Chapter 107

Zayden

Silence.

Silence and darkness lingered in my cell.

The Silence enveloped me every single day to the point that It was suffocating.

There was only one light bulb, dimly lit. I didn't bother counting how many days I had been here. It would only add to my frustration.

These four walls and the deafening silence reminded me of nine-year-old me. How I would sit in my room till the Sun goes down with nothing to do.

How I would stare out the window and wish I could go out or at least feel the wind on my face instead of the cold air conditioner.

How I would get so bored and start smashing things or how I would punch the wall just to get myself to feel something even if it was pain.

My father didn't even bother dropping at least a text message or phone call. He just dumped me in that house and left me there. The last thing he told me was that when it's time he'll let me out and that I needed to pay for what I did.

It's sickening.

It was like I was reliving my childhood all over again; the only difference was that I got to see Lillian every forty-eight hours.

Still, it wasn't enough. I don't want to admit it, but I hate this feeling. I don't want to be back in those four walls.

I don't want to get drowned in that loneliness again.

I was already losing my mind by just sitting and staring at the grey ceiling. There were no windows in here, just a big steel door and a rusty air conditioner.

I sighed, tracing my fingers on the concrete floor. My trial was tomorrow and I was still unsure of where I stood. I don't know if I should continue hoping or not.

The rattling sounds of chains and door echoed in the tiny room. They were scared that I would escape again so they locked the doors with chains.

" Get up, you have a visitor." The officer spoke and I slowly got to my feet.

My legs felt numb; sitting down on the concrete floor for days had stiffened my muscles. I stretched out my hands through the bars just like my usual routine whenever I was to leave my cell and the officer cuffed my hands.

The doors finally opened and I was put in chains both in my feet and hands.

I sighed." I'm not going to escape you know, I have no reason to."

The officer gave me a push." We are not taking any chances."

I chuckled." I could still break free if I wanted to. These chains are useless."

" You can try...now walk faster!"

I raised my cuffed hands for him to see." I can't, can you move fast if both your feet are zero inches apart?"

He ignored me and escorted me out of the cell. I noticed we didn't go to the usual visitation room, room but instead, I was led through a length of unfamiliar hallways till I got outside.

There was a van parked a few feet away from the building. Looks like they took me out back.

" I thought you said I had a visitor?"

" Yeah, you do. We are going to him." The officer responded as he led me into the van.

A smirk appeared on my face." At least I get a ride."

I counted the whole ride and if I got the numbers correctly, then it took about two hours to finally get to where ever they were taking me.

Don't ask me how I counted to seven thousand and two hundred, I was just super bored.

The car stopped. At first, I thought we had arrived, but then I got out only to be taken Into another vehicle.

I didn't bother counting this time and just remained still till I eventually fell asleep.

I woke up again but the car was still moving." Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

No one responded.

I sighed." As long as you don't take me to a volcano then I'm fine with it."

Another round of silence took over the car. Nowadays, the way my head felt so empty and quite like a hollow ball ,it felt like I was going insane.

It was another long ride, probably hours upon hours until we stopped again, and I was taken into a private jet.

It confirmed my suspicion and I braced myself.

The flight took another hour, and finally, we landed. The next ride was just a few minutes and we arrived at a manor.

I stepped out of the car with my hands still in cuffs and took in the surroundings.

My blood thrummed in my ears, I was finally back here. The place that had taken away my childhood.

Why he wanted me here was still unknown.

The building had been renovated, the wall paint had been renewed. I looked up to stare at the wide ceiling-to-floor window that directly faced the gates where I always sit and wish I could go outside.

I caught sight of his silhouette, he was staring down at me, a cocky smile on his lips.

I sighed for the tenth time, my muscles contracting. I had gotten over this a long time ago so I shouldn't be this affected.

The huge double doors opened, and a butler appeared in sight.

I entered the building, nostalgia hitting me like a tornado. The interior was the same; the wallpaper was the same.

Nothing had changed.

I was led up the stairs and to the place that used to be my room. It was smaller but I could picture my younger self sitting at the edge of the bed, drowning in depression and loneliness.

I took small breaths to calm myself. My father sure knew how to get to me.

He stood at the ceiling-to-floor windows, a champagne twirling in his fingers.

It felt like deja vu.

A chair was pushed to the center of the room and I was forced to sit on it. I didn't complain and just sat my ass down.

" Leave us." My dad ordered, his voice smooth.

The door closed with a thud and silence fell over the room again.

" I didn't know you'd go this far and bribe the officers to bring me to you." I ground out, my fist clenching tightly." You could have just come to see me."

I don't like it here; I hate it with every fibre of my being.

He finally turned to face me, his face looking extra wrinkled with eye bags under his eyes.

" I thought I should bring back old memories, to remind you of where you belong."

" I don't recall asking for a reminder."

He poured wine into an empty glass, then stretched it out to me." Come on, have a drink. You won't be getting wine in Fox River."

I raised my cuffed hands for him to see in case he hadn't noticed. He shrugged and then put the glass down.

" Why am I here? Make it quick, I'd rather be in that cell than here with you." I snarled.

He dragged a chair and sat opposite me." Don't you want to know the truth behind your mother's death? At least before you go to jail for it."

I shrugged." You said I put a knife through her heart even though I have no memory of it. So what's there to know?"

He put the wine glass on the floor, right beside his chair." You know I thought putting you behind bars would be too easy. Because of you, Aiden is as good as dead. I can't just sit and let you win, so I figured why not hurt you more before you go to jail."

I rolled my eyes." I don't think anything you say can hurt me anymore, you've done more than enough."

He crossed his legs elegantly, letting his golden cane fall to the floor." Let me tell you a story then, a story about your mother."

" my mother?" I kept my face cool." Have you seen my daughter? She's pretty,I named her after mom. "

I couldn't read his expression." I Guess I have a granddaughter then....I don't actually care what you named her."

He paused for a few seconds before continuing.

"I met your mother on a blind date arranged by both our parents. She was from a wealthy family, an only child. She was elegant, young, beautiful and an heiress. I fell in love at first sight and then our marriage was fixed immediately."

He paused and picked up his wine glass taking a sip from the red juice." She had no feelings for me, I knew that, but I thought with time, things would change. I gave her everything, my time, money, luxury, my body and every single thing a woman would want."

I chortled." You didn't mention love."

His eyes pierced a hole through my skin." No, I did not."

I crooked a brow." Why is that?"

" I gave her love once but she rejected it. I'm not one to give something twice. Since we were already married, getting divorced would bring scandal to both families. So we had no choice but to make it work but Laura didn't want that. And then she started seeing someone behind my back, a lowly man that worked at a bakery."

He laughed." Very petty, don't you think? She chose a baker over me. A man whose net worth isn't up to the shoes she wore."

I interrupted him. " Not everything is about money or fame. That's something you don't understand."

" Is that why you choose Lillian?" He questioned, an amused expression on his face.

"Exactly, I got the love you never got to experience in marriage."

His face turned red from anger, but he didn't say anything to counter.

" Well, I wanted Laura. But she didn't want me. I told her to stop seeing him, but she wouldn't listen. I honestly did not care what she did as long as it doesn't affect my reputation but your mother was too stupid to listen." He paused to catch a breath.

" Some reporters were taking photos of her with another man and it was tarnishing my image. I knew she was having an affair because sometimes she would come back home late smelling like a man's cologne. I even caught her kissing him one time when I stalked her. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't hurt, I just didn't appreciate she was dragging my name in the mud."

He cleared his throat, tapping his fingers on the armrest." And then she had you." He chucked darkly.

I just sat there, staring at him." Yeah, every child is a blessing."

His laughter only increased." You were not. Do you want to know why? Because I knew you weren't mine the moment I set my eyes on you that day in the hospital."

My eyes narrowed but I remained silent.

"And Laura had the guts to claim the baby was mine even after having an affair with that brat. She strongly wanted to cover it up, well, until I told her that I was impotent." He snarled.

My expression fell as I stared at him. Then I scoffed." Impotent?"

He only shook his head, his voice increasing in a steady volume" You not my blood Zay. Not you, not Aiden either. Your fool of a mother had the both of you for that Bastard that worked at a bakery!"

That moment everything went still. My body turned cold as I stared at him.

I finally understood why my mother had to die.