69__Crossroads

Amelia’s hands were trembling, her eyes wide as she held the tablet in her hands, watching the video.

It was her mum.

The pain of having lost both her parents unexpectedly struck her all over again and she bit her lip, holding back the tears.

In the video, her mother was looking through some folders and writing stuff down as she worked outside the storage room of her lab.

A few moments later, she looked up and started speaking, likely looking at someone who stood out of the camera view. It wasn’t long before the person appeared on the screen and Amelia couldn’t say she was surprised. John Aryan’s appearance didn’t hint at any malicious intent, he spoke calmly to her mother and they moved towards the storage room.

It was when they got near the door where she began showing him something in a notebook that things took a turn. They exchanged muted words and it quickly became clear that they were shouting. Her mother’s expression was tense, her arms stiff at her sides as she repeatedly shook her head at John Aryan’s words, flinching away from the finger he was pointing directly at her face.

Suddenly, they broke apart, looking to the side at something. Seconds later, a group of employees, four women and two men, appeared on the screen, greeting both John Aryan and Amelia’s mother as they made their way into the storage room.

Once the group was out of earshot, he seemed to continue the argument at a lower volume, but Professor Parker continuously glanced fearfully at the colleagues behind her, like she was afraid they would hear.

What was it they were discussing so secretly? Amelia desperately wanted to know. What could her sweet mum possibly have to do with a man like Arthur John Aryan?

Suddenly, her mum turned away, flicking her hand as she anxiously dismissed Marc’s father.

She rushed into the storage room where her colleagues were, leaving Arthur out in the lab.

When he turned around to march away and Amelia got a look at his expression, the first thing she saw was the sheer fury on the man’s face. With bunched fists and a clearly flushed face, he stalked away.

Moments went by and, clearly snipped to save time, the video glitched to five minutes later.

Amelia watched in horror as Arthur came rushing back in and, grabbing the faulty storage room door, he pushed it closed and turned the vault wheel, locking it into place.

Gasping, Amelia covered her mouth with a pale hand, eyes watering as she stared.

Through the glass on the door, she saw everyone inside rush to the door, faces peering through the glass and knuckles knocking to get Arthur attention.

Among those faces, her mother’s face was pale with horror, staring directly at Arthur.

Like he didn’t see all those people clambering against the door, the monster that was John Aryan, stepped away and then turned, fleeing the laboratory.

Tears were streaming down Amelia’s face, her heart aching as she witnessed her mother’s last moments.

The video glitched again and the time skipped to ten minutes later.

Going still with total disbelief, Amelia watched someone else walk into the lab.

With a stack of documents in his hands, Marc Aryan appeared.

A short exhale puffed out of Amelia’s mouth, dread filling her heart until she could nearly taste its bitterness on her tongue. Marc? Why was Marc here?!

Her eyes snapped to the storage room door and saw only one person there. Where had the others gone?

Alone, her mother stood behind the door. Her skin had gone so pale, it looked yellow, her body clearly weakening as she leaned against the door.

Pulling a pen out of the pocket of his lab coat, Marc signed a document and then turned, walking away.

He stopped, spotting Professor Parker in the storage room.

Amelia watched closely, her eyes wide and her throat dry.

Weakly, her mother raised a hand.

Marc was still for a moment and then, continuing his departure with slow steps, raised his own hand and waved.

Amelia’s hope shattered. She’d known what would happen, why had she hoped? What had she thought she would’ve seen? He’d waved! He hadn’t gone running to help, he hadn’t asked if there was a problem, he hadn’t saved her mother to undo the horrid past Amelia carried around with her.

He’d waved.

She watched him walk out of the camera’s view and felt her heart crash as her mother disappeared from the thick glass square in the door.

Her fingers were trembling, tears filling and streaming out of her eyes faster. The tablet was lifted out of her hands and she buried her face against her palms, quietly crying.

Marc had practically watched her mother die. Why hadn't he told her?

The gruesome turn this entire thing had just taken had her battling nausea, trying hard to remain in control of herself.

Thomas stood quietly beside her, silently wanting to offer his support. He hadn’t let her see the parts where her mother had been pounding both hands against the glass and screaming. The parts when the toxic gases had first leaked out.

Nobody knew how it happened since the footage from both the camera outside the storage room and the camera inside the storage room had gone missing.

Judging by how they found most of the other employees dead under a narrow vent in one corner of the room, the authorities had assumed they had been trying to climb up to get out of the storage room. Unfortunately, they’d failed.

With a sigh, Thomas reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. It hurt to see her in pain, especially after everything she’d been through. Their poor Thea. Her entire life must’ve been one constant battle.

“I’m sorry, Amelia,” he said quietly. “I had to let you know.”

Raising her reddened face, she nodded, sniffling as she wiped her nose. “No, yeah, I… I get it…”

The doorbell rang.

"I'll be right back." Thomas walked toward the front parlour, hoping it was Belinda so he could give her a piece of his mind.

The door started shaking with the pounding of a fist.

“Hang on!” Thomas called.

He pulled the door open and jumped away as Marc marched past him.

“Where’s my wife?”

Thomas shut the door, hurrying after him. “She isn’t in a good state right now—”

Marc spun around to face him, a sharp warning narrowing his eyes. “That’s my wife, Thomas. You stay out of this.”

“She’s my sister!”

Marc paused, staring at him.

Thomas nodded. “Yeah. She’s my sister and, although she might not know it, that makes her wellbeing my business.”

Glaring darkly at him, Marc dismissed him altogether, turning and walking away into the house.

He found Amelia in the living room, standing at the centre as she watched him approach.

“Amelia. God…”

He walked directly to her, wrapping her in his arms. His hug was just as warm and affectionate as she’d gotten used to.

“You promised me you wouldn’t leave the house,” he whispered. Pulling away, he reached up to brush away wayward strands of her brown hair. “Are you okay?”

Her face was red around her lips, cheeks and nose, the redness around her eyes being the worst of all. He could see, she’d been dealing her with her pain all alone and that made him feel sick.

“Marc…”

“Yes? Yes, darling, I’m here.”

She swallowed hard, slowly shaking her head. “Y-you never told me about… about my mother’s death.”

He stared at her. Slowly, his body stiffened, his throat constricting until breathing was difficult. “Your mother’s… death?”

“Yes.” She nodded, more tears spilling out. “Was that why you quit your job at Aryan Gold? Was that why you moved to an entirely different country for nearly seven years? Because you witnessed the murder?”

Going pale, he stood and listened to her in tense silence. He slowly pulled his hands away from her, stepping back.

“Was it to run away from the right thing to do or was it to protect your killer of a father?”

Her voice was so calm and quiet, but her eyes… Marc had never seen such a uncontrollable storm of emotions clash about in her eyes before.

Like an immediate reaction, his gaze dipped, breaking their eye contact.

That was the blade that snapped her control. “Oh. You’re looking away? You’re protecting yourself from my emotions when I’m the one who has to feel every painful bit of it?! No. You’re going to look at me!”

His gaze remained lowered.

“Look at me, Marc Aryan!”

The sharp anger in those words cut at him and made him raise his eyes.

Meeting her gaze was too painful, it made him feel like his entire mind was crumbling under the hurt, accusation and resentment she was currently displaying. But he deserved it, so he continued staring into her eyes.

“Did you know?” Amelia questioned. “Firstly, did you know that my parents aren’t my birth parents? Did you know that your father killed my mother? Did you know that Vincent Harris is my biological father? And… and, all this time, whilst we were together… did you know that you’d witnessed my mother’s last moments?”

Thomas, in the doorway, listened in shock. Amelia knew about them! About her real family. He rushed away upstairs to inform his father.

Swallowing hard, Marc forced himself to continue looking at Amelia. Lowering his gaze angered her and he didn’t want to hurt her any further.

Her eyes grew more desperate with each question. She didn’t want him to have known, Marc realized. She wanted to be able to defend him and his condition as she’d done ever since she read his treatment records. A deep crack tore through his heart. He couldn’t even give her that. He couldn’t give her the person she wanted to believe he was. He could only show her what he truly was and hope she wouldn’t be too horrified.

“I’m sorry.”

She frowned. “That’s not what I asked you.”

“I knew.”

The unexpected answer cracked her expression with a sharp bolt of shock.

Marc couldn’t do it. Unable to withstand the haunting blends of betrayal and heartache on her face, he lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Vincent. I knew about that since you we got married. But I didn’t know that Professor Parker was your mother, otherwise… otherwise I would’ve never approached you. I would’ve never married you.”

“Why? Because the risk of your father’s crimes being exposed would grow exponentially?”

“No, because… because I shouldn’t. You were hurt a-and I was there when she was dying so, me marrying you would be cruel. To you, not to me! What I mean is…” He trailed off, frowning as he searched for the right words to express himself. “It wasn’t to protect my father. I mean, it wouldn’t have been to protect him, if I hadn’t married you. I…” Shutting his eyes in frustration, he released a heavy breath. “I’m sorry, Amelia.”

She looked tired now, the fight draining out of her. “Save it.”

The two words were, again, spoken calmly, but held such a deep tone of surrender and resentment that Marc couldn’t help the jolt of panic they pierced into his heart. She was slipping away from him and with every word they spoke, things got more irreparable.

Afraid he would make it worse, but needing to know, he hesitantly asked, “Was that… the real reason why you married me? To gather evidence for your mum’s death?”

Amelia stared at him. “Yes.”

He nodded, processing it as best as he could. He had no right to be angry or upset about it. It wasn’t like she’d been marrying him for real, she’d been doing it because he’d offered her a damn contract. So, his feelings were irrational, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help the twist of pain he felt at her easy admission.

“Well…” Raising his gaze, he looked somewhere over her head. “Do you want me gone, Amelia?”

She stared at him for a moment longer and he waited in desperate silence.

She reached up and wiped the tears dripping off her chin.

“Yes.”

Marc was slowly nodding, trying to calm himself down with the repetitive action. “Okay. Okay, I’ll… I’ll go. I’ll uhm…” The words weren’t making it out of his mouth. This was a disaster. “I’ll go home now. Thank you, Dr Parker. My deepest apologies for getting you tangled in matters that did you more harm than good. I hope—”

He was rambling. Zipping his mouth shut before he could pour out any more unnecessary garbage, he awkwardly turned around and walked away towards the front door.

Amelia watched him go with blurring eyes. There was a nearly physical pain in her limbs from standing still when they wanted to jerk into motion and run after him.

Clenching her jaw, she stayed put. This bitter part of it all would be her punishment for falling in love with the son of her parents’ killer.