CONNOR ??

[Chapter-LI]

Eventually, Thibbault drifted his stare from Dad and shook his head as he couldn't believe what happened, before following him behind.

"It would have been nice if this slap had fallen a little sooner." I heard Elliot retort in an audible voice.

I was frozen at the spot.

All the happenings were because of me.

If I had never made it out alive from the pool that day, then, even if my brothers had told Dad about the incident, I wouldn't be the one suffering from guilt and condemnation.

I feel awful for him.

CONNOR

I sat on the edge of the bed. Picking up the corner of my thumb, I nervously put it inside my mouth as a habit. I feel Dad's regard for me, but I was reluctant to agree with him.

"You don't understand."

"No, you don't understand," I argued. "You shouldn't have slapped him. Now, again, his hatred will plague me."

"Are you seriously sitting here and defending his actions when he had thrown you in the pool?"

"Don't make it a big deal. I'm alive and that should matter."

Dad inhaled sharply through his nose. "We'll continue this argument when I get back home at night."

"Don't you regret slapping him?" I mumbled, fidgeting with my fingers. "You have never done this to me, before."

Slap is something else. For the first time in my life, while scolding Maverick, my father has spoken to me in a raised voice.

Dad moved over to place a soft kiss on my forehead and whispered. "You are innocent, my child."

A small smile automatically formed on my face. "Where are you going?" I asked him when I glimpsed him leaving the room.

"I have got some emergencies and the nearest house is not much farther, so it wouldn't take me any longer. I'll be back in an hour or so."

With a satisfied expression, I watched him put on his black coat and grabbed his messenger bag.

"Thibbault will be indoors the entire time. Tell him if you need anything."

With that, he shot me a warm smile before leaving the room. I stood up from my spot while eyeing around the familiar white room. A quiet sigh left my lips while contemplating the images of us in the portraits which were mounted on the wall around the room.

I looked like a baby in each of them. Not even my brothers looked so old either.

I exhaled a short gloomy breath, and I found myself stepping out of the room. Before I could go any further, the eruption of familiar voices reached my ears. I took a step forward where the voices were coming from and as a result, it happened to be Thibbault's room.

"Make sure he doesn't step out of the house. They are in search of the right time. Anything could happen." It was Dad's voice.

"I'll watch over him." Thibbault accepted.

"You remember him, right?"

"Robin is the main problem."

I felt baffled at the time.

Who is Robin? Who needed to be watched by Thibbault? As far as I can think, I have got restrained from going out alone anywhere except school.