The Blind Consortium's Heir

9

Aidan locked eyes with his grandfather, as he sat down again. He wanted to ask what it was that his grandfather found out but he decided to let the man tell him everything at his own pace. 

"The accident which claimed the life of your parents was all planned." Revealed Mr. Kal. 

Aidan's eyes widened in shock and there was a questioning look on his face. 

"Your father's business partner's hand work. When your parents attended the party organized in honor of their child's third birthday, they tampered with their car. You were just five years then if memory serves me right. I was enraged when I found out that their accident was planned and I decided to ruin them." His voice was now full of anger and Jonas quickly told him something in Greek and he calmed down.

"I was planning on their ruin when I received the news that you were found. You were washed offshore and found by a fisherman who took you to the hospital, from there an orphanage took you in when you couldn't answer any questions that might help the security find your family. I was happy that my daughter's blood still breathed." He said as he looked at Aidan and smiled. 

Aidan smiled back but deep in him, he was pained. 

"Your father's business partner maneuvered the business and made himself CEO. I found out that your father had made a will in which 70% of his property belongs to you and the remaining 5% of his share was to be given to charity organizations, but all these were to happen once you are 30 and in their absence was in charge." He explained.

"When you know I was in the orphanage, why didn't you come for me?" Aidan asked, pain evident in his voice. 

"I didn't come for you because I believed you're in a better position to avenge your parent's death." His grandfather answered calmly. 

Aidan arched an eyebrow and looked at his grandfather, he was trying his best to control his anger but he was balanced on a sword's edge and any little provocation now will trip him off just like a time bomb. 

How can his grandfather allow him to see hell despite knowing where he is? "I could have vengeance while I'm still with you, had I been with you, I'll have had my vengeance for all those wasted years of my life."

"You can't call all those years of your life wasted son, you have become strong and courageous while you were away from me. You had become a man of your own, you lived your life on your terms, how could you call all those years wasted? It wasn't wasted, you were building yourself." His grandfather explained calmly.

Aidan couldn't just understand anything, his grandfather could have ruined the lives of those responsible for his daughter's death, why did he want him to do it? Questions began to pop up in his mind again. 

"Here. Take a look at this." Mr. Kal said, handing him an envelope.

He opened it and found out that it was the result of his DNA result, it proved that they were indeed related.

"Do you have any other motive for keeping me in the orphanage apart from me learning to be a man of my own?" Aidan asked, dropping the piece of paper on the side table beside him. He took a look at the file his grandfather had dropped and suddenly he felt the urge to take it and look at the pictures of the monster that ruined his perfect family but he decided to let things be. He doesn't think he's ready to see such a monster.

"Our family lineage is known to put forward different tests to know if truly the male son is worthy enough to handle the family empire and survive any given situation. So, I never really abandoned you, I kept track of your life from the day I found out that you were alive." He explained, looking straight into his grandson's eyes, Aidan immediately lowered his eyes. 

"I meant no harm for you and I never let any harm befall you. Take everything that happened to you as a test. You are my hope and only heir, I could never allow any untoward tragedy to befall you." Mr. Kal added. 

Aidan needed something to calm his nerves, and he saw the remaining glass of wine his grandfather drank before, he took it and gulped it down in one go. 

"Aidan, your grandfather meant no harm to you. I've been working for him for as long as I can remember, he never let me out of his sight, but he asked me to come to look after you and that has been my job. I've been his eyes when it comes to you. In everything he does, it was all to test your capabilities." Jonas interfered in the duo discussion for the first time since they started talking.

Aidan smiled a thank you to Jonas and Jonas nodded. 

"What's next?" Aidan asked, noticing his grandfather's silence. 

"I'm dying Aidan." Came the silent answer. 

Aidan looked at his grandfather, and the man stared at him back. Why was his grandfather talking about dying? The man still looked pretty good though frail. 

"My immune system had been very weak and my health started failing from the day your mother breathed her last. Artemis was my life and I regretted every single thing I did when she made her choice of groom. Had I accepted her choice, my goddess would still be with me today, but in the quest to make her bow down to my worthless demand, I lost my life." Mr. Kal explained in a pain -sickening voice. 

"What has happened has happened, sir. We can't change destiny but we can try to make it better. I know it's hard for you but everything happened for the best. Look on the bright side and quit talking about death. You can't leave me now, I've lost everything I ever considered my own, my wife's family turned out to be a crook who is only after my talent, they deserted me when I needed them the most. I'm very bitter towards them and I'll make sure they pay heavily for whatever they did to me." Aidan swore, folding his hand in knuckles due to anger.

His grandfather saw the blazing fire of anger in his eyes, he could see the rhythm of vengeance vibrating in his grandson's body, and deep within him, he was overflowing with joy. This is what he needs to see, this was why he left him in the orphanage so he'll grow, he had no ounce of regret in him that he had not taken him in when his parents died. 

Mr. Kal made eye contact with Jonas and smiled. 

Jonas swallowed a big gulp of saliva, he knew that the next revelation would erupt the boiling volcano in Aidan. 

"Aidan." His grandfather called.

"Yes, sir," Aidan answered, trying to compose himself. 

Mr. Kal still doesn't like the way Aidan addresses him but he doesn't seem to show it again, things will adjust in no time, he kept assuring himself. 

"Your father's business partner, Mr. Orion, with the help of his dubious wife, took over your family's business shortly after their demise. They had this fear that I'll come and ruin their plan but I made no move, so they thought that I truly had no interest in my daughter and her family again. I let them think that they got away with their crimes against me, you, my daughter, and your father. They made the business their family business and named it after Mr. Orion's lineage." He continued. 

Aidan couldn't understand how someone could be so wicked to another fellow man. What is he even insinuating, his wife's family had done the same to him, he'd helped them, and in the end, what kind of payment do they wish him? Death. He answered the question that arose in his mind. 

His grandfather took the file from the table and opened it. He brought out an envelope and handed it over to him. "In that envelope, are the pictures of your family murderers."

Aidan's thoughts ran a marathon and he could swear his hands shook, he opened the envelope and brought out the pictures, he looked at the images staring back at him, and his world plowed into confusion, as the pictures fell from his hands. Those faces look very much familiar.