Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Meeting my father
I could hear my father let out a frustrated huff from the other end of the line. "What could you possibly want to talk about?" His tone was sharp, it was obvious that he was still unhappy with me after everything that went down.
If it weren’t for my late mother, I would never have put up with this; I wouldn’t have even batted an eye if the Hart Group were to collapse overnight. I would have never even bothered talking to a father who wanted nothing to do with me. But all I could think of now was my mother, whom I never really got the chance to know.
I cleared my throat audibly. "About your retirement from the Hart Group," the words came out harsher than I had expected them to.
He couldn’t hide the soft gasp that left his lips upon hearing my words, then it was followed by a brief moment of silence. "How...how did you know?" He finally questioned, a mixture of confusion and accusation threaded his voice. I could practically hear the frown in his voice. "Who told you?"
"That’s not important," I shot back. "But I think it isn’t hard to make a wild guess, right?"
He grumbled something inaudible under his breath before he spoke up again. "What is it? If you are planning to change my mind, it’s not going to work."
A cold chuckle left my parted lips, and I shook my head lightly even though he couldn’t see me. "I just hope you can make a wise decision."
He didn’t say anything for a while, and I took it as a chance to continue. "Meet me tomorrow, then we shall talk. I will send over the details."
"Why should I meet you? There’s nothing to talk about. As I said, you cannot change my mind, the decision has been made."
A smirk crept onto my lips. "There’s something you might want to hear," I revealed carefully, just barely enough information to keep him curious. Knowing my father, it was highly likely that he would show up just to find out. After all, he doesn’t like being kept in the dark. "I’ll see you tomorrow."
I didn’t give him a chance to say anything else as I hung up on him, and quickly shot him a text. When I finally set my phone down, my mind finally quietened down, and I eventually drifted off to sleep.
***
I showed up at the cafe in downtown Brooklyn as per my text. It was a quaint little coffee shop with a smaller crowd than the usual popular franchises around the corner.
My eyes immediately searched through the space, only to be greeted by a sea of strangers. My gaze flitted to the watch that glinted on my wrist, and a frown immediately found its way to settle between my brows.
My father should have been here by now, but he was nowhere to be found.
Nonetheless, I remained calm. I walked up to the counter and ordered myself a cup of piping hot latte before taking a seat in the far corner of the cafe.
I took a sip, tapping my feet against the ground the whole time. I finally set the cup down, my eyes fixed on the only entrance to the cafe the entire time.
A small knot started to form in my stomach, and the worries started to get to me. Maybe he meant it when he said he wasn’t coming. Maybe I assumed wrongly.
Another five minutes had passed before I knew it, and even my coffee was running low. Still, there was no sight of my father.
A soft chuckle left my lips as I finished the last sip of my drink. I rose from the hard wooden chair, ready to leave, when a familiar figure walked through the door.
My eyes immediately snapped to him.
Father.
Soon, the sharp screech of the chair against the floor rang in my ears as he pulled the seat from beneath the table. I settled into my seat after him and watched as he leaned back into the chair, folding his arm across his chest.
"So, what is it?" He questioned, getting straight to the point as expected.
"It’s good to see you too, father," I replied with a wry smile.
"Just tell me. I don’t have the time to waste sitting here with you and catch up over mindless things," he snarled.
I arched a brow at him, amusement glinting in the depths of my eyes. "Oh, really? What have you been so busy with now that you are stepping down as CEO?"
Instantly, his eyes narrowed into thin slits, and disdain was written all over his face. "You need to watch what you say, young lady."
I shrugged casually, feigning innocence. "What? I was just asking out of curiosity."
The frown that was etched onto his face further deepened. "I don’t have all day, just spit it out."
"Sure," I answered coolly, but then I paused dramatically. The corners of my lips twisted into a slight smirk. "But before I tell you, I want you to answer a few questions," I demanded, and watched as his features twisted into a scowl.
A loud scoff climbed out of his throat. "And why should I?"
"I mean, you don’t have to," I challenged, levelling him with a defiant glare.
He let out a huff.
"You know..." I drawled, savouring every syllable and every word that left my mouth. "If it weren’t for my mum, I wouldn’t care if the Hart Group were to collapse right this second. But my mother put in just as much effort as you to build the Hart Group together with you when she was still alive. Else, do you think I really care so much as to what happens to the company?"
"You..." he sneered, his cheeks flushed red as anger swirled in the depths of his eyes.
"So if I were you, I would put my ego aside and listen to what I have to say." He was still staring at me with a disgruntled expression when I spoke up again. "So, what is it going to be, father?"
"Fine!" He snarled despite much reluctance. "What do you want to know?"
A contented smile tugged at the corners of my lips. "Tell me everything about your retirement." He raised a brow. "Why did you choose to step down as CEO so suddenly?"
There was a pause. I could practically see the gears shifting and turning inside his head as he pondered over his words. "I am getting old, I need someone capable to take over. Someone I can trust."
"You are lying. There has to be more to it. If that’s really the case, then why did you appoint Lucas Smith as the new CEO? Why him?" I leaned forward, my palms pressing against the edge of the table, lowering my voice into a hushed tone this time. "Do you seriously trust him with the company? Aren’t you afraid that he will run the company to the ground and end up in bankruptcy? Or maybe, he would betray you."
His gaze shifted for a split second, as if he was caught off guard, as if he believed me for just a little while. Then, he gritted his teeth, and a muscle twitched in his jaw. "I know what I’m doing," he insisted stubbornly. "I trust them. I trust Jessica’s judgement."
"Are you sure about that? Respectfully, it doesn’t seem that way. Handing the Hart Group over to a stranger isn’t exactly a wise option."
"Are you calling me dumb?" His palm slammed on the table with a soft thud. "Jessica and Lucas aren’t strangers. I told you, I know what I’m doing. Don’t question my choice."
A cold chuckle escaped my lips once more as I kept my gaze steady. "Sure, maybe they aren’t exactly strangers. But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t plotting to steal your wealth and take over the company entirely as their own."
I watched as surprise flickered across his features for a brief second, his confidence faltering for the first time. "What?"
"I overheard everything. They said that they want your wealth, they want to have everything to themselves. Isn’t that interesting?"
He shook his head. "No, no, you are lying to me," he muttered more to himself. Lifting his head, our gazes connected. "What proof do you have? How can I even trust you?" He questioned, his voice dripping with accusation.
"You are right, you have no reason to trust me. I don’t have concrete proof after all. But I also know that they had removed me from your will, and I wouldn’t be getting a single cent of your inheritance."
"How did you..."
"How did I know?" A humourless laughter left my lips. "I overheard it in the same conversation. If they could do this to me, what makes you think that they won’t do the same to you too?"
"I..."
"You are nothing but a stepping stone to them."
"Enough!" He bellowed, and a few stares were thrown our way. "I don’t believe you. They aren’t those kinds of people, they won’t do this to me."
I pulled a piece of paper from my handbag and tossed it onto the table between us.
"Maybe this might change your mind."
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