Chosen

The Truth

I look over at Meredith sleeping, wondering if this really was the best option. But then I remember Scarlet and all feelings of pity leave me for Meredith and I know that I have to do this. I silently get out of bed and get dressed. 

I already had packed the day before so all I had to was grab my suitcase. I take a last look around our Bengal Penthouse that I didn't even want. Meredith practically forced me to give in. The only reason that I agreed to stay here is because of Scarlet. She needs me, and I wouldn't abandon her like that. I open the door and almost walk out when I hear 

"Carl? Is that you? Where are going?" I shut the door and hide my suitcase behind me. Meredith comes closer, fear replacing her usually happy demeanor. I wrap her up into my arms and bite back my protests. She calms down and wraps me in a hug. 

"I was just going to check on Scarlet's therapy schedule for today so that maybe we could grab some lunch together. You know, the three of us?" I force a smile and look into her eyes. 

"Oh that sounds fantastic! I'm glad you're coming around, Carl, I really am." She yawns and kisses me on the cheek, wishing me a good night. When she's back in bed, I grab my suitcase and lock the door behind me. 

When Meredith wakes up, she'll find a note in the kitchen explaining everything. I'm such a coward. I think as I step into the elevator. Instead of pressing the 1st floor button, I pressed the 7th button. I check my watch. I'm 2 minutes late. 

On the seventh floor, the elevator opens and a lady walks in. She is gorgeous. I smile, for real this time and wrap her in my arms. She smiles against my mouth as the elevator doors close. We kiss for a while but then she pulls away. 

I groan in protest and she laughs. "Easy now Jack, save it." She tries to sound serious, but fails. She fights off a smile as I pull her towards me again. I kiss her neck and she pushes me. "Come on, we have serious business to discuss with the rest of them. 

"Well, we must have a few minutes to spare, right?" I ask, hopeful. She looks at her watch.

"Well, it appears that you spent that few minutes being late, so no, unfortunately, we have no time to spare."

I'm about to reply, but the doors open and I find myself facing a long, black limo. I raise my eyebrow at her, but she just shrugs.

"What's with the fancy ride, Juliet?" I grab her hand as we walk towards it.

"Well, Jack, Mr. Sanders offered to drive with us." I freeze. I could even feel myself getting pale.

"M-Mr. S-Sanders? But Juliet, you know how well we get along." I shoot her a suspicious glance.

She turns and faces me. "Yes I know, but you know how valuable he is for us to rescue Scarlet, even if it's only for a night. He'll be able to tell us the truth." She leans in. "He knows the truth about Scarlet's birth parents."

I recoil, shocked. "How could he know that? That was confidential information." I say, panicked.

But Juliet just calmly looks at me. "He was there when you adopted her. He was there when she was born." I'm too shocked to respond. I just turn and stare into the limo.

"Well then, let's get this over with." She smiles and we walk hand-in-hand to the limo.

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"So, Mr. Jack Chrysler. Or as you've been going by, Mr. Carl Santiago." Michael Sanders looks at me over his glass, no doubt filled with wine or another alcoholic drink.

I nod my head. "Yeah, what's it to you?" I ask.

He chuckles. "Still as fierce as I remember. Care for a drink?" He raises a wine bottle.

I hold up my hand. "No, but do you have any Diet Coke?" I glance at Juliet. She raises an eyebrow.

Michael looks around and picks up a can from the cooler. "You're in luck. Last can." He holds it up to me and I take it, popping the top. "I just don't know how you did it." He chuckles and looks into his glass.

"What do you mean, Sir?" I ask taking a sip of my Coke. It sizzles down my throat.

"I mean how you managed to pull of being about 20 years older than you actually are. I mean, how did you get the "grey hair" And you even fooled that poor woman." Juliet stiffens. "What was her name, Maggie?" He takes a long drag from his glass and re-fills it.

Before I have time to sya anything, Juliet sends Mr. Sanders daggers in her gaze. "Meredith. Meredith Santiago. Maiden Name: Meredith Lachito." She says it very monotone, as if she had said those words many times. She probably had. 

He raises his glass. "Impressive. Very Impressive." She smiles, but it's forced. I reach over and squeeze her knee. Mr. Sanders looks between us. 

"So, how long have you two been" He motions between us. "Together?" 

"3 years, Sir." I say and look over at Jules. She smiles at me, the stars in her eyes. 

"Well, you seem to be a very happy couple. Now I hate to break up our chat, but we really should get down to business." He pulls out a Manila folder and hands it to me. 

I open it with shaky hands. Inside was a picture of a baby with fire red hair. Her whole aura seemed to glow. She was radiating power. Power and beauty. I was looking at my daughter. 

"Scarlet." I say, my mouth drying up. Jules scoots closer to me and leans into my shoulder. I flip through the pages, looking for anything to stand out. That's when I see it. It looks ancient. I pull it out and look at it. 

Tears well up in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. Jules puts a hand to her mouth and gasps. It was a birth-certificate. Attached to it was a picture of a woman and a man sitting in a hospital bed with a baby that had fire red hair. They were beaming at the camera. I found some more pictures and looked at them. 

One was the same couple, except instead of in a hospital, they were out in this magnificent garden, and the woman was heavily pregnant. Then there was a picture that showed the woman right after giving birth. She was cradling a baby like it was the whole world. It probably was. Something about that woman was familiar. An image of a woman flashed into my head, but it's gone as soon as it came. 

I shake my head in frustration. Jules grabs the picture and holds it up to the light. She gasps. I lean over and see the writing written on it. "To my love, Makenna, because you are truly made of pure fire. Best Wishes. ~Mom and Dad.