Destined

Chapter 20 ~ The Revelation 1

Chapter 20

Luca was looking outside the window of his library at home.  He saw what seemed like an endless site of greenery. The sight somehow soothed him amid the faint hiccup of his mom in the background. His father was consoling her while James and Tomas were silently seated on the corner chairs.

Tomas' team had traced down the company where the bogus companies have parked all the shares that were bought from them. Hydra Etaipeia. What a fitting name.  Hydra was the sea serpent with nine heads that was killed by Hercules. This company appears to have more than nine heads to have penetrated their own in just 2 years. What was unacceptable to them was the name of the sole owner/director of that company.

He felt Kayla clasped her hands around him from behind. He leaned back for a few seconds and pried her hands opened.  He moved her in front of him and embraced her from behind, taking solace on her scent.  He remembered it well as he was the one who chose all the perfumes lining on her bureau.

When his father had calmed down, they thought it better to move back home to continue in a more private environment.  They picked up his mom from the flower shop and went directly to his library.  His mother has never stopped crying since then.  The one good thing about his family is that they never kept secrets from each other, except for the circumstances surrounding the deaths of his brothers and sister-in-law.  His father vowed to never again kept any of them in the dark.  That's why they let his mom in right away.

"Are you okay?"  He heard rather, felt her asked.  He can't help but chuckled a little.  "Oh, sorry.  That's insensitive of me to ask.  Of course, you're not okay," she said sheepishly. 

He released her and tilted her head to look into her eyes.  "Do not ever hesitate to say anything or do everything you want in my presence, okay? And yes, I am okay because you are here."  She smiled at that.  He was truly grateful of her presence.  Had she not been there with him when this blew out, there was no telling what his reaction would be.  Her presence always had a calming effect on him.

"Let's get you seated.  It's time for some strategies."  He led her to the chair closest to his mother and sat at the armrest clasping her hand in his.

"Papa, do you have something to say before we go down to business?" 

"Ego den xero kan ti na po I na aisthanontai tora, o gios," [I don't even know what to say or feel right now, son.]  His father said, sadly shaking his head at the unlikely situation.

"I don't know why she would betray us.  She is family.  I gave her more than what was due her when our goneis [parents] died.  She had refused to co-manage the business with me and chose the easy way out.  She sold all her shares to me.  Had I not bought them, she would have sold them to someone else which I cannot allow.  This is a family business and it must remain so.  I gave her son 20% as a gift when he was born.  If she wanted more shares, she could have just approached me.  I never denied her anything.  I don't understand why the secrecy."

"That's what we are going to discover, papa."  Luca turned to Tomas.  "I can see how you've been wanting to say something, Tomas.  Out with it."

"Although this company had been in the business of investing since it started its operation 5 years back, I do believe there's more to this than meets the eye," Tomas said cautiously.

"My sentiments exactly.  But do enlighten us with your reasoning," urged Luca.   

"Although your sister," he said turning to the elder Conti, "was the registered owner and have signed all the legal documents, she doesn't appear to have actively participated or ran the business especially in the last two years when the buying and/or trading of your stocks had begun."