The Royal Contract

He continued to walk inside, only stopping when he stood a foot away from the front of his desk. Then, he dropped a folder in front of him without saying another word.

His guest just smiled and took a seat on the available chair, full of confidence and satisfaction on his face. He thought that the man must have something good to be in this enthusiastic mood.

“That sounds great, Stockholm.” He said, dropping everything he was doing and concentrating his attention on the man before him, studying him under his peripheral vision.

He picked up the file from his table and waved it in front of him, confirming the authenticity of his work. When the man nodded, he opened the file and skimmed through it.

His eyes sharpened on the information written in the documents. He could not believe what he was reading from this discovery that his most trusted investigator had dug up.

“I worked day and night to get that information, Ethan.” He proudly stated. “It was not easy because your friend Joaquin had paid a lot of people to hide them.”

.....

He had to go through several of his contacts. It was not easy since his reference was way back years ago. Most people who might know the story had already died or moved away.

“How accurate is this information?” Ethan could not rely on hearsay or possibilities. He needed accurate information regarding the identity of his son.

He could feel his heart beating as the name registered in his mind. His name was familiar. He had heard that name before. However, he would have never guessed that his son could be him.

“It is one of my finest work.” The detective proclaimed to his friend and most important client. For him, that was a masterpiece.

In his years in this business, he had never used as many favors to get this information. He had never worked this hard to solve this mystery in a short time.

But he did this because his dear friend needed his answer. Therefore, he would put his life and career on the line, standing by what he had reported in those documents.

“Thank you, Stockholm. As usual, you never failed me.” Ethan would never doubt his word. If his friend said that this was the truth, he believed him.

There was no reason for him to question his honor or his skills in this business. He had always delivered a good quality of work. If he made a few mistakes, it was never intentional. But this one, he could see that he was confident about it.

“I think my services are no longer needed but do not hesitate to call me again if you need my help.” Stockholm moved out of the chair and saluted his friend.

His friend would send his fee through the usual means. Sometimes, he declined his excessive payments, but he still sent them anyway. But he just repaid him with good service.

Ethan was wealthier anyway than he or anyone he knew. He could very well afford his rates. Still, he would always consider Ethan his friend, believing it went both ways.

“Oh, I never knew that we have company.” Another voice came through the door, but he quickly recognized her as his wife.

She looked lovely as ever. But still, the toll of all the stress, all that was happening to them lately. It showed on the etched on her face.

He wished he could ease her worries. But for them to get through this, they had to face each one head-on without hesitation or fear. They could not keep hiding from the truth and running from the past.

“I am already leaving and going back to my vacation. But it was nice seeing that you are back on your feet, Ethan.” Stockholm stood from his chair and shook his friend’s hand.

Then, he turned to the lady that was walking toward them. “It was always lovely to see you, Laura.” He kissed her warm hands before saying his farewell to the friendly couple.

It was time that he went back to his life and let them deal with their lives. He could only hope that the information he had provided them would help them fix their family and not tear it apart.

“Did he get the information that we needed?” Laura asked her husband as she stood in front of his seat and watched the retreating back of the private detective.

She knew that he was not just a friend of the family. She had always known that he had been helping her husband secretly, but she never usually meddled with their business.

This time, she knew she had to be a part of this situation. She could not sit in the corner and quietly watch on the sidelines. She had to actively participate if that was the only way to keep this family together.

“She had kept their identity well hidden. Joaquin also made sure to erase every evidence of their existence.” Ethan began explaining to his wife what the report said.

“Then, how did Stockholm learn of his identity?” Laura quickly interjected, slightly confused with the situation.

She knew she should have waited for the rest of the story, but she was either too excited to know who the boy was or too frightened to discover his connection to them.

“Fortunately for us, he decided to use his mother’s surname.” He told his wife, moving the document in front of her.

He could see the confusion in her eyes. There was no recognition in them. Why would there be? She never had the opportunity to know these people.

But if she had learned who his son was, she might suddenly feel different. At this point, there was no reason to alarm her. He would deal with this on his own at this point.

“Do you recognize his name?” She asked, having no idea who was the man on the report. “Did Stockholm include where he is now?” She kept asking, hoping to find answers to her many questions.

If what they had been saying was true, she would like to know who this man was in their lives. Was he a threat to their peace, creating havoc in their lives? Or was he just another lonely soul, looking for answers just like them?