Beneath The Orange Sunset ✔️

Twenty four

None so blind as those who will not see

~24~

One year ago

"Take care of your mom, she might not be perfect but love her the same." He heard his father say with a warm smile on his face.

"Of course I love mom," Maxime exhaled. "She doesn't just understand me."

"Hmm. I know son. Forgive her." Alberte frowned and patted his son on his thighs.

Maxime brought out a file from his suitcase.
"Dad, here are the documents."

Alberte collected them and flipped through.

"You don't want mom to know about this?" Maxime asked.

"Not that I don't want her to know, I just choose to keep certain things away from her, you know, she can be too inquisitive at times."

The older man smiled again as he signed the documents. His once handsome face was lined with worry lines. He held the pen tightly in his strong hands.

"These are not the original papers..." he added. The smile left his face. "When you get to the office just place it on my desk. Your mom will know what to do with it."

"But dad we're going to the office together, why do you talk as if we are going separate ways."

Alberte shrugged. He adjusted his his tie and brushed off invisible particles from his navy blue suit. "Just In case..."

"Dad, stop joking about things like this." Maxime pleaded.

He felt a negative feeling in his heart as he returned the files to his suitcase.

"Where are the original copies? What if mom finds out these are fake?"

Alberte glanced at the window. He knew he was surrounded by enemies but how could he tell his son. After finding out about Emile and LaPointe secret affair, he quickly wrote his will and hid the original documents to everything he owned. He took it far away where his enemies will not lay their eyes on it, he feared for what they might do with it. He only trusted one man, his best friend and attorney. How will he explain this to his son. No, he wasn't hiding anything from Maxime. He had always thought he would eventually tell him when the time comes.

He made to speak when he was utterly interrupted.

"Sir, the brakes won't work!"

The driver's shrieking voice got their attention. He had been struggling with slowing down the car for a few minutes and the brakes wouldn't work.

"What? You didn't check the car before driving?" Maxime was first to ask. He panicked. He looked at the windscreen as they were heading to a dangerous intersection. His heart began to beat fast.

"Dad! What are we going to do?"

Alberte reached for his seat belt across his chest and unbuckled it.