AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was a male voice, but it wasn’t Ariston’s.
A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. “Father.”
“I called to thank you for saving the company. It means a great deal to me.”
“I didn’t do it for you.”
Silence met that pronouncement.
“I did it for Rhea and the hundreds of employees your mismanagement would have put out of work.”
“I did not call to be insulted.”
That was a given.
“Why did you call?”
“To say thank you, as I have done.”
“Though you had nothing to do with my motives, I acknowledge your appreciation. I guess we’re done, then?” she said hopefully, wanting nothing more than to get off the phone with this man who had spent a lot more years hurting her far more than her ex-husband ever had.
“You’re never going to forgive me, are you? Even though he’s taking you back.”
“I walked out. Not him.”
“But he’d drawn up the divorce papers.”
She didn’t need that reminder. “We aren’t getting married again anyway.”
“I heard.”
“Oh?”
“I spoke to Rhea.” If he expected her to feel guilty for not calling in two years, he was bound to be disappointed.
“I’m sorry. I could have negotiated a better deal for both of my daughters if you’d come to me instead of Ariston first.”
Oh, no, he was not going there. “Even retired and facing the collapse of your company, you’re as arrogant and business-minded as ever. I don’t need you negotiating anything for me. No matter how you see the situation between us, it was your treating me like an asset to bargain with in the first place that was the problem.”
“I was looking toward your future.” His voice was almost pleading.
“The company’s future you mean.”
“It is one and the same.”
“No, it is not. Not for me and not for Rhea. She almost lost her marriage because of that stupid company.”
“It wouldn’t have been a great loss. Samuel brought nothing to their union .”
“He brought himself and that’s all that Rhea needed, but you couldn’t let them be happy.”
“Their marital problems are not my fault.”
“Aren’t they? You’re the one that insisted Rhea had to take over Dioletis Industries, even though you knew she and Samuel had agreed to have children.”
“Now you’re blaming me for her miscarriages?”
“The doctor said her job was too high-stress.”
“She’s the CEO of a major concern—of course the job is high-stress.”
“You stepped down for your health, but expected her to compromise hers and that of her unborn children for the good of the company.”
“Rhea is only twenty-nine. She has plenty of time for motherhood if indeed she really wants it.”
“Oh, she does. And she’ll have it, along with a strong marriage, if I have anything to say about it.”
“She understands her duty.”
“Like you understood yours?”
“Yes.”
“You were clueless about your duty to our family, but Rhea is not going to be like that.”
“She told me about the marriage counseling.” The derision Chloe expected was missing from her father’s tone. “Perhaps your mother and I would have been happier if we had done something like that.”
Chloe didn’t know what to say. “That was unexpected.”
“I loved your mother, Chloe. I love my daughters.”
“You’ve got a lousy way of showing it.”
“I’m learning that.”
Wow. This was so not like the father she remembered. “Who’s been talking to you?” she wondered.
“Believe it or not, Samuel.”
“Seriously?”
“He is a social worker. It’s his job to have insights like that.”
“He’s very good at his job.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.”
“I’m sorry about Rhea’s miscarriages,” her father said in a tone that cracked with emotion.
“You said—”
“I know. Admitting when I am wrong is not my strong suit.”
“No.”
“I may have been wrong five years ago, but please believe I had your future in mind as much as the company’s.”
“I’m not sure I can.”
He sighed. “I want you to be happy, Chloe. I want that for Rhea as well. This deal with Ariston, I think it will make that possible, but I don’t want to see you hurt again.”
“Perhaps you should have thought of that before planning yet another business marriage before my first one was over.”
