AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Did you ever try to get us back?" Hector asked.
Robert shook his head. "We feared for our lives. We were told that if we ever stepped foot on the island, we’d never be seen again. Sinclair had a reputation to keep, you see. Heavens… if anyone had found out he’d stolen two of his boys, his image would have been shattered in one fell swoop. People had died at their hands, as I said. Keeping your true lineage a secret was one of their biggest priorities."
Hector rubbed the back of his neck and sat back, absorbing everything they said.
"Adele told us Sinclair has died," Robert said, his voice lowered. “Is it true?”
I held his gaze as I answered. “Yes, it’s true.”
Enid and Robert shared a look then Robert turned to me and Hector. “I’m sorry to hear that."
“Don’t be," Hector spat. “He was an evil sonofabitch."
Enid bolted backwards, clearly not accustomed to Hector’s choice of words.
I raised a hand. "I apologise," I said, narrowing my eyes at Hector.
"He was, Rupert,” Hector snapped. “Why sugar-coat it? These people handed us over to him and his nasty piece-of-work-wife. We were the ones who had to live with those corrupt narcissists all our lives. And now we’re going to have nothing to show for it either. We’ve served a hell of a lot of time, and for what?”
“We’ve had luxuries, Hector," I said firmly. "We’ve never been deprived of food or education or a roof over our heads. Yes, we’ve had to live by certain rules - baffling as they were - and work for a business that had corruption at its core, but we’ve always been safe and secure. You only have to look at the families in the municipal district to know the same can’t be said for everyone."
I stared him down until he shrugged lightly. "I suppose."
I turned back to Enid and Robert and stilled at their expressions. "What corruption?" Robert whispered.
I sighed. We couldn’t hide from the facts any longer, not now we were going to expose all of them to the world. "Basidiomine - the drug we’ve been creating through Thorn Pharmaceuticals - was not only grown on toxic waste but it was also tampered with in the last few months. It has been contaminated with opioids and now we have a large number of people addicted to a substance they never wanted."
Robert’s eyes were wide.
"It was all Sinclair’s idea." I said, hoping they didn’t think this was our fault. "But we’re going to fix it."
The room fell silent as the Winters absorbed the news and Hector and I exchanged glances. He seemed a little more relaxed but still not itching to embrace our new parents.
After a minute or two, Enid stood on shaky legs. Robert’s brow dipped, questioning her movements.
“It’s okay,” she said, patting his arm. “I’ll be right back.”
As soon as Enid had left the room, Robert turned to us. “This is all very overwhelming for us, I’m sorry. We never thought we’d see you again, let alone invite you into our home. We’re not sure of the correct etiquette, or what we should offer you… Oh! We haven’t offered you refreshments…”
“We’re fine,” I said, smiling. “And we really don’t care about etiquette. We just wanted to see you."
Robert was about to reply when Enid walked back into the room carrying two tote bags. She handed one to me and one to Hector.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“They’re all the letters we wrote to you twice a year, every year, since you were taken. Birthdays and Christmases. It’s nothing much, but if you ever wanted proof that you’ve been constantly on our minds, this is it."
I stared down at the bag she’d given me. It wasn’t large but it weighed heavy on my heart and soul, and for a second, I couldn’t speak.
Thankfully, Hector spoke for me. "Thank you," he said, quietly, surprising me with his change in tune.
"You don’t have to read them, you don’t have to keep them, but I promised myself that one day, I would give them to you."
I knew in an instant I wanted to read every letter, in order, but not yet. It could wait until I had somewhere more permanent to live, with Vivian. Until then, I would simply treasure them.
Vivian
“What do you think they’re talking about in there?” Minty whispered.
