It didn't take long for Reyona and the others to realise that the kids had heard right after all.
Reyona's mother-in-law and her granddaughter had died most bizarrely.
Even though Reyona couldn't remember the young girl, she was still pained that a life that young was cut short by sickness.
Despite having a feeling that Ruth had a hand in her son's deception, Reyona couldn't help but feel grief about the death of the woman she was once close to.
Reyona's parents were not staying in Kayooma.
They both are based far from the city with their families.
Reyona had chosen Kayooma for her business and had eventually settled down there with Thomas, so most of the time, Ruth had been the maternal figure she had had around.
They used to be so close before things cooled between them.
Now that Reyona thinks back on it, Ruth was the one who stopped their once-in-two-week get-together.
She had stopped showing up and continuously giving excuses until Reyona started getting more busy at work, and the whole thing was scrapped.
The little thought that she had not given much attention to back then about the sudden distance between them about three years ago came back to Reyona as she looked at the home she had always come to.
She was sure Ruth's sudden change of behaviour had something to do with her son's deception.
All that didn't matter at the moment.
What mattered was that Ruth would never welcome her into that home again.
What more? The neighbour had anxiously told her that they had not been able to reach Thomas.
Reyona informed the woman too that they have not been able to get in touch with her.
Mary asked one of the neighbours to take the kids to her place to get them food.
Allysyn was very reluctant to leave, and she only followed the woman after Reyona promised her that she would get her father to come.
A promise she had no idea how to fulfill since his phone was not going through.
Maxwell asked Mary's husband about the details of the hospital, and the latter gave him a card that a doctor had given them.
By the time they were leaving, Reyona's heart was weighty with grief.
At first, she thought of going to the hospital, but since the old man had been so sure and was certain that the two were dead, Reyona saw no need to go again.
What was left was to get her ex-husband to come and claim the bodies.
Mary and her husband pleaded with them to get Thomas to come home to do the needful.
Though she could see the expression on Toria's face, she promised the woman that she would do her best.
She was tempted to see the children again before she left, but since she had nothing positive to tell them, she only implored Mary to take good care of them.
She did not have a new phone yet, so she gave the woman Toria's number to reach out to her if she had anything to say to her.
Or if Thomas came home before they could find him.
She also collected Mary's and her husband's numbers.
With that, they left the place behind.
Reyona was silent on the way back to Maxwell's mansion.
She could see that Toria and Maxwell exchanged glances, but she paid them no attention.
She was busy putting two and two together.
Carlisle and Gladys met them at the door, but Reyona didn't respond to their questions or concerned comments.
She declined any help and wheeled herself to the living room, where she turned and faced them, as they had been following her.
"What else have you all been keeping from me?" she asked tonelessly.
"What? What do you mean? What happened?" Gladys anxiously asked Reyona.
"That is what I want to know," Reyona simply answered.
"We are not keeping anything from you," Carlisle answered honestly.
"Is that so?" Reyona asked as she turned to look at Toria, then Maxwell.
Toria looked back at her with a poorly concealed guilty expression, while Maxwell gazed passively back at her.
"Toria?" Reyona's parents chorused when they saw Toria's expression.
"I promise I did it for your good, Reyona. I didn't want you to make rash decisions because of that. Maxwell is a good person. You were even getting to be friends before the accident happened," Toria blurted out anxiously.
"What are you talking about?" Gladys asked in confusion.
"What is she talking about?" Carlisle asked with his eyes on Maxwell since Toria had clammed up again with her hand over her face.
Maxwell didn't bother to bullsh*t the stern-looking man.
So he said, "The woman Thomas had an affair with is my stepsister."
"What?!" Gladys exclaimed in shock.
Maxwell continued what he was saying. To Reyona, he said, "You are right. I know those kids."
"Because they belong to your sister," Reyona stated calmly.
"She is my stepsister," Maxwell repeated.
"Yes, I am sure that makes a whole lot of difference," Reyona said.
Then she turned to her dad. "Take me out of here, please."
"But Rey…"
"How could you, Toria?" Reyona interrupted her sister. "You knew who he was, yet you let me stay a moment near him?
"And you kept it away from us too," Gladys added.
"That was my fault," Maxwell said, taking the blame.
Toria looked at him as she was about to talk but he shook his head slightly as he turned towards Reyona's parents. "I am sorry, Mr. Dexter and Mrs. Rouarke. This was all my fault. I shouldn't have deceived you like that," he said.
"Easy to say after the deed had been done," Gladys said in anger as she turned and headed towards the suite which was given to them.
To Reyona, he repeated. "I am sorry and understand your stance, but your health is the priority now. I can leave if you want me to but you need round-the-clock care. You can get that here. I will leave, but please stay."
"Stay and wait until your sister comes around so we can share notes," Reyona responded caustily.
He was about to say something, but she cut him off as she said it in a frosty tone. "Thank you, Mr. Rohan, but we will be leaving now. Please calculate everything you have had to spend since the incident, and I will make sure you get everything paid to you in full."
"Payment? Do you think I did this to get a payback of sorts? I did this for…"
"To make a laughing stock out of my daughter? Is that what this is all about? Imagine what the world would say if they knew that she was staying in the home of the brother of the person who wrecked her home. Is that your goal here? Something for you and your sister to laugh about? We will pay you in full, as she had said. Your doctors and every other arrangement you made under the guise of friendship would no longer be needed as well. We will take it from here."
With that, Carlisle grabbed hold of Reyona's wheelchair just as Gladys came back with their things.
Toria moved closer to collect one of the bags from her as he asked, "Should I get Rey's things too?"
"None of those things in there came here with me. Mr Rohan got them all for me. I believe I have enjoyed enough of his generosity" she said.
To Maxwell, she added "Please have them burnt and add them to my expenses. I will be expecting that calculation"
Maxwell said nothing as her father wheeled her out of the mansion.
Toria looked back apologetically at him, but his eyes were only on one person.
The woman, who sat ramrod straight in the wheelchair as her family followed her like a band of protection.
She didn't look back for once.
Maxwell stood still as he heard the car start, and soon it wound its way down the path.
Away from him.
Maxwell's attention was pricked when he heard the sound of the wheelchair.
His heart leapt as he somehow imagined that she had changed her mind, but his face darkened when he saw the nurse come in with the wheelchair.
Did she leave without it?
She wouldn't even take that much from him? Maxwell thought in unbidden anger.
"Toss it out," he said to the woman.
The house manager stood a few paces from him as if awaiting his order.
"Clear out the room," Maxwell said simply.
The man did not need an explanation to know which room his master was talking about.
After all, only one room had received special attention in the past few weeks.