chapter 301
Finn had been home with Elena and Vlad for a while. Damon still hadn’t returned since he’d left, and he hoped he wasn’t the type to do something stupid when he got angry. He understood perfectly how he felt. His mother had taken away their happiness, but she wasn’t even alive anymore, and he hoped she’d get over it. On his way to a new Orleans, he’d intended just to look for the woman of his life and go home, but here was the secret of thirty years or so that had been blown wide open. He wished his father were still alive so he could ask him why he’d kept their existence a secret.
-I hope this passes quickly. I thought we were entitled to happiness.
-and we are, Elena. I don’t know why you should be sad, my love. This is a story that concerns me and I wouldn’t want it to affect you, you hear that. You can go to bed now, I’ll join you after I’ve said good night to Vlad.
Elena nodded and left. She couldn’t help worrying that if the two brothers went to war, she didn’t know what would happen to her relationship with Olivia and Maggie, because if there was one thing she was sure of, it was that Maggie would side with Olivia because James would support his best friend Damon. If only she’d known, she’d never have flown to New Orleans and if she didn’t, she didn’t even know if the two brothers would ever even know they were brothers.
-You’re not asleep yet, champ?
-I thought we were on the right track to finally being happy and going home daddy. Are we going to be here much longer?
-No, don’t worry. I thought you liked it here.
-I do, but I think this town is full of too many secrets, like the fact that Olivia and Maggie are my mother’s best friends and they didn’t even know my mother had a child. I wonder if she was that bad.
-You mustn’t think about it Vlad. Whatever she did, life punished her and everything’s fine now. When I’ve sorted this out, we’ll go back to Russia, I promise. You should sleep now.
When he reached Elena’s room, she was already in bed. He changed and found her.
Three days later, Finn hadn’t heard from Damon. He couldn’t have cared less, but it was time for him to go back to Russia to take care of business, and to do that, he wanted to see Damon one last time so they could talk if he ever wanted to. He wasn’t going to force him if he didn’t want to. As he passed through the door into the hall, it was Olivia who greeted him.
-Mr. Martinov, welcome.
-I don’t know, but I wouldn’t mind if you stopped this formality, please. Is Damon in?
-In his office. I’ll show you the way.
He wished they’d talked outside, but since he was already in his office, he’d go with it. When Olivia knocked, Damon’s voice prompted her to enter, but she looked at him, indicating that it was his turn to enter. He pushed open the door and waited for her to notice before taking another step. When Damon looked up, he was a little surprised, but his surprise was soon masked by indifference.
-Come on, little brother, you’re not going to wait for me to beg you again.
Finn groaned when he heard her call him that. It was true, but he wished he’d forgotten that he was the little brother among them. He entered and when he sat down, Damon stopped whatever he was doing.
-I know I should have warned you before I came, but I’ve got to get home and I came to see if you’re willing to talk about this.
-I’m sorry if I left like that last time, Finn. I couldn’t face that lie. I would have liked to know and even though I know that as a kid I could have hated you, I think things were going to change with time. I could have been a big brother to you, taught you lots of things like courting women and good things too, don’t worry.
-ta reputation tells me that’s what you would have taught me, and quite sincerely, I’m sorry for what my mother did. I know it was our father who could have realized that he also had a son who needed him, but if…
-if, that’s for the past and for the present, we’re Dixon brothers and nothing’s going to change that. We’re men now, and I’ve got a daughter I’ll protect to my last ounce of energy, so there’s no need to go to war where you don’t have to. It’s behind us, it’s part of our past now. The best is yet to come.
They both stood up and hugged. Finn hadn’t imagined it would go so well and so quickly, and what’s more, they had nothing to envy the other: they were all wealthy CEOs and influential men in the world. They could only make peace.
-So, I hope you’re staying in New Orleans for a while longer, because there are some things I’d like to show you.
-I’d love to, but I can’t, work’s calling. Is Yolanda here? I’d like to see her.
She handed each of them a photo and Finn realized that she was telling the truth. He had never known that his father had this photo of him.
-I heard he died by accident. Mom wouldn’t let me come and see him, and as time went by, I stayed that way.
I’ve got something to tell you boys.
Finn and Damon looked at her more seriously, given the serious voice in which she’d said it. They were dreading what would come next, hoping it wouldn’t be another story that would give them pause.
-I don’t think you know this man Finn, but you Damon do. Your father’s accident was self-inflicted. It was Richard who killed him for some reason I don’t know. He told me the day he left, but I didn’t want to hurt you any more, Damon, so I hid it.NôvelDrama.Org holds © this.
-That man is bloody mad. I wonder why he did it. And for years he stood by you like he loved you too much. I wonder what you can do to that kind of person. It’s time to find him.
-You don’t have to. Richard died in Russia. He was a man greedy for money and power. In Russia, we’re two of the most influential men, two super giants. Dimitri is a mafioso. Richard always had one goal: to take over Dad’s airline and the Savoski mafia. When Dad died, I think the only way he could do it was to get closer to you, Yolanda, and to this day, I’m sure he knew the whole truth, because he said he considered me like a son. It was a woman who killed him, Betty, Vlad’s mother, who was also greedy for money and power. I don’t know if you know Virginia, she’s also dead, killed by Richard and Betty.
Yolanda put her hand on her heart at these revelations. Every time she closed her eyes, she was afraid of confronting Richard one day in the street; he haunted her every night, and now she thought all the danger they were in had disappeared. It was time to give way to happiness.