Cardinal Howard. His title for nearly two years now. Timothy never imagined he would hate to be adressed like that.
It was always something he wanted to achieve. Years ago he dreamed of New York and eventually Rome but now he could only think of Briacliff ans his dark past.
It wasn't the building itself or the work with the mentally insane but his attempts to achieve his goals by using helpless people.
For years he had closed his eyes. He let people like Arden, Thredson and even Carl work there. Arden and Thredson were both monsters and Carl had been nothing but an sex addict who used patients for his pleasure.
The Monsignor had known about Doctor Arden and Carl, only Oliver Thredson had surprised him. But at the end of the day it was only his reputation that mattered.
He had left Briarcliff as Cardinal and never looked back, never pitied the lost souls that lost their lifes while he was in charge.
Now, nearly two years later, Lana Winters had visited him to expose him and everything about Briarcliff.
It wasn't her disgusted expression nor the questions that shook him to the core... It was her name. The name he had tried to forget and buried like all memories of her and the institution.
Since that night she visited him in his dreams. Mostly she accused him of killing her but sometimes she begged him to release her and that were the worst nightmares.
All this time he had tried to forget how he reached his ultimate goal but running wasn't an option anymore.
Timothy Howard has always been selfish, egoistic and a coward. Even killing himself has been the failed attempt to protect himself from truth before anyone else might be able to look behind the facade of the Cardinal.
As he had watched the cold blade in his hand Timothy realised that he had failed. He was supposed to be better than everyone else but in the end, he wasn't any different than Arden or Thredson. Because of him people died or were left behind.
He couldn't undo the past but he could try to compensate his mistakes. That's what brought him back to Briarcliff now.
He had never asked if she was still alive, he didn't know if he was too late but he would find out soon.
He closed his suitcase and stood. Tonight he will leave New York and drive back to Briarcliff Manor. He hated himself for everything he did to become Cardinal and was determined to change his life forever