Romance Collision ✔

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Give Him Time

The rest of the week was completely nerve-wrecking for the group. Each day that passed was a countdown for when Gabriel would be leaving. Within the passing days, the McNeill household was on edge. 

Mr. McNeill had not heard a peep from Gabriel. Each day his son would go to school, come home, eat dinner and then hide away in his room. No interaction with anyone, no music blasting his eardrums. Though it was an unusual atmosphere, Mr. McNeill was just pleased to not have any more phone calls regarding his son and disciplinary actions.

There was tension between himself and his wife, however, which was understandable since Mr. McNeill had made the decision of sending their son across seas without consulting her. When his wife was upset about something, she had a silent rage about her. It was why Mr. McNeill came home every night from work to find the pillow and blanket on the couch, and why he'd be sitting at the dinner table by himself when the rest of his family would eat in their rooms or not at all. 

Mr. McNeill had told his wife Wednesday morning before she could leave the room that he loved his son just as much as Georgia. It made her stop at the doorway, not turning yet. The father sighed, frowning as he told his wife that he just wanted for Gabriel to have the kind of life that Mr. McNeill couldn't have at the boy's age.

Georgia looked over her shoulder, a soft gaze from her blue eyes. "And that's wonderful, Ash..." she commended then her brows furrowed. "But at what cost is seeing Gabe so successful... if he won't want you to be a part of it?" 

She left the room, her husband staring at the empty doorway.

While the tension at the McNeill home was high, Eve was dealing with her own issue when it came to Conrad. Eve had never been so frustrated with how much money could get people out of things. Such was the case with Conrad whose father, Vaughn Kingsley, had met with Eve's parents to discuss the possibility of making things "go away". 

The envelope the man pushed across the table towards Daniel held a blank check that Vaughn could write however much Daniel and his family wanted. Any amount.

Daniel's  brows furrowed, not moving from his seat as the other father slid the blank check in front of him. It was quiet other than the tick, tick, tick of Vaughn's watch. 

When he lifted his gaze to the blond man, Daniel narrowed his eyes and told the other father that this wasn't something that could just go away because Vaughn paid Daniel off. 

"We're talking about you trying to sweep under the rug what your son," Daniel's brows rose. "Did to my daughter!"

Vaughn's gray eyes narrowed, standing on the opposite end of the table in an expensive suit. He assured Daniel that this matter could, and would, go away. If not by the Daniels family, then by others who can make it very difficult for Eve to come out on top. 

"Your daughter attacked my son first. She's lucky Conrad chose not to press charges back then, as I'm sure with your pay rate, your daughter would  not have her day in court..." Vaughn raised a brow, grinning. "Unless it was to hear her sentencing to be sent to juvey." 

Daniel slammed his hands on the table, pushing himself up. He leaned forward, staring down the other father. 

"Let me make something very clear to you, Kingsley." Daniel's brown eyes darkened. "My daughter is not a piece of shit your son steps in and wipes off on the grass! Eve suffered not one, but two---two!---attacks---" He raised a brow, gritting his teeth as he pointed at Vaughn. "Because your son is unstable! He almost killed my daughter! And assaulted her the first time around!"