Before Jeff was taken to the National Security Bureau, Kern recounted everything from his perspective, holding nothing back.
âOn the day of the accident,â he revealed, âMr.
Mylo and Mr.
Jeff were indeed at the scene.
Not only that, they were in the car that caused the tragedyâ¦â
It all started when Mylo and Jeff went out for drinks together on that fateful day.
They had a few too many, and originally, Jeff planned to call a designated driver to take them home.
However, Mylo insisted on driving, and since he didnât appear excessively intoxicated, Jeff reluctantly agreed.
Little did Jeff know, Mylo took a detour on the way back.
Speeding recklessly, he lost control at a crossroad, slamming into Nathanâs parentsâ car.
The impact, a horrific blow to the passenger side, claimed Nathanâs motherâs life instantly.
A fuel leak ignited, resulting in a fiery explosion.
Nathanâs father, horrifically burned, succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital.
By the time Norton and his men arrived, the scene was a chaotic mess.
Jeff, dazed but relatively unharmed, was found behind the wheel.
Both he and Mylo sustained minor injuries.
Grief-stricken and enraged, Norton subjected them to harsh interrogation, even resorting to corporal punishment.
But for Norton, the real tragedy was the loss of his eldest son and daughter-in-law.
Mylo, attempting to deflect blame, claimed he was intoxicated and argued with Jeff, who was driving, throughout the drive, leading to the accident.
Jeff, however, maintained his innocence, insisting Mylo was driving, which Mylo denied vehemently because he wasnât the one found behind the wheel.
In the end, even Jeff himself started to think that maybe he was too intoxicated to remember the truth.
Regardless, both undeniably shared responsibility for the incident.
The accidentâs repercussions were dire and threatened to upend their futures.
After all, they were both his sons, and Norton couldnât bear to sacrifice their potential over the accident.
He leveraged all his military connections to suppress the news, opting for an alternative, discreet resolution.
He exonerated his sons from the car accident.
*
Kern sighed heavily, his face etched with sorrow.
âYour grandfather had no choice.
Sacrificing all three sons over an accident would have made the Paynes a national Laughingstock.
â
Nathanâs brow furrowed, his expression hardening.
The truth Kern revealed ignited a deep dissatisfaction within him.
âRegardless of who orchestrated this cover-up,â he asserted, âthe truth deserves to be unearthed.
Yet Grandpa chose to bury it.
Jeff and Mylo walked free, while my parentsâ¦â His voice trailed off, the weight of their loss settling heavily on him.
Even when he inquired about the incident, Norton perpetuated the lie, shielding his sons.
Nathanâs jaw clenched, a coldness radiating from him.