Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
What? That’s what he’s asking about?
“Julian wanted to do the corporate event there, so he dragged me to watch a game.” I roll my eyes playfully despite the current tension in the room. “It’s safe to say, we won’t be doing it at—”
“That’s not what I’m talking about!” Dad barks, making me jump back.
I stumble slightly, but Julian catches me before I land on my ass.
“This is what I’m talking about.” Dad walks over to his desk, clicks his mouse a few times, and then swivels his computer monitor around.
It takes me a second to comprehend what we’re looking at, for my brain to catch up with what it’s seeing. But once I do, I gasp in shock and embarrassment.
There’s no way …
It can’t be …
My mind must be playing tricks on me …
I blink several times, but the video is still there in color—me riding Julian at the baseball game. You can’t see anything, thanks to my dress being fanned out around us, but between us kissing and my body moving up and down, it’s obvious what’s happening.
Without waiting for the video to finish, my dad hits a button on his computer that blacks out the screen.
“Where did you get that?” Julian says calmly while I freak the hell out because, holy shit, we’re on video, having sex!
“It’s all over the internet,” Dad says. “I have PR working to do damage control, but there’s only so much they can do. This is not the image I was talking about when we discussed the future of Kingston. It’s bad enough two of my employees are in the video, but for it to be my daughter and the COO? The calls have already started coming in from our business associates.”
His gaze meets mine. “And to find out you got married behind my back in Vegas from a tabloid …” His features morph from angry to hurt, and my heart sinks. “It’s like you’re a teenager all over again, acting reckless and making dumb decisions without thinking. You’re not a child anymore, Anastasia. And, Julian …” He shakes his head. “I expected better than this from you.”
“Samuel,” Julian says at the same time I say, “Dad, listen …”
“I’ve heard enough,” he says, those three words eliciting memories from when I was younger.
Every time I messed up and tried to explain. When I disappointed him and he’d give me a lecture without letting me speak my side. Memory after memory flits through my head until it becomes too much, and I snap.
“No, you haven’t heard anything from me,” I choke out. “You saw the video, and you read the tabloids, but you didn’t hear from me or Julian. You always do this!” I cry. “I mess up, and you don’t listen to me. But you mess up, and I’m supposed to listen, right? You spent years after Mom’s death begging me to listen to you! Now, please, listen to me!”
Dad stares at me in shock for several moments before he nods and takes a seat. “Okay, talk.”
“Thank you,” I breathe.
Taking Julian’s hand in mine, I walk us over to the visitor chairs across from my dad and sit.
“I’ve done a lot of dumb things in my life, made many poor decisions, but being with Julian isn’t one of them,” I begin. “I know we messed up, and I’ll do whatever you need to make it right, and I know Julian will, too, because he loves you and cares about this company.
“But instead of judging, try to remember what it’s like to be young and in love. We didn’t set out to hurt anyone, especially this company. I know I’m your employee, but I’m also your daughter. And for the first time in my life, I’m in love.” I glance at Julian, who smiles softly at me. “Please, stop thinking like a business owner for one second and think like a dad,” I say, looking back at my dad.
He stares at Julian and me for several seconds, and I have no clue what he’s going to do or say, but then he sighs and says, “You’re both going to release an apology statement that our PR team draws up. It helps that you’re married, so we can spin it to say that it wasn’t simply a hookup. In the future, I expect you both to keep your personal lives private. Understood?”
Dad raises a brow, and we both nod.
“And as for the secret marriage, I’m not going to lie and say it didn’t hurt to learn I wasn’t in the know, but I guess I deserve that after everything that’s happened.”
“No,” I tell him, shaking my head. “I promise, it wasn’t like that.”
Dad nods. “All right, well, there’s a lot to do, so go ahead and get to work, and PR will be in touch soon.”