CHAPTER 7

TRUTH’S TIME

Deysha was ready to see an angry Zayn walk into the room. The door opened, and in came Javyn Andrew wearing a face that meant business.

He was not looking at her with the same eyes he had earlier that day, when he had been looking at Savannah. She was here to use him, and he knew it.

She stared at him blankly, unable to form her thoughts into words. He sat down in the chair by the bedside.

Mr. Andrew looked at the hysterical Deysha and told her to calm down. He wanted insight into what she was up to.

He had woken up not so long after Savannah left him to sleep. Zayn never thought he had it in him to get back at Deysha; nevertheless, he was glad to be involved.

Zayn kept an eye on the drinking Deysha as she kept asking for a refill. She was barely able to stand up on her own as she left, giving him a chance to transport her to the room.

The room she was now in with an angered Javyn Andrew. She could tell he was suppressing a lot of emotions in the way she was, by remaining silent.

They did not realize it when half an hour passed with neither of them saying a word, she could tell he would much rather be anywhere else as he kept glancing at the wall clock.

{12 YEARS AGO}

Deysha was a nervous wreck going to Javyn Andrew’s birthday that night. It was not the fact that she was attending a reputable man’s birthday that made her feel this way.

It was the assignment her father had entrusted her with that bothered her. She was finally going to be useful to him and make him proud.

She knew what her actions that night meant for her future; she would gain her father’s favor. Still, she knew it was not right; the feeling nudged at her.

The party was held in one of the high-end restaurants in town. The place was spacious with perfect lighting, giving it a lively feel.

Typical of an Andrew family celebration, the energy in the air was infectious. There was so much joy among the guests.

Javyn Andrew was the son of a multi-millionaire, so it was not unusual for his eighteenth birthday to be as festive.

Deysha and Javyn danced through the evening tirelessly. It was while Javyn was seated amongst his friends that Zayn proposed a toast.

Everyone cheered the man of the night in unison. Suddenly, the chants and cheers were outweighed by a blast followed by Celia’s screams of terror.

The moment Javyn Andrew saw his father in a pool of blood, lifeless, was the moment his world changed.

James Andrew’s death was all that everyone could talk about, making it harder for the family to navigate the tragedy.

Javyn Andrew never saw the woman he thought was the love of his life again. Deysha left his life as mysteriously as she had appeared.

****

Now she was back with no clear explanation as to why she had disappeared or what prompted her return.

She walked out onto the balcony, presumably to get fresh air. Mr. Andrew followed her closely enough to hear what she had to say.

“I left all those years ago because my father feared my love for you was more than the regret for my actions.” She was still sobbing.

“I did something I regret deeply to date. Something he will never allow me to forget, he holds it over my head even after allowing me to follow my dreams.” She was now wiping her tears.

For years, the Andrew family had failed to understand who had pulled the trigger on James Andrew.

They knew the person had to have been a close associate to be invited to their son’s birthday party. However, it was hard to choose from the many who were there.

Javyn Andrew eventually concluded that Deysha was only infatuated by the millionaire’s son; she left because that was not who he was anymore.

Still, it hurt him to think that she did not even care to find out how he was faring on. He regretted their love for a long time.

He was now standing there listening to her confess to pulling the trigger on his father. This was what haunted her for the past twelve years.

She was on her knees begging a shocked Javyn Andrew to take him back and save her from her father’s wrath.

Her father was going to have her implicated if she did not marry one of the men he wanted to invest in his business. She was in a tight fix.

Mr. Andrew simply clenched his fists as hot tears streamed down his face, as he was suddenly taken back to that night.

He only managed to utter three words, “I trusted you.” Before he turned to leave the room.

“I'll make it easier for both of us.” Those were the last words he heard before he turned around to see that she had let herself off the balcony.

Deysha now knew she had nothing left to live for; the only person she had ever loved now hated her.

Her father was after her with an ultimatum. She was unhappy, to say the least, and knew no amount of beer could fill the emptiness she now felt.

Her only plea was that he would understand her, that he would put himself in her shoes. She instead put herself in his place and understood he had every right to be angry.

****

When Mr. Andrew arrived home alongside Zayn early that morning, they were exhausted from the number of phone calls they had made.

They were trying their best to hide the events of the previous night from the whole world. It was something they would never mention again.

Mr. Andrew took a refreshing shower before deciding to head to his office. On his way, he saw Savannah’s bedroom door open.

She looked so peaceful in her sleep; her beauty was enhanced by her calm demeanor. Unable to restrain himself, he walked in.

He slowly lowered his lips to her forehead and kissed her before tucking her in properly.

Deysha had told him how much she resented seeing him with her. She said he made it so obvious the emotions he harbored for her, and it triggered her.

That was his confirmation that he was truly in love with his nurse. Savannah was now more than a nurse to him.

Given a chance, he would have joined her in bed, felt her warmth till the sun was up. Sadly, he had piles of documents waiting for him.

That morning held the night’s dark secrets. It was a gloomy morning, and everyone could tell from the humid atmosphere that hung around.

Savannah lay on her bed, silent for a long time that morning. She was just starting to feel comfortable enough to forget the kind of father she had.

Typical of a tyrannical leader, Wilson Grant extended his harsh ways of ruling to his family. His family had to be proof of his ability to lead.

The only time he had been publicly humiliated was when an angered citizen threw a shoe aimed at his face during a rally.

Many silently wished the shoe had been a bullet instead, but disguised this feeling by expressing their remorse at the disrespect shown to their leader.

Savannah never saw her father as a hero but rather as a puppeteer to whom she was a favorite puppet. Her puppeteer’s silence had worried her for a while.

Now her fears were confirmed; he was up to something. The pictures of the stories covering the previous night’s party were all he sent her.

Now he knew where she was, and she was clueless as to what she could do next.