Jonathan's POV
Grand Del Hotel - Conference Hall
"Pass them," I told my secretary to pass the folders to the board members.
"Board members," I began in a steady voice.
"The folder before you holds some secrets I've kept from you all."
"I don't know if I did right or wrong."
"But I did what at the time I thought was right."
"Now the decision is in your hands."
I leaned back into my chair, closed my eyes for their verdict.
Pause.
Silence.
Hushed whispering.
"Jonathan," one of the board members said.
"You shouldn't have gone through this all alone."
"Yes, we may only be board members but we've been together for nine years." Another member said.
"We're a family," she continued. "Families don't keep secrets, and they don't dare alone."
"Jonathan, I agree on this too. And, Imelda…I did warn you. I had the feeling she had ulterior motives, guess I wasn't wrong."
"Everyone, it's not that I think any less."
"But the circumstances were such, I just went with the flow."
"Now–"
A board member cut my words midway.
"Jonathan, you can leave Rollings Designs matters to us. Including the Staf design matters. You deal with Imelda and whatever help you need regarding Mrs. Rollings, we'll help."
"Yes, keep your focus on Mrs. Rollings." Another member said. "Let us deal with the office matters."
"Okay, in that case I've called her to come here."
"That's another reason I called you all."
"Jonathan, it's best if you talk to her first alone. That way we'll know what she's up to. Then we'll do as required."
"Okay then, she should be here any minute. You all take the side out door then."
Just as the last member left, Imelda entered the hall.
As always.
Controlled. Composed. Precise.
I didn't stand up to greet her.
Neither did I verbally greet her.
The meeting had commenced the moment she walked in.
"You called for me?"
Her voice was steady.
Practiced.
Then she looked around.
"Isn't this hall a bit…big for two people."
She lifts a water glass and swirls the water in it.
"Looks like you had your Rollings members meeting before me."
I kept watching Imelda for a moment longer than needed.
Not that I was looking for any answers.
But I was measuring whatever was left of the pure relationship that I once thought we shared.
"Sit," he said.
"Thanks for noticing…I was still standing."
"I don't recall telling you to sit before, that I have to now."
I leaned back into my chair.
"But since you're standing, I'll oblige."
"Is this what we've come to,"
Her voice was soft.
Practiced for times to show she's the vulnerable one.
So soft, had I not known what she's been doing the past seven years, I'd have melted.
"You can pick the folder in front of you."
Imelda held the folder up, and waived it.
"Oh?" Her voice is steady.
"Didn't you say, I'm not a Rollings board member and–"
"The folder isn't related to Rollings Designs. It's related to you."
She kept the folder back on the table.
She didn't open it immediately.
She didn't need to.
Truth never needed any explanation.
It only needed to exist.
That's one of the biggest problems with truth.
It never needs any announcement.
It's just there.
Her left hand slowly moved to the edge of the folders cover.
She slowly opened the cover and first glanced at the first document.
Then she stared at it.
Then she flipped back and forth.
Not fast.
Slow.
Steady.
Studying every document that was in the folder.
Probably assessing what to say and what not to.
But one thing I was sure about.
She wasn't prepared for what was facing her.
She didn't think I would one day find out how she's been manipulating me over the years.
Her hand stopped for a brief moment.
I couldn't see which document she stopped at.
But must be an important one as she looked at it for a full three minutes before flipping again.
"You're taking some time?"
"Are you admiring how well structured you did it all back then?"
"For that matter, even now."
She looked up at me…then went back to flipping the pages.
I wasn't accusing her.
I kept my anger in control.
This wasn't the time to be angry.
Anger only eats your senses.
And I needed them to deal with her.
"It's all there,"
"Your set layered approvals. The redirected trails."
Imelda smiled faintly at my words.
"I only did what you like."
"You liked precision, I gave you that."
She gestured with her hands on the folder.
Imelda as always.
Makes you the guilty one.
"I appreciate clarity," I replied in a steady voice.
"I appreciate what I give, I get," I said.
"I gave trust, I expected trust back."
"Jonathan, we've been together for seven years," she said, holding her hand out.
"Let's get back together."
"We never were together," I said.
"Not now, not seven years back."
"I was, am and shall only be Veronica's husband and Janet's father."
"You clearly know why I agreed to you."
"You, yourself, asked for two years."
I spread my arms.
"Look where it's gotten us."
My phone screen flashed on.
I turned it on.
A certificate image cleared up.
Caption:
Blue Heart is under our ownership 🤝
A smile escaped my lips.
I picked my phone and typed:
Is the ownership 💯 or…"
"Complete 💯."
"Sanders gave back all rights. He had a condition: not to give any design to Fredrick or Imelda. I agreed."
"Agree on my behalf too."
"See you tonight."
I kept my phone down.
I paused for a brief moment.
This time the pause wasn't for her.
"You never ignored me before," she said, feigning a hurt look.
"You even ignored her in front of me."
"And now–"
"I never ignored her, and no one knows this better than you."
"Why I treated her like that in front of you, no one knows better than you."
"Jonathan,"
She tossed the file towards me.
"This isn't going to bring her back."
"She left you."
"Why can't you see that?"
"Me and Adrian are still here for you."
She picked the other folder beside her.
"Think of this as a bad phase,"
A smile spread across her lips.
"Let's start fresh, what say?"
"Come home."
I didn't react.
"Adrian is only seven," she continued.
"He knows you're his father."
A pause.
A small pathetic laugh slipped from my lips.
"Jonathan?"
"Home." I laughed as I said the word.
"Adrian knows I'm his father."
"Because…"
I trailed off a bit.
"You built your dreams, your desires, your revenge around him."
"As for him knowing I'm his father,"
I leaned over.
"I wonder….do you even know who his father is?"
"Jonathan!"
"Keep your voice low," I said, holding her gaze.
"You definitely wouldn't want me to raise my voice, now would you?"
My voice was steady and calm.
"You're the last person who deserves to raise her voice at me."
"Jonathan,"
Tears welled up in her eyes…voice breaking.
"How could you say such hurtful words to me?"
"I…I…I only did what was required."
My gaze didn't shift.
"No," I said quietly.
"You did what you required."
"What benefited you."
A pause.
"And you made everyone, including Adrian pay the price."
"If anyone's responsible…it's you."
"You created the pressure in everyone's life."
My voice remained calm.
Imelda stilled slightly.
"I only made the decisions that were right for us."
"Us?"
"Yes, us," she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Making me let out a small laughter.
"You, me, Adrian," she said.
"Rephrase that,"
"You used me and Adrian."
"You destroyed us."
"Us…I mean me, Veronica, Janet, Adrian and …Daniel."
She froze on hearing me take Daniel's name.
Today for the first time I felt there's more to their relationship than just betrayal.
What?
I might not know now, but I will soon.
"Jonathan, I don't know who or where you got this information that Adrian isn't yours."
"You knew I doubted Adrian from the beginning."
"Yet you made my doubt protect you and hurt my own daughter."
I reached for the file and pulled out the DNA report and threw it at her face.
"This..it's fake."
I removed the blood test report of me and Adrian and placed it in front of her.
"Dare test again?"
They sounded like questions but they were solid facts.
"And now.."
I trailed off.
"There's no relation left between us,"
"You think I was controlling you?"
I didn't say a word.
"With Daniel…all you did is change your master."
"I mean, the Blue Heart belongs to him and–"
"What I wanted from the Blue Heart…I've gotten it."
I picked the remote and displayed an image.
Image of Blue Heart Designer Name: Daniel Staf.
Materials: Rare blue metal and gems courtesy Janet Rollings.
"What?"
"Janet is my mother's name. The metal and gems used in the making belonged to her."
"That's why I wanted it,"
A brief silence fell upon us.
"When Veronica comes back, she'll be the one wearing it."
"And yes, my daughter is named after my mother Janet Rollings."
"You delayed my daughter from being called a Rollings, but this fact won't change."
A pause.
Then she laughed.
I got up and walked towards the door.
As I held the door knob,
I paused.
"Imelda,"
She spun around hoping I called her back.
"Best if you change his surname or else…"
By the time I walked out, I had nothing left to hold me back.
"Understood."
Apartment - Late at night
The apartment was quiet.
Not empty.
Just… unshared.
Jonathan set the file aside.
It didn't matter anymore.
Not legally.
Not strategically.
Only personally.
Veronica had stood in front of everything.
Pressure. Accusation. Silence.
And he—
hadn't stood anywhere.
His gaze lowered slightly.
No regret.
Recognition.
"I wasn't there," he said quietly.