At 6:30 am, he hit the road with determination, ready to claim what he knew was rightfully his. Last night had solidified what he had suspected all along - Elena's love for him, buried beneath her outward disdain. With his doubts finally laid to rest, he left without a word to Elena, speeding towards her family's estate in the early morning light.
His only mission: to halt the impending engagement announcement by facing Elena's formidable father head-on. As he approached the grand gates of the McLains mansion, a gatekeeper emerged, signaling the start of his daring quest.
"Good morning," he said, meeting the gatekeeper's inquisitive gaze. "I'm here to see Mr. McLain. It's important."
"Inform your boss that Carlton Callaway is outside and demands to meet with him immediately! Make sure he knows I won't leave until I've spoken to him," Carlton stated firmly to the gatekeeper. The man raised an eyebrow in surprise and hurried off to the gatehouse to relay the urgent message.
Axel let out a tired yawn as he made his way down the staircase, feeling the effects of a late night that left him drained. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't afford to sleep in with a busy day ahead. Stepping onto the final stair, he was surprised to come face to face with a maid who seemed eager to speak to him.
"What's the matter, Grace?" he asked, studying her expression as she bowed her head slightly.
"Mister Axel, there's a visitor at the gate asking for an early meeting with your father! He insists it's urgent," Grace informed him, causing Axel to feel a twinge of nervousness.
"And who is it?" He asked.
"Mister Carlton Callaway, Sir," she replied, causing Axel to become completely wary of the situation.
"What on earth is he doing here?" Axel thought, his eyes displaying nothing but a mix of irritation and concern.
"Grace, inform him that today is not possible, and I will reach out to him later," he instructed in a low tone. Just then, James appeared behind him, descending the stairs and casting a curious gaze at their exchange.
"What's with those faces?" James asked with a curious smile on his face. Axel shot Grace a look, silently signaling for her to leave them alone, and she promptly complied.
"Father, it seems the architect for Elena and Jack's house has rescheduled for tomorrow! We'll have the afternoon free to celebrate the engagement," he fibbed, knowing that the architect had actually rescheduled for personal reasons. However, revealing Carlton's presence could jeopardize everything.
"How could he do that without consulting me?" James complained, raising an annoyed eyebrow at Axel. Axel smiled nervously as he tried to calm his father.
"Don't you recall that you instructed me to manage the scheduling? I did, and he genuinely couldn't make it today," he muttered, a faint grin tugging at his lips. James looked up sternly, sighing in disbelief. He turned to head towards the dining room when a loud, persistent noise echoed through the house from outside.
"What in the world is that?" James exclaimed in displeasure. Grace hurried over to them, her expression filled with anxiety.
"The man refuses to leave without speaking to Mister McLain!" Grace uttered anxiously, prompting James and Axel to exchange a worried glance.
"Who is this obnoxious man you're referring to, Grace?" James raised his voice, but suddenly a commotion started to ripple through the front area of the house.
"Open the door, Grace!" James exclaimed loudly as Axel trailed closely behind. Stepping outside, they witnessed the security team attempting to block the man from entering the private residence.
"Father, I apologize... I didn't want your morning to start off badly by encountering someone you'd rather not see!" Axel spoke, observing Carlton shouting at the men restraining him. James's gaze remained fixed sternly on the unfolding scene at his gate.
"Grace! Instruct my men to permit Mister Callaway to enter," he uttered stoically, giving his son a piercing look. Axel swallowed nervously at the sight of his father's stern expression and bowed his head as he watched him walk inside.
Moments later, Axel noticed Carlton pulling his car into the driveway, his eyes smoldering with intensity. Axel quickly intercepted Carlton at the entrance and shoved him forcefully.
"What the heck are you doing here? Are you deliberately messing with me now, Carlton? Dammit!" Axel sternly whispered, trying to prevent his father from overhearing their conversation. Carlton smirked at Axel's reaction and pushed his hands away.
"Don't you fucking touch me! We both know why I'm here! I warned you, Axel... I warned you that if you didn't take action to break off your sister's engagement, I would expose everything that took place that night! That scumbag abused her, and you were aware of it, yet you continued to support it until the very end?"
"All this time, I believed you were helping her break free, but you were instead concealing his misdeeds!" Carlton retorted with dark eyes, catching Axel off guard.
"What did you expect me to do after your mistake? After you nearly killed him that night? You only succeeded in giving him more time to entangle my father in his own father's schemes!"
"How can you expect me to disclose this to my father on the day of the engagement announcement? It's too late now, it's going to happen! Listen to me and leave at once!" Axel warned, his posture rigid as he gazed at Carlton with wide eyes. Carlton chuckled in disbelief and shook his head in disappointment.
"You silenced me just so this day could come to pass! So your sister could be engaged to that jerk regardless of everything! How heartless can you be, Axel? She's your sister!" He muttered, clutching Axel's clothing. Their intense gaze locked in a silent battle of wills as they exchanged unspoken curses.
Suddenly, Grace appeared at the door, startling them both.
"Mister Axel, your father is waiting for Mister Carlton in his office," she said, bowing her head respectfully.
"Lead the way, I can find my own way in," Carlton asserted as he stepped forward and followed the maid inside. Upon arrival, the maid opened the door for him to enter. His gaze quickly found the man seated in a large chair, holding a cup of coffee.
"How surprising to have a Callaway in my house... who would have thought?!" James quipped with a taunting expression. Carlton felt a sudden unease, as if his body was urging him to depart.
"Please, have a seat... I don't want you to think I'm not welcoming to my adversaries! Quite the opposite, in fact," he added, gesturing for Carlton to sit across from him. Carlton took a deep breath and obliged, taking a seat across from James.
"Mr. McLain," Carlton began, but was swiftly interrupted by James.
"Please, call me James!" he interjected, causing Carlton to clear his throat slightly.
"James, I'm sure you're aware of my history with your daughter," Carlton stated. James scoffed and shot him a pointed look.
"What about it, considering my daughter has cut off all contact with you," he remarked casually, taking a sip of his coffee. Carlton could feel his heart racing as the tension in the room grew with each passing moment.
"I have a proposal to make in exchange for your daughter's hand in marriage," Carlton blurted out suddenly, without hesitation. James tightened his grip on the cup as he carefully processed the words, his facial expression clearly displaying dissatisfaction.
"I'm sorry, did I hear you correctly? A proposal for my daughter's hand in marriage?" James repeated, setting the cup down on the coffee table. Carlton clasped his hands together and locked eyes with James, showing no fear.
"Indeed, James! I am asking for your consideration to marry your daughter," Carlton stated. James let out a bark of laughter, unable to resist the absurdity of the situation.
"Are you pulling my leg? You and my daughter? Do you understand what you're asking of me, Callaway?" James muttered sternly from his seat.
"I'm not joking, James! I want your daughter, and I won't stand by while she's engaged to a man who abused her!" Carlton stated firmly. James's eyes widened in surprise as he leaned forward in his seat, staring at Carlton in disbelief.
"And I have a feeling that even if you knew he raped your daughter while she was unconscious, you still wouldn't change your mind!" Carlton stated, searching James's eyes. James stood up in offense at the words.
"How dare you?!" James muttered, his eyes dark with anger. Carlton stood up to match James's height, and they locked eyes fiercely.
"If you proceed with this engagement, I swear I will come forward with evidence of Jack's abuse towards Elena! That wouldn't exactly assist your campaign, now would it?"
"And if that's not enough to halt your daughter's engagement, then I will have my secretary leak some documents that implicate you as the sole proprietor of conservatory lands that have been depleted by your factories!"
"We both know that as business people, that's blatantly illegal, James!" Carlton stated with a grin on his face, completely altering the scale of the situation.