Maxwell met Reyona having a video call with her parents.
Their worried voices and Gladys' sobs cut through Maxwell deeply.
In a way, he was responsible for causing them pain again.
He stood aside as he watched her reassure them over and over again.
Apparently, Celia had stopped the calls after seeing Toria's reaction.
Reyona was the one who called them to tell them before they could see the news.
She looked at him and inclined her head so he would come closer.
Yet, Maxwell couldn't face her parents at that moment without feeling ashamed, so he shook his head and stayed where he was.
Reyona told her parents again that they didn't need to come over.
Then she promised them to take better care of herself, after which she disconnected the call.
"Hello, stranger." She said wearily as she gave him a curious look.
He came closer and gingerly kissed her forehead. "How are you doing?"
"Better," she smiled and added as she patted the space beside her on the bed, "I ate something."
"Oh? That is wonderful news. What did you have?"
"You know, just gravy and mixed fruit. Celia got it for me."
"She is an angel," Maxwell said, then looked around. "Where is she?"
"Checking in with the nanny," Reyona said while giving him a keen look.
When he only nodded and said, "Oh, Mira must be missing them so much."
"She must," Reyona answered automatically. Then, "Are you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Maxwell asked as he looked back at her.
She only gave him a look, and he ran his hands through his hair.
Then he saw that her legs were outside her duvet. "Here, let's get you tucked in. It's beginning to get chilly."
"Maxwell" Reyona called him in a warning.
"Okay, okay. Please, don't agitate yourself." He said as he looked at her bandaged body, which made the hospital gown she had changed into slightly bulky at the sides.
She nodded and looked at him in expectation.
Maxwell stood up and walked towards the window as he said "I don't know if I should tell you this now. I don't want you to worry when you should be concentrating on recovering."
"Now you are getting me worried," Reyona said impatiently.
"He is not Allysyn's father," he stated simply.
"Who is not…oh my god" Reyona's eyes widened as she raised her hand towards her mouth, then winced suddenly in pain.
Maxwell rushed to her side and said "You see? That is why I do not want to tell you."
"No, I am fine." She said urgently.
"What happened? How did you know?"
******
A FEW MINUTES EARLIER
"It…has to be… Maze"
"Has to be?" Maxwell asked urgently.
Shaking badly, Susan's eyes rolled back in her head as she tried to turn to her side again, but the restraints on her hands stopped her. "P…please, you said you would…"
"You have not answered my question. Why did you say 'have to'? Who the fuck is Maze?!"
"He…he is my mutual friend. He helps me…with things. Please, help me," she said desperately. "I think I am going to die." she cried pitifully.
"No, you are not," Maxwell said as he got closer to the bed when she turned her face away from him, and he felt like she might stop talking.
There was a pause filled with the disturbing sounds she was making in her throat.
"Susan!" Maxwell called to snap her out of whatever d**g-induced hole she might have fallen into.
"Mr Rohan, please." the doctor's voice came from outside the door again.
Her head jerked back to his, and she stammered out "I already told you. It has to be Maze!"
"Why did you say you helped Thomas? Why…" Maxwell stopped and ran his hand through his hair to calm himself. "Okay, when you said it had to be Maze, does that mean there are others apart from Maze?"
The look on her face was enough answer for Maxwell, then she stubbornly repeated the "It has to be Maze" mantra again.
"How do I get to Maze? His number? His address?"
"You said you would give me…"
Maxwell smashed his hand against the bed rail in sudden fury as he grabbed it tightly to prevent himself from throttling her in anger.
With his face close to hers, he said "Now look here, if you waste one more minute of my time and I have to leave here without the full details, not only will you not get any of this shit you are killing yourself with, I will make sure you rot in jail for the rest of your life and believe me when I say I can make it very painful for you. Now, how the fuck do I find this Maze?!"
With tears trickling out of her eyes, she told him. Then added, "He once spoke of leaving for New York."
Maxwell swore as he stalked towards the door, "You had better hope he had not!"
"You s…said you would give…"
With his hand on the knob, Maxwell looked at her in disgust and said "Well, I lied. Also, I meant it when I said you are no longer family. You will not go to jail with my family name. I promise you that."
"Sir, this is the medical director. I need you to unlock this door and come out right now, or I will be forced to take laws into my…"
Maxwell unlocked the knob and the automatic mechanism sprang into action.
He opened the door to see many doctors and nurses on the other side.
The medical director was in the middle with a stern look on his face.
When he saw Maxwell step out, he was shocked and his look immediately changed to respect. "President Rohan, I…"
"Hi, you need to change your doors," Maxwell said as they parted ways with him.
"Yes, yes, yes, sir." the man was saying behind him as the doctor and nurses tending to Susan rushed in.
Susan's screams followed Maxwell down the hall as he quickly put his men on the task of getting Maze and hauling his ass down to Light and Life so they could check his match.
After sending his address to them, he dialled the number Susan gave him.
A grumpy voice on the other end picked up the call with "What?!"
"Maze?!"
"What do you want?!"
Maxwell set things in place and anxiously waited for his men to get back to him.
One thing was certain. Maze was still very much in Kayooma.
Good.
That was when he decided to check on Reyona again.
**********
"That is, that is just so… I don't know what to say." Reyona, with emotions clouding her voice.
"Say about what?" Celia asked as she went inside.
Reyona looked towards her and saw Andrew come up to the door too. "Allysyn is not Thomas's daughter.
"What?!" shouted a voice Reyona was not expecting to hear.
Thomas gaped in shock behind Andrew.