ORION.
I decided to indulge in a relaxing day at home, still basking in the warmth of our night of intense love making and recovering from the exhaustion of my trip. The thought of dragging myself to the office seemed daunting, so I opted for a peaceful day in my cozy haven instead.
I filled my secretary in on my plans, and she kindly rearranged my schedule, ensuring that my calls and meetings were taken care of. When she offered to come over, I had to reassure her that I was simply battling a minor cold, not wanting her to worry unnecessarily.
As for Harro, he had left my place a while ago to spend quality time with his father, who had flown in from Canada this morning. His father's dramatic declaration that he had urgent matters to attend to in Alderan, but wanted to see his "precious son" first, made me chuckle. Harro's father was indeed a devoted and enthusiastic parent, and I adored him for it.
Harro had invited me to join him and his father for lunch, but I encouraged him to spend some quality time with his dad instead. I knew they had missed each other, and I didn't want to intrude on their reunion. We could always catch up over dinner before his father left.
As I worked on my laptop, the doorbell rang, breaking the silence. I wondered who it could be, knowing Harro would have let himself in with the passcode. The persistent ringing grated on my nerves, and I muttered, "What's the rush?" under my breath.
When I opened the door, my expression turned from curiosity to annoyance. "What are you doing here?" I asked gruffly, eyeing my father, who stood with his hands buried in his coat pockets.
His response was laced with irritation. "Does a father need a reason to visit his son?" He asked and I shot back, my tone dripping with sarcasm, "Not all fathers, just you." His scowl deepened, and I could sense the tension between us thickening.
He gestured to the slightly ajar door. "Are you going to invite me in?" I hesitated, my mind racing with reasons to keep him out. "Will you go away if I say no?" I retorted, trying to provoke him. By the way his nose flared as he glared at me, I knew I had succeeded in getting under his skin.
His voice thundered in the hallway, "I'm your father, you will speak to me with respect!" I rolled my eyes, muttering under my breath, "Some father you are," the words laced with venom. I stepped aside, allowing him to enter, before shutting the door behind us, the sound echoing through the silence.
This was classic him – pulling the "father card" when it suited his purposes. I walked past him, back into my sitting room, and sank into the couch, while he remained standing, his eyes fixed on me with an inscrutable expression. I raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself.
"Well?" I prompted, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "Are you going to tell me why you're here? You couldn't have come because you missed my face." I spoke, my gaze locked on his, searching for any crack in his stoic facade.
He sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly, before removing his hands from his coat pockets. His eyes never left mine as he dropped something onto the glass table in the middle of my sitting room. My eyebrows shot up, curiosity piqued. Why was he being mysterious all of a sudden?
My father nodded slightly, his eyes locked on the object he'd dropped, indicating he wanted me to take a look. I stared at him, wondering what he was up to now, my mind racing with possibilities. His stoic expression gave nothing away, and I sighed, reaching for the object. My eyes widened as I took in the content – a picture of Harro and me kissing.
No one would know it was us, but I knew, because it was the same outfit we'd worn yesterday when he picked me up at the airport. A wave of anger washed over me, and I felt my face heat up. "Did you have me followed?" I asked through gritted teeth, seeing red. The blatant invasion of privacy was staggering.
"How long?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice calm, but it was a losing battle.
My father sat down on the couch, crossing his legs, his expression unreadable. "Is that what's important right now?" he asked, his tone infuriatingly calm.
I chuckled darkly, my anger boiling over. "I said, how long?" I repeated, my voice higher this time. My father's response was like a punch to the gut. "After you came back from Germany." A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Of course, he had someone follow me when he didn't get the answer he was looking for out of me.
I looked at my father, my eyes blazing with anger. "I'm not even going to talk about how absolutely illegal this is, or how you invaded my privacy, because I know you've done worse things than this." My voice was laced with venom.
"I'm sure, your spy must have given you updates about my whereabouts with him before last night. Why did you wait till now?" I asked, dropping the photographs back on the table.
My father sighed, his expression a mask of calm, but I knew better. "There was nothing noteworthy in his previous reports at first," my father replied, his tone infuriatingly casual, as if discussing the weather. "It was just two men going around town." I scoffed, my anger simmering just below the surface.
"You mean there was nothing scandalous enough for you to threaten me with, right?" I asked, my voice laced with venom, my eyes blazing with anger. My father's face turned red with rage.
"I will not allow you to talk to me that way!" he yelled, his voice echoing off the walls. "I'm still your father, and whatever I do, I do for the interest of our family!" His words were laced with a toxic mix of entitlement and self-righteousness.
My blood boiled, and I felt my anger spill over. "You mean your family?" I spat, my words dripping with bitterness. "Because let's face it, that family hasn't felt like mine since I was a kid." My father's scowl deepened, his eyes glaring at me with a mixture of anger and hurt.
"How dare you say that to me?" he shouted, his finger pointed accusingly at me, as if I'd committed a grave offense. But I didn't flinch, my gaze locked on his, my heart seething with resentment.
Just then, my phone rang, shrill and insistent. I reached for it, but my eyes narrowed when I saw Athena's name flashing on the screen. I dropped the phone back onto the couch, my attention refocused on the toxic drama unfolding before me. I'll call Athena back later. Right now, I had to confront the chaos that was my father.
I gazed at my father, my eyes narrowing as I asked, "So, what is it you want from me?" My voice was laced with skepticism, and I gestured to the photographs, my hand sweeping through the air. "I know you didn't show me this out of care; you want something. But, before you say anything, just know that I'm not going to stop seeing him, and I'm not handing Stone Pharmaceuticals over either." My words were a clear declaration of defiance, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
My father's expression twisted into a mask of concern, but I saw through it. "Aren't you worried about what people are going to say about you?" he asked, his tone dripping with false solicitude. I laughed, a harsh, mocking sound, as if the opinions of others were of no consequence to me. And in that moment, they weren't.
But my father's next words made my laughter falter. "What people will say about Stone Pharmaceuticals and our family?" The mention of our family's name, tied to the company's reputation, was a calculated move, designed to strike a nerve. I felt a spark of anger ignite within me.
"If you're worried about what people will say about our family, feel free to disown me," I spat, my words a challenge. "That will absolve you of any responsibility. And as for the company, let me worry about that. But I won't give him or the company up. I refuse to lose anything I hold dear because of you ever again." My vow was a promise, a declaration of independence, and I made sure my father saw the determination in my eyes.
He sat up straight, his face reddening with anger. "How could you talk to me like that?" he thundered. "I'm your father!" The words hung in the air, a reminder of the toxic dynamic that had long defined our relationship.
"Maybe at one point you were my father," I said, my voice laced with a mix of sadness and resentment. "But you haven't been a father to me for a long time." The words hung in the air, a stark reminder of the emotional chasm that had grown between us.
Just then, my phone buzzed incessantly, shattering the tense silence. I picked up the call, my voice firm but polite. "Tina, this is not a good time. I'm in the middle of something..." But before I could finish, her frantic voice cut me off, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Wait, please don't hang up! I think something is wrong," she pleaded, her words tumbling out in a rush. I paused, my grip on the phone tightening as I urged her to continue. "I got a message with a picture of you and Harro... from your dad... asking me if we had fun fooling him with our fake engagement," she rushed out, her voice trembling with worry. I sighed, a heavy feeling settling in the pit of my stomach.
"Don't worry about that, he's here," I said, referring to my father, who was still looming in the background. I heard Athena's panicked whisper, "Oh God!" as her breathing became shallow and rapid. I sensed there was more to her worry.
"What is it, Tina?" I asked, my voice firm but laced with concern.
"I tried calling you immediately I got the text, and I couldn't reach you," she explained, her words tumbling out in a rush. "So I called Harro, and I didn't know he was driving... and there were some sounds... and he's not picking up anymore!" Her voice cracked with fear.
My heart stopped as I ended the call and immediately started dialing Harro's number. My anxiety spiked with each passing ring, and my heart sank lower when no one answered. I tuned out my father's frantic voice, asking what was going on, as I took off in a sprint, running out of my house with no destination in mind while continuously calling Harro's phone.
My anxiety reached a boiling point when no one picked up at first, but finally, on the tenth call, it clicked. "Baby, where are you?" I asked, my voice shaking with worry. But my body became numb when a female voice came through, asking if I knew the owner of the phone and telling me that he was involved in an accident. She introduced herself as a nurse, and my world came crashing down.
The next few seconds were a blur as I ran down the stairs of my building, my feet pounding the steps instead of waiting for the elevator. My heart was racing, and my mind was consumed with worst-case scenarios.