave them a curt nod. “I will be here,” he said firmly. 

Another moment passed and after some thought, the cops left the room. The door, though, was left slightly ajar in case of emergencies.

“And him?” his mother pointed out, staring at Dan with a hint of fear. 

I considered him an overgrown teddy bear, but to a stranger (especially one that posed any danger), he probably looked like a giant that could crush them. 

“He is family,” I announced. 

I felt Dan’s eyes on me but chose to focus on the elderly couple. 

“What is it that you’d like to discuss?” I asked after a beat. 

His father cleared his throat. “I don’t know where to start…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I must apologize for what my son has put you through. I didn’t raise him to be a criminal… I’m sorry.”

My heart softened. “You don’t have to apologize for him.”

He nodded in understanding. His mother’s eyes lit up. “Can you find it in your heart to forgive him?”

My brows furrowed. I had accepted many things, but for her to jump into it so quickly… 

I didn’t want to apologize for what I was going to say. “Would you forgive someone who almost killed your son and sibling?” I wondered. 

She gritted her teeth. “He was simply trying to open communication–”

“Is that what he said?” I wondered. I felt Dan’s hand on my shoulder and my shoulders relaxed.

His father cleared his throat. “We were caught by surprise when the cops turned up on our footsteps and told us he was in the hospital,” he began explaining. “Only when we saw the cops and the handcuffs did we realize he had done something wrong. We aren’t sure what it is, but… killing?” He shook his head in disbelief.

I pressed my lips together.

“I refuse to believe you had no idea,” I stated. “When the debt collectors showed up at your doorstep, you should have known he was up to no good. The stink of weed… him using your money. What did you think he was doing?”

They must have known but turned a blind eye. He was a good student in school, and they probably thought he could do no wrong. But when their son fell off, they found it difficult to believe… they wanted to forget their disappointment.

“I thought he–” Arthur’s dad shook his head. “I understand that he wronged you, but…”

I arched my brow. “Do you know?”

“Yes, he shouldn’t have abandoned you when you were pregnant. But he has every right to seek out his daughter!” His mother protested.

I raised my hand to stop her. “Correction: He decided getting drugged out and having an orgy was more important than taking care of his pregnant girlfriend. I was too foolish to believe his nonsense about condoms, I admit, but I fully wanted this pregnancy.” 

“He didn’t. I broke up with him and allowed him the life he wanted. He had every opportunity in the past two years to contact me and offer to see my daughter or help raise her. He did not.”

“So, you want money?” she asked, her lips curling over her teeth.

I sighed and glanced at his father. He seemed to be the more reasonable one, but he did nothing to rein his wife in. “If I wanted money, I could have found you two and demanded it long ago. Why would I have dropped all my classes, worked several jobs, and fought to pay my bills if I just wanted money?” 

I felt disgusted by the insinuation alone. 

“But your son… He definitely wanted the money. The moment he realized I had money and a better life, he came back to suck me dry.”