64

Nathan was sitting in his room, his mind filled with suspicions and unanswered questions. He knew his grandfather was hiding something crucial, something that could change everything.

"I can't keep waiting," he said to himself, staring out the window. "I need to find out the truth."

Determined, he set out to find his friend Jamie, the only one he could trust. He found Jamie at home, relaxing on the couch.

"I need your help," Nathan said urgently.

Jamie sat up straight, alarmed by his friend's seriousness.

"What's going on, Nathan?"

"I feel like my grandfather is hiding something big from me, something about Suzanne. I need to know what it is."

Jamie nodded, aware of the gravity of the situation.

"I'm going to talk to Dylan. He always knows more than he lets on."

"Besides, he was friends with Suzanne; I must get something useful from that," he thought, determined to help Nathan.

Later, in Dylan's apartment, Jamie sat in front of his boyfriend, trying to choose his words carefully.

"Dylan, Nathan is looking for answers about Suzanne. I feel like you know something," he said, staring at him, noticing that he suddenly turned pale.

Dylan tensed, avoiding Jamie's gaze.

"I shouldn't tell you..."

"Please, Dylan, this is important."

Dylan sighed, knowing he couldn't keep the truth hidden any longer. Sooner or later, they would find out anyway.

"Suzanne and her babies are alive. Jarek has been keeping them hidden for their safety," Dylan confessed, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders.

Jamie was breathless, furious at the revelation.

"What? How could they hide something like this?!"

Dylan looked at him seriously. He knew Jamie wouldn't understand the reasons, but Suzanne did, and that was what mattered.

"Jamie, you have to keep your mouth shut. It's for the sake of Suzanne and the kids," he warned, but Jamie shook his head in disapproval.

"Is she under the protection of a mobster?" Jamie asked, scared.

Dylan winced.

"Almost."

Jamie felt a chill run down his spine. What the hell was going on?

"I have to warn Nathan," Jamie stood up from the couch, ready to leave, but Dylan firmly grabbed his arm.

Dylan looked at him sternly, raising a finger as a warning.

"If you do that, I'll end things with you. And I'll tell Nathan that you're gay," his tone was threatening.

Jamie felt like he had been punched in the gut. He didn't know what to do.

The fear of being judged by Nathan for his sexual preferences paralyzed him.

"Okay, I won't say anything," he finally said, though his mind desperately searched for a solution.

...

Suzanne felt a strange presence around her. Thinking it was Jarek's guards, she picked up her phone and called him.

"Jarek, could you please lower the intensity of the surveillance? I feel suffocated," she complained, rolling her eyes.

Surprised, Jarek responded, "I've only sent two guards, Suzanne. They shouldn't be that invasive."

Suzanne jumped, sure that this surveillance wasn't from Jarek's men. She looked out the window and saw a man in a black overcoat, whose gaze sent chills down her spine.

"Jarek, I think someone else is watching me. This man doesn't seem like one of yours," she said urgently, though she tried to sound calm.

The line abruptly cut off, leaving Suzanne in panic. On the other end, Jarek lost communication.

"Damn it!" he yelled, calling his men. "Find her! Use her phone's GPS location. Now!"

The guards mobilized quickly, while Jarek felt a knot of worry in his stomach.

"I can't lose her now," he muttered to himself, fearing for Suzanne and the children's safety.

***

Nathan walked briskly towards Jarek's office. He needed answers, and his mind was still haunted by the fact that his grandfather continued to hide things from him.

He vividly remembered the day he had seen the woman with a baby carriage in Central Park, a woman who looked remarkably like Suzanne.

Now, with the news that his father, Richard, had been lurking nearby, panic seized him.

He reached the office and paused on a bench, taking deep breaths to calm himself. With trembling hands, he knocked forcefully on the door, sensing chaos inside.

Nathan swung open the door without waiting for an invitation, tired of feeling deceived.

"Grandfather, I need to talk to you right now!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with contained fury.

Jarek looked at him, responding in a deep, calm voice.

"What's wrong, Nathan?"

"Do you remember the other day when I told you about a woman I saw in Central Park?" Nathan said, pressing the phone to his ear. "That woman was Suzanne, wasn't she?"

There was a tense silence before Jarek answered. He seemed somewhat nervous, which Nathan picked up on.

"Nathan, that wasn't Suzanne. She's dead, you know that well."

Nathan couldn't contain his anger.

"I don't believe you, grandfather! If you don't tell me the truth, I swear I'll have you put in jail," he spat angrily. "Faking someone's death when they're alive is a crime. I won't hesitate to testify against you to rot behind bars."

Jarek fell silent, his mind racing. He knew Nathan wasn't joking and that he was at a disadvantage in this situation.

He didn't like to give in, but his concern for Suzanne outweighed everything else.

"Alright, Nathan," he finally said, his voice strained. "Suzanne is alive. She called me recently because she was scared. A man in a black overcoat was stalking her.”
Nathan felt a wave of emotions: relief, anger, concern, joy, and more anger.

"Damn it!" he yelled, kicking the ground in frustration. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? We could have protected her better!"

"I did it for both our sakes!" Jarek retorted.

"Don't give me that crap, Jarek!" Nathan was beside himself. "She had a baby carriage, too. Did you also hide that my child is alive?"

The elderly man licked his lips, breathing heavily.

"You mean, your babies, Nathan," he cleared his throat loudly.

Nathan went pale and was about to faint from the shock. Jarek sighed and sent for medication to stabilize him.

"I thought it was best for everyone," he said, once his grandson had stopped trembling. "But now I'm worried, Nathan. We need to find her before it's too late."

Nathan was on the verge of hitting his own grandfather, his anger bubbling to the surface. He was about to grab him by his shirt when Jarek received an urgent call.

"Wait a moment, Nathan," the old man said, answering the incoming call. "What's going on?"

Nathan could hear murmurs from the conversation but couldn't make out the exact words. However, Jarek's expression changed drastically.

His face turned even paler, and his hands began to tremble slightly.

"Understood. Keep her under surveillance, we're on our way," Jarek said, hanging up and turning his attention back to Nathan.

"We need to go now. They've spotted Suzanne at a café near Central Park. The man in the black overcoat is there too."

Nathan wasted no time. They ran towards the park, his mind filled with chaotic thoughts and his heart pounding.

"If anything happens to Suzanne because of you, Grandfather, I'll never forgive you!" Nathan shouted as they ran, his voice filled with a mix of fury and desperation.

Jarek didn't respond, but determination was clear on his face.

Both knew that time was against them, and every second counted to save Suzanne and end the threat that loomed over them.