"Hydel this is Jason", I introduce. Jason does his famous nod of acknowledgement after probably deciding that a smile would be too much of a hassle let alone actual words.
"And yes he's my new bodyguard", I continue, "are you going to invite us inside now Hydel or will we have to stay out here in the hallway to have our meeting".
She looks at me deadpan before turning and walking into the room leaving the door open for us. Jason closes the door behind him as we follow Hydel over to the living area where a bunch of papers are strewn messily across the couch and coffee table.
She pushes some of the papers from one side of the couch so that there is space to sit. I quickly oblige but Jason remains standing.
Hydel's hotel room is quite nice. Obviously it's not one of the more expensive rooms but it's classy, nonetheless. The place isn't a complete mess as I'd imagined it would be, except for the papers that's scattered around. Inside the room there are white tiles floors and huge red curtains at the windows the couches are black which contrast to the white colored walls and ceilings.
"On the day I was supposed to come to meet you, you said that you found out something important", I state rather than ask and I turn to her and wait for her to explain.
I prefer to just jump into things. Obviously.
She nods and reach for a folder hidden between some papers.
"When you called me and told me about your birth mother I investigated it as you asked. It was really hard, almost impossible to find any information on Janae Scott. It's almost as if someone hid everything and wanted it to stay buried. So far I can confirm that what your father has told you is in fact true, your mother did have an accident when she was seven months pregnant and she had a baby boy though the name was sealed. It took me a while to confirm that someone else was in the car with her at the time of the accident, Alister Revere. I'd say your father was telling the truth about that also".
She stood and handed me the file she had in her hand and I opened it and began to examine it's contents as she explained further.
"It turns out that somehow Janae's parents didn't know she was pregnant. According to your mother's official files from the hospital you apparently died with her during the crash which means..".
I cut in, "My grandparents don't know about me. My dad somehow got the hospital to cover up my birth. No doubt to protect me from Alister".
Both Hydel and Jason looked at me worriedly as if they'd expect me to have a mini breakdown or something. I was finding things about my parents that I didn't know before but I wasn't going to fall apart no matter how hard it is.
I sighed, "When my mother had her accident my dad received a letter from Alister threatening both me and my mom's life. I understand why my dad lied", I paused and everything else seemed to as well, "anyways I am not a kid anymore I need to know the whole truth and my dad refuses to tell me anything else so I'll find out for myself".
Jason moved closer to me, "Are you sure that's what you want Julian?".
"It is", I answered him before I turned back to Hydel and motioned to the file in my hands, "now what is this that I'm looking at?".
She seemed nervous for some reason and stared at me weirdly as if gaging my expression.
"Those are your maternal grandparents", she says in one breath and I suck in an involuntary gasp at this new information.
She didn't need to say anything else. All the information about them was in the file. Their pictures address and all available and unavailable information about them that Hydel could recover.
Without looking at either of them I dived into the folder and began to devour the information.
"Julian", she interrupts, "I'd suggest you take that file home with you and go through its contents on your own time because that is not the only reason why I wanted to meet with you so urgently".
I straightened in my seat and my eyes met hers. She was seated more rigidly now seeming even more tensed than she was when she told me about my family drama earlier. I could tell from her solemn expression that whatever she'd say next definitely wasn't good.
"What is it Hydel?", I asked, even Jason who had been indifferent since we got here seemed aware of the sudden shift of seriousness in the air around us.
"It's about the original reason why you rehired me", she faced me, her brown eyes focused on mine. "It's been a few months but I promised you I'd find out the truth and I did".
Suddenly I could relate to her shift in attitude because even I was feeling the same way.
How could I forget the day when Hydel lost her job? My dad was coming to visit me. Of course, that was over six months ago. Back then Hydel and Victor were my personal bodyguards.
Jason wasn't here at the time and the confusion in his face said it all. He wasn't sure what Hydel was referring to, so I gave him the short version of what happened.
Six months ago
Back then Lewis and I were friends. I was in the ninth grade and he was in the eighth grade but we both somehow ended up having gym together. Sure, I was still my regular nerdy self but Lewis and I were friends. Maybe not best friends but close enough.
My dad was scheduled to come visit me one Friday evening and Lewis was hanging out at my house. We were in the game room playing a new game dad had sent for me that week when I left to go get snacks for us from downstairs.
I found Hydel and Victor whispering amongst themselves in the kitchen near the counter where Lewis and I had all our school stuff scattered over the kitchen island.
"What's going on guys?", I asked and the two sprang apart so quickly that they knocked over Lewis's bag and a heap of files and papers got scattered over the floor.
I looked at both of them suspiciously as they hurriedly tried to gather the papers together.
"Guys you don't have to be nervous about my dad coming here", I swear it won't be like last time.
The two guards flinched obviously remembering the incident with the- you know what let's not talk about that.
Shaking my head at them and since they didn't seem eager to start any conversation with me I took some snacks from the cupboard and headed back upstairs.
Almost an hour and a half later Mario came to pick up Lewis and he left. Everything about that day was normal until later in the night when my dad came and all hell broke loose when my file that Hydel was entrusted with went missing.
It was literally a three paged file that disappeared into thin air. It had all my personal information and the secret about my real identity. EVERYTHING.
Of course when the guards realized it was missing Hydel admitted that the file must've gotten mixed up with Lewis's stuff that had fallen off the counter earlier. Even though she swore she checked the file after the incident and everything was there. When they looked over the security tapes it confirmed Hydel's story she did have the right papers after the folders fell off the kitchen island.
Lewis had been the only person suspected to have had the files but he and I were together the entire time in the game room. And Hydel never misplaced the files, so that completely ruled him out as a suspect.
My dad wasn't having any of that though, he went absolutely ballistic. He blamed Hydel for everything and fired her on the spot for failing to do her job and keeping not only me but my secret safe. I know now that he was only scared of that file ending up in Alister's hands. And now I know why. Because the second time my file went missing Alister was behind it and he had Rajaun assassinated.
Until this day I don't know what happened or how that file went missing but I believed Hydel that she didn't take it and she wouldn't do anything to compromise my safety. That's why I hired her behind my dad's back to find out the truth about what actually happened to the file. Little did I know then that if the truth about me ever got out it could be life or death. I can't ever let Alister find me. Not while he's still a threat.
Jason seemed to understand now why he had been hired to replace my previous bodyguard. Maybe he even understood why my dad had fired him so suddenly. Dad doesn't take any chances with my life or safety. If he sees a threat he removes it immediately. No questions asked.
Jason finally decided to take a seat after I told him all that I remembered from that day which was not even remotely relevant in my opinion.
"You said you found out something?", He asked turning to face Hydel, "do you know who took the file?".
Hydel nodded and Jason and I shared a worried look before turning to Hydel.
"We were right in assuming a Levi had taken the file", she explained with a hardness in her voice, "but it wasn't Lewis Levi it was his brother".
My eyes widened in shocked and I flew up out of my seat and stared at her with my mouth wide open. No words seemed to come out even though the outrage that I felt was insurmountable.
"You've got to be kidding me", Jason spoke up the words that I've been trying to find, "you mean to tell me that Mario Levi is that one that took the file on Julian?".
Hydel's expression said it all. This wasn't a guess on her part. She had investigated it and she was absolutely sure.
And I believed her.
Finally my mind seemed to connect to my mouth and I could only muster up one word.
"How?".