Her Secrets

7- The Truth

Third person POV
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Collin and his father walked into the office and took a seat. Ariella was too afraid to look at Collin and kept her head down.

Nick clears his throat. He and Shawn shared a look, silently communicating with each other. A moment passed before Shawn finally spoke up, "Collin, son, I have no idea how to tell you this," he stood up and walked to the window "I am not just a buisnessman, niether is Nick. We were fourteen when we met. We were living on the streets. A man found us and took us in. He was a gangleader. He didn't have any children. He paid for all of our clothes, food, school, everything we could ever wish for." Shawn's voice cracked slightly.

Collin looked confused "Uncle Xavier?" he questioned. Shawn nodded. Ariella took a quick glance at Collin. She got an unpleasant feeling in her stomach at seeing the look on his face, seeing him puzzel all the pieces together. Collin looked accusingly at his father and Nick "Y-you're in a gang?" he asked in disbelief. Their silence was enough to answer his question. He then looked to Ariella who was now looking at him, fearing what came next. "You knew?" it wasn't a question. She opened her mouth to explain herself, but nothing came out.

Collin stood up "You've lied to me my entire life" he pointed a finger accusingly at his father "and you" he moved the finger to point at Ariella. "You lied to me our entire relationship. And my friends, no doubt they know, that's why they were there last night. Am I right?" still no one spoke. Collin slammed his hands on the desk. "God damnit one of you speak!"

"Yes Collin they know. That is why they were there last night. They are in the gang as well. Ariella is in it. And your father and I are the leaders." Nick said calmly. Collin was relieved someone finally spoke but was angry if hadn't been his father. "Collin, take a seat there's still so much you need to know." Collin glared at his father before taking a seat.

Shawn came and stood next to Nick. Collin glared some more at his father "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

His father looked to Collin "I wanted to son, I wanted to start training you so you would be able to take my place someday, but your mother insisted that we don't tell you till she thought you were ready. And then when we found out just how bad the cancer was she made me promise to not tell you until she's gone. She said she didn't want to live the last few months of her life knowing her son is out there breaking the law. She wanted to die knowing the you, you'd always been." The room was silent. Ariella felt uncomfortable, feeling like this should have been between just Shawn and Collin.

Collin thought of his mother, she would do something like this. He knew his father was telling the truth and ultimately didn't have a choice. But still it didn't make up for the eighteen years that he had lied to Collin. Nick nuged Shawn's arm and looked to both Ariella and Collin silently letting Shawn know there's more that needs to be said.

"Collin the way we run this is we are both leader's, Xavier couldn't pick one of us. He made us go to business school he said we needed a cover. While he ran the gang we were building our own companies. The fact that our guardian was the most feared gangleader was a big reason of how we both got so successful. Your father built up Richards & Co. and I built up A&A. We had a plan. Ariella would go to business school she would take over A&A, and Angel would take my spot in the gang." Nick stopped and looked up at the ceiling, blinking back years. Ariella looked at her father in shock, that was the first time he said Angel's name since the accident. Nick looked to Shawn giving him a cue to continue.

Shawn looked to Collin "You've always known you'd take over the company. Since your mother didn't want you anywhere near the gang life, you could never know what was expected of you. You can start training, not just fighting, you already know how to do that, I mean start learning how this world works. You do that you can take my place someday. But if you don't want that if , like your mother, you just want the company for yourself, then the gang will go to Ariella. But if you do want the gang you and Ariella will both have control over the gang. You'll need to work out the problems you still have with eachother, because you guys can not split the gang up. Never." 

Collin was silent. So was Ariella. "When me and Ariella got together, you guys were happy, that was all because of the gang? About keeping it together?" They nodded.
Collin still had so many questions, but not for his father, and not for Nick. He had questions for Ariella.

"We need to know Collin, if this is something you want. Your eighteen and need to start training right away of you want the gang. Think about it, we need an answer soon though, before school starts you have two months to think about it." Shawn said looking at his son. Giving him a look that said I'm so sorry. "You and Ariella can go now, we have business to take care of."

Both Collin and Ariella stood up and walked out the office. Ariella looked at Collin and quickly turned. But Collin grabbed her hand "I have questions, and you owe me answers." He said in a deep, slightly angered voice. Areilla didn't have time to reply, Collin was already dragging her through the house, out the front door and into one of his father's cars.