Chapter 218 - 218: Your Safe Haven

"If you don't believe me then ask your family doctor. He knew about it. This was a secret between the two of them."

James's brows slightly creased upon hearing her words. 'Our family doctor?'

Then memories of Jorge and their family doctor who were talking privately and their several out of town travels crossed his mind. He didn't know their purpose but their actions were enough to raise some suspicions about Jorge's illness.

'Does it mean father underwent treatment behind our back?' James thought to himself.

"But there were no findings with regards to his illness in the autopsy report," James said as he was still in doubt and denial.

Elle also frowned as she wondered why they didn't include it in the autopsy report. 'Is Master Phantom had mistaken about Jorge's illness or there was something wrong with the autopsy report but why?'

"There's only one way to find out. Confirm it with your family doctor." Elle suggested to him.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you telling me this now?" James asked her curiously.

"Because you already knew my identity. I don't want you to hold a grudge against me. I can't afford to have another enemy. There are lots of them already. I just want to end this and settle things with the Skull Gang." She told him truthfully.

"Yes. It is a fact that I am your father's murderer. He died in my hands but it was his own will too. You wouldn't believe me but your father just thanked me with a smile on his face before I left that room." Elle added.

James became silent for a moment. He was put in deep thoughts. 'If this is true then I don't have to hate or blame Elle for my father's death, right?' He was asking his own self.

Then with a resolution in mind, James spoke up, requesting something to Elle.

"Can you accompany me? Let's go and confirm it with my father's doctor." He said to her with a pleading look in his eyes.

A little bit surprised with his request but Elle just sighed helplessly as she agreed on him. Both of them left the park as they headed to the clinic of Arison's family doctor. Both of them remained silent throughout the whole ride.

After twenty minutes they reached their destination. The doctor was already expecting James to arrive since he informed him that he would see him today. 

He was just a little bit shocked when he saw James was not alone. He walked inside the clinic together with a beautiful lady wearing simple and ordinary clothes. He was not familiar with her.

The doctor was already in his mid-50s. He was wearing a pair of eyeglasses with his doctor's uniform. He greeted them with a smile before he guided them inside his office.

"What brings you here? Are you not feeling well?" The doctor asked James the moment the three of them already settled down inside his mini-office.

"Doctor Gallardo, I came here to ask you something. I hope you will give me an honest answer." James said without beating around the bush.

James skipped the pleasantries as he looked so serious. He didn't even bother to introduce Elle and the doctor with each other.

The bright smile on the doctor's face slowly vanished when he noticed the gloomy and threatening expressions of James. He didn't know why but seeing him like this, he knew that this matter was very serious.

"Okay. Just tell me. Ask me anything and I will answer truthfully." the doctor said to James, as he remained calm.

"Is it true that my father had stage 4 cancer?" James was looking at the doctor intently. His penetrating gaze was enough to give the doctor so much pressure.

The doctor was dumbfounded when he heard his question. He didn't expect it. He thought Jorge's illness would be kept hidden forever. This was his promise to his deceased friend.

From the doctor's expression alone, James could already confirm the truth. His face darkened as the doctor remained silent. He was obviously out of words.

'How did he find out?'

The doctor was debating with himself whether he should tell James the truth about his father's illness or just deny it.

"Don't you dare lie to me! You'd already kept the truth from us for a long time!" James exclaimed with rage, giving him a warning.

Seeing the fury in James's eyes, the doctor didn't have the courage to lie. He just heaved a sigh of defeat after that.

'I'm sorry my friend. I think I failed to fulfill my promise to you. I've tried my best but it seems that no secret will be hidden forever.'

"How did you find out?" The doctor asked James instead of answering him directly.

"You didn't need to know that. I have my ways. So, is it true?"

Leaving him with no choice, the doctor told James everything about his father's illness. He also mentioned that he was the one who made it possible to exclude Jorge's illness in the autopsy report. He paid someone to cover-up and omit Jorge's illness in the autopsy report.

The doctor apologized to James for hiding the truth from him and to Jorge's family. He explained to him that it was his father's wish and he promised to fulfill it. 

Now, James was aware of everything. He didn't know if he should tell this to his sister and his mother. He was having conflicting thoughts. It was his father's last wish but his sister and his mother have the right to know the truth.

James left the clinic with a heavy heart. Elle was silent for the whole time. She didn't know why James asked her to accompany him. She just became a witness for the whole conversation but she knew that James was having a hard time right now.

Elle was following James behind, silently observing him. He was walking slowly with heavy footsteps. His shoulders were slumped. This discovery was a huge blow to him. She could understand that.

When they were near his car, James suddenly halted on his steps. If she wasn't quick enough to respond then she probably bumped into him in no time. Elle was about to complain when James turned around to face her.

Seeing his dark mood, Elle decided to keep silent and forget about scolding him.

"What are you going to do now? Where will you stay?" James asked her out of the blue.

Elle was taken aback by his sudden question. 'He still has the guts to ask me that.' Elle was just restraining herself from rolling her eyes.

"Hmm. I think this is none of your business. So I don't have to answer that. But I hope after this Skull Gang and Catseye will no longer have a conflict with each other." Elle was trying to be polite as she said those words to him. She also smiled sheepishly at him.

Elle was hinting him that Skull Gang should no longer pay attention to her and just let her be. James could understand what she meant by that.

"Alright I will do that but first, can you act as my friend for a moment? Can you please comfort me?" James requested her once again.

Before Elle could respond to him, James already grabbed her and pulled him against his body. Elle was caught off guard when James suddenly hugged her.

She wanted to push him but thinking about James's feelings as of this moment, she chose to be considerate of him. "Okay. I'll do this just this once." Elle mumbled as she let him do that for a while.

"Thank you, Elle," James said in a low voice.

After a few minutes, James finally released her. He felt better after doing that. At that moment, he thought to himself that he didn't want to give her up. 

He didn't care if she had feelings for the detective. He would try his best to win her heart no matter what especially now that he couldn't hate her for his father's death.

"Elle, don't go back to him. He hurt you. He can't protect you. If he does then he will lose his badge. His job will always come in between the two of you. You won't be happy with him." James was trying to convince Elle to stay away from Erick.

Her mood changed and sank again after hearing that. Her thought in mind was silenced into pain and grief. 'James, you are really ruthless. After comforting you, now you are trying to do this to me.' 

She had to admit that James had a point. But her heart was telling her the other way around. She wanted to believe in Erick- to the love they have for each other.

Bothered by her silence, James spoke up again to convince her.

"Work for me! Help me avenge my father's death. I heard Dark Knight is also chasing after you. Let's join together and fight them." James suggested to her.

Elle just remained silent as she looked at him with confusion. She didn't expect him to give her that kind of proposal.

Meanwhile, James could feel her hesitation. He felt very desperate. He was racking his brain so hard, thinking about many different ways just to let her agree with his suggestion. He wanted her to depend on him.

James held both her shoulders as he fixed his gaze on her face.

With his eyes filled with promise and assurance, he said to her: "Come to me… to my side. I will make Skull Gang your safe haven."