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“Red, you came a long way for this, you're gonna see it through,” he tells me sternly.
“Mr. Heaton is ready for you,” the receptionist's voice chirps from behind me, and I close my eyes, taking a deep breath before I turn around.
“You need me to come with?” Cole checks, and I shake my head. As much as I’d like him to, I have to do this alone. I can’t always rely on Cole being there for me. Besides, if this doesn’t go well I can’t predict how Cole would behave.
I follow the receptionist down the long corridor that leads to what I assume is my father’s office. When she opens the doorand I see the man that must be him sitting behind his desk, I feel a lump form in my throat.
He’s much younger than I imagined, and handsome in the same kind of way Dan is.
“Have we met, Miss Carson?” He stands up from his chair, looking confused and revealing how tall he is when he steps around his desk.
“No. I… I’m…”
“My time is precious, if you're here to pitch something to me I suggest you?—”
“That’s not why I’m here.” I glance at the receptionist and hope she gets the hint to leave.
“That’ll be all, Vanessa,” he dismisses her, and I wait until I hear the door close before I try to descramble all the words in my head.
“Well spit it out, girl. I have a tight schedule and very little patienc?—”
“I’m your daughter.” The words spew from my lips and he responds to them by raising his eyebrows.
“My daughter?” He nods his head and laughs like this is some kind of joke.
“Yes, I only found out a few months ago that I was adopted and a friend of mine looked into it, traced it back to you.” Suddenly I feel exposed and very fuckin’ awkward standing in front of this man and dropping a bomb on his Thursday morning.
“So, what do you want?” He re-takes his seat and stares at me across his desk as if he wants to negotiate.
“I don’t want anything… To know you, I guess.” I shrug my shoulders, feeling more and more stupid as the seconds pass.
“I get what this is. You can see I’m successful and you think you deserve something?” He folds his hands in front of him and leans forward.
“No, not at all. I was raised by a family who gave me everything. I don’t want your money, sir. I was stupid to come here.” I turn around and walk toward the door then just as I’m about to swing it open and leave, I realize there's something I do need from him.
“Who was my mother?” I turn around and face him again.
“Your mother is dead, she was a junkie whore and quite honestly, you're lucky to be alive.” He shows no empathy with his words and although I never knew the woman, I can’t help feeling a sense of loss.
“You don’t seem the kind of man to hang around with junkies,” I point out, angry at him for being so cold.
“I didn’t hang around with them, I screwed around with one, and it taught me a hard learned lesson.” He passes it off as nothing and I have to ask myself if this man is even real. I didn’t come here expecting fireworks and a red carpet but this is… How can anyone be so cruel?
“How much was I worth?” I ask, watching his face turn serious again. “My friend found you because of a transaction that was made between you and my father. He never told me how much it was for.” I stare at the slimy bastard and wait for his response.
“I did you a kindness, your mother would never have taken care of you and I wasn’t put on this Earth to be a father.”
“So you made me an investment.” I shrug.
“What’s your name?” he breathes out defeatedly.
“Do you even care?”
“I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t care, now what’s your name?”
“My name is Savannah. Savannah Reynolds.” I hold my head up.
“Savannah Reynolds, go back to your life and be grateful for the parents who chose you.” He stands up and walks past me, opening the door to show me out.
