Deathbed Confessions

Deathbed Confessions
NICOLE
I'm at the penthouse, and it's about two in the morning. I can't sleep. 
Mason was here to keep me company, but then he received a phone call and told me he had to go. I didn't ask him who had called him. I assumed it was Haley. 
And the reason why I didn't ask is that I knew I'd only end up arguing with him. I'm upset now that the sadness has faded away. I'm angry with how things turned out. It's all so unfair that I can't think straight. 
I would've said the wrong thing for sure. 
Some time at around half past two, my phone starts ringing. This pulls me out of my thoughts, and I wander around the penthouse to find it. 
It's on the kitchen island. I forgot I even put it there. I find it strange that an unknown number is calling me at this time, but I'm also curious to find out who it could be. 
So, I swipe my thumb across the screen and press the phone to my ear. "Hello?"
"Nicole?"
I recognize the voice right away. "Sandra?"
"I'm sorry to be calling you at this time, but..." She starts sobbing, I think, and it's harder for me to make out what she's saying. "Daddy's sick."
"Sick? Angus? What do you mean?"
"He's been asking for you, Nicole. He says he has something important to say to you. We don't know if he'll make it through the night."
My eyes are wide as I listen to this, and I have a hand covering my mouth. 
Is this day even real? Did this even happen, or did I lose my mind the second I decided to have a chat with Esmeralda?
I take my car and drive to the hospital. It didn't cross my mind to tell Sandra that Angus could fuck right off with his sickness, and that I wished him nothing but the worst. 
I find Sandra seated in front of his room, and Amanda is right beside her. Sandra looks at me and even stands up when she sees me approaching. Amanda doesn't react at all to my presence. 
"Thank you for coming, Nicole," Sandra says, wrapping her arms around me. "I'm so glad to see you!"
"What happened to him?"
Her facial expression becomes more serious. "He's been poisoned."
I frown. "What?"
"We don't know what happened. It's still being investigated. I don't know why he called you here, Nicole. Maybe he wants to say something important to you."
"Is he dying?"
"We don't know yet. We're hopeful things will turn out okay."
I open the door of his room and find him awake, staring at the ceiling. He has an oxygen mask on, and there are beeping monitors all around him. 
When we make eye contact, I have the sudden urge to hit him with my bag even though he's sick and dying. I near the side of his bed and glare at him, remembering what Roman told me. 
"What have you done?" I demand in a low voice. 
Angus stares at me for several moments, then raises his hand to remove his oxygen mask so he can speak. "Calm yourself. I can explain what happened."
"Can you? Sebastian is dead!"
"It's a very unfortunate incident. But if you pay close attention to your surroundings, you'll realize that I'm also close to death."
"Did you kill him?"
"No, I did not."
I fold my arms. "I don't believe you, Angus. I don't know why, but I don't."
"You should. Because I know who killed him. Or rather, I highly suspect it."
"Who?"
"My son. Leo."
"Leonardo?"
Angus sighs and for a moment, I actually believe him. He looks devastated and disappointed. I'm having a hard time figuring out whether all of this is an act or not. "My own son poisoned me, too. I've made a mess of things. That's true. I've always spoiled my children, and now, this blew up right in my face."

I can't seem to wrap my head around what he's telling me. This genuinely feels like a made-up story at this point. "How do you know he did any of this? Do you have proof? Why haven't you told the authorities yet?"
"I can't do it," he claims. "I can't report my own son."
I stare at his face in disbelief. "Wait...Why would he want to kill Sebastian? What sense does that make? It would've been easier for you to do it!"
"Me? What reason did I have to kill that boy? I wanted you to leave that gutter rat you're married to and be with someone of a higher status! I had no intention of killing him!"
"Don't speak that way about my husband again," I warn him. "If you do, I'll walk away right this second! I don't see a connection between any of these facts. Why would your son want to kill Sebastian? Why did he even try to poison you?"
Angus looks at me for several seconds, then breathes out of his oxygen mask again before saying, "I suppose it had to do with you and the plan I had for you. Your marriage to Sebastian would have made you a very powerful person indeed, and you'd have more access to the company due to your connection to the Crowes. My guess is that he tried to get rid of both of us in one day."
"Sebastian said your name before he died," I claim. "You have to have something to do with this. You're not innocent, Angus."
He flashes me a thin smile. "I have to admire you for being observant, but the truth is I'm right. My relationship with my son hasn't been the same since I introduced you to the family. He resents me. I know it. He tried to kill me before the documents legitimizing you came out. That way, you'd get nothing upon my death, and there's a low chance you'd ever fight him in a court of law. Do you understand it now?"
I do. I have to admit that Angus isn't lying about any of this. It all adds up. Who knows why Sebastian said his name? Maybe he wanted Roman to look for Angus and get this explanation.
"Good," he says before I even say anything. "Now that we're in agreement, there's something else I have to say to you, something Sebastian and I both agreed upon."
"What is it this time?"
"Your ex," he claims. "The one who went to prison."
My heart beats faster. "What about him?"
"He's been set free," he claims. He breathes in more oxygen from the mask before adding, "Sebastian knew about the plan. He didn't agree with it. It was my idea."
I run a hand down my face and have to support my weight on the sides of the bed. "I knew it. I just knew it."
"It was supposed to be something controlled, and until now, it was, but unfortunately, Sebastian is now dead, and I don't know how long this poison will stay in my body."
"What was your intention exactly?" I ask, my anger barely controlled. 
"Well, he would've killed Roman. That was the plan. He'd do that, and we'd set him free. He'd leave the country. You'd be free to marry Sebastian. It would've all made sense, and we wouldn't be involved with it. I couldn't risk having someone kill Roman. The FBI is already on my case because of Garith."
I can't believe I'm hearing this. "You bas...you don't deserve to live!"
Angus smiles. "Careful what you wish for, Nicole. You might just get it."
I turn away from him because I can't stand to look at him. After several minutes of silence, I ask him, "Why are you telling me this exactly? What am I supposed to do with this? Go to the authorities?"
"Do what you can to keep yourself alive," he answers. "If I were in better shape, I'd help you. But now..."
I can't believe him. I just can't.
"You ruined my life, you know that?"
I start toward the door before he can answer. I say goodbye to Sandra and wish her all the best, then, I drive home. I have to tell Roman about this. I'll need his help to figure out what to do. 
In the morning, Sandra calls me again, this time to tell me that Angus has died. 
Crazy doesn't begin to cover it.