Chapter 14: The Capsules

With hard work and tremendous effort, Neal successfully won the Tarbell Standard Oil's deal. The final defending speech was intense but he impressively convinced everyone and beat other bidders. Afterwards, Neal took his team for dinner to celebrate the success. It was well after nine when he was back to his office.

He felt Alden's letter which he hadn't finished reading. Loosening his tie, he unfolded the letter. He skipped to page four where he got interrupted earlier.

"...

you are more capable than you believe you are. I wish you luck on today's presentation. I am sure you will be super!

Before I conclude, there's a secret story which I have saved for last: I was told that the man I love is my cousin! It feels like reading a poor romance novel, doesn't it? Initially I was sad, jumbled, torn but then gradually I feel like being gas-lighted!

So, I wrote him a looong letter...

The next morning when I woke and saw birds happily chirping, I think the person (I can't tell you who) had a point. He has spent several months on the road to be at where he is. He shouldn't turn around and come back empty handedly.

I tore my letter into pieces.

Patience is a virtue! A delicate issue such as this is better to be handled face-to-face to avoid regretful misinterpretation, unnecessary worries and anxiety on his part. You think?

I wish he were here with me. But honestly, it won't make any difference. Nothing will change my feeling to him until it's proven that we really are cousins! I will wait for him to come home and discuss it. Together! Then decide the next concrete action.

What I'm more concerned about is how to explain why I kissed him the night before he left! To think that I made him lock lips with me is the biggest horror of all if he indeed turns out to be my cousin!

Oh, how I'm glad that I can share this burden with you-

..."

Neal felt a goose bump broke out on the back of his neck. Cousin, business trip. It's extraordinarily familiar! He didn't have time to dwell too long on the issue though because Dayna entered giving some files.

"I'll be in my desk if you need me," Dayna said.

"You should call it the day." Neal looked at his watch. Nine thirty. "It's late. I have my driver take you home."

"Thanks, Neal. I drive today," declined Dayna politely. "I also have called the mansion and told them you'll come home late. They'll prepare a late snack for you."

Neal smiled at his assistant. "You're a pillar of awesomeness, Dayna, you know that?" he said. "I m going too, I'll walk you to your car."

"I get your coat and have your driver ready."

She left. Neal folded Alden's letter and put it in his pocket. He sighed. It felt like the fortieth time he got interrupted reading that dear letter. In no time, Dayna came back with Neal's coat, suitcase, and other things.

"I hope you don't have anything scheduled at home canceled tonight because of me," said Neal as he's wearing his coat.

"Not at all. All my family is not in Chicago," replied Dayna readily.

"Say it again, where are you from?"

"Wisconsin."

"You go home often?"

"Once a month but not recently." Outside was drizzling. Smoothly Dayna opened an umbrella and held it over her boss.

"Must be because I have been occupying your time," said Neal. He grinned.

Her pulse was racing. Why he has to look so gorgeous. "Not at all. It's my job. I love to do it because I can be close to someone I care about."

"I see someone get lucky." He grinned again. "Like us who're lucky to have you in our team."

She glanced up at him. His mood was light tonight. He looked so relaxed often flashing grins. He must be happy because he just won his dream project. Maybe because of that or maybe because her mood was good too but suddenly she felt like telling him everything that had been concealed deep in her heart.

"If you wanted to, we could extend it beyond our office wall," she blurted out with a low shaking voice. "That someone I care about is you Neal. I have fallen for you since the first time I saw you."

She looked up at him. He looked at her with a curious look as if he's expecting she would brush it off and say it's a joke.

"It's not a joke, Neal. I'm dead serious," Dayna said, her eyes meeting his. His expression turned complex like the mixed of surprise and effort to stay composed that made him looked almost cute. Blushing, she looked down, waiting.

"That's a very lovely thing to say. But, Dayna, you know we shouldn't," said Neal, finally.

"Because you don't like me or because you're my boss?" Dayna forced a chuckle to hide her nervousness.

"That's one." Neal grinned slightly, then paused. "It's outlined in our company Code of Business Ethics that dating between coworkers is strongly prohibited within the company."

"Gosh! What am I doing? I must have drunk too much wine just now." Dayna tried to laugh it off. "And, you're my boss!"It didn't work. Neal saw some tears beaded in her eyes before she turned to hide it. He was stunt. She did mean every word she said.

"You don't want me, anyway. I'm too…" Neal paused, thinking of words Candy used to depict him. Seeing how she held the umbrella over him, he then remembered one. "I'm too demanding," Neal muttered. He took the umbrella from Dayna's hand and held it himself. "See?"

"You're not demanding at all," said Dayna. "I like to do things for you if that makes you happy, Neal."

She said it so sincerely making his heart thump alarmingly. He always hoped for Candy to say something similar but she never did. At least, the last time they met she finally gave him a genuine smile. How was she doing now? Another cloud formed, filled with Alden's gentle words.

A chilly rain drop pelted on his cheek bringing his focus back to Dayna.

"Thank you. That's very generous of you," said Neal softly. "I am grateful to have you around but with dad sick, mom in the hospital, and all that… Believe me, I'm not the lucky man who deserves to care for you, okay?"

"I apologize for saying what I said." She wiped her eyes. "I should be fired."

"Hey, don't say that." Neal stepped closer and patted her shoulder. Her face was wet with tears. "I hate to see you this way. You have to promise me you'll be fine. Have a good night sleep and forget about it tomorrow, alright?"

Dayna nodded.

"See you tomorrow then."

She quickly straightened up and composed herself. "Yes. See you tomorrow, Neal."

Neal stood there waiting until Dayna's car disappeared and walked to his car with a slow exhale. He rejected girls before but this by far was the hardest he had to do. She's so honest and unpretentious. He squeezed Aden's letter in his pocket and went to the hospital to visit his parents.

oOo

At the hospital, Neal went straight to his mother's room. He found her sitting alone with her hands clasping a rosary, intense sadness crossing her features. She didn't turn when he entered.

"How's dad, mom?" Neal quietly closed the door behind him and sat next to his mother.

Sarah shook her head. "He has not talked yet."

Neal sighed quietly. "Mom… You need some rest too. What if you come home with me tonight. I take you back tomorrow early in the morning."

Sarah shook her head.

"They said you haven't been eating." Neal opened the bag he took with him. "Look, mom! I made them make your favorite soup. Try some."

Sarah didn't move.

Neal picked a spoon and filled it with some soup and brought it toward his mother. "Come mom, you should eat something," encouraged Neal.

She sipped a little.

"Good?" Neal asked softly. She didn't answer. He took another spoonful of soup and brought it to his mother again.

She ate a bit. After a few spoons she just watched the spoon but didn't open her mouth.

"It's not good?" asked Neal.

"Your dad..." A slight, painful smile crossed his mother's face for a moment. "He cooked this for me in our honeymoon."

Neal sadly set the spoon down. "The one dad made must be really good."

Sarah was silent like at the brink of falling apart. "H-he..." Her voice quivered. "He doesn't know that I love him."

"Can't be, mom. I'm sure dad knows."

"No… h-he doesn't know. I have never told him." Tears brimmed in her eyes.

Neal felt so broken seeing how his mother was. She always was so strong and confident, now she looked so inconsolable. Not knowing what good things to say, he accompanied his mother in silence, the best thing he could offer but perhaps was the best. Not long after a light rap came from the door. It was the nurse.

"Hello Mrs. Leagan," said the nurse warmly. "Your husband is murmuring you're name."

"Me?" Sarah gasped, clapped her hands over her mouth. "H-he wants me?"

The nurse nodded and smiled.

Sarah shakily struggled to get up. She was so unsteady that Neal quickly came to support her. Holding onto her son she slowly dragged herself to meet her husband.

"It's better if only Mrs. Leagan who enters. Mr. Leagan is still very weak," the nurse whispered to Neal before they entered.

"I just take my mother inside then I'll leave," answered Neal.

Henri was lying in bed, his eyes were closed. He stirred as soon as he heard his wife's voice.

"Henri... I'm here."

"Sarah..." Henri's voice was nearly inaudible, scarily weak.

"Henri." Sarah rushed to her husband's side and grappled to hold his hands. "Henri darling… you have to get well. I love you, you heard me? I love you."

Seeing his mother's eyes full of tears and the deep love in them, Neal finally knew why she never left his father. Behind those fierce fights, arguments, or throwing the sharpest words to each other, she surprisingly did care about his father so much.

Neal quietly left his parents alone. He lingered for some more time until his father went back to sleep. His mother refused to leave his father's side so Neal went home by himself.

He had only four hours sleep the previous night but he still couldn't sleep worrying about his father. So he went to his father's home office. It's empty. He usually saw his father sitting there, often growling whenever he saw him idle. "Are you ready for tomorrow's presentation yet?""Did you prepare your talk?" Tonight especially, he missed him more than ever.

"Dad, I have been working seriously these days," Neal whispered. "You should see my speech for Tabler... Eliza's baby, your first grandson, is really cute."

Gravely Neal sat on his father's chair. Poor dad, he was so sick and fighting for his life. Then his gaze caught his father's vitamin bottle. Suddenly, a new thought struck him.

Why should he believe that his father was sick?

Neal picked up the bottle, looking at it for a long time. Then, he opened the cap and took one capsule out. He opened it...

A flush of terror ran to him as he stared at the white powder inside the capsule. He realized how naive he had been. Someone tries to murder dad! Why didn't he think about this before?

Neal quickly thought about the possible motive. Money? Who?

Mom? She fought endlessly with dad, but her sadness was too genuine to fake. Eliza? Unlikely. She knew dad adore her. She could have gotten the whole company naturally, all she had to do was to ask. Neal thought about a few other inner circle people and stopped at Eliza's husband...

Mason?

He realized that he hadn't seen Mason. He had been very busy and overwhelmed with events around him that he didn't realize it until now.

Immediately, Neal picked up the phone and called detective Jack.

-To be continued –

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Thanks for reading

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NOTE:

In Candy's letter, " the person (I can't tell you who)" = aunt Elroy

Candy kissed Albert: Chapter 5

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