Chapter <b>74 </b>


    I hadn’t even stepped out of the ne when I received a call from Faith.


    “Wee, sir,” she said. “The chairman has asked to see you as soon as yound.”


    “Fuck’s sake,” I muttered, pushing my hair away from my face but the wind blew it back in. I walked to the car that was already waiting for me, and since I had no luggage with me, I just entered, the door held open by the


    driver.


    “Wee, sir,” he said, and I nodded in response.


    I had left London with just the shirt on my back, my phone, and my passport. I didn’t take a single thing but those because I was nning to get back to my woman as soon as possible. I was already pissed because I left as soon as I put Rosette in bed, and I couldn’t wait till she woke up. And now I would have to deal with Father on top of that frustration.


    “Tell the old man I’lle see him after I’ve changed,” I said as the car drove away from the airport, my head resting on the window and the phone on loudspeaker.


    “I’m sorry, sir, but your father instructed that he’s the first person you shoulde to as soon as you get here. He told us to use violence if you didn’tply.”


    I sighed. “Got it.”


    The call ended and I closed my eyes, massaging my temple.


    <b>*** </b>


    I didn’t immediately enter the house when I stepped out of the car. I just stood still, staring at it with my hands in my pockets. I finally walked inside, dragging my feet, and was just tempted to walk away and let the old man do his worst.


    I knew nothing good was going toe out of this meeting, for neither of us.


    We’ve never gotten along, Ss and I. I was always too wild for him, too free and reckless, always defiling him. I couldn’t be tamed, and he hated it. He hated anything that didn’t go his way.


    He had only left me alone because of Mom, but as soon as she was dead, he went back to trying to tame the beast and the man.


    And he had almost seeded.


    Mom was dead, and I was broken–my spirit was broken–and he took that as his chance, but I still held on, for Mom.


    The first person I saw when I stepped into the house was Vera. She was justing down the stairs, but she paused when she saw me, her eyes trailing over me and mine did the same.


    “I guess my father is being less of a monster and is treating you well?” I asked, an eyebrow raised, my voice


    t.


    She looked good, more good than when she first came here.


    She scoffed,ing down the stairs and walking to me with slow strides.


    “Oh no, Axel,” she purred, stopping in front of me and looking up with a small smile on her face. “Your father is still the monster we both know. I just figured there was no need for me to be miserable when he has so much money that he just throws around. So I’ll be miserable and still spend his money to take care of myself. It’s the least he could do.”


    They couldn’t be any more different; mother and daughter. They were two different people with nothing in


    I nodded. “Good for you. You figured the cheat code.”


    Her smile widened and she walked past me. “Thank you, Axel.”


    I turned to watch her back, and before I knew it, my mouth opened. “You’re not going to ask how your daughter is?”


    She went stiller than a statue, not even moving an inch. Then slowly, she turned to me, her eyes wide. “What?”


    “You’re not going to ask about Rosette?”


    “How will you know how she is? She left, didn’t she? Changed her number. So how will you know?”


    I said nothing and that was the answer she needed. She stormed toward me, her eyes red and wild. She grabbed me by the cor, shaking me and screaming, “Stay away from her, you fucking monster! Stay away from my daughter! Why’s that so hard to do?”


    “It’s because I’m in love with her,” I answered softly.


    The look in her eyes was heading towards madness. “Love? A monster like you? In love? With a pathetic joke!”


    “Monsters can love too, Vera,” I whispered.


    She scoffed, the sound harsh. “That’s fucking bullshit! You can do nothing but destroy!”


    “I will never hurt Rosette. Hurting her would be foolish because then I’ll be hurting myself.”


    She shook me hard. “Snap out of that nonsense, Axel. You’re trying to tell me you haven’t hurt me? Not once?”


    I clenched my jaw, saying nothing.


    That was all Vera needed. “See? See, this is what I’m talking about. You might say you don’t want to hurt her, but that monster in you-” she jabbed her finger into my chest, “-wants otherwise.”


    “I can control it,” I snapped, forcing her hands off my shirt.


    “Can you?” she asked, her voice harsh. “Your father’s a bad drunk, you know that?”


    I took a step towards her. “What did he say?”


    She smiled, nothing soft about it. “Only that you–”


    “That’s enough, Vera.”


    She went still and all her fire was out. She looked up the stairs, forcing a smile.


    I turned slowly to see my father standing at the top, looking every bit the man of the house.


    “My study, Axel,” he said, not waiting for an answer before he left.


    I sighed. Better to get this done.


    “Stay away from Rosette,” Vera hissed as I climbed the stairs, but I didn’t even look at her.


    I’ve been reminded of the reason why I came here, and it wasn’t nice.


    I stepped inside the study and he was already sitting like the old leather chair was a throne.


    “What did you tell Vera?” I asked, my jaw working.


    55 vouchers


    picked a cigar, lighting it and making sure to blow a smoke before he answered me. “I told her nothing.”


    I snarled.


    raised an eyebrow, his features tight. “You’re using your father of being a liar?”


    “You are. And don’t call yourself my father like that, it’s weird, Ss.”


    We watched each other, the cigar he lit to prove a point burning in his hand.


    Then finally, “It seems your little vacation has made you forget what respect for your father means.”


    I scoffed, nothing amusing about the sound. “Like I ever had any respect for you.”