The Royal Contract

There were a few more things that were bothering her. But she wanted to hear her father's explanation first before she asked more questions.??

So far, she still could not make sense of her father's reasoning. There were still a lot of details that did not fit the puzzle. Like why Cassie was so adamant about ruining her family.

"What are you saying, Dad?" Hearing her father defend Cassie was not what she expected. She furrowed her brows together, more confused than ever.

She always thought that her father might harbor some ill feelings for her former friend for her association with Nick. It would seem that was not the case as he revealed to her another side of the story.??

"Because when I saw what was happening with the company, I tried to take over. I thought that I could still turn it around and save the business from financial ruin." He shook his head as his memories reminded him of the past.

He recalled the look on his friend's face when he told him that there was nothing he could do. "But no matter what I did, it still went to the ground." He was too late to even make a dent in the situation.

His effort was in vain since the damage to the company was too far gone. He could not do anything more. His business was only starting to take off. At that time, he could not use more of his resources for fear that his company might also suffer the same fate.

His friend understood his situation. Gary was grateful for what he had tried to do, but the others took it the wrong way. They thought that he tried to sabotage the company for his gain. Because after his friend's company went down, his business started soaring high.

"Then, why did Cassie accuse you of killing his father? She said that her father took his life because he lost his company because of what you did." She suddenly felt guilty that she believed those allegations against her father.

If she was thinking straight at that time, she might have laughed at Cassie's accusation. She would not believe a word that she said about her father. She could never consider her father as a man capable of doing wrong.

But, she was distraught at that time. Her life just shattered after learning of Nick's infidelity and his plans to use her. Her mind was muddled with hurt and hatred that she believed everything Cassie told her.

"All I know is that I failed to help Gary. In a way, I did feel to blame for his death. I might not have pulled the trigger, but I might have been part of the reason why he did it." The image of his friend when they found him in his room was still fresh in his mind.

"Maybe Cassie heard the rumors. Maybe it had been easier for her to cope if she felt blaming me was better." Ethan had surmised when he learned that Cassie was coming after him for revenge.

His friend came to him for assistance. He should have thoroughly checked the legitimacy of the business before he had encouraged him to push through with it.

But he was also busy with his company that he failed to determine the loopholes in the business plan that Gary presented to him. The company was already in shambles by the time he realized what he had done.

"But you did not kill him. You did not pull the trigger. Why would you blame yourself for his death?" She had no idea that her father was carrying this burden throughout this time.

She thought that he was just a money-making machine that never cared about other people. Well, her anger had made her believe that her father was a selfish man who only thought of his company and his legacy.

But she did remember growing up, idolizing her father. She always thought that he was the best father in the world. But life threw them a hard curveball. She failed to see it and ended up missing the ball.

"Because I should have noticed that he was not in his right mind. If I was not too focused on my work and myself, I could have done more for him. I could have saved him from himself." He admitted with so much despair.

He never liked crying because it was a sign of weakness. A trait that was not good for any business. But losing his best friend deserved some tears.??

He realized that it did not mean that he was weak, but the opposite. He had to think of the welfare not only of his family. But also of the people that Gary had left behind.

"You could not have done more for him. You can't keep punishing yourself for something that you never had any control over." Alex finally interrupted him, seeing the grief in Ethan's eyes.

He might not know the feeling of losing a best friend, but he could imagine it. The feeling of helplessness would always be something that would be hard to get over.

"I know that." He said, sporting a forlorn expression. "I thought I did Gary's family a favor when his wife decided to sever all our ties, and I agreed. Now, I realized that I should not have forsaken them."??

Although he did help Gary's family get settled with their new life by providing them with some help. He believed he could have done more if he had stayed connected with them.

Learning that Cassie and her mom did not have an easy life, after the incident, he immediately took Cassie under his protection. He tried to make up for his lack. He always felt obligated with what happened to them.

Only to learn in the end that he was already too late. Cassie had already made up her mind that he abandoned them after using his father for selfish reasons.

"I think I understand now. Well, some of it, I guess." Dani was starting to have a clearer view of what happened in the past.

She discovered that her view of the truth was a bit screwed by her prejudice against her father. She failed to see the facts even if it was staring at her in the eyes.

She wondered if that was the end of the story. As far as she remembered, there were a few more things that Cassie revealed to her.??

"I think your father had enough for one night." Laura walked into the room, standing beside Ethan's chair. "Maybe you can continue with this topic some other time."

She listened to their conversation as she stood by the doorway but did not want to interrupt her husband. He was too engrossed with his recollection of his memories that he did not notice her presence.

She would like Ethan to finish, but she could already see the tension in his body language. She knew the entire story about what happened between Ethan and Gary, but she could not meddle in their affairs.

"No, I need to finish it now. Alex and Dani should know what they might be facing in the future." He could not wait for another opportunity like this.

He had more secrets to disclose to them, a past that might haunt them soon. If they were caught unaware, then it might cause them some big problems. He would like to tell them now. He could not wait till it was too late.??

"Are you sure that you are still up for it?" Laura felt slightly concerned that the past was causing him undue stress.??

"We can always continue this another time," Alex stated, hearing the concern in Laura's voice.??

He knew the urgency of the situation. However, he did not want to push his luck, not wanting anything worse happening with Ethan's health condition.

"Yes, we can always return anytime that you are feeling better." Dani also expressed her concern with her father's weakened state.

"No, I am good. There is no reason for me to stop." Ethan looked at his wife, reassuring her that he was still feeling ok. Then, his eyes shifted to his daughter and her fiance.

He could see that both were eager to learn more of his secrets but slightly hesitant because of his condition. "Shall I continue?" He asked but without waiting for their response.

He knew that Laura and the two might still object, so he did not give them time to do so.

"You might be thinking of my involvement with the underground business." He stared carefully into their eyes. He could see no surprise in them.

"Yes." It was Alex who replied to his query.??

Alex did see the report that Cassie gave him about it. It did show Ethan's involvement with the illegal activities of some of the known criminal syndicates.

"I know both of you heard about it. Now that I am passing the rein to both of you, I think it is time that you both knew the full story." Ethan began to tell them again of another story about his youth.

It was another piece of his life that he had kept from Dani. A past that he could never forget but did not regret because it was what had made him who he was.

Although it was a sin that he would gladly pay for when the time of his judgment came, it was not something he would let ruin his family, especially her relationship with his daughter.

"Are you confirming that it is true?" It was one of the things Cassie also revealed to her. It was one of the reasons she thought worse of her father.??

She started to believe that her father was a criminal who preyed on the weak to become more powerful and wealthier. It was the exact reason why she became a lawyer.. She wanted to put away bad guys like him.