Chapter 35

Greg

I was out of the emergency room with Louis while a group of doctors was attending to my father, I was busy thinking about the case, and how to answer the questions that the detective will ask me tomorrow, I knew that no one would find any evidence against me, but I must appear confident as usual.

"Louis, I want you to find me another criminal lawyer, I need a very good lawyer, I don't care how much it costs me."

"Is that all you think about right now while your dad's dying, Greg? A good lawyer." Louis said angrily

"Hey, I care about my father, but the company's reputation is in my hands now reality forces me to be practical."

"Okay, I'll send you the number of one of the good lawyers I know, who has never lost a case in his life, but can we now focus on your father's situation? Please, Greg."

"Okay, I didn't say anything." After a few minutes I got tired of waiting and wanted to clear my mind outside a bit, "I think I'll go smoke a cigar outside." I was getting up when Louis grabbed me by the arm and looked at me angrily

"Greg, what's wrong with you? Don't you have any sense of sympathy? It's your father who's inside for God sake." Then the doctor came out towards us.

"Okay, which one of you is related to the patient?" the doctor asked

"I am his son"

"Ok, he got over his heart attack safely , it was a little light, but he needs to rest and calm down for the next eighty-four hours, we'll keep him in the intensive care under observation, he's awake now you can see him if you want" Then the doctor went and disappeared between arcade

"Come with me, Greg." Louis wanted me to go with him to Dad

"No, no, I need to smoke a cigarette."

"Come with me." He grabbed me by the arm and led me inside. "What kind of son are you?"

When we entered my father in the intensive care room, he was surrounded by medical devices, and they put an oxygen tube on his mouth and nose, I approached him cautiously, he seemed very upset with me, he didn't even look at me.

"Hey James, thank God it was just a little health crisis, man, tell me how you feel." He was joking with my father, trying to scare him.

"How do you think I'll feel, Louis, put yourself in my shoes, and tell me how you'll feel?" Louis looked at me as if he was waiting for me to say something

"Listen to me, James, I'm sure Greg is innocent. We'll appoint a lawyer to prove his innocence easily. Please don't think about it."

"Louis, you don't know this girl, she..." My dad didn't finish his sentence when I interrupted him angrily

"Dad, she was drunk. I can't believe you don't believe what I'm telling you. I'm your son!"

"Yes, that's the problem, because you're my son, I know you well, Greg." He looks at me sadly and nervously, trying to remove the oxygen mask from his face

"Listen, our interest is the same, no matter what. If you can influence her, you must do so. Remember that she respected and valued you very much, do not forget that she is carrying the only heir of our family and all of its property." I looked angrily in my father's eyes and I was talking to him very seriously and my voice was loud

"Greg, are you crazy, this isn't the time to talk to your father about this," Louis whispered to me angrily

"Why didn't you let me die in the car, Louis?" My dad said disappointed

"Oh come James, don't be so hard on yourself, don't say that, you have a grandson to see, there is no harm in offering the girl financial compensation instead of spending time in the courts. Your relationship with her must be good, because through her you can reach your grandson, and giving her this amount guarantees that your company's reputation in the market will remain fine. It is your and your father glory." I looked at Louis with a smile, what a wicked cunning, I knew I could count on him

"Okay, call the girl, I want to meet her now." My father said and Louis looked at me as if he was waiting for me to talk to Linka

"What, no, I'm not going to call her, she's suing me" I grabbed my phone and hit the buttons" I'll send you her number and you can call her Louis, I'm waiting for you to send the number of the other lawyer, I will go out to smoke a cigar, maybe I'll have some dinner as well".

"Have you seen what my son is doing to me, Louis?" He was talking sadly, as if he was going to cry.

"Don't say that James, he's very strong and hides his feelings, that's all, that's why he's a successful businessman."

Mr. Hanson know that his son has no feelings to hide, and his continued success is only due to the exploitation of others. Just like his mother, Mr. Hanson began to believe that Greg was torturing all these women in order to avenge his mother who left him.

Wheeler/Linka

"I'm going to finish washing the dishes, babe, go get some rest." Wheeler standing by the sink washing dishes

"It's okay Yankee, you put a lot of effort making dinner tonight, you can go to rest and I'll continue from here, there aren't many dishes anyway." And she rinses the dishes with water

"Babe, this is a sensitive period of pregnancy, as I know, you should rest, I insist, now go "He gently pushed her away from the sink with his hips

"Okay Yankee, as you wish." She was drying her hand with a kitchen towel when her phone rang

She stared at the bright screen for a few seconds before hitting the answer button, "I don't know this number, who it could be."

"Hello "

"Yes, hello, sorry to bother you, but is this Miss Linka Kovaleva?" Louis is talking in the line

"Yes, I'm Linka, how can I help you?" Wheeler and Linka looked at each other in astonishment

"I am Mr. James Hanson's lawyer, I am calling you from the hospital, in fact Mr. Hanson had a heart attack today, and..."

"Oh my God, is he okay?" Linka showed signs of fear, and Wheeler stopped washing the dishes and looked at her intently

"Actually he has passed the crisis, but he is still weak, he is in the intensive care right now, and he asked me to call you."

"He asked you to call me? Why?"

"He would like to speak with you personally, I was wondering if you could come to the hospital to meet him?"

"Actually, I don't know...Do you know what he wants?"

"Just one second "The lawyer gave the phone to Mr. Hanson

"Hello "Mr. Hanson's voice was very weak and sad, and his tone of age became clear

"Oh, Mr. Hanson...!" There was a little silence, Mr. Hanson was trying to hold back his tears, while Linka felt sorry for him. "I'm really sorry for what happened to you, and I hope you get well soon."

"Linka, my child… I, also so sorry for what happened for you too, please… … I don't know if I can make it. I want to talk to you… before it's too late"

"Don't say that Mr. Hanson, I am sure you will recover soon"

"Please, Linka, I want to see to you personally my dear , could you please come to the hospital, I don't want to die before I can see and talk to you, if my health helped me, I would come to you but.."

"Don't worry, Mr. Hanson, I'm coming for you." Linka took the hospital address and room number, then hung the line, she promised him to go to the hospital immediately. Wheeler was listening to Linka all the time, he didn't like what he was hearing, hearing Hanson's word became a nightmare for him.

"Lin, where do you think you're going?" He followed her to the room while she get ready and change her clothes

"To Mr. Hanson, he has had a heart attack, he wants to see me now" She takes off her pajama

"For God's sake, did you believe him? Did you forget who his son is?"

"His son has no interest in the matter. And even if that were true, he is an old friend of ours, you knew, that your job as a cop made you only see evil in people."

"What I saw was real most of the time, wasn't it? "

"Wheeler, please don't start with me, the old man is dying, I will not forgive myself if something happened to him and I did not fulfill his last request"

"Ok fine, but I'm going with you, and I'll take the gun as well"

"Oh, I almost forgot how a protective boyfriend you are ".She patted his cheek with her hand caressing him"

Mr. Hanson was in his room thinking, looking at that white ceiling and the pipes extending into his body, "I can't believe my son could do such a thing, not with that poor girl, he has been mischievous and evil since he was young, I know that, But oh my God, not to this degree"

"James if you meet this girl, tell her we are willing to pay to settle the case, and I will try to convince her that she will lose if she continues the case anyway" The lawyer was talking a lot, but Mr. Hanson

He was tired and distracted, unable to focus on what the lawyer was telling him

"Excuse me, the reception told me this is Mr. Hanson's room," Linka said, peering out the door and looking at the lawyer.

"Yes, Linka, I am here, dear." As Mr. Hanson raised his hand to Linka as soon as he saw her blond hair peeking out the door.

"Oh, Mr. Hanson." Linka ran to the old patient's bed and grabbed his hand, as Wheeler was behind her the whole time.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you, tell me are you feeling better?" Linka said as she looked into Mr. Hanson's eyes who started to shed tears, he was trying to hide the whole time

"No, my dear, I'm not feeling better. That's what happened to me after finding out what happened to you. I... I'm so sorry, Linka... I still can't believe what I heard... Tell me it didn't happen, please."

"It depends on the version your son told you, is it the original or the fake," Wheeler said in a stern voice, and Linka poke him in the arm and gave him a blameworthy look.

"Who are you, young man, and how dare you…" the lawyer said to Wheeler, but Mr. Hanson silenced him with a hand.

"Wait, Louis, I know this guy, come closer, son." Mr. Hanson said as he stared at Wheeler

"Mr. Hanson, it's Wheeler, we trained together in your factory, remember?" Linka said as she put her hand on Wheeler's arm

"Oh yeah, I remember him, how are you, Wheeler, oh look at yourself, you look great,

"Thanks Mr. Hanson, I'm a police officer now "Wheeler said to the old man

"But, what are you doing here? How did you find out about my illness?"

"Wheeler is my boyfriend now, we're in a relationship." She said as she put her hands around Wheeler's arm

"Oh great, congratulations, I knew there was something between you two." His smile was making its way through the tears on the old man's face

Louis snicker to remind Mr. Hanson of the main reason they called Linka for

"Linka, I can't believe you're going to sue my son, I can't believe he would do something like that."

"Oh, please, like you don't know your son!" wheeler said angrily

"Wheeler stop it ", Linka said then turned to the sick man "Mr. Hanson, you're tired, maybe we should discuss this some other time."

"Linka, please, I'm begging you, withdraw the suit, I'm sure something is wrong. I'm sure there is some misunderstand between you to" old man said while holding her hands and looking into her eyes

"Mr. Hanson, The case will not be withdrawn, this criminal must receive his punishment" wheeler said angrily agin

"Wheeler, you shouldn't talk to a man who has a heart attack in this way, you can kill him" She lowers her voice and whispers to him angrily.

"Listen to me, Linka, he's my only son, he's all I have now, he's running the company in all its branches, This Company is the result of my efforts and the efforts of my father. A case like this could ruin his career, It negatively affects the company. please, I'm begging you, I promise I won't leave you alone, I'll compensate you with a big amount, ask for Whatever you want, I will provide you with medical and life care for you and my grandson, you won't believe it, but the news of your pregnancy was the happiest news I have ever heard in my life, I long to see it, so please let us settle this case"

"Neither you nor your son has anything to do with this baby. This is my son. …" Wheeler said loudly, angrily,

But Linka interrupted him." Wheeler, please, let me speak now."

"Oh honey, is what he's saying true?" Mr. Hanson said, he and the lawyer looked at the couple in astonishment. Greg didn't tell them that the baby might not be his, he was claiming openly that he is his.

"Mr. Hanson, I'm going to ask you to imagine that what happened to me happened to your daughter, I was happy to be with the man of my dreams, I expected to see the engagement ring pop up in front of me at any moment, I was ready to live the most beautiful moment a girl can live , Until someone, we think it was Greg, caused us to break up, and one night he would invite me to go out to dinner with him, although I didn't want it, but he was insist, he put some kind of drug or poison in my drink I could have died, don't believe him when he tells you I got drunk I remember perfectly how I lost consciousness and wasn't drunk, to find myself the next morning naked in his bed, tell me if this was your daughter, would you forgive the perpetrator " She looked into Mr. Hanson's eyes with tears in her eyes

"I was supposed to be engaged now, I was supposed to be in the mall, preparing myself for the most beautiful day of my life, but now I'm with this" and she pointed to her stomach "with a baby whose father I don't know, I postponed everything related to the engagement and marriage until I knew Who is the father of the baby, and all I fear is that your son is the father of my child." Then she left her place, which was near the old man, and backed away

"I don't want anything to do with your son, I don't want to make Wheeler raise someone else's son, tell me... If that's what happened to your daughter, would you forgive the culprit?" she put her hands on her face to hide her tears, and ran out of the room

Mr. Hanson was so touched by her words, the lawyer was silent the whole time, staring at them all

"Mr. Hanson, just to let you know, this baby is mine and I'm raising him no matter what, I'll be his father, and that's my final decision, and I'm sorry to say that, Mr. Hanson, you're a good man, but you've brought a beast into society. Your son is a sick psychopath." Wheeler said before leaving to look for his blonde beauty.

When Wheeler went out of the room, Mr. Hanson lay on his bed, his heart full of pain, from what Greg had done to Linka, and also from his stroke, he wished that this baby would be his grandson, he didn't know there was a great possibility that Wheeler could be the father of this baby.

Meanwhile, Louis went out to the hallway to talk to Greg and tell him what happened with Linka, and to find out what Greg did with the lawyer that he gave him his number, because Greg was at a checkpoint he could not speak while he was driving, he preferred to come himself to the hospital to his father's room and see the updates

"Here you are, babe." Wheeler said to Linka after he found her, he had been looking for her for a few minutes, only to find her sitting sadly at some visitor chairs in the intensive care unit, he sat next to her.

"I'm sorry Wheeler, I was so emotional" she wiped her tears

"Don't worry, Babe, its good." He puts his arm around her and pulls her close to him, "Babe, may I ask you something?"

"Yes, go ahead." Linka was not excited to hear the question nor answer it

"How did you know I was going to propose to you?"

"Well,…do you remember the night of our last anniversary, when we came back after you got pissed off by Greg?"

"Yes, I remember"

"When we came home and made love that night, I was asleep, I tried to cover myself with your jacket, I was cold,...I didn't mean to search for your jacket but I found..."

"Did you find the ring I was going to present to you?" Wheeler interrupted her

"Yes, it's very beautiful"

"Oh shit, you weren't supposed to see it this way the first time" Wheeler nervously rubbed his face

"I'm sorry Wheeler," and after a few pauses, "I've been thinking a lot, why you didn't propose to me that night? Aren't you sure we about our love yet, or to commit into a relationship or…..?" Wheeler interrupted her.

"It's Greg"

"Oh boshy moy, I knew it …. I knew had something to do with it." Then she looked in his eye and said, "What did he tell you?"

"When you went to the bathroom that night, he told me that he was always your second choice, he told me not to propose to you in case he was there because you would choose to stay with him over me, because he is rich, he can provide you with comfort and care, unlike me …He has a charming way of persuasion, that bastard."

"Oh Wheeler, what an idiot," she said softly, holding his face in her hands and looking deep into his eyes. "How can you believe there's anyone in the world coming after you?" He looked into her eyes filled with love, and she continued, "A while after we first met, after your constant attempts, you became the only one, not the first or the second, you are the only one."

"So is that yes on my proposal?" He joked to her, looking into her eyes

"Of course Wheeler, the answer is always yes." Then they shared a passionate kiss, and when they parted, she looked into his eyes and continued, "But I want you to wait for the baby to be born, I want you to know first if he's yours not."

"Come on, Babe, I told you, whatever happened, I will be a good father to him and I will raise him."

"Wheeler, please, for me …do it for me, I can't make you raise someone else's baby, especially if he's Greg's"

"Rest assure, Babe, he's my baby, I positive about that." He hugged her tightly, and after a few minutes "Come on, let's go home, it's getting late." He grabbed her hand and they got up together and headed for the elevator.

When they got to the elevator and pushed the button, Linka leaned her back on Wheeler, she feels happy, even if that happiness is incomplete, she feels almost engaged, that the man of her dreams has become her fiancé from this moment, Wheeler was feeling the same way where he put his arm around her, and they head toward the elevator when it opens

The surprise was that Greg appeared to them from the elevator heading to his father's room, and their eyes met for a few seconds, Wheeler put his hands on the pistol, Linka quickly put her hand on Wheeler's hand extended to his gun, she was afraid that he would do any reckless action if Greg tease him, Greg remained silent, but in his eyes a look of mockery and contempt, and Wheeler exchanged the same look with him , like two lions before their fight, Linka was trying not to look at Greg, and keeping her eyes on Wheeler, grabbed an arm tight and dragged him into the elevator after Greg got out, Wheeler's And Greg's eyes remained defiantly stuck together until the elevator door closed