Jonathan's POV
Rollings Designs - Morning
"Mr. Rollings," a staff member said. "The claim has been filed."
I didn't ask who filed it, as I already knew it.
Daniel is with me, and we both are on the same page.
Before we may have had our differences,
But now, we have the same goal…
To take Imelda down.
"Did the board members say anything?"
"Mix results," the staff member said.
"Some are neutral, but some are questioning your behavior."
"My behavior"
"Yes," she continued. "They say before you agreed to everything Imelda said for the sake of the Blue Heart, now you're allowing Daniel Staf to claim it."
I smiled.
Good.
Mix results meant the illusion Sanders was the rightful owner is breaking.
And once it broke…
Control would be ours.
"But Mr. Rollings," a staff member said.
"Since the metal and gems belong to you,"
"Why don't you claim it?" He said.
"You're right about that," I said.
"But, the design is his,"
"And, he did buy them."
"As for what's mine,"
"First let Daniel get the rights,"
"Rest, we'll go from there."
For now getting the Blue Heart away from Sanders is what matters most.
This will also stop Sanders from targeting Veronica, which is more important to me than the Blue Heart itself.
"John," a staff member said, calling out.
"Imelda has restricted internal access again."
"Didn't you—"
"Don't jump to conclusions so soon," John said typing away.
His fingers were so fast, I couldn't see his fingers.
"What's going on?" the staff member said as a circle started rotating on his screen.
"Wait and watch." John said, leaning back.
The rotating circle stopped and transformed into a donkey.
"Hit the enter button." John said with a smirk.
"Huh?" he was surprised but did as told.
"Hey?" he said. "Where'd the donkey go?"
"To the system that restricted our access."
"John," I spoke in a scolding voice. "Did you send a virus?"
"Virus?" John said feigning innocence. "No. A glitch…tiny one. It should keep them occupied for a day."
Since I began taking Imelda down, my office has become the main point for our work.
I shifted everyone's desk into my office.
I needed everyone in one place so I could know what's going on when and where.
I exhaled quietly.
Imelda always thought she was born to control everything and everyone around her.
Which is what she's been doing all her life.
And now…
All of that was slipping away.
"How's our defence?"
"I've delayed it by two minutes," John said leaning back.
"The two minutes give them the feel they've locked in,"
"In the next three seconds, they'll be locked out."
"The two minutes they lock in, gives me ample time to track their IP so we can know who's locking in."
"Like now, it was from Harmon Designs, but a few minutes back it was from Sanders."
"Sanders?" I was shocked when I heard his name.
"Yeah," he said.
"Looks like he's still a tiny bit active."
"Mr. Rollings," a staff member said. "The audit pressure is increasing."
I didn't shift my gaze.
One thing I knew about Sanders was…
He was reckless.
He only escalates only when he's close to a dead-end.
And now he was at his last final dead-end.
For the past seven years the Blue Heart has been the hook that had me entangled with him.
It's also the reason he got the chance to hurt Veronica to that extent.
And for that no matter how innocent he may be regarding the right to the design, he will pay.
"Strengthen the internal controls," I said, guiding them.
"Upload the digital audit management system."
"Delete the manuals."
"Keep our auditors on line round the clock,"
"Automate the data collection."
I leaned back and looked at the screen.
Sanders stocks were dropping.
The Blue Heart has been his trump card to make his name in the jewelry designing world.
Now that everyone is finding out, it's going to be taken away from him, he's losing his credibility.
And the first thing he must have done is block his funds from going into Harmon Designs.
Sanders won't let go easy,
And I also had no intention to back off.
I had been holding back for seven whole years.
Hoping one day I would have the Blue Heart, and that day I would officially announce to the world Veronica is my wife. My legal wife.
But Imelda ruined all of that for me.
"Mr. Rollings," the staff member said.
"The audit pressure is stable."
"Veronica," her name slipped from my mouth like a breath.
"John," I said leaning over.
"Can you rebuild the document flows related to Veronica?"
My tone was clean cut.
"Mr. Rollings," a staff member said.
"We've already verified everything."
"I know," I let out a breath.
"I want to see the intent."
Silence followed.
Intent was something that required the person's understanding of the work.
And Veronica…
She had never done anything without having one.
Whatever she did till date, she always had an intent.
She married me…for love.
She worked for Imelda…to protect me.
Every step she took…
It was only for me.
But I do want to know what exactly was she told.
How much did she know regarding the designs stolen from Daniel.
How much did she think I was stealing, and how much I was involved.
For her to go to the extent of working relentlessly for Imelda.
I was evaluating the files that were related to Veronica.
"Pause over there."
I said leaning over.
The screen froze mid-way of a document.
Every action was lining up too perfectly.
Precise.
Just too precise.
The flow of the things.
The pattern.
It wasn't a decision she was given to make.
Rather it was a direction that was given to her to follow.
I lowered my voice.
"She was following orders,"
"But whose?"
"Imelda's…Fredrick's or Sanders'"
Fredrick is out…
He always kept himself away from her.
Sanders….
I trailed off.
Except for the times he came on to her.
I leaned back as a thought came to my mind.
Over the past six years, Sanders never troubled Veronica.
It's not like this was the first time he saw her.
She's been serving at the parties from the beginning.
Then what happened this year, he began to attack Veronica.
I removed my phone from my pocket and opened a message dated: 10/05/2019
This message was the reason I made Veronica work as a server at the parties.
Because of Imelda, I couldn't say she's my wife, and I could never say she's my sister.
Calling her my friend would have made her look like the third-party whereas she was the only one for me.
I had no choice, and that message gave me a warning as well.
Thankfully Veronica was unharmed.
"Thinking about Veronica?"
A voice came from behind.
One that now brings a smile on my face.
"Daniel," I said, turning around.
"So, what got you thinking today?"
That's Daniel, always knows what's on my mind.
"I was going through the documents related to her."
I leaned back against my desk.
"You know, it's kind of odd."
I said as I exhaled.
"She never defended herself."
"Not even once."
"There were times when I asked her why she always looked so down."
"Why does she look like she barely eats?"
"She would always say, 'I see her after a long time so maybe she looks different."
A small laugh slipped out of my mouth.
"Once she even caused her pregnancy. Some gain weight, some lose weight."
"I believed her."
"I wonder if at those times, the reason she didn't tell was because she didn't want us to know she was working for Imelda delivering documents."
I paused for a brief moment.
"I realized…silence…was never fear."
"It's a choice."
"A choice where she didn't choose herself but…"
I trailed off a bit.
"Me."
"Mr. Rollings," a staff member called out.
"There's a media release."
"I cast it on the screen."
A pause.
The screen turned on as the News anchor began to tell the latest headline.
"A shocking news just came in. Our sources just told us Adrian Rollings son of Imelda Harmon of Harmon Designs and Jonathan Rollings, CEO of Rollings Designs, may not be Jonathan Rollings son after all. More on this as soon as we get more reliable news on this matter. Stay tuned."
Silence followed in the office.
Looking around…
I was the only one who wasn't shocked.
Who wasn't confused.
I already knew the truth thanks to the doctor, and Clara.
But for my staff, and the world, this was a shock.
"Mr. Rollings, they're questioning your paternity," a staff member said, frantically.
"Do we issue a statement on your behalf?"
"No need," I said leaning back against my desk.
"Let them clarify it for me,"
"This is the truth."
"It will come out one day or another, why not today?"
"A public truth is better than a private acknowledgement," Daniel said leaning back in his chair.
"Not for leverage, but for exposure."
"Exposure?" A staff member said with pinched eyebrows.
"Exposure, so tomorrow Jonathan won't have any issues regarding Adrian, and Imelda won't be able to use him as leverage against Jonathan."
"Mr. Rollings," another staff member said hesitatingly.
"I wasn't here that day,"
"Then Janet, I mean Mrs. Rolling's daughter…yours?"
"Sorry if I'm out of line."
I let out a small soft laugh.
"Veronica and I got married on the fifth of May. In July we found out she was a month pregnant. We had Janet on twenty-ninth March."
"What happened Mr. Rollings?"
"What?"
"Your face…" the staff member trailed off.
"You looked so happy when you were talking about Mrs. Rollings and Janet…suddenly the sad look."
"Yes, after Janet was born, she was eight months old when Imelda told me about Adrian. Then Fredrick made me the offer to give Adrian a name, Imelda, a fake marriage in return for the Blue Heart."
"At the time it looked good as I wanted to get the Blue Heart back."
"That's why you hid your marriage from everyone?"
I cut Daniel's words midway.
"Daniel, I was already married and already had Janet. If I had to hide, I would hide the fact Adrian was mine from Veronica, not hide Veronica from the world, and let her live as a widow."
"Then?"
"Cast my phone on the screen, and put this message up."
My staff member took my phone and did as told.
A message displayed on the screen:
Take care of your wife Imelda. As long as she's in front of your eyes…she's alive. Away from your eyes….she's dead."
"It was this message that made me hide Veronica." I said.
"Whoever this person believed Imelda was my wife, why I don't know."
"But if this person knew Veronica was my wife, he would attack her."
"I don't know if I did right or wrong,"
"But at the time it seemed like the best option."
"Imelda told me to pretend to be her fiance for two years, and have a fake marriage for a year. Then we'd fake a divorce."
"At the same time I got this message,"
"So, I took the offer, and began to search for the owner of the number."
"Which I never found, and to keep Veronica safe, I told everyone her husband was dead and worked for me, the reason I agreed to Imelda allowing Veronica to work as server at the parties so she could be in my sight."
"Working for Imelda was also the same reason."
Suddenly Daniel went quiet.
Too quiet.
I turned towards him, and called out.
"Daniel?"
"I was the person…"
Daniel trailed off.
"What?" I stood straight in shock.
"I was the person who sent you that message." Daniel continued.
"Sanders had gotten the Blue Heart ownership thanks to Imelda."
"At the time I found out she had your son."
"Her betrayal…stealing my designs…you having her child….it all piled up…"
"I was drunk when I sent the message, and wanted to send another message to say I won't, but I lost your number."
"It's cause of me…you and Veronica…"
"Daniel," I went over to Daniel and placed my hand on his shoulder.
"Regarding Veronica, we all are her culprits,"
"Regarding Imelda, we all are victims of her deeds."
"That's why I told to cross-reference her files," I continued.
"I found out Veronica worked for Imelda because she thought I also stole your designs and would go to jail for a long time."
"She believed I was guilty,"
"She stayed silent,"
"That's why she changed her initials from V. R. S to V. S, so I wouldn't be implicated with her."
"She was willing to take the fall for me."
My chest tightened slightly.
"She wasn't being loyal to me,
"She wasn't obligated to me because she was my wife,"
"She was protecting me."
"Everyone, rebuild every path she took over the years,"
"Mr. Rollings?" A staff member said. "Every path?"
"Yes,"
My voice didn't waver.
"She will not take the fall,"
"Not for this,"
"And especially not for me,"
"Prepare a meeting for me,"
"With whom Mr. Rollings?"
I straightened up.
"Imelda."
I paused.
Seven years of silence.
Of being controlled.
Of believing her lies.
"Enough of being controlled, enough of her lies."
"This time she answers me."
I finally understood…
Why Veronica was protecting and what it cost her.
Now Imelda would have to pay for that.