70

Nathan arrived at the mansion once more, and everything seemed deserted. Panic surged through him at the thought that Suzanne and the children might be in danger.

He was even worried about his grandfather. The shadows of dusk loomed over the large house, accentuating his unease.

"Suzanne!" he shouted, but no one answered. A sepulchral silence reigned in the mansion.

He heard noises coming from the basement, and with his heart pounding, he headed there to investigate. However, a dark figure appeared in the doorway, making his heart skip a beat.

It was Richard, his father.

"You..." Nathan hissed, laden with rage and resentment.

Richard looked at him and smiled in recognition. Nathan couldn't believe that this murderer was there. He wondered if he had been spying on him all this time and where everyone else might be. It was obvious he had managed to elude his grandfather's guards.

"Hello, son," Richard greeted in a gruff voice.

"Don't call me that, damn you," Nathan retorted. Richard's coarse laugh at his anger only fueled his fury further.

"Trying to act like a man, but you're still the same scared little boy," the man said, immensely amused.

"What have you done with my family?" Nathan asked, trembling with fury.

"Your wife, Suzanne, is a beautiful porcelain doll," Richard commented with a perverse smile. "We could come to an agreement about her."

Nathan felt an overwhelming urge to smash his face in.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded.

"How much do you want for the girl and how much would you be willing to pay for her and the babies?" Richard asked, mocking him.

Nathan was enraged. The anger consumed him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold back for long. He was capable of beating his own father to death, and he knew it.

That brought a sense of unease, but he ignored it.

"Where is my family?" he screamed, feeling the anger course through every inch of his body.

Richard laughed again, watching Nathan's face turn red and his nostrils flare. He was about to lose control.

"You'll never have a family. You'll end up like me, no matter how much your grandfather tried to prevent it," his father said, quite pleased with himself.

"I'm nothing like you, and that will never happen," Nathan denied firmly.

Richard laughed again, and Nathan, extremely enraged, demanded loudly:

"Where is my wife and children? If you touch a single hair on their heads, I'll kill you, Richard," he hissed.

"See? You're like me and you can't help it," his father said with a mocking smile.

Nathan swallowed hard and replied with determination:

"I'll do it to protect those I love, not because I'm a bloodthirsty man like you."

Richard made a move and Nathan hurried to intercept him, hearing noises in the basement again. The tension was palpable.

Without thinking twice, Nathan punched his father in the face.

"I'm going to beat you until you tell me where my family is," he threatened.

"You've learned to fight. Those are your criminal roots," Richard mocked.

Nathan punched him again, but Richard hit back hard, smiling because he hadn't felt physical pain in a long time.

Adrenaline took over both of them, and they engaged in a hand-to-hand fight. After several minutes, Nathan fell to the ground in a misstep, and Richard took the opportunity to hit him more.

Brandishing a weapon, Richard pointed it at Nathan.

"Say hello to your bitch mother in hell."

At that moment, the door burst open and Jarek appeared, wielding another weapon.

"Drop the gun, Richard!" Jarek ordered firmly.

Richard looked at Jarek, surprised, then turned his gaze back to Nathan, who took advantage of the distraction to get up, ready to fight once more.

"Well, well... look what the cat dragged in," Richard commented sarcastically, observing Jarek with a malicious smile.

Nathan's mouth tasted of blood, but he didn't care. He felt somewhat relieved that his grandfather was there, which he attributed to Suzanne and the children being safe as well.

Jarek looked at Richard coldly. They stared at each other in a clear challenge. Nathan could feel the tension in the air, even worse than before. Richard laughed provocatively.

"Why don't you fight like a man, Jarek?" Richard said. "You owe me a few punches, old man."

Jarek didn't seem fazed, but Nathan knew him well. He knew his grandfather was tense, even though he tried to hide it.

His grandfather was an implacable man, but he was much older than Richard. Nathan feared that this man would take another loved one from him.

"You have no idea what you're saying, Richard," Jarek replied firmly.

He extended the arm holding his weapon, ensuring with a sinister smile:

"I'm going to finish all of you off, little by little. I'll make you suffer worse things than I endured in prison, and I'll revel in it every second," he seemed completely insane.

Nathan was enraged.

He looked for an opportunity to act, but he knew any false move could be fatal. Besides, he needed to know where Suzanne and the babies were.

He wouldn't breathe easy until he saw them with his own eyes.
"I'll kill Suzanne and your children, just like I did with your mother and Jeremy," Richard said, igniting a spark of fury in Nathan.

"Bastard!" the young man shouted, lunging at Richard to fight.

Jarek watched the scene in terror, remembering the time Richard Quirrell had shot his daughter and grandson. He bent over in pain, clutching his chest.

Nathan worried, fearing the worst, but Richard laughed malevolently.

"You're a finished old man, Jarek. I'm going to get rid of your entire family, and there's nothing you can do to stop it," his mocking tone drove Nathan over the edge.

He grew even angrier seeing his grandfather in that condition.

Fearing Jarek was having a heart attack, he rushed to snatch the weapon from Richard. But his father took advantage and kicked him in the stomach.

The pain was unbearable. Nathan felt dizzy and saw stars, thinking he was going to die at that moment. But then he heard a heavy noise and a groan.

Looking up, he saw Richard unconscious on the floor and Suzanne behind him, holding a club.

"Suzanne!" Nathan exclaimed, relieved and surprised at the same time.

She looked at him with determined eyes, breathing heavily from the effort.

"I couldn't let this monster hurt you," Suzanne said, her voice trembling.

Nathan crawled over to her and hugged her tightly, feeling a wave of relief and gratitude.

"Thank God you're okay," he murmured, kissing her forehead. "And the children?"

"They're safe, Nathan. They're with the nanny, Christine," Suzanne replied, tears in her eyes.

Nathan looked at Richard, unconscious on the floor, wishing to end him once and for all, but he told himself that the police would lock him up again where he belonged.

"This man will never hurt us again," Nathan declared firmly.

Jarek helped his grandfather sit for a moment, watching in horror as he lapsed into unconsciousness within seconds. He had to move quickly and call an ambulance, as well as the police.