35 Vanessa Garcia

I can't believe my ears. The outwardly poised Louis actually killed someone? Seeing the look of pure horror on my face, Drake sighs and turns to Louis.

Drake: Louis.

Louis: What? That's what he calls it.

Um, what? Drake crosses his arms and looks at me.

Drake: He didn't kill anyone.

Louis: You really understand me. Why would I operate a 'dead body' if it'd ruin my credibility?

Ashton: What do you mean?

Louis: After her accident, when she was brought to the hospital, she was as good as dead. In fact, she died within minutes of her arrival. How was that my fault?

Drake: He's a kid, what do you even see in him?

Louis doesn't say anything for a moment. He looks up at the ceiling and gives out a self despising chuckle.

Louis: I don't know. Even after the times we've met, he still hates me and I on the other hand... But, he resembles the old Vani so much.

Both:...

The 'Vani' he's mentioning is Vanessa Garcia, the former heiress of Silver Rose Entertainment (she played an important role in making Louis the person he is today). It was a very influential company in the country but it fell apart because of her. Louis and Vanessa shared the same orphanage, she was 6 years older than him. She was kind and gentle.

They were inseparable till Louis turned 5. After that, they both got adopted by their new families. You could say that they were identical in personality except for one thing; Vanessa had gone insane after their separation while Louis managed to hold on somehow.

She blamed her insanity on her new family and became vicious in the search for revenge. She destroyed herself to destroy her family. Many years later, they met again but Louis couldn't keep up with her change in personality.

After spending more time with her, Louis started becoming more and more like her. Then suddenly, she disappeared. Months passed, no one had heard from her. During this time, Louis realised his feelings for her.

He couldn't keep them to himself and searched for her everywhere and when he finally found her, it was too late. She was lying on her deathbed with a few days to spare. She had caught a foreign disease that at the time had no cure.

Many say that it was her family who did this to her to stop her from ruining them. The suspicions must be true because they didn't do anything to cure her. At the time, Louis felt that he had lost everything, he was qualified to be one of the best doctors in the city and yet couldn't cure her.

From then onwards, Louis emmersed himself in books, medical journals and even visited foreign professors to gain more knowledge about the disease. Drake and I could only watch him from afar as he did this.

He started acting cheerful only so that others don't see his pain and take advantage of it. And now, to think he finally found someone so similar to the one he lost and him being hated by the person, it feels cruel.

Louis: Enough about me. Back to you again, does... Claire know about this? I heard from Drake that you've already met her.

He looks back at me, as if nothing had happened.

Ashton: Uh, yeah. We're on good terms now so I told her.

Drake: What did she say?

Drake looks at me, inquisitive. He never shows such interest in other's matters, is something wrong?

Ashton: She was surprised at first and then... it was okay.

Louis:..... Seriously?

Ashton:..?

Drake: Does she know who your wife is?

Ashton: Ah, no.

Louis: Now that makes sense.

Louis nods, satisfied.

Ashton: I'm just going to come out and say this, is there anything you know that I should know?

Drake:... It's not important right now. We'll tell you when you need to know.

Drake dismisses my question as if it's no big deal. Knowing him, he only does what's necessary. If he thinks that I don't need to know it right now, I think it's for the best.

I drop the subject but one thing keeps nagging me. They made it sound as though Claire and Kate are related, what's that about? Wait, speaking of Kate, why do I feel like I am forgetting something important..?