Stand for Love Ch. 16

George took a deep painful sigh and then gripped his friend's waist while coiling the other arm on his neck. Then he slowly helped his friend to walk to the living room where all the family members stood and seemed even more painful than George had actually left them a few seconds ago. He made his friend sit on the couch and gave him some water which he refused.

"I couldn't find him," Nicholas' voice was barely audible. Everyone who heard him could feel that he was in more pain than expected. "I have searched... almost everywhere and I couldn't find him."

With sorrowful eyes, George turned his eyes and looked up at granny. The old woman clearly had tears in her eyes.

"We will find him." George sniveled as he brought his friend's head to his chest. He just wanted to embrace his friend and tell him that he would always be there for him. But he couldn't find any word to use so he just did it through his actions.

Nicholas buried his head deeper into George's chest. He wanted that a lot and it sure helped him to finally bring out the tears that he had stifled for a few hours. He cried in pain knowing that his friend was there for him.

Nicholas had spent the whole day searching for Adrian almost everywhere but he couldn't find him. That had hurt him a lot. He had seen the police inspector and he had told him to leave it to the police but he couldn't take it. Now he was back, in more pain than he had been. He just wanted to get it over with and find his Adrian. If his mother had any involvement in it, she was gonna pay. He had warned them and that was enough but he couldn't do anything because he didn't want his Adrian to die if he was kidnapped.

"I couldn't find him." Nicholas sniveled, running his hands on George's chest. "What kind of husband am I?"

"Shh," George knew his job had just gotten a little harder and that he needed to do everything that he could to make his friend calm. He began rubbing on his back and after close to an hour, his sobs couldn't be heard anymore. He was sleeping.

After making sure that Nicholas was fast asleep, George laid his head on a cushion and then raised his legs. He was now fast asleep on the couch but George's worries were not over. He knew another problem was gonna rise once his friend wakes up.

"He's asleep," George whispered.

"Yeah, for now," Granny whispered, looking down at her grandson who was sleeping. "I can't bear to see him in that condition but the pain of Adrian missing is too much."

"We'll find him," George reassured.

"Yeah," Granny suppressed a groan.

Granny then buried her face in her palms and breathed in rhythmically through her teeth.

"Adrian, where are you?"

****

Adrian was seated on the chair which he was bound to, thinking about his life. He had his eyes dropped to the floor and his mind was concentrated on Nicholas and the family members. He was actually not crying but the pain had even got even more intense than before. It was already night and the little light that was in the whole building actually came from only one light bulb. His hands and legs had been tied up since... forever and they were hurting.

Still sitting on the chair, thinking long and hard, Adrian smelled food and when he raised his face to look, there was food right in his face and Drake was giving it to him. He didn't need the food and not with the lump that he felt on his throat. And he wouldn't even take it even if he wanted to.

"What?" He sounded angry.

"Are you not hungry?"

"Why are you giving me food when I am eventually going to die?" He asked hoarsely with a serious look on his face. "I might as well die of hunger. Just get it out of my face before... "

"He's not hungry," Adrian heard Victoria's voice coming near him. "If he doesn't want then leave him alone."

About time, Adrian thought as he saw the old bitch coming towards him walking like a model on the run way. She was with the rest of her crew but one of them, Todd to be specific had a stitch on his nose and his nose was red. Just what was going on?

As they got near him, Adrian's breaths became harsh as he had a lot of questions for them. They came near and stood, staring at him as if he was some food or something. If only he had his hands free, he swore he would have strangled someone to death.

"And how are you doing?" Victoria's voice was mocking.

"What do you think?" Adrian said hoarsely, moving his eyes away from her view. Now he had more reasons to hate them even more.

"Anyway," Todd said in a gleeful way. "We came to visit you and entertain you before your... painful demise tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know." Adrian said hoarsely. "You don't have to preach about it. I know I am going to die for something that I haven't done."

"Oh you were gonna do it sooner or later."

Todd looked at Drake and said, "Leave us."

Like a little obedient servant that he was, he dropped his bag on the floor and left them.

"You keep telling me about death." Adrian said in a voice full of hatred. "You might as well kill me. There is no point in trying to keep me here, causing me nothing but pain."

"You want pain... "

"I prefer my freedom thanks." Adrian's voice sounded confident. There was no hint of fear at all and it got everyone wondering why he was in that mood.

"I prefer my freedom thanks." Victoria mimicked Adrian's voice. "You seem high and I am going to crash that spirit of yours. We'll make sure that you feel so much pain before your demise. The pain will be too much to bear that you're gonna wish you had died."

"Why?" Adrian said softly. "Are you gonna beat me up or... "

"No!" Victoria grabbed a chair and then sat on it, facing Adrian who was looking angry instead of scared. "Before we go any further... we would like to inform you that the whole police force is in search of you. In fact, Nicholas came and... " She pointed to Todd. "... he snapped at Todd but... too bad his efforts will go to waste. He thought he could keep the police's eyes on us but guess what?" Victoria moved and whispered into his ears. "Even the police keeping eyes on us are our men. We bribed them to keep their mouth shut and... I just pity my son a lot. He loves but by this time tomorrow, you'll be dead and poor Nicholas will... probably be in so much pain."

Each time Adrian heard about the pain of Nicholas he couldn't help but cry. It was what he was regretting the most. Who knew the kiss he had been given the day before had been his final kiss. Had he known about it, he would have definitely kissed him some more.

"What happened?" Victoria asked, happy that she saw tears in his eyes. "I thought you were all confident and angry a few minutes ago."

"Why are you hurting me like this?"

"Oh you are not yet hurt." Victoria chuckled. Her voice was filled with so much evil. "You're going to feel the real meaning pain. In fact, of all the others that we have killed, you're the one who will feel most of the pain."

"What do you mean?" Adrian sniveled, feeling a really sharp headache hit him like a tornado.

"You wanted to hear the secrets right?" Victoria chirped, looking up at her allies. "Well get ready to... "

"I am the true heir of Equilinias." Adrian said, looking at them as a tear ran down his cheek.

"That's no news." Todd chuckled nervously. "Actually all of us knew about it before you even found out."

"What?"

"Yes," Todd chirped. "Haven't you figured it out by now? Haven't you even got a hint?"

"I don't understand." Adrian's voice was clearly confused. He wasn't able to understand what Todd was talking about.

"Well, the secret is that... I am not a true Wilson." Todd said softly. "I was actually adopted."

Adrian's eyes and mouth gaped. To say he was surprised would definitely be an understatement. He was in shock and he had no idea why he was trembling. He couldn't believe it. All those maltreatments from all of them and they were not even pure bloods?

"Are you surprised?" Todd chuckled, leaning down to a wall. "Well it's actually the truth."

"Is that the secret?" Adrian gasped, trying to come to terms with what he had heard. "Is that why you want to kill me? I don't even get it. How is mot... Victoria and all of them involved in that? We can just fix that and... "

"You think that's the secret?" Todd chuckled in an evil tone. He had a bright smirk on his face, enjoying the look of pain on Adrian's face. "Well then I think there is a lot that you do not know. Have you heard of stories not for the faint hearted? I hope you have a strong heart because this story will definitely kill you if your heart is weak."

"What other painful things can you throw at me?" Adrian yelled. "You've shuttered my heart just by hurting my husband. What can a married man experience more painful than seeing his husband suffering?"

"A lot," Victoria chirped. "Now listen to the story and... enjoy. Because this is the special gift we will give to you. However, it will not be like the last two times you outsmarted us. This time you'll die with more pain than you can ever imagine." Victoria looked up at Todd and then got up from the chair. "Todd!"

Todd got positioned on the chair and smirked at Adrian whose eyes had watered to a large extent. Those tears didn't even bother him at all because he was not the emotional kind of guy.

"You wanted the secret right."

"I need to know what I will die for." Adrian mumbled as he tried to stifle a groan.

"Okay." Todd chirped, stretching his arms. Adrian had a really good look at him and that stitch on his nose was really funny. He wanted to laugh but he couldn't do it. He was nervous and scared at the secret that they were gonna tell him. He had adrenaline rushing to his every part and he was trembling a bit. He was really scared because whatever could come out of the fuckers could be nothing more than something disgusting. But at least he was gonna die knowing that he knew of something that had him killed. And how it was linked to Equilinias and to all of them, he thought as his look on Todd got more personal. God! He hated him so much.

"Alright, here goes." Todd started with the biggest smirk on his face. "It all started a long time ago when Jack was still alive. Jane, Victoria and I used to be great friends. We had been friends since we stared at each other in high school and that was where we came from. Anyway, that time I used to have a really nice family. My father owned Equilinias and it was my dream to be the owner of it at some point in time. He said happily and then gave a sad sigh. "We used to be happy, so happy that our bond was unbreakable. I used to love my brother a lot and had a great relationship with him. We practically did everything together." Todd was getting tense as he went on with the story. Not only was the pain coming back but also the great hatred that he felt in his heart.

"Victoria and Jane used to be friends way back before I actually knew them and they were really... " He paused and then chuckled. "... Anyway, like I said we used to be one happy family until a secret threatened to ruin my life." Todd furiously got up from the chair, moving closer to Adrian who was quiet and listened attentively. "Do you know what happened?" Todd's voice was getting harsh with each second.

"I can guess," Adrian said abruptly, almost snarling at Todd. "You found out that you were adopted. Yeah, I figured that part out. I know everything my father told me about my grandfather was a lie. I just don't get it."

"Good!" Todd said, chuckling angrily. "Well then listen to me." He yelled. "My only dream was to take over the company but one fateful night... I heard Jack and his wife talking about it. They actually said they couldn't have children and they adopted me. But when they had him... your father... they actually loved him more than me."

"Yeah," Adrian yelled, a tear falling down his face. "That is no secret. My father told me about it so if that is what you really want to tell me then... "

"Hmm," Todd chuckled. "You want to play fierce... just like your father? Well listen to the whole story." He chuckled in an evil tone. There was nothing Adrian hated like his uncle and the rest of his gang. They were sick.

"I accepted the fact that I was adopted." Todd continued, panting terribly. "I pretended as if I didn't hear it because they still showed me love but when I heard them talking about Equilinias, I was so mad that I hated everyone. I hated them with every fiber of my being. Even though I was not a true Wilson, I vowed to get that company by all means necessary. Five years passed and mother eventually died. Father became a drunkard afterward and then I decided to take that opportunity to... take the company for myself. I went and asked for help from... " Todd paused and chuckled, signaling to Victoria and Jane. "... them. Immediately I told them about my plans, they were interested and together our only goal was to get that company by all means necessary."

Adrian's heart was beating with each word that he heard from Todd. He had no idea where this conversation was going but he was getting scared with each passing moment. He somehow got a bad vibe with the story.

"We tried... I mean I tried everything to take advantage of my father's situation but nothing was working. The old man still had his mind on the company so... " He gave a bitter laugh that sent chills down Adrian's spine. "... we decided... to waste the old man."

Hearing what Todd had said brought so many tears to Adrian's eyes. He was struck by such pain that he couldn't even describe it. His heart began pounding deep in his chest. His mouth gaped and his breaths became short and harsh. He was suddenly trembling, overtaken by intense fear and excruciating pain. He thought he was gonna have a heart attack. The word 'waste' kept ringing in his head, making him vulnerable and more hurt than he had actually thought.

"You... you killed your own father?" Adrian breathed, feeling a heartache that made his whole body shudder in pain and anguish. It was like the tears had a mind of their own. They couldn't stop flowing... they couldn't stop hurting and they couldn't get more intense. "He... was your... "

"Yes," Todd furious rose from the chair and came so close to Adrian's face. His breath felt like fire on Adrian's face and he couldn't help but wail and sob uncontrollably. He felt like someone had just tried to pull his fucking heart out through his neck.

"He was your father and you killed him." Adrian's breath was harsh and quite painful. The news was too much to swallow.

"Yes," Todd rasped, clenching his teeth as he breathed through them making slow harsh sounds that made Adrian shiver. "We took the chance because the man had turned into a drunkard. We slipped poison in his wine bottle and voila... " The man flushed his hands in the air as if he was a comedian. "... the man turned out dead in his car the next day. Do you know what followed the next...?" Todd chuckled, followed by Victoria and Jane's endless agonizingly painful laughs. "... he was reported to have poisoned himself because he was a mess after his wife died. We even hired a profession to forge his handwriting and we wrote a letter. Do you know what was written in that letter?"

Adrian was in too much pain to answer the question that Todd had asked. He was too devastated. He couldn't believe that it had happened and... Todd had killed a man who loved him like a father.

"Please... " Adrian begged.

"Well I'll tell you." Todd's voice was so evil and being close to Adrian was giving the boy so much fear. He had no idea that Todd was that evil and to even think that Victoria and Jane helped him. "In that letter was my father telling the whole world that... " He laughed bitterly. "... Jacob was adopted and that he shouldn't inherit any of the properties. In fact, he was to leave the house."

Adrian's heart practically stopped beating when he heard what Todd had just told him. He couldn't get any idea from it. It was like he was suddenly dumbstruck and then... he felt a gush of cold wind on his face. He couldn't believe that Todd had turned the tables on his father.

"Why?" Adrian's voice was visibly in pain. "Why... why did... " He couldn't say anymore thing because he had a lump in his throat. All he did was cry out in pain.

"Isn't it obvious?" Todd said in false cheerfulness. "To get all the properties of course,"

Adrian's heart was getting weaker. There was a sudden sharp pain that struck him and he didn't seem to get it away. It was like he was getting killed slowly. He now knew the reason why he grew up in poverty.

"After my father's death," Todd continued. "I made sure that Jacob packed out of the house. I blamed him for everything and... he couldn't take it so he went far away and I didn't hear from him. We had everything under control. We even did everything to make sure that the will was altered in my favor. But what happened?"

What happened next really made Adrian to wail out in pain. Right there in front of him, Todd gripped his arm so hard that he felt it was gonna break in half. He was in so much pain and the only thing the evil people who were there did was laugh. Turns out they were really more dangerous than Adrian had thought them to be.

"Do you?" Todd squeezed Adrian's hard so tight, he cried out in pain. "That old man outsmarted me. I don't know how he did it but that stupid old man left his DNA with the company doctor and lawyer. That stupid lawyer couldn't get me near that company because my DNA couldn't match with that... " He breathed violently on Adrian's neck, getting pleasure from the pain that he was feeling. "... my DNA didn't match with that old fool." Then Todd let go of Adrian's arm and it left hurting. Adrian was sure that he had bruises on his arm. If only he could reach it and rub on it. But how could he when he was tied up.

"I couldn't get my hands on that company no matter how much I tried to bribe people." Todd gave out a bitter laugh. "One time I bribed a doctor and it was almost proven but that stinking lawyer and that company doctor couldn't just keep their noses away from my ass. They were on me and they still proved I was not the heir. The only company I got my hands on was the ones that were not linked to Equilinias. But I never lost hope. I kept on studying the company files and I knew I would get my hands on it one day. And now you have the guts to try and ruin everything? If not for my eye at Equilinias I wouldn't have known anything. Others tried and they all failed." Todd laughed. "For example... " He paused and came closer to Adrian's face. "... your father."

"What?" Adrian gasped as a shot of pain made his vision to blur for some seconds. "What does my father... "

"We killed him." Victoria chirped, crossing her arms on her chest.

"You... killed... " Adrian couldn't even say the word he was about to say. His head was suddenly pulsing and he was wailing. More tears of pain made its way to his cheeks and he cried out even more. He couldn't believe that his father had been killed. And he had thought it was an accident. "How could you?" Adrian's heart was on fire. His body was giving up because the pain was just too much to bear.

"You see... " Victoria started. "... we got away with killing Jack but... as they say, the past always comes back to haunt us. We continued enjoying our lives but we all wanted to be more rich, powerful and influential. We forgot about everything that had happened and then tried to live rich lives. But we made an oath that our lives would be connected forever because of our past. We still wanted to be rich and powerful. But before we even killed Jack, I made sure I seduced one of the most powerful men's son and he fell for me. I got married but still had my eyes on Equilinias so when it was time to kill; I never even wasted any time. All of us continued living our lives that was until 8 years ago."