The journey to New York was smooth and quick by the private jet. Once he landed at the private airport, he immediately headed to Brooklyn Heights Hospital.
Throughout the trip, his mind was consumed with thoughts about what William and Hudson had uncovered, beyond just the social contract.
As Grayson arrived at the hospital, he made his way to the third floor, where the patient files were kept. The corridor was empty, with no one in sight. He quickly found the room he needed, but unfortunately, it was locked.
Most people might have given up at this point, but Grayson was not an ordinary person. He considered his options, contemplating whether to kick the door down or break the handle, but before he could decide, the door opened on its own.
"Grayson, what are you doing here?" Shea stepped out of the room, appearing puzzled as always. "Where's Alison?"
Grayson spotted Shea holding some files and hoped they were about William and Hudson. To shift her focus, he asked, "How are William and Hudson doing?"
Shea gave Grayson a weak smile and replied sadly, "William is in a coma, but Hudson's recovering just fine." She then turned away, seemingly preoccupied with something, and locked the door to the room containing the patient files.
Grayson sensed that something was different with Shea. She looked tired, with her honey blond hair now longer, reaching down to her ears, and dark circles under her eyes, showing she hadn't slept much. She was still wearing the same scrub covered in dried blood from when Grayson saw her last time.
Shea's hands were trembling, and the keys she held jangled nervously. "How are you, Shea?" Grayson asked.
Shea turned to face Grayson, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm exhausted," she confessed, wiping her tears away. "I'm scared, confused, and I haven't even taken a shower in 3 days."
Despite Shea's distress, a part of Grayson, his Hawthorne side, compelled him to stay focused on the situation. So Grayson stepped closer and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Let me help you with that," he said gently.
Shea wiped her tears with her palms and handed Grayson the files she held. "Thank you," she said, still sobbing slightly. After taking a deep breath to regain control, she added firmly, "I'm going to freshen up."
She gave Grayson a weak smile and walked off to get some much-needed rest. Once Shea left,Grayson quickly looked inside the files, confirming they indeed belonged to William and Hudson.
The first page detailed the car crash, which could have been fatal, but they were fortunate to have survived. William's condition was severe; he lay in a coma with serious brain injuries, and the doctors couldn't guarantee his recovery. On the other hand, Hudson had suffered multiple broken bones and injuries, but he was expected to fully recover with time and proper treatment. In other words, Mason had the chance to harm them, but he chose not to.
Perhaps it was a means to control Alison, considering she had already lost her parents, and she didn't want to lose her brothers as well, Grayson thought. By keeping them alive and in Mason's grasp, he could ensure she continued to abide by the social contract. But Grayson couldn't help but question if Alison genuinely cared about her brothers or if, deep down, she longed for freedom instead.
Grayson remembered when Alison saw her brothers, and she didn't shed a tear. He wondered if she might have hidden her emotions from him. But later, when he found her in the files room, she acted as if it was all just a game. Her reactions left Grayson puzzled and unsure about what was truly going on in her mind.
Lost in his thoughts, Grayson made his way to the first floor, completely forgetting about Shea. Stepping out of the elevator, he walked down the hallway, took a left at the corner, and passed by William's room on his way to Hudson's.
Looking through the small glass window on William's door, Grayson saw him lying in bed, connected to several tubes. William looked much thinner, and his chest was wrapped in bandages with red spots, likely bloodstains. Just as Grayson noticed a nurse approaching, he quickly averted his gaze from William and proceeded to open Hudson's room door.
Inside, Hudson was resting in bed, recovering from his injuries. His face lit up with surprise and a smile when he saw Grayson. "Grayson! What can I do for you?" Hudson asked, sounding both confused and excited.
In a professional manner, Grayson stood by the door and asked about Hudson's recovery. Hudson smiled and said he felt much better, finding the hospital beds surprisingly comfortable.
Hudson's eyes wandered to Grayson's side, and he noticed Alison's absence. He gave Grayson a sad smile and asked, "She's with him, isn't she?" referring to Mason. Grayson nodded in confirmation. Hudson scratched his head thoughtfully and said, "Well, Alison doesn't deserve you anyway. You'll find someone better."
Grayson felt a hint of frustration rise, but he chose to let it go for now. Instead, he gently steered the conversation to the main reason for his visit. "You're lucky to have survived the crash."
Hudson sat up in bed, leaning against the pillows. The playful tone had vanished from his voice, and his brown eyes met Grayson's silver ones with serious intensity. "Luck isn't the right word, it's faith," Hudson corrected him before continuing, "It's as if someone was watching over us, guiding us through that chaos."
Grayson's mind clicked, confirming Mason's responsibility for the accident, but now the question was why? "You think someone deliberately caused the crash?"
Hudson could read between the lines and understood what Grayson was really asking. He took a deep breath and carefully chose his words. "We found some interesting connections," he replied cautiously. "There were financial transactions that didn't add up, and communications that seemed to be coded."
For a few moments, Grayson locked eyes with Hudson, his silver gaze demanding further information. And, as always, Grayson's persistence prevailed.
"We discovered the existence of a social contract," Hudson continued, but he hesitated to share more. Still, Grayson's unyielding stare pushed him to continue.
"As you know, all legal files of Alison have disappeared, but that doesn't mean they don't exist," he continued, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Will and I hired someone to access Mason's files, but we only managed to obtain Alison's missing records. It was enough evidence to confirm our suspicions, but the social contract was what intrigued us the most, as accessing that could set Alison free."
"After reading Mason's books, or rather, Alison's books, it became clear that Mason wielded immense power," Hudson said. "He could steal legal file records, publish books under his name that became bestsellers without raising suspicions, and orchestrate killings without getting his hands dirty. But it was only possible with Alison; she was bound to the social contract. Without access to her files or records, she technically doesn't exist, and so, everything is attributed to Mason."
Hudson and William had successfully accessed Alison's missing files, which meant they had the potential to bring Mason's empire down by taking it to court, but the question remained whether they would do so. Taking a deep breath to control his frustration, Grayson asked, "Why did Mason spare your lives?"
"We're better of dead aren't we?" Hudson chuckled, wincing slightly from the pain. "But we're alive, or as Alison would like to think of it, we were like loose bolts that needed to be put back on the machine to keep it going again."
Grayson's mind raced, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle. "Why haven't you brought this evidence to court-"
"Court can only take us so far, Grayson," Hudson replied thoughtfully, but his expression turned grim. "Besides, who said William or I would turn Mason in?"
The moment had arrived, the big question that could solve everything for Grayson. Without hesitation, he asked, "Why did Alison stab William?"
Hudson's expression softened, a mix of sadness and understanding in his eyes. "We were playing hide and seek in the barn 5 years ago," he replied gently. "I was hiding in the shed, nestled beneath the hay stacks, while Alison had found a hiding spot near the tools," he reminisced with a soft chuckle. "There was this small box where Dad kept his guns, and Alison managed to squeeze into it. But then, she received a phone call during the game."
"After the call, Alison seemed different, but she continued to move the farm tools to hide in the gun box, trying to play the game as usual. However, halfway through, she suddenly held onto a pitchfork, froze in place, and looked slightly shaken."
Grayson began to see the connection, but he was still puzzled. Alison hadn't met Mason back then, so what was going on?
"While William entered the barn and spotted Alison, rushing past me to tag her, I had this sinking feeling that something bad was about to happen," Hudson continued.
"Alison was our father's favourite, and she had beauty, intelligence, and cunning beyond her years. She even got accepted to prestigious universities in England. Meanwhile, William and I worked tirelessly on the farm day and night. Our parents didn't expect much from us, but I felt like I was the only one who truly understood what it would mean to our little sister."
Grayson couldn't help but notice that it was the first time Hudson had referred to Alison as his sister. It should have held some significance, but he couldn't quite grasp its meaning yet. The fact that Hudson paused and seemed surprised by his own words indicated that there was more to the story.
Hudson seemed to be gathering his thoughts before he continued, as if the mention of Alison being his sister had opened up a flood of memories and emotions.
"My father always supported Alison with anything, and my mother couldn't care less, really. She was just trying to survive day by day, yet my father loved my mother unconditionally. From a young age, Alison believed she was responsible for achieving great things for the family, and in some ways, she was right. Every hope, dream, and wish were bestowed upon her. My parents expected everything from her, and at some point, I did too. The pressure and expectations were overwhelming, especially for a 17-year-old. Whoever she was talking to on the phone that day triggered that pressure inside her, and she had to let it out."
Grayson's face turned serious as he tried to comprehend the immense pressure Alison had endured. While he could empathize with her struggles to some extent, he knew that their backgrounds were vastly different. Unlike Alison, he was born into wealth and privilege, with a grandfather who had shaped his life with high expectations.
Alison's circumstances were far more challenging. Her family faced financial difficulties, and she had to overcome numerous obstacles on her own. Her father treated her like an investment, expecting her to bring in money for the family, a concept that Grayson could see had influenced her life. The burden of responsibility and expectations had become too much for her to bear, and it led to her lashing out at William, believing that her brothers should understand and share in her pain.
"Like an Angel, they protect anyone they can. But Angels can fall," Grayson thought, understanding the weight of Alison's struggles. She tried her best for her family and others, but it was never enough.
Hudson continued, recounting the aftermath of the game where Alison had lashed out at William. "I took William to the nearest pharmacy, and luckily they were able to help him," he explained. "After that incident, William distanced himself from Alison, and it only made things worse for her. They were once so close, playing games and laughing together. Losing that connection was painful, even for me. To this day, Alison still can't explain why she did it, and William can't forgive her. Although William wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, at one point, Alison sought comfort from me, but I stupidly shut her out as well. After that, she had no choice but to leave. She went to England, then Harvard, and seemingly out of nowhere, Mason appeared in her life."
"Mason was like an Angel to William," Hudson spat, and it sounded like he genuinely didn't like Mason. "From the beginning, I had a feeling something was off. Meeting someone who could give us, nobodies, a life and wealth we never imagined seemed too good to be true. So I devoted months to investigating Mason, and the first clue came from his books."
"The moment I read Mason's book, I knew it was Alison's work. Her unique style was unmistakable; I had been familiar with her writing and songs for so long. I told William about it, but he wasn't convinced. Still, he agreed to investigate further since he was offered a job as some kind of bodyguard for Mason. During his shifts, William would sneak some files when he searched for Alison's files for who knows why and discovered that Alison had no official records, as if she didn't exist. This revelation shattered William way of thinking, and he was desperate to search for a reasonable explanation. I didn't pressure him to agree with my reasons; instead, I let him continue his investigation on his own. Then, when Mason's new book 'Help' became America's best-selling novel, I couldn't help but wonder why Alison allowed this bastard to sell her work ? Or why wasn't she getting any credit?"
"Then, one day, William heard from Mason's security that Alison had been missing her classes at Harvard, and that's when we found out about you, Grayson Davenport Hawthorne. The mention of you, as Tobias Hawthorne's Texas billionaire grandson, attending Harvard was intriguing; I knew this was going to be worth watching," Hudson scoffed.
"Alison started behaving erratically and distancing herself from Mason. She was frequently absent, and Mason believed it was because of your influence. When Mason learned about your visit to our mother, he instructed William to keep track of you in Virginia, knowing that our mother was under Mason's influence and that you would go to great lengths to get answers, which could only come from my father. Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to come along, wondering if you were just another cog in the machine, but you..."
Hudson hesitated, pausing for a moment. Despite the air-conditioner running, beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "You were the wrench. You could unscrew Alison, me, and William."
Suddenly, tears streamed down Hudson's face. He gently touched his cheeks, seemingly puzzled by his own emotions. "Recently, I decoded the clues Alison left in her book," he shared, closing his eyes as tears continued to flow. "Do you know what her clues said?"
Grayson looked down at his cuffs, adjusting them before meeting Hudson's gaze. "Help," he replied softly.
Hudson smiled. "Alison had been asking, begging for help. It was right under our noses. Even her latest book was titled 'HELP'! Why hadn't I seen it before!""
Hudson's laughter filled the room, making Grayson feel concerned and uneasy. "My little sister," he began, "she's broken, yet she's determined to piece herself back together. But now she realizes she can't do it alone because she feels like her fragments are scattered everywhere. I have a piece, William has a piece, our parents have a piece, Mason has a piece, and you."
The air turned heavy with silence as Grayson saw the intensity in Hudson's eyes. He could see the gears turning in Hudson's mind, and it was clear that this revelation had opened up a new world of possibilities and challenges.
Taking a deep breath to regain composure, Hudson confessed, "I want to stop playing." His shoulders slumped, burdened by the weight of it all. "You're the last piece of the puzzle, Grayson."
Though Grayson empathized with Hudson's desire for closure, he knew he couldn't provide that reassurance. The puzzle remained far from complete, with its pieces still scattered across their lives. With a resigned sigh, Grayson left Shea's folders on the desk and made his way toward the door. Just before leaving, he turned to Hudson and spoke softly, "You're wrong, Hudson."