Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 281: His Last Day

Chapter 281: His Last Day

The silence in the room was stifling. Camilla placed the transcript of the texts sent and received by Cyrus that day on the table.

Lord Lockhart saw the document and signed. Seeing the texts sent by Cyrus, he too believed that his son actively tried to negotiate to a better outcome.

But then... There was his journal that was kept well hidden.

Cyrus always had two phones of the same make and model - Talia revealed it to Vivian and the search for Cyrus’ missing phone commenced. Every area around the stone bench was searched with a fine toothed comb to find any clue as to where the phone might have went.

Lord Lockhart knew. His son, smart as he is, must have left it as a clue and it would be safe somewhere.

But how safe?

Cyrus would have imagined that his death would be immediately investigated properly and his phone would be found out within days. But due to unfortunate circumstances that followed that was catalysed by the emotional responses of Lord Lockhart and the jealousy of the Council members who wanted to bring Jerome Brunton down, Talia - the only witness was driven off.

It’s been ten years! How safe will the evidences be?

But luck was on their side.

No one knew of the little bunker Cyrus had built beside the statue where they hid a sword, not even Jerome. The aesthetics of the bunker was cozy with enough food stored to sustain a couple of people for a year. There was a safe, and inside was a well-used journal. Lord Lockhart brought the journal home and investigated further. Judging by the time frame Cyrus disappeared from the cameras, he couldn’t have kept the phone inside the bunker.

And they found it...

The air vent for the bunker was designed through the trunk of a hollow tree and that tree was near the stone bench that got recorded. The phone was found in the vent after dismantling it.

That day, Cyrus had sneaked off, avoiding the cameras and safely stored his phone in the vent after sending the last bunch of messages to the blackmailer.

Lord Lockhart was happy... The phone was still in pristine condition enough for them to restore all the data stored.

They had video recordings of every moment of Cyrus’ last day till then. Cyrus was playing with his phone the whole time while Talia was herself. And for sometime it was Talia and Arthur together with them having no one else in their eyes other than themselves.

But combining the timeline of the cameras with the text messages sent with the phone they found, Lord Lockhart was broken. He was enraged more at Talia. His son was clearly depressed, but why didn’t she notice it?

How uncaring and unloving is she?

It was then he decided to bring her to justice. He didn’t want to listen to his second son who is influenced by his fiancee.

The first batch of messages were sent to Cyrus’ phone during lunch. Talia had lunch with Cyrus and Arthur that day, and during that lunch, the blackmailer had revealed to Cyrus that he actually has Camilla. Camilla was in the doctor’s office for her pre-natal scan and she had no idea the nurse who was with her is a well-known ( for anyone who works in the security business) hitman who’d do anything for money and the hitman was there under the orders of the blackmailer.

It was then Cyrus received the image of his child - his only child, Thomas.

Lord Lockhart couldn’t imagine the emotional turmoil his son would have went through that moment.

Was he feeling happy he’s going to be a father? Was he worried wondering they’ll hurt his child? Was he angry he is being blackmailed or did he plan on begging?

Of course what followed was Cyrus’ desperate attempt to dispatch his people to protect Camilla, but none of his people could get close. Lord Lockhart checked and it was in that country’s record. A gang fight near the clinic Camilla went to that day.

It was Cyrus’ fault in a way. He never was open with his dealings. He had connections with various gangs in various countries. Of course after sending Camilla away, he had maintained a good relationship with a gang closer to where she lived to ensure her protection. But Cyrus never revealed this detail to anyone else and that’s why after Cyrus’ death even his family didn’t knew about Camilla and their son.

If only Thomas didn’t get sick, the Lockhart family wouldn’t have known about him. Well... Talia had the clue in his locket. But she was understandably too depressed to look.

{R@pe her. You have an hour. Don’t worry about the cameras following you. Otherwise your woman and child will die!}

That was the demand they sent after Cyrus was broken-hearted knowing he really cannot save Camilla and his child from Esteria. His only option to save them was to do what they asked.

All these text exchanges happened during lunch when Talia and Arthur were happily chatting away. Both of them didn’t notice the gloomy guy beside them.

There were camera recordings when Cyrus left to a nearby place and took a print of his baby’s image and storing it in his locket, wiping his tears.

It was all heart-breaking. And as a father, watching his son’s last moments, he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

As the day proceeded, Arthur was sent off and it was just Talia and Cyrus. They took a walk in the gardens and then it was the stone bench.

Lord Lockhart knew... In that stone bench, his son actually tried to... But in the end, he didn’t. Either he couldn’t or he didn’t want to, but in the end he didn’t. Which was a very good thing.

Afterwards, he sent this long message as he received an angry rant from the other end calling him names. The blackmailer was watching them live and it was apparent by the texts.

[ By everything you say, I gather you want that girl to get ruined. I get it. You hate me and you want that girl to get ruined. You want to take two birds with one stone. I have a plan that I know would definitely ruin her more than the plan you are suggesting. After all, no one knows her better than me and she trusts me and loves me deeply. She has a crush on me. Do you think she’d stop me if I attempt to r@pe her? She’ll comply and there would be no r@pe but mutual s*x. A gift on her sixteenth birthday-- s*x with her long time crush. Do you seriously think you could ruin her just by some s*x tapes?

But I know of a way to floor her on her birthday. I’ve thought about it when I’m bored. ’What would make my Princess go mental?’. I had a beautiful realisation once. Now listen...]

Cyrus then had suggested making her kill him with her own hands.

Jared Cooper who was the blackmailer as their investigations now reveal, was skeptical at first and argued with him, but then Cyrus had convinced Jared that his plan would work better.

After assuring Camilla Langdon was safe, he walked to Talia and executed his plan.

Her made her kill him.

There are no records of what transcribed between the both of them when he knelt in front of her, but the grainy video they had from their old security cameras showed she was extremely against it. When she killed him, she was half-dead. It was apparent.

Lord Lockhart knew something was wrong with everything and that’s why he backed off from hunting her that day she killed his son.

His thoughts were scrambled by Talia’s voice.

"You are trying to help me NOW, Lord Lockhart? Where was your care when you asked my grandpa to get me married to Raymond Sinclair? Didn’t you want me to suffer? What changed now? " Talia felt her knees go weak as she remembered everything that happened at the Sinclair mansion.

She tried to find reasons for Lord Lockhart’s offer of ’help’ now. How is saying that Cyrus was a psychopath going to help her?

Either her Grandpa or the Royal family must have interfered and asked Lord Lockhart for compensation. By arguing that Cyrus was a psychopath, she could claim self-defence, stopping him from hurting her and can get out of her name as a ’murderer’.

Was that what happened? Do I want this to end like this?

Can I accept Cyrus’ name getting spoilt for my name to get cleared?

"And you..." Talia turned to Camilla. "Didn’t you try to kill me because I killed your son’s father? And now you are blaming him? I’m confused..."

Talia watched Camilla bow her head. Camilla didn’t answer as she was ashamed.

What can she say? That she was in a dark place after she learnt that her son is sick? Her boyfriend left her when he found out her son was sick and her income writing blogs wasn’t sufficient for their livelihood. She couldn’t afford his medical expenses.

That’s when he saw her... Her son’s father’s killer walking with her friend giggling living the best life. She was mad and she wanted to get back at her.

Then she had to expose her son to the Lockhart family and Cyril made her protect Talia...

More than for revenge, it was out of envy.

I was being stupid. I’m sorry.

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