28. Omniscient
Chapter twenty-eight
Omniscient
Present
S tephan walked into his father’s office to see him on a phone call while Andrew wandered by the windows in thought. He looked over his shoulder to see Stephan, and he could tell that something climactic was about to happen just by looking at him.
Calvin finished the phone call and placed it on the receiver before he smiled at his son. “Stephan, my boy! Don’t you look well? I trust you’ve been working hard since I haven’t heard from you in a few days.”
Stephan nodded slowly. “You could say that...”
Calvin nodded and stood. “Well, your brother is still in Paris, enjoying his break. You should take one too. You both work too hard.”
Stephan slowly walked to sit on the sofa as Calvin walked around the office, gathering his files from his cabinet. “Father, I have a question.”
Calvin nodded, listening as he looked through the folder in his hand.
“Do you speak to Killian’s daughter regularly?”
Calvin shrugged. “I think of her as my goddaughter. Of course we do.”
Stephan nodded. “And Archer took a liking to her, did he not?”
His father chuckled, but Stephan noticed something was off.
“Archer has not had a crush on Delilah for the last few years. I would assume you knew he would grow out of that.”
Stephan chuckled humorlessly as he rubbed his hands together. “See, that’s where you’re wrong, Father. I am actually quite aware of the attraction Archer has for Delilah. What I don’t understand is why you’re trying to hide the obvious truth.”
Calvin looked over to his son and watched him as he stood up slowly and placed his hands in his pockets.
Stephan continued, “You know, Dad , you’ve been playing quite a lot of people lately, and I have a slight suspicion that I may be on that list.”
“Stephan—” Calvin started, but Stephan cut him off.
“You expect me to sit here and believe that I have a chance against Archer, who has every advantage in his hand? I’ve been working my ass off trying to please you day after day, trying to prove to you that I am much more capable than he is—but you haven’t even been looking, just feeding me lies that I may have a chance when, in reality, I don’t! Did you never actually realize that I would eventually find out!”
The room was silent, and Calvin placed the file he was holding on the table with a sigh. “Well, not this soon. I was hoping you would find out a bit later, and we would all be able just to sweep this under the rug.”
“Father. I cannot merely sweep the last few years of preparing under a fucking rug. You’ve been playing me like a damn fiddle while Archer gets to sleep around with your ‘goddaughter’ and, all of a sudden, be handed the family business as a reward!”
Calvin tilted his head. “Technically they need to get married before he is actually handed anything, really. Though that should be easily done in a few years’ time…”
“How could I have been so clueless!” Stephan groaned in agony, and Calvin sighed.
“Well, son, if you had known too much, we may have had more obstacles than necessary. Besides, look at the bright side: You now have a real reason to hate your brother.”
Stephan chuckled. “Only hate? I could never. I despise him even more than I did before. Once again, he knows nothing of his future success, and here I am looking like an idiot to everyone as they see the truth. You know what? It doesn’t even matter. You all are on your own now .”
“What do you mean?” Andrew muttered, and Stephan sent a glare toward him.
“I mean the fact that my real mother idolizes him and blames me, my father uses us all and keeps his golden boy on top, and everyone is having a good laugh at my expense as I work my ass off. I’m fucking done . And if you wanted to be ever so careful like you claim to be, Father… ” He looked at Calvin. “You should warn your future successor and his beloved soon-to-be wife… to be careful. ”
“Oh, my apologies, I’ll be waiting in the living room. Please, carry on.”
The door closed, and Delilah quickly jumped off of Archer, pushing him away in the process. He sighed, crossing his arms as he watched her scatter around, trying to find something to put on.
“He said we could continue,” he muttered, and she scoffed.
“Are you kidding me, Archer? I don’t think you understand the predicament we’re in right now! My childhood butler, basically grandfather, just saw me in my bra kissing my ‘boyfriend’ who is one hundred percent not supposed to be with me! There is no way in hell we’re continuing after that!”
He sighed as he watched her still scramble around. Reaching into the drawer, he threw one of his sweaters over to her. She caught it and pulled it over her head as he walked out of the room.
“Put something on!” she whisper-yelled, but was too late as he was already gone. She ran out of the room, only to see her dog as happy as can be as he slithered through her legs that were frantically going in search of Benjamin and Archer.
She spotted them in the kitchen and saw Archer standing with a glass of water and Benjamin standing across from him. Delilah’s look was one of pure fear as she watched Archer, who was still shirtless, acting like this was completely natural and looking as if he couldn’t be more unbothered.
“Ahh, Delilah... It’s good to see you,” Benjamin said, and she waved at him cautiously.
“Hi, Benny.”
“I’m sure you have a bit of explaining to do?” Benjamin stated rather than asked, and she gulped as she approached the two slowly.
“Unfortunately… this all seems rather self-explanatory. I’d rather not go into details.”
Benjamin hummed. “Interesting. No matter how self-explanatory your situation seems to be… I’m not sure how it’ll translate when I report to your father about my trip,” he muttered, and Delilah groaned as she hid her face in her hands.
She felt someone’s hand on her lower back, and she immediately smacked Archer’s wandering hands away as she scowled.
Benjamin watched the interaction and held his hand up once he saw she wanted to say something else.
“That said, you’re an adult, Delilah. I’m sure you’re aware of the decisions and… mistakes you are making,” he said, emphasizing the word “mistakes,” which caused Archer to feel slightly offended.
“In your own time, you’ll fill in your father and face his wrath without me. I’d like to remain alive, if you must know,” he muttered, and Delilah could only roll her eyes.
So much for being supportive or optimistic, Benny, she thought to herself.
He continued, “Just know that it’s not only me who is aware of your forbidden relationship. Obviously Kimiko is aware, but Nathan and Reginald are also well informed.”
Delilah’s hand dropped from her face as she narrowed her eyes.
“And how does Regi know, Benny?” she asked, tilting her head.
Benjamin cleared his throat as he’d been caught and checked his watch. “It’s best I get going now. I will see you for dinner. And, in the meantime, use protection,” he muttered, leaving the kitchen.
Delilah groaned, embarrassed, as she felt Archer’s arms wrap around her as he pulled her into his chest.
“This is going to end in a disaster,” she said, feeling defeated, and he nodded.
“A disaster would be charming, but a ‘shitstorm’ is a better way of describing it.”
She leaned into his hold as he ran his hands up and down her arm.
Benjamin walked back into the room slowly and went to speak but was silenced once he caught a glimpse of Archer’s back as he held Delilah in his arms.
He could remember multiple occasions when he was the one to break up their small moments of intimacy, but he stepped back out of the room because he decided it shouldn’t have to be the case any longer. He could only hope for the best for the young couple—but he knew that would be too good to be true.