Saving the Villain

It was, indeed, a thorough investigation because even Stella's family records were here. There were many discrepancies in these records like how Stella's brother got kicked out of school; he used to be a smart and diligent student, but suddenly, had a record of bullying that got him kicked out. The terrible records made it hard for him to get into another decent school or get a proper job.

After reading more and more, Conrad soon got a grasp of how things went down before he reached the birth records of Stella's son. Apparently, Stella birthed Maxen in a very secluded province. Because Stella was all alone and the town she moved in was conservative, many assumed she was not a decent woman.

A woman was raising a son who didn't know who his father was. Even though Stella had kind neighbors, there were still some who would talk about her because they had nothing else to do. In the long run, Stella was branded as a whore because of her strange schedule at night.

Little did everyone know, Stella was simply working multiple odd jobs all in an attempt to raise her son to live in comfort. Stella didn't seem she got affected by what other people called her or look at her until Conrad reached the other page.

On the next page, it was Stella's medical records. It shows there that because her illness was left untreated, her condition simply worsened as the tumor in her head augmented. She was beyond savable and only needed to count months before her death. Thus, Stella moved close to her brother so someone could take care of her son.

Despite that Stella was ill, she still worked tirelessly for her son's future and also to support her miserable brother. Stella worked until she died, and all her efforts were for naught because her brother maltreated her son. '

The reports that returned to Conrad only stated, "unkindly" treatment, but he could already imagine what sort of abuse Maxen went through at the hands of his uncle. This alone was enough to touch a part of Conrad that no one else could -- even though this was already a part of the past. It was the reason Maxen left home at such a tender age.

Without any place to go to and someone to support him, Maxen had to be smart so he wouldn't live in the street. Maxen got his mother's grit and worked multiple part-times, got himself a small space, and lived on his own.

Maxen's uncle didn't even search for Maxen. It was as if nothing happened. This only showed how much Stella's brother loathed his sister that passed on to Stella's son.

"It all started when Stella's parents died..." Conrad trailed off, skimming the documents Warren handed him. "... no. It all started when Maynard chose Stella over his family."

Conrad's eyes narrowed, checking the dates. He didn't know whether he should thank Warren or scold him. After all, Conrad only asked what sort of DNA Asher did, but Warren returned with more than just that.

Now, Conrad couldn't unread these documents nor could he stop from reading more. A part of him wanted to know to understand Rocco and Maynard; his dearest friend who were like brothers to him but ended up hating each other.

"One thing that connects these all events were..." Conrad gazed at the names that kept appearing on every page or every other page. One was Maynard and the second was Maynard's wife or her family name.

"Ahh..." he rocked his head, having a good grasp and picture in his head.

Considering what sort of family the Quinn Family was, it wouldn't be surprising if they had involvement in Stella's miserable life. The Quinn Family was strict and traditional. Marriage was a big deal for them, especially the heir's marriage. There was no way they would allow someone like Stella, who came from nothing, to marry into their family.

No wonder Maynard suddenly got married even though he was in a long-term relationship with someone else.

"How... messed up, Maynard," Conrad whispered to himself, flipping the pages as he read more and more. This time, it was a brief report regarding a troubled marriage between Maynard and his late wife.

In the eyes of the public, Maynard and his wife had a good and picture-perfect relationship. However, behind closed doors, Maynard never loved his wife. And a jealous wife could only push the blame onto her husband's previous lover.

It wasn't detailed how troubled their marriage was since Conrad could already guess. He already guessed the reason Maynard just couldn't seem to love the woman he married for she was greedy and cunning. And he already guessed why Maynard's wife wouldn't stop messing with Stella because her husband kept hiring people to look for her through the years and she kept interfering.

It was messy... until Rocco "killed" Maynard's wife that sent him back to prison. Rocco's intention wasn't recorded, but it seemed Rocco had involvement in Maynard's wife's death. Conrad was convinced Maynard wasn't innocent as well. The only person who could answer that was Maynard and Rocco since they were there that night.

After the thorough information regarding Stella, Rocco, and Maynard and how their lives spiraled down, Conrad's hand and body trembled when he flipped to the next page.

It was a DNA result of Asher Quinn and Maynard.

"They weren't..." Conrad trailed off as he held his breath, making sure he was reading the correct information. Maynard and Asher, the son he had so abruptly and also the reason he got tied with his wife in a marriage weren't father and son!

But the surprise didn't stop there.

The next page was another DNA result. This time, it was Asher and his deceased uncle -- Maynard's cousin -- who died in a crash a very long time ago. Seeing the 99.999% that Asher and this man matched, Conrad's chest swelled with mixed emotions.

Did Maynard's wife... fool her husband to force him into marriage?

Conrad's hand trembled as he turned to the next page. It was another DNA result, but this time, Maxen's name was on it. The other name on it was Maynard.

"What...?" Conrad dropped the documents on the desk; he already had a guess, but having a confirmation still took him by surprise. "Maxen...?"

Just then, all the memories Conrad had with Maxen replayed in his head, and only then did he realize one thought he had before. When Conrad 'figured out' Maxen was Roco's son, Conrad remembered telling himself he didn't resemble Rocco. He didn't dwell on it though.

But now that he thought about it, Maxen's face was a mix of Stella and Maynard. Maxen's slight resemblance with Luke made all the hairs in Conrad's body raise.

"No..." whispered Conrad, holding his temple. "... just how messed up did things turn?" -- this truth was something Conrad was unsure whether to keep to his grave or let all out. After all, this would make a huge problem in the Quinn family, particularly for Maynard, that would eventually affect Maxen.

With all these laid on the table, Conrad didn't know what to do.

What should he do with this knowledge in his head? Right now, Conrad had no idea.