THE BILLIONAIRE TWIST

CHAPTER 2: Loss Or Gain?

Aurora's POV

The men were not thieves, they were workers at Jakes' father's company, these men were sent by Jakes' father, who, contrary to what he told Jakes, wasn't out of the country.

Norman, the man Jakes had always known as his father was actually his uncle and had always sort ways to bring him down. Hiding under the guise of a loving father, he sought to take Jakes out, just like he did to Jakes' father, his elder brother.

"What's the state of things?" Norman asked on the other side of the phone, "negative, Sir." One of the men answered. "What do you mean? Negative?" Norman asked, getting angry.

"The police arrived before we were able to get it done with." The leader of the trio answered, "you'll be at the office on Monday, watch his every step, get something concrete to work with!"

"You're getting on my nerves! This whole thing is getting tiring already. I expect better from you. If you can't give me then you'll have to walk the plank." Norman replied, dropping his phone abruptly.

Jakes made it to his room safely, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking about all that transpired at the party. From his dissapointment upon finding that I came to the party with my boyfriend, to the invasion by the armed robbers.

Jakes started to have suspicious thoughts towards his father, this had never happened. The security was very tight. It was impossible to penetrate that level of security, except you had a connection to either Jakes or Norman.

Everything was artificial intelligence and the mansion was tightly secured. Jakes wondered, how these men were able to get past the security and knew exactly where to find him.

They had even gone directly to the table he'd walked away from, some minutes prior to the time. So he knew, even now he could still be watched by the cruel eyes of whoever was behind all this.

He had slight speculations it could be his supposed father, but he trusted and loved him so much to believe that. As regarded the security, he excused it as a probable glitch in the security.

Not necessarily an involvement of his father. Thinking about the preciseness of these men, he excused that as well, it would definitely be someone who knew him a lot. But not his father. He couldn't imagine in his wildest dreams that his supposed father would do that.

The only person in the mansion who knew the truth was Anna, an old nanny who had lived in the mansion long enough to know the truth about almost everything that went on there. She was the head nanny and was aware of how and when Norman annihilated his elder brother.

She was able to have remained alive up to this time as a result of how well she was able to handle keeping her job and meddling in the affairs of the family.

She had made a promise to Jakes' parents to take good care of him, and that was what she had done over the years,she constantly was on the look out for him, taking out death traps Norman had put in place without him or Jakes knowing.

She also had in her possession some documents that Norman had searched tiredlessly for. Jakes hushed his thoughts, excusing them to be an aftereffect of the shock he was recovering from.

He tried to get some sleep, but wasn't able to. His restless thoughts raging within him. They were then interrupted.

"What would you like for breakfast, Sire?" Anna asked, she had a thick British accent. Jakes looked around, startled to realize it was almost dawn already and he hadn't even noticed.

"I'll call your attention when I'm ready to have something. I'm fine." He answered coldly, not responding to Anna's greeting.

"What's the matter?" She asked, sitting softly on the chair in front of her. "Nothing" he said coldly, immediately Anna's words left her lips.

"You can't tell me nothing. It's written all over you. Talk to me. Your parents confided in me and so should you." She added. "Parents? I don't understand." He asked, a puzzled look pasted on his face.

"Yes, your parents." She emphasized. "I had to wait years to break the truth to you, as was of course, your mother's last wish."

"Norman is not your biological father." She stated, pausing to let Jakes soak it all in. "What?!! Tell me this is a dream!" He exclaimed. "It's not my dear." Anna whispered, "how then is it possible that he's the only father I've known all my life?"

"That's because he killed your parents. And took you in when you were still a baby, you fought hard and refused to die. Maybe it might then be too obvious, added to that looking at the fact that he's now ex-wife was barren all the while the marriage lasted."

"He just badly wanted to have a taste of fatherhood. You must be hungry, this is normal time at which I'd start preparing your breakfast, at least, it should be ready when it's time for you to have breakfast" Anna pretended as she heard footsteps approaching.

"Maybe we'd continue this conversation some other time." Jakes whispered, getting up to leave. "No, Jakes, there's something I have to tell you." Anna said, holding him back gently.

"There's something your parents had really wanted me to give to you." She said, bringing out a file. "I'll advice you take that file and leave the house for now. Hide somewhere, plan your movements and what you'll have to do." She continued, her frail, old voice cracking at intervals.

"I have a lot of questions, many things aren't adding up. Does this mean that my fath- Norman was behind the armed robbery attack on the day of his homecoming party?" He asked, wishing it wouldn't be true.

"Yes, it is. I know everything that goes on in this house, once while I sweeping the hallway, I overheard him on a call with someone, the conversation suggested that they were planning an attack."

"If I were you, I'll never show my face in that office again, at least until you've claimed everything your parents owned and left for you."

"The robbers were all colleagues of yours, just think of those colleagues of yours that you are closest to, they might be prime suspects too." She exclaimed.

"Go on now, ask all your questions. I might not alive by the time you'll be back with the police to take him where he belongs. So I'll love to tend to them while I still can." She offered to help.

Anna had loved Jakes' parents dearly, she had worked with and for them for thirty years. She was so used to the mansion, she knew it's 'ins and outs'. She usually eavesdropped on Norman's conversations and that was how she stayed up to date with information.

"I have one last question. How did my parents die? And why didn't you save them? Do I have anymore family left, any where? Somehow, even if it's a step or half sibling." Jakes asked, tears rolled coldly down his face.

He was oblivious to the fact that he was crying, he was pained deeply. "Your parents died in their sleep. I peeped from the windows that night as Norman poisoned their glasses of wine. They were so trusting and loving."

"They refused to see Norman for who he truly was, and that led to their sad, untimely death. If you must win this battle, then you must fight silently, so you can live to fight the next day."

"I'm the oldest Nanny alive, other nannies my age, who tried to prove and show they knew better are all six feet deep. My major aim was to keep you alive by God's grace, I'm glad I achieved that. You are the one in the rightful position to deal with him and serve him his karma."

"My advice is, don't act like I told you anything, your strength would be that you now know more than he thinks you know, so now you're acting from a place of knowledge and of course, wisdom." She continued.

"Jakes, the ball is in your court. Play it well." She concluded, turning around with these last words, as she headed for the door. "Wait, please," Jakes said, weakly.

"I have one last question to ask. How are you so sure that you don't have much time left to live? And why did you skip my question, the one about other family I might have?" Jakes asked.

"You said one, now there's two of them, huh?" She chuckled, pasting a motherly smile on her face, looking soberly at Jakes. "You remind me so much of your parents. They were a perfect blend of true love, and you, the fruit of that tree of love." She said in passing.

"Back to your question, forgive me. I just loved them too much, it's hard to believe they're actually gone. Time flies so fast too. The answer to the first question is; I'm suffering from a chronic stage of breast cancer."

"My doctor said, I just have a few months to live. A healthy lifestyle and mind can prolong it a little, but given the odds, months are all I have to live. I'm not scared, I have no regrets. I lived live to it's fullest."

"I'm just afraid, that wouldn't be the case if I don't fulfill completely my promise to your parents. The answer to the second question is a bit dicy. You are the only child of your parents. Your parents themselves were only children."

"But since we're talking about family, inclusive of step siblings, then you just might have one. But not in the exact way you might want to look at it."

"Norman is married to another woman, they don't have any children together yet, but the woman in question had two children from her previous husband."

"So they are still your step siblings or if you want step niece and nephew, that's the closest you can get to brother and sister if not the same." She explained.

"Of course, they are my siblings. I'm so grateful, Anna. You can't tell how grateful I am. To think that you stayed true to them, even in their death. I'm sincerely moved by your heart of humanity."

"Your parents did for me, what even my own parents couldn't do for me. They took me in, when no one else would. They clothed and sheltered me. They were younger than I was, but they seemed more experienced at life."

"They lived it so gracefully, taking revenge on that slot of a man would be my pleasure, what ever I do for them, even in their death, I do for myself." She said, tears had now welled up in her eyes.

"As we speak on, my mind is filled up with more questions to ask. Please pardon me." Jakes apologized. "Oh! Stop that!" She chuckled, with a wave of a hand.

"You can't tell how happy I am that I'm here to offer my answers and advice and to guide you through this journey on a path to freedom from Norman's schemes."

"My parents were poisoned and no one cared to look into the matter? Not the police? No one?" He asked, looking squarely at her now.

She looked a bit uneasy now. "You're not saying anything. I hope you're alright?" Jakes asked, sensing something strange about Anna's countenance.

"Oh! The damage that Norman has done to our lives. It's indeed enormous." She feigned a cry, it looked unreal to Jakes but he dismissed that with her old age.

"I know that he has caused a lot of damage, but why weren't the authorities involved? And how do you know so much about Norman? You can't possibly know all these just by eavesdropping."

"My fath- Norman is not that careless, to thread carelessly with such intricate information. Please don't get me wrong."

"Understand where I'm going. Since you are such an amazing detective, from all you told me, you should have then been able to provide evidence against Norman and also testify against him in court." Jakes explained.

"My dear, in our world today, it's different, they are all connected and working together. If you attempt to openly try to bring Norman down, you're showing the other villians on his boat that you are not just a threat to him but to them as well, this putting your life in danger."

"You need to leave as soon as possible, but there's something more you have to do." She said, looking sternly at him. Suddenly it seemed like the loving side to her was dissapearing.

It all seemed like she was putting on a nice cloak, which was now taken off. Anna, quickly catching herself off guard, reverted to her nice demeanor.

It was hard to hide who she truly was. But for an expert, she did it so well. She burst into uncontrollable tears. Jakes was broken to watch her in so much pain- so he thought.

"There's a safe you'll have to open. Your parents encrypted your fingerprints onto the safe when you were little. So only you can open the safe."

"I'm sure you'll be able to do so much more if you'd just have access to that safe." She cried, sending beads of tears flying from her face with her index finger."

"Please...for the sake of your parents, whom I duly worked for, I want so badly that their death be avenged. And this is one of the biggest steps in that direction. Here's the lawyer's phone number," she said, stretching out her hands with a white small paper in it.

"Oh! I'm so grateful, Anna. I don't even know how to begin saying thank you! You'll definitely be rewarded greatly for your kind heart."

Jakes took the paper immediately and called the said lawyer. While the call was still dialing, Anna turned to him, "Let me speak to him, when he picks. He'll be more familiar with me."

"Hello, who's on the line?" The lawyer, Mr. John asked, "It's Anna. Chief Nanny at The Jakes Mansion." She described, throwing repeated queer stares at Jakes, but he was too trusting to notice.

"Alright, Ma'am. Please how do I help you?" He asked. "Am I on to Mr. John Zack, the family lawyer?" "Yes Ma'am. Jakes would love to come for the safe. When would it be okay for him to get to you for it?" She asked.

"I'm afraid, it's quite unusual for me to get a call from you, talking about such sensitive matter. I'll appreciate if you'll pass the phone to the only surviving son of the late couple, may their souls rest in peace."

"Hmmm... I'm a top staff and however do not see what is so wrong in making an inquiry, as regards a matter regarding a child I nursed myself."

"Oh! Ma'am, you're getting it all wrong. That little child you nursed is now a grown man, so if you may, kindly pass the phone to him or let him give me a direct call."

"Here. Speak to him my dear" she said, feigning care. "Thanks, Anna. Hello Sir. It's good to finally hear from you. I had thought this day would never come. First of all, my condolences, about your parents."

"It's alright, it's been a long time. Please kindly proceed, I'm listening." He said, turning to look at Anna's calm face and then his wrist watch.

"It's not a conversation we can have on the phone. You'll need to see me first thing tomorrow morning. It's as urgent as that. You'll also need to do me a favor, do not tell anyone... I repeat, anyone, where you are going to and why." He warned.

"I wouldn't say further, until you come. Thanks for your time and best regards." The call cut. "What did he say? When are you seeing him?" Anna asked calmly, trying not to be frantic about it.

"Can I get the food now, Ma'am? I'm starving!" Jakes said, picking up his phone. "Al- Alright." She stutterered. Not knowing what to say or do. She didn't see that coming.