Declan had immediately contacted the lawyers after they had read the note. To not alarm anyone, Derek and Diana had returned to the party, keeping their distance from each other. But apprehensive looks had been constantly exchanged. Everyone else had been too preoccupied to notice.
Declan returned just as the party was wrapping up. "I have good news, and I have bad news," he declared, solemnly.
"What's the good news?"
"We're no longer under any threat."
"What? How?'
"That's the bad news. Charles Davis is dead."
"What?!" came a voice from behind, before Derek could react. Alicia had heard them.
"What do you mean my father is dead?" she asked loudly, grabbing the attention of the rest of the family and the few guests that remained.
Declan slowly handed her his phone as the whole family crowded around her. On the screen was a News Reporter.
At 6.13 p.m. today, businessman Charles Davis was killed while being transported from Emerson Maximum Security Prison. Davis was arrested earlier this month and awaiting trial at the time of his death. He allegedly tried to escape from the police van on his way to the courthouse and would have succeeded had it not been for the truck that ran him over just as he jumped out of the van.
It is not confirmed as yet whether this was an accident, a murder or a planned suicide. The driver of the truck has been taken into custody and the police are currently questioning him.
It is also unclear if Davis' charges will now be passed on to his only heir and daughter, Alicia Blake. Sources claim that the father and daughter are estranged, and that Blake has no role in her father's business.
Stay tuned for more details as this story unravels.
Alicia's step faltered causing her to sit on the ground, in shock. She wasn't able to process all the information yet.
Was she sad about her father's death? She didn't know.
Was she going to have to pay for her father's crimes? She hadn't thought that far.
But Declan had.
"I spoke to the lawyers. They're going to plead ignorance in court for Alicia's involvement. The whole world now knows that Alicia and her father were estranged. It shouldn't be a problem, Der. I'll take care of it. Nothing's going to happen to Alicia."
"And the company?"
"I'll take care of it. It'll all be fine."
No one in the Blake household slept that night. Some were confused, others anxious. Derek felt helpless, being able to help neither his wife nor his brother.
They'd given Alicia a sleeping pill to keep her from having a panic attack, doctor's orders; And everyone knew to stay out of Declan's way as he worked with his assistants and lawyers. They were all made to fly in to Declan's parents' house.
A flowing stream of coffee had them awake and glued to their phones all night. The whole family had steered clear of the bottom floor, afraid of being swept up in the frenzy. Clarisa's family had decide to stay elsewhere, though Clarisa was currently occupying Declan's room with Aria sleeping right beside her.
By 6.00 a.m. the next day, however, a calmness had set over the house. As Derek and Clarisa bravely ventured down to see what was happening, all they found was Declan, seated on the porch, lost in thought and a fresh cup of coffee in his hand.
Neither of them said anything, not wanting to spook Declan. But he had sensed them.
"With Charles now dead, Alicia has executive powers over his business. The bastard loved his daughter after all," Declan growled.
"Oh, god!"
"What does that mean? Is Alicia in trouble?"
"No!" Declan's response caught them both by surprise.
"Believe it or not, Alicia had always known about her father's criminal activities. She just didn't want anything to do with him, the company or his deals."
"That still doesn't explain everything."
"Alicia's the reason I was able to get her father arrested, Der. She knew where all the skeletons are buried. She gave me the files that put her father away. The only thing I had to do was get the lawyers to convince the DA to keep Alicia's name and ours out of it."
"Why would she want that?"
"Because, right before it all happened, Alicia gave me Power of Attorney. In the event that her father is incapable of running his business, I take over. Not Alicia."
"But that would expose you to the world."
"Not if it is given to DEBTech."
"Which means the world will think Derek is running it because he is CEO, and no one will question it because Derek is married to Alicia. So, the natural assumption is that Alicia is giving her father's business to her husband," Clarisa confirmed.
Declan nodded without looking at them. "Everyone knows that Derek and Charles can't stand each other. Now they know that it is more than just a business rivalry. With his stellar reputation, no one will think that he is going to run Charles' company the same way he did."
Derek was all but ready to jump around like a maniac. After a quick hug and thank you to his brother, Derek ran off to check on his wife and tell her the good news.
Clarisa stayed behind.
"So, how's it been being back home?"
"Beyond my wildest imagination."
"Still want to move back home?"
"I'll survive."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N.
Dun. Dun. Dun. How'd you like the ending?
Yes, this is the ending. No, there is no Epilogue. This is just the ending of this book, not the whole story. I bet you still have loads of questions. There are so many more characters that I have introduced but not developed. All in due time! Before you know it, I will be announcing my next story - as soon as I have it worked out.
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Surviving Home | Completed
General Fiction"There is great power in being the calm at the centre of a storm." These were words that Declan Blake lived by, when he was bullied as a child and when he was shipped off to live with his brother on the other side of the country. Now, seven years l...
