The Other CEO

Chapter 9

"Hey, old man," I started and took a deep breath, "I've missed you. The office isn't the same without you. Your lame jokes would have been useful now. You know, to cheer me up."

I paused and just sat there, tears planning their escape from my eyes. "Thank you," I said in a hushed whisper.

"You're a sly old fart. You know that?" I chuckled at the same time, I started crying. "I told you, I didn't need your help. I can take care of myself." I began to sob. He wasn't really fond of people rejecting his offer so whatever he could do to help, he would immediately take action.

"It means a lot but you really didn't have to." I was silent for a moment, trying to hear the leaves rustle around me. "I won't let you down, I promise. I assure you that Pierce is in good hands with me. He might not be as pleasant as you but we can work something out."

"I already met him and you never mentioned how good looking he was." I giggled then sniffled the snot that was clogging my nostrils. Real classy, Olivia.

I softly padded my fingertips onto his engraved name. This would be my closest contact—my only contact—with him from now on. The cold stone just felt dead. There wasn't any life to it.

"Your son... he's a good man. I know it. I just wished you didn't cower away. It would have been difficult at first to establish their trust again yet in the end it would have all been worth the effort... b-because family forgives. Deborah and Pierce don't hate you. They just need you to be there for them."

"I guess it's too late now..." I whispered, trying to contain my tears.

I was silent, unable to speak as I took my time to let Wilson know that I was here.

Suddenly, I felt someone behind me. I then heard footsteps and the crunching of leaves. I immediately stood from my position and whipped around to see Pierce leaning against a tree. His stance was relaxed and he was looking at me in awe. It looked like that he had been standing there for quite some time and listened on to my conversation with Wilson. My eyes bulged from their sockets as I realized the things I had said.

"W-what are you doing here? How much did you hear?" I snapped at him, swiftly wiping off the tears from my face with the back of my hand. I wasn't supposed to react this way but I was already panicking.

He chuckled and gave me a smile that actually reached his eyes. "You gave me directions to my father's grave. I changed my mind so I came." He shrugged his shoulder.

"Right," was all I could mutter. His smile was blinding. He had straight white teeth and a dimple below his lip that was positioned a bit on the right.

As I ogled him, I didn't know that he had already stood beside me. He towered over me, but his gaze was looking somewhere else, at a far distance. He was silent for a minute before he asked, "How did he die?" He said those words gently, more like a whisper.

I could feel that it pained him to ask me that question. I was lucky enough to have known Wilson and yet Pierce was here, standing in front of his grave without any memory or relationship with his own father.

"Heart problem... died in his sleep. He overworked himself too much," I told him sadly. It was quiet for a while. I waited for him to say something but when I looked up, his eyes were closed.

"Did he ever talk about us?" he questioned.

"He always did." I smiled at the memory where Wilson had told me some of the stories about his beautiful wife. Also, those times when Pierce was still a baby.

I heard him sigh as if trying to process the information. I wanted to ask what he was thinking about but I might just anger him.

I moved a few inches away and faced Pierce. I stood there as I observed his calm posture. It was peaceful and his breathing was steady. I didn't know what I was doing but I felt that he probably needed it.