STEEL CITY

Chapter 22

On a sunny afternoon, a tall figure clad in a gray suit, pants, and a matching waistcoat was seen making his way to a sleek, black car parked at its designated spot in the airport.

His was back straight with each step exuding confidence as his black polished shoe hit the marble floor. Although his eyes had a hint of weariness, his gaze was still sharp as he scanned his surroundings.

When he finally made his way to the car, Damian Cy was there to welcome him.

"How does it feel to be back home," Damien said, smiling and not bothering to hide his excitement.

"Good," Quinn answered in a phlegmatic tone, unfazed by his brother's exaggerated cheerfulness.

"I thought being kidnapped for a few months would break you, but you're still as stoic as ever," Damien said with a hint of mischief lurking in his eyes.

He was trying to get a reaction from Quinn, but as usual, his brother was as unresponsive as a rock.

Damien sighed and was about to get into the car, as he knew his brother wasn't going to say anything more, but was surprised when he heard his brother's voice.

"How are our parents and Mira doing," Quinn asked.

Damien stared at his brother suspiciously, as his brother already knew about the wellbeing of the family but was suddenly asking again, which was unusual.

"They're doing well now they know you're coming home," Damien responded despite his skepticism.

Quinn didn't respond but got into the car, and Damien followed after. Two minutes into the drive home, Quinn spoke again, and Damien's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as his brother had initiated a conversation for the second time in a day.

"I heard Mira's friend is in prison, how is she holding up," Quinn asked.

"I wouldn't know because I never visited her, but I guess she's not fairing well, especially since her grandfather suspects that someone is keeping her there," Damien replied slowly still reeling from the shock of his brother initiating a conversation and furthermore the content of his question.

"I was asking about Mira," Quinn said, with an edge to his voice as if irritated.

"If you didn't want to hear about Daphne, then you should have corrected me when I started speaking about her. It seems like you wanted to know about her," Damien said, teasing his brother but was baffled as his brother looked away like he was embarrassed.

The possibility of his brother being interested in a woman was hard to stomach, especially if the woman in question is his sister's friend.

"What do you mean someone is keeping her there?" Quinn asked.

Damien's expression became serious as he explained that Arthur Ross suspected that a member of their family was involved in his daughter's imprisonment.

"Dad will probably discuss this issue with you after lunch," Damien said.

"Do you believe she tried to kill her own sister?" Damien asked after a few minutes of silence.

"With a stab to the arm," Quinn replied with a chuckle as he found the question amusing.

"You should be asking me if I think someone in the family is involved, not this nonsensical question," Quinn said.

Damien nodded as he understood his brother's answer to his question.

Forty minutes later, Quinn and Damien were in front of the Cy mansion where their family was there to welcome them.

Mira ran to her brother, engulfing him in a tight hug as tears streamed from her eyes. Quinn responded to his sister's hug, patting her head gently.

Quinn always had a soft spot for his sister as she was the only girl in the house. After that, his mother hugged him with tears in her eyes, but it wasn't as intimate as the one he shared with his sister.

While growing up, Quinn was never very close to his mother. She took care of him and loved him, but there was always a barrier between them. This could be because Quinn spent all of his teen years, from thirteen to nineteen, abroad with his grandfather.

After the reunion, the entire family had a peaceful lunch and later the men in the house made their way to the study.

"We can do this tomorrow," Edward said, referring to the dark circles underneath Quinn's eyes.

"Resting can wait," Quinn responded.

"Alright. I'm sure Damien must have told you Arthur was here and why he came," Edward said.

"Vaguely," Quinn replied.

Edward nodded then began to recount the events of last night.

"I have reason to believe that you or someone from your family is keeping my grandchild in prison. I want her out of there immediately," Arthur said.

Edward's eyes widened slightly at Arthur's words, but he immediately schooled his expression.

"I can assure you that my family isn't involved in whatever this is about," Edward said.

"So why is my daughter locked up? No one other than a buffoon who bears your last name can keep my child in prison," Arthur said calmly.

"Shouldn't you be interrogating your other grandchild, the one who put her in prison?" Edward asked.

"You are younger than me but it seems my brain works better than yours. I know you understand exactly what I am saying. This is the last time I will set foot in your house to warn you," Arthur said.

"Keep your family in check. I am already upset that you didn't step in to help my daughter when she was arrested, but I don't blame you. You chose your family's reputation first, but now your family is involved in this mess I hope you take action," Arthur said.

Damien was angry with the way Arthur spoke to his father but knew better than to voice his opinion.

"I'll investigate, not because of your empty threats, but because I have to defend my family's honor," Edward said with his jaw clenched.

"Does this defense involve kidnapping your own child?" Arthur said, trying to rile him up and was successful in his attempt as Edward's entire demeanor changed.

"I shall take my leave Edward, thank you for having me, you too Damien. Just remember not underestimate the damage I can do,"

"I promised my daughter that she wouldn't spend more than two days in that dump and promises are sacred to me so make sure you undo whatever has been done before then," Arthur said then made his way out of the room not waiting for any of them to see him out.