Chapter 692 Impromptu Trip
After his phone call with his father, Tom decided to return Kimberly's call and find out why she had been calling, and just as soon as the call connected, his office door opened and Harry walked in wearing a glum expression.
"What's wrong?" Tom asked Harry with a frown before he heard Kimberly's sob.
Harry said nothing as he turned on the television in Tom's office, and Tom's brows pulled together when he saw the headline on the screen.
EX-PRESIDENT, LAWRENCE HANK, DEAD!
Without speaking with Kimberly, Tom hung up the call as he stared at the screen with disbelief.
"What is the meaning of this?" Tom asked Harry, not wanting to believe it was what he was seeing.
"He died a couple of minutes ago. He slumped while giving a speech during a United Nations event and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital," Harry explained quietly, and watched as Tom staggered on his feet and held the table for support.
"Oh, my God!" Tom murmured as tears pooled in his eyes.
His first thought was his father. His father was going to find out soon and he would be devastated by the news whether or not they had been close. And then there was his mother who had been like a daughter to Lawrence for all these years.
"What can I do?" Harry asked, seeing how Tom stood where he was with a lost look in his eyes which were glistening with tears.
"I have to go to my parents. Jade and Bryan would most likely want to come too so we can all arrange for his funeral. Can you give Jade a call and find out if she is aware already? Ask her to meet us at home. I will give Bryan a call to get ready," Tom said, and Harry nodded.
"I will ask James to be on standby," Harry said, referring to one of their pilots.
"Thanks," Tom said without looking at Harry as he fell back on his chair and covered his face with both hands.
Harry looked at Tom for a moment before walking out of the office. As he left the office he dialed Jade's line.
"Don't tell me you're missing me," Jade said in amusement as she received the call, and Harry could tell she was yet to see the news.
"Where are you right now? Are you done at the police station?" Harry asked, not sure how to break the news to her.
"Yes. But I have a meeting with the chief judge now, so I'm on my way there. I'm going to drop Candace off first so she can go home to your dad and Jamal," Jade explained.
"Can you postpone the meeting with the chief judge? Something came…"
"C'mon, Jonas! I can't start taking the chief judge for granted now simply because Rebekah has been arrested. I know you miss me but I still need to…"
"Your grandfather is dead," Harry cut in, and immediately Jade stepped on her brake pedal, bringing her car to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road.
"For Christ's sake, Jade!" Candace exclaimed as the car lurched forward, causing her drink to spill.
The driver behind Jade honked angrily at her as he drove past her, but Jade did not pay attention to any of that as she sat still in the car not minding where she was parked.
"I'm sorry. Tom wants you to meet them at home so you can all fly over to join your parents and prepare for his funeral," Harry said apologetically, wishing he was there to embrace her.
He would have preferred to break the news to her in person since he knew she loved her grandfather deeply and would be devastated by the news of his death, but knowing how stubborn she was, the only way he could get her to listen to him and go home was by breaking the news to her.
"I will be on my way home," Jade said with quivering lips and Candace frowned when she noticed that Jade's countenance had changed completely.
"Pass the phone to Candace," Harry said and Jade did so without another word.
She couldn't even think. The only thing that kept playing repeatedly in her head was Harry's words. 'Your grandfather is dead'.
"What did you say to her? Couldn't you have waited until she got home? We could have gotten into an accident, you know?" Candace asked with a frown.
"Her grandfather is dead. If you don't mind, can you drive her home?" Harry asked hopefully, and Candace turned to look at Jade with understanding now that she knew why she had reacted that way.
"Sure. I will hang up now. We are parked in the middle of the road and I need to get us out of here before the police come for us," Candace said before hanging up.
"Get out of the car. I will take you home," Candace told Jade as she unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the car.
Jade did not say anything as she got out of the car to let Candace take over, and immediately she got into the passenger seat, she broke into a sob.
Candace said nothing and just let her cry as she drove. She wasn't sure that if she decided to speak she would have the right words to comfort Jade, so she figured it was best to just keep quiet and let her cry.
Back in Tom's office, after putting a call across to inform Bryan that their grandfather was dead and he was on his way home so they could all arrange to fly out to Heden together to join their parents, he rose to leave and then remembered that he had to inform Lucy before leaving.
Thinking about Lucy, a frown creased his brow when he recalled their conversation during lunch.
She had said she wanted to apologize to his grandfather. Did she try to reach him already? Was she aware of the news? Tom mused as he made his way to her office. Deciding to see her before leaving.
As he walked down the hallway to her office, he could tell by the looks he received from most of the staff that they had all seen the news of his grandfather's death.
The moment he noticed that the blind was down in Lucy's office and he couldn't see through the glass, he knew she had heard the news already, so without knocking he walked into her office, and just as he knew she would be doing, he saw her weeping at her desk.
"Jewel?" He called, and she raised her tearful gaze to him as she cried.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Tom. This is all my fault. I killed him. I shouldn't have been so harsh," she cried as her whole body trembled, and Tom momentarily forgot his grief as he went to her and gathered her into his arms.
"Don't be ridiculous. This has nothing to do with you," he said as he patted her back but she shook her head.
"I should have let it go as you did. I shouldn't have pushed him so hard," Lucy cried and Tom sighed.
"Can you please do away with the guilt? I have to worry about my parents and organizing the funeral right now. I don't want to add this to it, especially when it is completely unnecessary. He is old. He slumped and died, simple. The timing might suggest otherwise but it is what it is. So, please pull yourself together and stop blaming yourself for something that has nothing to do with you," Tom said, trying to sound as patient as he could.
Almost as if a switch had come on in her brain, and she realized she was making this about her instead of comforting him, she looked up at him as she wiped off her tears, "I'm sorry. How do you feel? Have you spoken to your parents? How are they taking it?" She asked, but he shook his head.
"Not yet. I think my presence might be more important than a phone call. I need to fly out to Heden to be with my parents and help set things up for the funeral," Tom said and Lucy nodded.
"Is there something you need me to do?" Lucy asked, not sure what she could do.
As much as she would love to be with him and comfort him, she didn't want to face his family.
Even if he didn't agree that she was responsible for this and he wasn't blaming her, the others might blame her. Especially Evelyn. They might not say it directly to her face, but she knew deep down they would all blame her.
Before Tom could respond, his phone started ringing and he received the call the moment he saw it was from his mother.
"Tom? Your grandfather…."
"I know. I saw the news," he said, stopping her from completing her statement because of the way she was crying.
"How is dad taking the news?" Tom asked with concern.
"Not well. He hasn't said a word since I told him about it. He has remained silent," Evelyn cried, and Tom drew a deep breath.
"Don't worry. Hang in there, I will be with you soon," Tom promised.
"Bryan and Jade…"
"We will all be there together, don't worry about it. I will handle everything, okay?" Tom assured her, and Evelyn relaxed a bit.
"What about Lucy and Sonia? Will they be coming too?" Evelyn asked, and Tom glanced at Lucy.
"She wants to know if you're coming with us," Tom said and Lucy teared up again.
"I would love to if my presence there won't upset everyone," Lucy confessed guiltily.
"What is she talking about?" Evelyn asked with a sniffle since she heard what Lucy said.
"She blames herself for what happened…"
"Alright. I will. Thanks," Lucy said as she returned the phone to Tom.
"Pass her the phone," Evelyn said in a firm voice now and Tom did as she requested.
"Evelyn, I'm sorry…"
"Come along with Tom. I will be expecting you," Evelyn said firmly, making it clear she wasn't expecting no for an answer.
"Alright. I will. Thanks," Lucy said as she returned the phone to Tom.
Once Tom was done talking to his mother he looked at Lucy, "So?"
"I will come with you," she said, and Tom nodded.
"We have to leave now. I will be waiting in front of the building. Join me in the car after informing the head of operations that you will be away for a couple of days," Tom said before walking away, and immediately Lucy cleared her desk and reassigned her duties to her teammates.
They didn't need to ask any questions since they all had heard the news and understood that she was leaving with the CEO.
As Tom made his way back to his office so he could use his private elevator to his parking lot, he saw Harry coming out of his office.
"I thought you went home already," Harry said and Tom sighed.
"I had to see Lucy first. She will be coming with me," Tom said and Harry gave him a nod.
"I would have come with you but we both can't be away at the same time. I will see you guys at the funeral. Try to take things easy and let me know if you need me to handle anything from here," Harry said as he slapped Tom's back fondly.
"Thanks, man!" Tom said, feeling grateful once again for Harry's friendship.
"Don't mention," Harry said before walking away.
As he returned into his office he sighed when it occurred to him that just like that, the plan to spend the weekend alone with Jade at his apartment was canceled.
There was no way he could let her travel without seeing her first when he knew she was upset by the news. Harry picked up his car key from his desk and headed out again.
"Cancel the rest of my appointments for the day, and liaise with Eric to reorganize my schedule for the rest of the week. I will handle all of Tom's appointments," Harry instructed his secretary before walking away.
Maybe he could pay Jade a surprise visit on Friday and spend the weekend with her over there instead. That should cheer her up a bit, Harry mused.
He scowled when he randomly remembered that the last time he had been at the Hank family home with Jade, she had been there with her stupid ex-boyfriend.
There was no way he was going to spend time with her in that same bedroom she had shared with her ex boyfriend.
"Focus, Harry! It's not a vacation. She just lost her grandfather," Harry reminded himself as he got into his car and headed for Tom's place.
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