Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 282: His Last Wish

Chapter 282: His Last Wish

Lord Lockhart was stunned by the way Talia questioned him.

Does she realise she has no rights to question me? She killed my son!

But then, he had a rough idea of what happened between her and Raymond Sinclair. It was terrible. He can say with an honest heart that he is glad Raymond didn’t succeed in what he had planned.

He died... So what? He deserved it.

She was stupid to go to the Sinclair mansion alone, considering their family history. But then... It was his hunt that kept her there and eventually led to her fateful meeting with Ray.

He doesn’t have daughters, but he wouldn’t wish that happen to any woman- even his son’s killer.

No... It was still the Sinclair’s fault for not protecting the girl they gave refuge to, knowing how twisted Raymond is.

That day... Even still it gives him immense pain.

The Council gathered and he watched most of the nobles hiding their happy grin while they said their condolences to him for losing his heir. They wanted him to avenge his son but their delight they tried to hide, pricked his heart.

He was aggrieved and he wanted vengeance. He doubted each and every one of them, even Brunton. But Brunton wouldn’t have to use his only granddaughter for killing and so Brunton was in the bottom of his suspects list.

But he was sure in his heart that these nobles maybe responsible for what happened, when he observed their expression. He wanted to properly investigate.

When Talia ran to the Sinclair mansion immediately causing trouble there, he thought the Sinclair family is responsible for this. They have won the vendetta by making the sole heir of the Brunton family a murderer after all. And they had eliminated the one guy protecting her too.

Or could it be planned by Talia and the youngest Sinclair? Did they kill Cyrus because he was against their love?

But then... Something didn’t sit right. If those kids wanted to be together, they don’t have to kill Cyrus. They just had to convince Jerome Brunton.

Even in his grief-stricken state, he still had some rationality left. And so he decided to play a game.

He suggested marriage between the Sinclair family son and Talia. He specifically didn’t say which son.

If the Sinclair family had anything to do with the death of Cyrus implicating Talia, if they still held vendetta against the Brunton family, they won’t let their son marry a Brunton girl. They might suggest Raymond’s name themselves if they really hated the Brunton family.

As if his doubts were getting cleared, Gregory Sinclair ran to meet him. "My eldest son already has a fiancee and is too old for her. My youngest son would be suitable for her, but aren’t they too young to get married? They are still in their final year of high school." He seemed to be uninterested in the proposal.

When he suggested Raymond’s name, he saw Gregory go pale. He begged him not to make him do that. He said that Raymond is unsuitable for a normal life and he was going to institutionalise him. He said he’d rather hand over Talia to the law enforcement officers than letting her marry his second son.

Lord Lockhart knew then... His son’s death had nothing to do with the Sinclairs. But he still wanted to see how Brunton would handle it. He purposefully insisted the marriage should happen knowing the marriage would be stopped somehow.

How wrong was he to suggest that?

His insistence lead to many unpredictable incidents. Brunton got the help of Rosandale royal family, Raymond knowing Talia is going to be his wife, became insolent enough to try something abhorrent on Talia in his own home, Raymond was killed by his own brother and Gregory to save his third son, had to arrange the wedding of Arthur with Talia secretly, Talia escaped the wedding and... Ten years was wasted as the investigations met dead ends.

Cyril was the one who didn’t lose hope and investigated his brother’s death. He insisted his brother would want Talia safe even though she is responsible for his death and sent people to protect her.

And now... Here she is... Blaming him. What should he do to her?

As he stared at the broken girl sitting with her face buried in her hands, he could hear the scuffle outside.

That boy... He committed fratricide for her; to protect her - yes. But still, he is a brother-killer.

This girl... She has a tendency to attract dark people around her.

Cyrus - the heartless monster, Arthur - the brother-killer. And her boyfriends weren’t all that good.

Maybe she attracts these kind of people. But she looks pure. She is pure. The guilt she suffered... He saw those pictures of hers when she’d lost herself to depression.

He thought he should alleviate her guilt by revealing the truth about Cyrus, but she is not willing to listen.

Yes, he was angry at her for a very long time; even after they found Cyrus’ second phone. He felt like his son who gave everything for her was ignored by her in his time of suffering. He thought she was lying when she said that Cyrus’ last words were words thanking her.

What would he thank her for? Saving his son? Killing him?

But then he read the journal to know more about his son and to calmly find a way to deal with Talia.

His eldest son, he rarely cared for and the son who reminded him greatly of his late wife. The eldest son he lost, way too early. He was just starting his life!

And as he read the journal, he could see that... the beast he hid inside him. The beast that was on a leash; growling, gnawing and creeping to let free. The beast that was tamed by ’his princess Talia’s’ little acts of kindness.

She tamed him, without her knowledge. And he controlled his behaviour so not to lose her.

She held the leash to the beast inside him.

She could have exploited him, but she didn’t. He could have manipulated her, but he didn’t either.

Reading the journal made him think as a investigator than a father. It gave him a different perspective of what happened.

What was the relationship between them? He couldn’t say. It was at best murky. But one thing was for sure.

Cyril was right! Cyrus did want Talia to live a happy life.

And so he will make sure his son’s last wish come true.

"Let him in," he looked at Cyril and with a nod, Cyril opened the door.

Arthur was already agitated wondering how Talia was faring inside. But when he heard Talia’s shaken voice, he couldn’t stay put and demanded the guy standing by the door to let him in.

The moment the door opened, Arthur lunged in and he found Talia sitting on the sofa chair with her head buried in her hands and rushed towards her.

"Iris..." he placed his hands on her shoulders. She wasn’t responding, but it was Lord Lockhart who spoke.

"The investigations concluded and it was Jared Cooper who was responsible for that incident. He was mad that Cyrus stopped the first attempt of Talia’s kidnapping more than two decades ago and had vengeance towards both Brunton and Cyrus. He drew up a plan to make Cyrus ruin Talia and to shame both of them by threatening the life of his unborn child. Cyrus turned it around and forced Talia to kill him and she did it."

"Just Jared Cooper? No one else?" Arthur asked. He knew Talia is out of it and wanted to clarify everything.

"Who else do you suspect?" Lord Lockhart raised his brows. The guy who they got after his murder attempt on Arthur was a long-term aide of Jared Cooper and was investigated directly by him.

He wasn’t willing to talk at first, and after using his methods on him, he remembered even his past life. Jared Cooper had vendetta against Brunton family and Cyrus became his enemy because he was a guardian of the one he hated.

Talia and Brunton family are absolutely responsible for Cyrus’ death and nothing can take it away.

" A man named Ralph J. Runtley or.. The Belfaguer-"

"No!" Lord Lockhart refused immediately. The Belfaguer group is way too powerful and he won’t dare to think they have something against his family.

And who is the other guy?

Arthur saw Lord Lockhart having the same reaction as Brunton and decided not to probe further.

Maybe I should ask Jerome about Ralph?

"But why did Cyrus warn about Ray before he... ?" Arthur asked.

"Raymond... Another pawn in his game..." Lord Lockhart sighed. He got up and walked to the table and opened one of the drawers.

He threw the leather covered journal at Talia and Arthur was the one who caught it before it hit her.

"Listen Talia Brunton!" Lord Lockhart banged the table, startling Talia and she looked up at Lord Lockhart. "That’s his journal. You can see for yourself what kind of person my son was! You killed him. You helped bringing his killer to justice too. Nothing is going to change that. Just go and live your life. Stop looking back at the past and live the rest of your life as peaceful as possible. And don’t kill anyone else! "

Lord Lockhart barked out everything as an order and Talia was staring blankly.

Arthur felt relieved. So he is not going to further blame her?