Chapter 24: Lady Arons

Wah!!!!! Ghoulies... sooo sorry !!! I didn't think it would take this long to edit this book. *does a dogeza* You guys know when I take too long to upload, that I end up giving you double chapters. <3

I planned to release Uncle Dearest on the 1st of August but things didn't go as planned. Bare with me my ghouls. Onee-san has you!

Anywhos~~ Enjoy

Onee-san

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Jaden's POV

As bewildered as I was, there was some part of me that wanted to know who the Arons were. After all, they were the ones who brought Blake into this world.

If Blake got the blood he needed in the nick of time, was she the one? All this while, I'd sort of made my idealogy about the Arons from what I'd been told. There wasn't a part of me that thought they'd help.

"No one was really notified upon Brad's release from the psychiatric center. It seems that he's been off his medication for a couple years now. Still, I give him credit for being able to live under the radar so long. His psychosis doesn't seem severe but he is a bit detach from the reality of the 'now'," Officer Bergens explained.

"It's more like he was conflicting this reality with the past. He kept calling me Susan.... and in the brief moments he realized it was me, he tried to stop himself but even so..." I explained recalling his behavior.

"Well, I mean, it didn't help that he was also taking some type of hallucinogens to keep himself under control. He even manage to open up that office of his using his mother's maiden name," the officer dryly chuckled. "He played us well."

As I sat there thinking about the look in Brad's eye. Though vacant, the times he was conscious about me and not Susan, then he'd have a painful glare in his eyes. How could I have even known that Brad had been institutionalized? Did Blake know? After all that's happened, what was I suppose to think?

Some thing came back to me. I didn't want to ask, but just as a human being, I believe that I should know. "Officer, one of the guys who took me, had said that Susan didn't actually run away. "

The officer's face was suddenly unreadable and he just gave me the cheesiest fucking quip that would piss off anyone.

"That information is confidential."

"What the hell do you mean?" I asked irritatedly. "Don't I have a right to know?! She started this mess, and you guys just clean it up just to save a surname from tabloid gossip. Is that it?"

Suddenly, the door to my patients' room flew open and a lady with graying blond short hair sauntered in like she owned the place. Her eyes skimmed over everyone; her face in a scowl as if they were all mere cockroaches. Then her striking pair of blue eyes landing on me. Her thin red painted lips stretched into a tight awkward smile.

"You're the spitting image of her," she stated.

"Ah, Lady Arons, that was pretty quick," the officer said looking around a bit flustered, "Mr. Arons couldn't make it, I assume."

So she's the mother of Blake huh? They didn't much look alike to me, except the eyes. The only difference was that Blake's eyes can both be striking blue and a little green depending how the light caught him.

The lady clicked her tongue and waved off the police man. "That's alright Bergens. You can take your leave," she answered in a very dismissive tone. "You're mother committed suicide in that cabin. Her family abandoned their assets in fear of retribution, which included that cabin. As for what I think, it was best, " Well that's kind of harsh, I thought. "She did try to lure my sons into her mental grave of munipulation."

Bergens along with Neil, Bax and Shelby slowly moved to get out.

I wanted to stop them, but for some reason, I felt like I needed to be on my best behavior. Just looking at Lady Arons' face in itself, was enough to make me feel like she was judging me as she looked through me with an almost stony expression. That and I was trying to play it nice. After all, I would need her help if things became worse for Blake.

"Jaden, is it? I'm Agniz Arons" she introduced, as she took a seat on the reclining chair by the hospital bed. I nodded slightly at her. "It seems Blake is in bad shape, isn't he? As your only guardian, I think you will need to stay with me until your... Blake gets well." Apparently she had heard the news about me not being Blake's legitimate child.

"Blake has raised me alone after you, his mother and father, turned your backs on him," I blatantly said. Oh well, so much for playing nice. "There is no way I would stay at your place. I barely even know you."

"You are under the age of 18 still. You will do as I say for Blake's sake," she tsked at me in a very snobbish kind of way... but she was right. "It beats holding yourself hostage inside that shack of a house."

Excuse me?

I bit the inside of my jaw to stop myself from outright cursing her out. How dare she called our house a 'shack'? Our house was your regular lower middle class house. Nothing too rich but nothing too poor either.

Then I remembered that the Arons were probably filthy rich. Knowing that they lived on an estate with acres of land at their disposal, I bet they look at our humble abode as a place of poverty.

"That 'shack' as you call it, has more warmth than you probably have in one single bone. This is our first time meeting and you've manage to offend me, and demean your own son, who is right now in a critical condition," I said choking a little bit.

I wasn't done there. Maybe I just needed someone to vent at and she just happened to be the wrong person to push on my already sensitive buttons.

"Why do you think he even ended up with Susan? Even with her all drugged up, he found the warmth and acceptance you never gave him. You probably forced your views on Brad too. I can see him trying so hard to mold himself to please you. Can you see the chain that has caused these misfortunes? I don't know what all might have happened, but along the way you lost both of your sons while trying to make them into the ideal individuals society expects elites to be. All they probably wanted was either your approval or to be recognized by you, their mother."

It was only then that I saw sorrow and shame reflected in her eyes. It was so feeting that I thought that maybe I had imagined it.

Still I pressed on, "Maybe you have good intentions deep down. I... I will do as you say and I will go with you but you've got swear to me that you'll do all in your power for Blake..." taking in a deep breath, I stated with my voice breaking, "As I am now, I can't help him even if I wanted to. So you need to help him recover... do all you can, and I'll do my part by going with you until I've completed 18." Sniffling and trying to hold off the tears that threaten my already weakened state, I choked on a sob signaling the oncoming of a break-down. "He's all I have. Don't take him away from me please. Just help him... I beg of you!"

My throat was dry as sandpaper, and I felt some thing the size of a base ball clogging my air way. The aching feeling inside me begun throbbing as I felt myself start to cry. My own vulnerability hung over me like a noose as I cried in front of this complete stranger of a woman. I held my chest as I cried, hugging my knees, hiding my tear stain face in its safety.

Mrs. Arons placed a cold wrinkly hand over mine. Her eyes were watery, but still held that obstinate, dignified look to her. She lightly patted my hand before removing it, and tutted at me like only a Gramma would do.

"Child, there is so much you don't know, but it's not much for you to be worried about. I wouldn't be here if I didn't care. Blake is my son after all," she stated in a solemn tone. "If I don't do something for him, no one will... except you. He'll be fine. He's an Arons after all even if he doesn't wanna be."

There was an awkward moment of silence as I tried to get myself together. I could feel her eyes staring at me curiously. All I did was lay back unto the patients' bed. The injuries I sustained weren't bad enough to want to keep me for an overnight observation, but I rather go back to the home I shared with Blake than to go anywhere with dear ol' Gramma over here.

"You know, I wasn't never this hard boiled at the beginning," Agniz started out of blue. "I knew Susanna's father long before the Mayfield family-her family-became a part of our sub groups in one of our lower companies. I had Blake when I got married to Martin, your grandfather. It wasn't till I saw the greed of people that I became... cold, if you'd like to call it. When I was in need, every one turned their backs but as soon as they heard that I got married to a wealthy man, suddenly everyone wanted to be around me. The cliche just never ended.

"The Mayfield family was also the same. You see, Blake's real father wasn't Martin...but Susanna's father." What? Wait.... WHAT? "These men never knew this. Mayfield thought that if his daughter got knocked up by the eldest Arons, that she'd have her future secure. Unfortunately for him, when Susanna got pregnant, it was assumed that Blake was the father and Blake wasn't in line for the inheritance due to his addiction. Brad was."

As Agniz told this story, a lot of things begun making sense. It explains way too much, but the fact that Susan and Blake were half siblings was a complete blow to me. I doubt that he himself knew. That would explain why she started to mess around with Brad. Then again, Susan didn't sound like a person who could make her own decisions unless her decision was based on which drug she wanted at that moment. Had she even known they were related?

"It was my fault for withholding that information from everyone. It still shocks me because I don't understand how this one girl, could affect two brothers in such a massive way. I tried... to protect Blake, but he was already gone by then," she said, her voice wavering. She cleared up and continued with, "I tried so hard to shield him, but it ended up backfiring as one would put it. I failed as a mother, I admit but I really did try..."

My heart clamored and guilt trickled in.

I had spoken without knowing the full story, saying things that I should not have said. What I saw before me was a really sadden person. I can only imagine the amount of guilt she had been carrying all these years. The burden on her shoulders must've double with Brad also loosing himself.

"After you were born though, Blake sent me a letter with a picture of you," she quickly added, and fiddling her purse a little, she pulled out a passport size picture of me as a baby. "In that letter, he promised to try and be the father he'd always wanted. I'm just proud of him for coming such a long way."

We both had regrets deeply rooted in us. Blake seemed to be important for the both of us. How could I make myself useful after causing so much harm? I felt like I was taking in everything to heart, but I just couldn't help it. I just loved him.

For Blake I'd do anything.

"... I know we have enough savings to hire a nurse for the physical therapy he will need, but... having you there would mean a great deal to him.  This time is meant for you both to heal physically and mentally. I can help whenever as well..."

"Non-sense, you mustn't worry yourself too much," she interrupted. "You'll be taken to the main house. I know of a private clinic funded by Arons enterprise. They specialize in this area. I'll take care of it."

Just then, an ordely stepped in and quickly notified Agniz that Blake had awoken. Unfortunately, only one person is allowed to go see him.

My heart leaped into my throat. I wanted to be there to see his eyes light up, but my guilt weighed me down. How could I still look him in the eye after all this? I felt deflated instantaneously. My eyes swept up to Agniz, whose eyes shone with wanting and insecurity but she didn't move to volunteer to see him.

She must miss him too, I guessed.

"Y-you should go to him," I said to her with a small smile. She nodded very hesitantly. "Just... make sure to tell him that I'm okay and that he should worry about himself for now."

If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be here, the reminder came taunting me.  I have no right to love him after causing all of this. With those thoughts haunting me, I confined myself in the patients' room and cried until  I was awoken by Bax who took me home.

Shelby stayed over that night mainly because I didn't had the strength to argue with her that I'd be fine.

All I did was made my way through my patched up front door, up to the room where the bed still lay rumpled by our love making just three nights ago.

I idly wondered if that was ever going to happened again. Will he continue to love me? I didn't want to think of anymore depressing things. So I enveloped myself between the sheets that smelled of him and let sleep drown me.