And sometimes being in love is not enough to make it work.
Dominic Riccitello
NATHAN
A minute of sitting in silence passed.
"Not to seem partial to my other children, I never openly admitted you were my favourite child." He spoke out of the blue. "Soft and yet, brutal. Every time I looked at you, it was like looking at myself in a mirror, so I could never bring myself to discipline you."
Well that explains why you were less harsh to me. Gee, thanks dad.
"Even at the age of four, I knew it had to be you who'd take over the reins of Avalon from me. Your resilience and defiance amused me."
I guessed this to be one of those times I just listened and let him get to his point. So I remained silent and enjoyed the view.
"It's funny that the things that amused me back then, are the same things frustrating me now. You'd think a man would drop old behaviours and adjust- make sacrifices for family. Because that's what families do."
I remained silent.
"I'm highly disappointed in your actions earlier. I thought my message was clear enough. Should I have clipped your wings at a young age?" He asked himself and looked deep in thoughts. "Then you would have only turned out like your coward brother." His face tightened in a deep frown.
"You've been fired from the Chief executive officer's seat. The CO will make the announcement on Monday. You're expected to handover all documents to your replacement. I can't expel you from the board of directors since I gifted you those shares myself," he laughed bitterly. "But I strongly advice you sell your shares back to the family or get a director to represent you on the board."
"What?" I asked, faintly, not sure I wanted him to repeat himself - not that he would.
He stayed silent and stared at the water. My fist clenched and my legs stood up on their own accord.
"You can't make that announcement. I'll be signing the most important deal of my life at FoxTrap on Monday. Do you know how much damage that announcement would cause? They'll stall the deal, then renegotiate for an awfully lower price, worse, call it off. We've put in so much work into this project we can't afford to lose this deal."
Or Avalon. My subconscious reminded. That was my ultimate goal after all - the reason for leaving Enitan in the first place. Not his freedom or family reputation.
"Every action has a consequence," he calmly replied.
"How was I supposed to know someone would take advantage of my weak moment?"
"Men like us, can't afford to have weak moments!" He stood up briskly, eyes burning with full intensity.
"Men like us, are still just men!"
He let out a sardonic laugh. "If that is what you think, go back to your lover and be just a man. You think love is that stupid fluttering in your chest? You'll hate her when you realise you are just an ordinary man, with no Avalon Legacy. You'll hate her even more when you realise she has nothing but meals, her body and mediocre love poems to offer," he yelled and trashed his arms. "Love is power. Wanting someone who can give and share in that feeling, is love."
He moved away from the sitting area and began to match down the docks.
"What is between Enitan and I is now beyond love."
He stopped dead in his tracks.
"And what does that mean?" He turned in a swift moment, his brows furrowed. He studied my expression, in a knowing look he shook his head and whispered, "no. Tell me you didn't-"
"Yes. And I will not abandon her now." I feared the next thing I was going to say, the chance that it would work was slim. "You want to fire me? Fine go ahead."
By the way he stilled, I knew I'd gotten his attention. It looked like my chance to lay down my terms and I grabbed it like a drowning man. "You don't actually think I'll be foolish enough to go ahead with the wedding with just your freedom at stake, do you?"
The statement alone drained his face of every emotion and wiped off the annoying smirk he had on earlier. But I wasn't done just yet. "You want to trust the justice system to decide your fate, fine. But imagine how insulted Mr Martins, the one man whose position in the anti-graft commission could make everything go away, would feel about cancelling the wedding, disgracing his and entire family and going back on a deal to offer his daughter a seat at the board." I paused, letting my words sink in.
I continued, cutting deeper into an already torn pride. "I also don't have to remind you how the present governor detests you. If this case goes to court, they'll tear you apart like Wolves! Strip you of everything you own. I'll bounce back with Foxtrap. What about you?"
My heart hammered in my chest as I waited for him to say a word. His pride and arrogance were likely to make him say he'd take his chances in court, but we both knew it was more than a court case. It was a witch-hunt. The only reason he went to extreme lengths to clear any obstacle on his way.
He flashed me a smile and shook his head, his pride and arrogance sipping through. But behind the smile I could see the desperation, the willingness to concede defeat.
He'd never admit it, but I wasn't the only desperate one. We needed each other to survive, but he needed me more. The earlier he realized that, the quicker we ended this stalemate.
"And I thought you wanted your girlfriend so bad," he mocked. "In the end, you're just like me. You'd choose power over anything -anyone." Even though we were both trapped in a symbiotic relationship, I realized I'd played right into his hands.
Somewhere in his large round eyes, beyond the medicated glass frames, I could see admiration. "Well it looks like we're stuck with each other. I believe we should come to a compromise. What do you say?"
"We should," I replied, totally in control of the situation. If my life was going to be ruined, it better be on my own terms. "So?"
He walked back to the sitting area, but didn't sit.
"You offer a public apology about today's incident. Marry the anti-graft chairman's daughter. We make her a board member and her children heirs to Avalon. Every evidence against me disappears. I get to keep my freedom and Legacy. You get to keep your job and get the chairmanship in few years. Every one stays happy."
"And-" he wasn't going to fool me by leaving out the most vital part.
"Your girlfriend keeps your child, discreetly," he scoffed.
"And you don't get to go after her or the child."
"You don't think I'll go after my own grandchild do you?"
He loved Monic and Kelvin's children greatly, but then, they and their parents weren't standing in the way.
"Son, whatever you have with her should be about your child. Don't let your emotions jeopardize us for the second time."
"I think I'm capable of handling my own affairs. I'll keep to my part of the deal. You keep to us and stay out of my business."
"Fair enough. But there's one person you should speak with, to confirm if she's still in line."
"There'll be no need for that. She has so much to gain in this, she'll never call off the wedding even if I had all body parts amputated."
I walked past him and out of the lounge. Too drained to have a proper conversation with Enitan, and conscious not to be followed to my mother's secret apartment, I opted for a drive to a restaurant instead.
After my meal, I composed the most romantic apology a man caught cheating could offer to a fiancée he supposedly couldn't live without. I uploaded it on Instagram, tagging Annabelle's handle. Soon enough the post generated thousands of likes and comments. One of the comments was Annabelle's.
'Awn babe. You're only human. I love you no matter what.' I almost puked after reading it. I shook my head and left the restaurant.
It was nearly three in the afternoon when I arrived back at my mother's secret home. I stayed back in the car to brace up for my chat with Enitan. Minutes later, I entered the house and found my mother at the dining table, where she was typing at her MacBook.
"Saw your car come in, how are you?" she asked, actual concern written over her face. She'd been of great help today, it was pointless to give her the cold shoulder, so I flashed the little smile my tired face could come up with.
"Tired, mentally," I answered honestly. I had my chance to call of the wedding, with little retaliation from my father. But I chose the opposite. I couldn't stop the self-loathe that was gnawing at me. "How is she?" I asked referring to Enitan.
"Awake, she's a bit shaken. But she's handling the whole thing well."
"Thanks mum, for everything."
"You can thank me by forgiving me." Her eyes looked at me expectedly.
"Fine," I nodded and began to walk towards the staircase.
"She's not in the room, she went for a walk down the beach."
"You let her go out there alone?" I panicked. I turned back to look at my mother but she only shook her head in disbelief.
"You really underestimate me, boy. 'Out there alone' is as safe as can be."
Whatever that meant, I didn't bother to ask. I headed for the front door. But she gently reached out for my hand.
"Your father, what did he say to you?"
"Mum, nothing you should be worried about. It's taken care of."
"Deep down he's a good man, but these are desperate times. And your father, he's quite-"
"Ruthless?"
"Resolute," she corrected.
"And that is why I'm getting her a safe apartment."
She smiled and nodded. I headed out, in search of Enitan. Walking out of the compound, I strolled down the tarred road till I was few feet from the stacked granite sea wall. Crossing over, I walked down the slopey wall, carefully placing one foot after the other on each piece of stone. Before reaching the bottom of the wall, I found her sitting by the water. I watched her as she sat still on the sand, her shoulders sagged and hands intertwined as she stared into the blue water.
"Hey," I called out as I approached her.
Startled, she turned to look at me.
Three updates in one week! I hear you asking, "is it christmas or what?" No, I'm just too niceeee.😚 Haha.
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