Chapter nine

"Mr Xavier, please wake up. We must leave now!" Palo said to Xavier who struggled to open his eyes. 

"What's going on, Palo?" Xavier asked while the old Butler quickly helped him out of the bed. His oxygen tank was well positioned by the side of the bed.

"It's Phil Bernard. He's here! We must get you out of here now," Palo said again and tried to move Xavier, but Xavier froze. Palo did not understand why he would stop.

"Sir?" Palo asked in confusion.

"I will not run from that man anymore. He has no power over me. He cannot control me any longer. I will go out there and I will meet with him," Xavier stayed but Palo's face was drawn into worry.

"Sir, I do not think that this is such a good idea. There is only one way by which Phil Bernard would find you. That means Reggie is dead. Please, sir, do not go out there," Palo begged.

"There is no other way to do this, Palo. Take me downstairs," he said to him, but Palo was hesitant. Xavier turned to him with stern eyes. "Now!" He said, and then Palo obeyed.

Downstairs, all the servants whispered in fear as Palo helped Xavier down the staircase. The two bodyguards that Victor left to protect the house had their weapons drawn, and when they saw Xavier, they had uncertain looks on their faces.

As soon as Phil cast his eyes on Xavier, his face darkened. Xavier, on the other hand, did not look pleased to see him.

"So, you have been alive all this time. I thought you had died, Xavier. You do not look well," Phil said to him and Xavier sighed.

"I never asked for your sympathy. What do you want with me? We concluded our business a long time ago," Xavier responded.

"Oh, but did we?" Phil started and then took a step closer to Xavier, but the guards suddenly pulled their guns on him, and Phil's guards returned the favor. Phil stopped and chuckled.

"I have a question for you, Xavier. And if you are wise, you will answer me truthfully. What happened to my nephew?"Phil asked with a serious tone.

"I did what you asked. Alan Bernard is dead," Xavier replied but Phil scoffed.

"Bullshit! You cannot fool me, Xavier. I know that you kept him alive!" He snapped, but Xavier could see that Phil was not entirely certain.

"And why would I do that?" Xavier asked him.

"Maybe to smite me later? Blackmail perhaps. You may have had your reasons but you did not kill Alan. He's alive and somewhere in this city, isn't he?" Phil asked, but deep down, he hoped that Xavier called his suspicion bollocks. He was not so sure that he could handle his nephew's return.

"You are right. I spared your nephew. He's alive and well, and he is in this city as we speak! So, if I were you, I'd be really careful," Xavier declared, and Phil felt his legs go numb. Before he could collapse, Bentley quickly supported him with his hands.

"How could you do this to me? My nephew will be the greatest foe I've ever faced. If he's anything like his father, I'm done for! How could you do this?" Phil yelled but Xavier laughed.

"He is greater than who your brother was. You should see how charismatic he is right now. Better watch your back, Phil. Your days of reckoning are here," Xavier told him and laughed again, but Phil just turned around and then walked out of the scene.

He was too riled up to do anything. As his cars drove away, Xavier sent a text to Victor. 

"He knows you're alive. It is time," Victor read the text on his phone and then took a new turn to Phil's mansion.

***

"He was lying! There's no way my nephew survived. I will not believe it," Phil went on and on as he trudged to his living room. Bentley dashed after him. He had never seen his father so stressed.

"Father, you need to calm down..." Bentley started but Phil groaned.

"Don't you say that! We are on the brink of losing everything here. If you are wise, you will get ready for war!" Phil yelled at him. Bentley just stood on the spot while the angered man dashed to the living room.

But Phil stopped when he saw a man wearing a black hat sitting on his special chair. He could not see his full face as the hat covered it all except for the lips. He did not know that it was Victor.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Phil asked him.

"It's a ghost, uncle. I promised you a visit, did I not? Here I am," Victor told him and Phil staggered back.

"Alan... My nephew. Is that really you?" Phil began to fake tears. As soon as Bentley heard the name, he rushed to the scene and saw Victor too.

"You will suffer for everything you did, uncle. And when I am done with you, you will have nothing left," Victor told him, but Bentley scoffed.

"I don't care if you are alive or dead. Now I've got you! Guards!!" Bentley yelled with a smirk. Suddenly, the lights went off.

Phil panicked and screamed as someone moved past him like a ghost and in the very next second, the lights came back on. Victor was gone.

"What the hell just happened?" Bentley asked himself as his father fell to the ground in shock. Phil groaned and grabbed his chest. Bentley dashed to him but Phil was having a heart attack.

"Get the doctor, now!" Bentley called out before Phil lost consciousness.