After the food arrived, they both gorged on it till they were filled up to their throats. Then Akira picked up the empty boxes to throw them into the dustbin when she saw a copy of GQ magazine on his desk.

"Sebastian Walker" - The Tycoon

Pointing at the magazine, Akira asked,

"Is that?"

"Yes, that's my dad".

Saying that Raymond lifted the magazine and flung it into the dustbin.

"What are you doing Raymond? That's a huge disrespect?", Akira said and picked the magazine up.

"Why would you hate him so much, Raymond?"

"It's not the right time to discuss Akira and probably it will need an entire night to explain".

He said and sighed.

"Well I am all ears and we have the whole night with us".

"We have to work Akira", Raymond said and retired back to his seat.

"You have to be so secretive about everything. I don't understand why can't you ever share anything with me. I share each and every tiny little thing with you. You and your secrecy".

"Hmmmpphhh....".

Saying that Akira went back to her sofa and started reading the article about Sebastian Walker.

"I don't want to burden you with all these things Akira", Raymond said coming close to her.

"But I want you to burden me. That's how the relationship works Raymond".

Raymond looked at her and then sighed,

"So where to begin?"

"My dad Sebastian Walker is a man who has made his own fortune right from scratch. He had inherited a small leather export company from his dad which he converted into Walker Enterprises, which is now a Multinational Global Brand having not only pan-American but also pan-Asian reach."

"But his success came at a price. A huge one".

"What price Raymond?"

"The price of the family or rather my mom you can say".

"He never kept her happy. He could never give her the little pleasures of life. I think he never touched her after we were born. I have never seen my father acting like a husband for my mom. He loved us, but he was always distant with her and as we grew older we knew why".

"Why Raymond?".

Raymond looked at her and taking a deep breath he said,

"Because he wasn't satisfied with my mom. I think his needs were too weird. I would often see him with different women. He often touched them inappropriately in front of my mom. Do you even know how that feels? My insides used to churn, imagine how my mom would have felt. I think it's one of the reasons why I can never tolerate if anyone dares to touch you Akira".

Raymond said and took a deep breath.

Then looking at the picture of his father he said,

"My mom was the nicest person on the earth. She would never object or fight with him, all for our sake. Our future. She always wanted the best for us. So even though it killed her from the inside she always tried to be all cheery in front of us."

"We asked her so many times as to why she was still with him, but she would always tell us that our father was the greatest man ever and asked us to respect him no matter what. I think my dad loved her a lot but that was only just for a few initial years and she treasured only the happy memories throughout her life. She would sometimes read the letters that my dad had written to her during those old days and that would cheer her up".

"I once confronted him about everything, about the way he lived, about the way he treated mom and you know what he said?"

"He said that it would be better if I tried to mind my own business".

Saying that Raymond chuckled and looking at Akira he said,

"Tell me how was that not my business when I could see my mother dying day after day because of the habits of my dad. She was a human being Akira. She just needed a littile bit of love and care. But that monster gave her nothing and just knew how to inflict pain".

"During that time itself, I had decided to separate from him, once my education was over. I wanted to start my own business and to take care of my mom and my sister. So Delphie isn't just a start-up for me, it's my childhood dream Akira, which I have webbed since I was a kid who every day saw nothing but the plight of his oppressed mother".

"I had promised her to keep her happy. I had promised her to buy her a new house. I had promised her a new car and she had promised that she would wait."

"But one day dad came back home all drunk and opened a box from his wardrobe. There was a letter inside it and he gave it to my mom. I don't know what was there in that letter because after he made my mom read it he took it away. But my mom cried a lot that day and Katherine wasn't there at home. Usually, she is the one who can console my mom better. I tried but I wasn't good enough Akira, I wasn't good enough".

Akira saw his jaw getting at taut and his fist was all clenched.

She came close and unclenched his fist and held his hand in hers and said,

"It's ok. It wasn't your fault".

"How it wasn't my fault Akira? I couldn't help to mend her broken heart. She was hurting so much but she still looked at me and said that it was ok. That night when she came to tuck me in my bed, she still told me that my dad was the greatest dad in the whole world, even after suffering so much. And that was the last I saw of her".

"What?"

"Yes, that was the last conversation that I had with my mother. That night she took away her life by jumping from the rooftop. I had no idea that it was my last goodnight kiss. If I would have known I would not have let her go".

And a drop of tear trickled down his cheek.

She immediately wiped it with her palm and softly kissed him and then holding his face she said,

"It's ok. It's not your fault."

"I know"

"I know Akira because it was all his fault".

His eyes were fierce with all that hatred that boiled within him.

---

[At BridgeRoad Residency]

Sebastian Walker slowly climbed the stairs and went up.

The man who transformed business at his fingertips. A man so skilled, that people ran after him for ideas and advice. All business magazines, high-class magazines, news magazines, he was featured in all of them every now and then.

He was an epitome of success.

But tonight as he walked up, his face was that of someone who had lost a battle. The face of someone who had just inhaled death.

As he went inside his bedroom, that young lady Casey stood up and asked,

"What took you so long? I am almost about to get wasted with all this alcohol here".

"I had some urgent matter to attend to my dear", he said and then locked the door and smiled looking at her.

"But now I am here and I am all yours".

"But who was that man who made you all sad?"

Sebastian looked up at her and then he sighed and gasped at the same time and said,

"That man was my brother".

Her mouth opened wide in shock.