The Billionaire Who Saved Me

Quick as a flash, Dirk grabbed his phone. Swallowing hard, he rose from his seat, clutching the device to his chest. He spoke to Garrett, “Just a minute. I have to take this call.”

Garrett simply nodded, just before Dirk hurried away. He stepped aside to answer the call, his heart pounding.

“Hello.”

As much as Dirk tried to keep his voice from shaking, it was difficult. If he had to accept Garrett’s visit, now there was another man reaching out to him? A man who was the link between him and a past reality. A reality that forced him to make a difficult choice. To be honest or the opposite.

“Hello, Mr. Dirk. How are you?”

Dirk knew it was just an opening question. The real question would come later. Maybe a few seconds later.

“I’m fine, Mr. Carolus,” Dirk replied. “What is it?”

Indeed, it was Carolus who had contacted him. And in Dirk’s life, there weren’t many Caroluses he knew. But among several of his colleagues named Carolus, it was Carolus Powell who made him feel so nervous and anxious.

No, not because of Carolus himself, who always made Dirk feel worried and uneasy. Instead, it was because there was someone behind Carolus who made him be cautious in his actions.

“Sorry to interrupt your weekend, sir. But I’d like to ask.”

Dirk already knew where the conversation was going. He had prepared himself.

“Did Mr. Garrett meet with you?”

In fact, Dirk’s guess was correct. Frankly, it made Dirk wonder. How could Carolus know about every situation that happened so quickly?

“Yes,” Dirk replied. “He met with me. He’s in my office now.”

A moment of silence followed. The atmosphere made Dirk wonder what his fate would be later.

“Don’t say anything to him. Not a word. Do you understand?”

Unconsciously, Dirk even nodded his head. As if Carolus could see his understanding of this order.

“Of course, sir,” Dirk replied immediately. “I won’t say anything. Not a word.”

“Very well. Thank you, and I assure you, Mrs. Daphne will not forget your kindness.”

When Carolus ended the call, Dirk immediately closed his eyes and let out a long breath. Sweat began to form and trickle down the sides of his face. He felt somewhat relieved, but Dirk knew he had more than just Carolus to deal with. Now he had to finish his business with Garrett. Only then could he be free.

Approaching Garrett in his office again, Dirk didn’t want to take any risks this time. He put his phone back in his pocket, sat down in his original place and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long, sir.”

Garrett shook his head. “So…” His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Dirk. “… can we continue our conversation, sir?”

“Of course,” Dirk nodded. “What do you want to say, sir?”

“I would like to ask you about the accident that happened four years ago.”

Garrett paused for a moment, seeming to evaluate Dirk’s expression. It seemed quite ordinary, showing no hint of surprise. And that dashed Garrett’s hopes. Nevertheless, he asked his question.

“The one that happened to the late Allan Alexander Morales.”This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

At the mention of that name, Garrett suddenly felt a tightness in his chest that almost made it difficult for him to breathe. It was agonizing, but he continued to speak.

“I heard it wasn’t just an accident. Is that true?”

If there was a reason why Dirk wasn’t surprised at all when Garrett mentioned the accident four years ago, it was because the call from Carolus had already given him a sense of the situation. And to be honest, Dirk had already guessed since Garrett arrived at his house. That Garrett’s sole purpose was to find out about his father’s accident.

“That’s not true,” Dirk replied.

As soon as the answer escaped Dirk’s lips, he was the one with questions in his mind. For he could not see any surprise or emotion in Garrett’s face. He seemed completely unaffected. For someone seeking information about his late father’s death, Garrett’s attitude clearly didn’t meet Dirk’s expectations.

“It was an accident,” Dirk continued, looking at Garrett closely. “He was being hanged, and this unfortunate incident occurred.”

For his explanation, Dirk received only one word from Garrett. Softly and weakly. Certainly not the response Dirk had expected.

“Oh.”

That was it. No other words came from Garrett. Instead, he smiled.

“Turns out that news was just empty talk,” Garrett said, nodding. “I suspected as much.”

It was really not the reaction Dirk had expected. Especially since Garrett didn’t say much more after that. The firm stance he had briefly shown disappeared as well.

“I really shouldn’t have believed such rumors. I should have known better. That it’s impossible for the police to say something that contradicts the facts on the ground. If it wasn’t just a normal accident…” Garrett raised his face and looked at Dirk. “… the police would have said that, right?”

Dirk blinked. For a moment, he thought he couldn’t breathe. Fortunately, he managed to nod once in the next second.

“Of course.”

Garrett took a breath and held it in his chest for a moment. When he exhaled, he smiled.

“In that case, I apologize for everything. Perhaps you felt uncomfortable or slightly disturbed by my calls or Mrs. Amber’s.”

“Oh. No. Not at all.”

Garrett rose from his seat. Dirk followed suit and stood up as well. He looked again at Garrett’s outstretched hand.

“Thank you for your time, sir. I won’t take up any more of your time,” Garrett said. “I take my leave.”

Dirk accepted the handshake and exchanged a few pleasantries before the man finally left his office.

With Garrett gone, Dirk should have felt relieved. But in reality, he didn’t. Instead of feeling happy, he felt the opposite.

Dirk sat back down and raised both hands to his head, squeezing his hair tightly. It was a form of release for the frustration he felt.

“He knows,” Dirk shouted hysterically. “He knows.”

Dirk’s breath quickened. Sweat flooded his face even more. For a fact he could grasp in an instant. He was sure of it without a shadow of a doubt.

“He knows I lied.”

*