Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
I let myself into the house and then entered his study. No one was allowed inside except me and his butler. I set the platter of quiches on the surface then sat behind the desk to pull up his email. Overnight, the inbox had exploded, and there were all kinds of reports sent by his contacts. I got everything from him because he didn’t want me to interact with anyone directly. I forwarded everything to myself and was about to leave when the door opened.
“Morning, sweetheart.” My father walked inside, wearing his workout pants and a gray shirt, his fit body filling out his clothing well. There was still a sheen of sweat on his forehead and his neck, but he smiled like he wasn’t remotely uncomfortable. “What’s this?” He looked down at the plate.
“Mini quiches.”
He grabbed one and took a bite, giving a nod in appreciation. “These are good. You picked them up at the bakery?”
“No, I made them.”
“They’re good, sweetheart.” He took another one and popped it into his mouth.
“Thanks.” I left his chair and walked around the desk. “I just came to get today’s numbers. I’ll work on this and have your numbers in a bit.”
“Let’s sit and have some coffee.”
“It’s okay, Dad,” I said. “I know you’re probably anxious to shower.”
“I look that bad?” He looked down at himself, seeing the sweat stains around his neckline and underneath his arms.
“No,” I said with a laugh. “I just don’t want you to feel obligated.”
“Alright,” he said as he watched me walk out. “Leave those quiches.”
I grinned. “You got it.”
My father sat across from me at the dinner table. After a long day of both of us working, we had dinner together in the parlor. If it was just the two of us, he never lit his cigars or drank his scotch. He stuck to wine and clean air. “How have you been?”
“What do you mean? You saw me yesterday…and the day before.”
“I meant with the falling-out with Ryan.”
“Oh.” I realized I hadn’t thought of him at all. Ever since I’d seen Axel at the bar, Ryan had left my mind permanently. That relationship had lasted a couple months, but now it was as if it had never happened. “I’m fine. Haven’t really thought about him, to be honest…”
“Good.” He took a drink of his wine. “He’s not worth thinking about.”
“What about you?”
“You know me, all work and no play.”
“Well, maybe you should think about getting a girlfriend.”
He smirked like it was a joke. “Me? A girlfriend?”
“Why not?”
“I’m a little old to have a girlfriend.”
“You’re in better shape than I am, and you’re almost twice my age.”
He chuckled. “Thank you, sweetheart. I meant mentally. Having a woman is a lot of work, and I’m not sure if that’s something that interests me.”
“So, you like being alone?”
“Alone?” he asked, his head cocked. “I’m constantly surrounded by people. I don’t feel alone. I have you—and you’re the only thing that really matters.”
I felt the warmth in my chest. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy, sweetheart. I’m rich, powerful, healthy, and I have you. No complaints.”
I watched him across the table, a man who was warm on the outside but complex underneath. He was only kind to me, but I knew there had to be more to him to run an empire like this. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything, sweetheart.”
“You’ve always said not to mix business with pleasure… Where does that come from? What made you feel this way?”
He stilled at the question and watched me, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Why do you ask?” His tone was totally different now, going from friendly to hostile in a nanosecond. The warmth of our conversation had been immediately iced.
“I—I just remember a couple years ago, you mentioned someone betrayed you. I’ve always wondered what happened that night and if that’s the reason you don’t trust people.”
“I don’t trust people because everyone is always out for themselves. And I would trust them less if they weren’t out for themselves.” His eyes hadn’t left my face, and since I’d provoked him, he hadn’t blinked. Not once.
“So…what happened?”
He continued his stare, his dark eyes devoid of their usual affection.
“Sorry, forget I asked,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” I hardly ever saw my father angry. I’d been an adult for a while now, so he didn’t reprimand me like he had when I was a kid. But this kind of anger was different from the anger I was used to.
He took a breath and slowly released it. “You just caught me off guard, sweetheart. I’m not angry with you.”
Really? Because he seemed angry.
“The incident you’re referring to happened seven years ago. You’d officially become an adult and went to university, and I had a professional relationship that deepened into something more. At least, I thought it had.” His chin dropped, and he looked at the table. “I met her through mutual contacts, and in my naïveté, I didn’t think about all the possible consequences. Basically, I ended the relationship when it became more trouble than it was worth, and she decided to burn those professional relationships to the ground. I lost my distributors and connections. Her brother was so pissed off, he marked me as his enemy. Permanently.”