Arnold Sullivan brought his car to a halt as soon as he arrived at the grand Barlowe mansion. He lingered in the driver's seat, his fingers tapping nervously on the steering wheel, his mind drifting back to the days before Orla's misfortunes began.
Orla had been a sweetheart, always cheerful and kind-hearted, and he had loved her and Isla deeply. Arnold replayed countless memories, trying to pinpoint the moment when everything changed, when his trust faltered, and he was quick to judge Orla without giving her a fair chance. The weight of guilt bore down on him.
He had wronged her in ways that gnawed at his conscience.
And he wasn't certain there would be a chance for reconciliation. Orla allowed him to be close to his grandchildren, but she didn't give him the chance to be close to her again.
He was still lost in thought when he spotted the nanny approaching with the twins. They wiggled their heads, clearly excited to see what he had brought for them.
Arnold smiled at his first grandchildren. They were so cute and smart, reminding him of Orla and Isla when they were little. The sight of them always melted his heart. He wholeheartedly loved them and wished Orla would give him a chance too.
"Grandpa!" Isla ran ahead of her brother, breaking free from the nanny's hold. She sprinted toward the car, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she waited for her grandpa to unlock the door.
"Oh, my princess, how are you?" Arnold bent down to pick her up. Just then, Leor ran into him, hugging his legs and giggling with delight, muttering inaudible words. "Champion," Arnold chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair.
Age was catching up with Arnold, and he didn't have the strength to lift both twins at once. He set Isla back on the ground to pick up Leor, but she cried out, clinging to his leg. He gestured to the nanny to retrieve the toys from the car.
"Come with me," Arnold said, taking their hands and leading them toward the house.
As they approached the entrance, Callan bumped into them, a small smile appearing on his face when he saw the twins, but the smile quickly faltered as soon as he sighted Arnold.
"Good evening, Arnold." They weren't the closest of friends, but they could tolerate each other's presence.
"Daddy, Grandpa brought toys!" Isla informed her father, her lips stretching into a thin smile. The nanny helped the twins into the house, leaving Arnold alone with Callan.
"Thanks for the toys," Callan started the conversation.
"They are my grandchildren, and I have to fulfill my duties as their grandfather. I also have to make..."
"Yes, you have to make up for what you did to their mother," Callan countered, not letting him complete his sentence. His face was devoid of emotion as he stared blankly at Arnold.
Arnold scoffed, checking around to ensure the twins weren't close-by to witness his hostile conversation with their father.
Satisfied they were out of earshot, he cleared his throat and stared back at Callan with a lopsided grin.
"That was harsh."
"Not compared to how you treated my wife," Callan remarked, annoyed.
"I thought we were over the son-in-law and father-in-law beef," Arnold said, but Callan ignored him, pretending not to catch the remark. He knew perfectly well but didn't want to walk that path with him now.
"The kids will need you inside the house. You should go and be with them. I need to see my wife."
Callan left before Arnold could respond. Although Callan was the one pushing for reconciliation between Orla and her father, he couldn't help but feel triggered whenever Arnold talked freely about Orla, as if he knew so much about her.
Arnold took his time as he strolled behind Callan, lost in thought about the possibility of Orla forgiving him. He remembered the early days. When he would take Orla and Isla to the park, buy them whatever they wanted, read to them, and promised that he would always be there for them.
Heaving a sigh, he knew those memories were likely vague to her now, after spending most of her adult years believing her father hated her. He was so deep in thought that he almost walked into the doorpost. Catching himself, he gently pressed the doorknob and pulled the door open.
Inside, the twins were already settled, the nanny helping them unbox their toys. Arnold spotted Orla standing nearby, a faint smile on her face as she watched her children.
His heart lifted, but as she approached the living room where he was seated, her smile faded when she saw him.
Callan stood by, not saying much. Orla stayed still, staring at Arnold. She hated the awkwardness between them. There were no words as she reached the couch and stopped near Callan. Arnold noticed her protruding tummy; she was pregnant again. Her belly hadn't been this pronounced the last time they saw each other.
"Welcome, Arnold," Callan began, trying to ease the tension between father and daughter. "Thanks for the toys you got the twins. It's clear they love them."
"I'm glad they do," Arnold attempted a smile, but it faltered into an expressionless look. "How are you, Orla?"
Orla stared at him, finding it strange that he cared about her well-being after all the mistreatment.
"How is my new grandchild doing?" he asked, eyes on her belly.
Orla remained silent, unsure how to respond. His grandchild? Really?
"Thanks for the toys, the twins love them," she said, ignoring his question about the baby.
They weren't close enough for such conversations. Arnold smiled faintly, his eyes lingering on her. After a long, uncomfortable silence, he tried to find a topic to break the tension.
"Your sisters' trials ended last month, and they got the punishment they deserved," he said.
Orla felt a rush of emotions as her father mentioned her sisters. Her blood boiled, her knuckles whitened, and tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't know what to say. She wished she could forgive her sisters, but Arnold had taken up the matter himself.
"Mia was sentenced to fifty years imprisonment," Arnold began. "She'll be in jail for most of her life. She's currently receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital. Once she's declared fit, she'll return to jail to serve her term. Sophia and Emma got two years each. I hope they all learn their lessons."
Orla stared at her father when he wasn't looking. She saw the pain flash through his eyes as he spoke of his daughters. Losing three daughters to jail at once was hard, even if he hid his emotions well. Orla felt the weight of it, sensing something deeper going on with him.
Callan sighed, choosing to remain silent as usual whenever Arnold spoke with Orla.