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“Last year, when you came home, that day—”
“I had no right to impose—”
“Demand the right,” I rasp, “Fight for me. For once in my goddamned life, fight for me. Fight for your place with me.”
“Cecelia, I made choices, hard choices, and I’ve only had your best interests in mind when I made them.”
“What does that even mean? It’s not supposed to be a choice. Daddies are supposed to love their little girls. They’re supposed to be their world, their life, and I seem to be worth more on paper to you than I am standing right in front of you. Help me understand.”
“This money wasn’t meant to be an insult—”
“Why? Just tell me what I did? Was it her? Do you hate her so much you refused to get involved with me because I remind you of her? Tell me why you can’t be the father I deserve. Tell me why you can’t love me. Tell me why she so clearly still loves you!”
He repeatedly swallows as I come unhinged.
“This is it, Roman. This is it. I saw something that day you came to me. I’m giving you that moment back, right here, right now. This is it. Do you hear me? Fight for me,” I cough on a sob. “I want a father, not a fortune.”
He stands completely motionless. His eyes cast down as all my foolish hopes leave me. Nothing. Not a word, not a single thing I asked for, just a portion of his fortune and his damning silence. Inside I hollow out as I declare war on my emotions while desperately trying to scrape together what’s left of my dignity.
“Okay,” I swallow, wiping my eyes. “Okay. But you should know you ruined her.”
His eyes glaze over again, and I can feel the shift in him despite his cool demeanor. “You broke her heart, and you should know you were the first man to break mine, too. But at least with her, it was a clean break.” I shake my head, “but you’ve been breaking mine for twenty long years. I sometimes think it was a curse to inherit her heart, but I’m thinking now it’s much better I didn’t get yours.”
“I want nothing but—”
I slap my hand on the table. “The best for me? Well, I guess I appreciate that,” I shake my head, disgusted. “Business concluded, Roman.” I thrust my hand in his direction. “Shake my hand.”
“What?” He stares at my outstretched hand and visibly pales.
“This was a business deal, was it not? I’m not seasoned yet, but I’m pretty sure that’s the way you conclude a business deal. A handshake to seal the deal. I accept your terms. I-I ac-cept your payoff, Mr. Horner. Consider it money well spent.”
“This was not meant—”
“Yes, it was. Shake my hand.”
Shoulders sagging, he places his hand in mine, and it’s all I can do to keep my knees from buckling. My motives with this act purely selfish, because it’s the first and last time I’ll ever hold my father’s hand. “Now look me in the eyes,” I rasp out, “and say goodbye.”
When he lifts his eyes to mine, I feel no satisfaction. “Say goodbye, Roman.”
“Cecelia, this is ridiculous.”
I rip my hand away.
“You deserve every damn bit of karma that comes your way. And there’s a beauty to karma; you never know when it will come back to bite you in the ass.”
“I’ll take that into consideration,” he clears his throat, his voice hoarse when he speaks. “Have you said your piece?”
Tears I can no longer hold glide down my cheeks, and I nod. “Yes, Sir. That will be all. Do you feel better?”
“I understand you’re upset but—”
“Goodbye, Roman.”
It’s me who walks toward the door this time with a folder full of payoff in hand. His voice is barely a whisper when he speaks up behind me. “Please keep me updated on your progress at school.” I glance back and see remorse shining in his eyes a second before he rips them away.
“Go to hell.”
Though I have another night paid for at the hotel, I drive home, because I feel safer there. If I’m honest with myself, I feel safer on Tobias’s watch, and safer in my short time with him than I felt with my own father in that boardroom.
