Present Day

David entered Evonne’s bedroom, carrying a tray of her favorite breakfast foods. He said nothing as he crossed the room and sat the tray on the edge of the long computer desk. He then drew back the heavy drapes, allowing the bright rays to stir Evonne awake.
     “Good morning,” he quietly said as he picked up the tray and stood by her bed.
     Evonne sluggishly pulled herself to sit up while David placed the tray over her lap.
     “I thought you may prefer breakfast in bed,” he explained. “Just something different from your regular routine.”
     “Thanks,” she replied, glancing at the tray. The food was everything she had expected, her favorites from blueberry pancakes to bagels and cream cheese, topped off with a glass of fresh orange juice.
     David took a seat on the edge of the bed and smiled. “You’re welcome. How are you feeling?”
     She poked at the pancakes with the fork. “Better. Are you going to tell me what’s bothering my father?”
     “He has a lot on his mind, right now. But that’s nothing new,” David said, continuing to dance around the question. “It’s nothing really to worry about.”
     Evonne took a sip from her orange juice. She then lowered her voice as she spoke. “He keeps treating me like a child.”
     “I know,” he admitted. “Look at it this way, you’re the last link he has to your mother. Don’t be angry at him for that.”
     Evonne looked away to stare out the window. “I can’t be his little girl forever.”
     There was a short pause from David as he tried to read her expression. A part of him wanted to reach over and give her the assuring hug she needed, but he remained on the far side of the bed. He had to keep quiet on certain matters, even if it pained him to see her suffer because of it.
     “Eat up,” he urged her as he stood from the bed and headed for the door.
     With each conversation they had, David found himself tempted to break his promise to Alex. It was a conscious decision to end all conversations before they spiraled out of his control.
     In the hall he took a deep breath. The pain returned to the forefront. No oath or verbal agreement was worth the confusion he saw in Evonne’s eyes. Why did Alex choose to keep such monstrous secrets from his daughter? Plenty of times he wanted to tell her, to erase the deceit Alex laid upon her. But he knew very well that the major secrets in Alex’s life were placed there for a reason. At the age of seventeen, when David learned the truth, it took him several weeks to get over the initial shock.
     David was eleven when he came to live at the manor. Before then he lived in a small suburb east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was a cool night in mid September when his mother was killed. David didn’t remember much from that night. He’d been staying at a neighbor’s house while his mother was working the night shift at a local restaurant. With SEVEN called in to investigate, they learned of David and the obvious situation they were placed in. Normally children would be under the care of surviving family members. But in David’s case, he had none. Alex took pity on the boy and sent for him to live at the estate. David saw this as a new life, while Alex saw it as his second chance to raise a son.
     David had a thirst for knowledge. At the age of eighteen, Alex paid for his education, and he graduated top of his class. This left David with plenty of choices for a new life. But it was the mysterious estate hidden in the mountains that drove him back. He couldn’t really think of any other place he’d rather be. For sixteen years he had called this place home, and he wondered for how many more years he would continue to do the same.
     Alexander’s personal study was adjacent to his bedroom and was connected by a side door. Though David had been in the personal study plenty of times, he had never been into his boss’ bedroom. That was one of those few places forbidden to everyone, except Evonne. Alex went as far as to keep the main door to the bedroom constantly locked. The study seemed to be the only way of entering the bedroom. David wasn’t to clear on the reason behind this, but he had a good idea where to begin his speculations.
     Behind the dark oak desk, David saw Alex sitting in his chair as he went over a few notes scribbled onto a legal pad. The worry on his face seemed magnified in this moment.
     Alex didn’t look up as he spoke to David. “There were two more incidents, nearly identical to the one before.”
     David stopped in the middle of the room. “Evonne suspects that something’s wrong with you.”
     “She would,” he acknowledged, sitting back in his chair.
     David sighed and took a seat in the chair facing the desk. “Are you ever going to tell her the truth?”
     Alex shot a dangerous look at his assistant. “I can’t deal with that right now.”
     “She has a right to know,” he pressed. “Hell, most of everyone here knows.”
     “Not yet,” Alex calmly said.
     Defeated, David backed off. “I won’t argue any further.”
     “Good.”