Adore You | ✔

Chapter 24

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Chapter 24

We went up into her room. I put the empanadas and cookies on a coffee table she had in front of her loveseat.

"I wish we had grabbed some milk." She noted.

"Maria, what was that?" I asked.

She sighed.

"My brother gets so easily influenced by my family. It's like he willingly becomes their puppet."

She shook her head. "It's infuriating. Neither of us should have to dedicate our lives to my father and grandfather's dream. Especially since It's not what he would have wanted."

"I mean, it seems as if your grandfather wants to make sure Robbie learns everything sooner than later," I said, confused.

"No, not my grandfather. My father. He would have wanted us to have our own lives. The only reason he merged with my grandfather is that he wanted his approval to marry my mother. His family worked for an export company; my mom's parents owned in Boston. They were well off, but it was not enough for my mom's family. When my dad made millions in stocks, they opened up to the idea of merging the families a lot more, but they needed his commitment to the business to seal the deal."

"Couldn't he just quit after he married your mom?"

"No, my dad would never leave my mom's family high and dry after he promised to help them. He was a man of his word. Plus, he made a lot of money with my grandpa's company."

"Oh."

"Yeah, but his goal wasn't to keep making money forever and grow indefinitely. He wanted us to have our own lives."

I nodded even though I didn't really understand. Still it obviously upset her and that was enough for it to make me feel sad for her.

"Why is he so intent on becoming part of the company then?"

"Because after my father's death, they added his name to it. The company went from being Cordova coffee to being Cordova-Bennett. They are a bunch of manipulators."

She kicked off her heels and laid down on her bed. I followed suit and laid down next to her.

"My father always entered Robbie in those engineering competitions. He was so excited that his son was a math wizard like he was."

"Can't your mom talk to him?"

"Mom is barely a person."

I gulped. I don't know why I said that.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Everyone has a fucked-up family if you look close enough."

The way she said that made me really sad.

"Do you think when we have families, they will also be fucked up?"

She turned to me. "No, not yours. You're too kind."

"Maria, you're the nicest person I know."

"No, I'm not..." She bit her lip and rubbed her face with her hand. "I took the book Robbie was looking for."

She rolled over and reached under her bed, pulling out a worn journal.

"It is a diary my father kept, but it also has all his plans for the company. I don't want Robbie to have it. I know it belongs equally to both of us, just something about it, Lia. The way it is written, it just seems—off."