Chapter 39 Rafael
Rafael
One week later
‘It’s all being handled. I’m working out of the office.’
‘From where?’ my father splutters.
I lean back in the driver’s seat, my gaze tracking up to the window of Aurora’s apartment.
She should have been back from work an hour ago.
She’s probably stayed to do overtime. She’s working too hard, and I only have myself to blame for it.
If I hadn’t lied to her, if I hadn’t driven her away . . .
‘Bath,’ I tell my father, grimacing at the pompous snort that erupts from him.
‘You’re there chasing after this girl, aren’t you?’
‘Aurora,’ I reply coolly. ‘And yes, I am.’
‘You’re a bloody fool.’
My jaw tightens. ‘Watch your tone, Dad. That’s your future daughter-in-law you’re talking about.’
‘I don’t mean her. I like the girl. I mean you, son. Only a bloody fool would keep a secret like that from her in the first place.’
My brows shoot up at the unexpected fatherly lecture I can sense looming.
‘Your mother and I . . . She almost didn’t give me a chance. You remember I told you that story, right?’
‘I recall Mum saying you sent her favourite flowers for months until she finally caved and gave you one date because she felt sorry for you.’
‘One date is all it took to convince her I was the one.’
Despite the way the memory has made my lips curl up, I press on, knowing my father will have a reason for bringing it up. There’s always an ulterior motive with him.
‘Why are you calling? I know it’s not to talk about Aurora.’
My father huffs. ‘The staff were bouncing around like lunatics when I visited this morning. Anyone would think they’d had their salaries doubled. You didn’t give them a bloody raise, did you, son?’
I clamp my teeth together, counting to five before I snap at him that he didn’t need to be in the office this morning. That he doesn’t need to check up on us all. But of course, our father has never been able to help himself when it comes to interfering.
‘No, I didn’t.’
‘Well, something’s got into them. Get your arse back in. They need you there. Not galivanting off after a woman you’ve already screwed it up with.’
‘I love her and I’m not coming home without her!’
I lurch forward and slam my hand against the steering wheel, accidentally knocking the horn and earning myself a dirty look from an elderly man shuffling past on the pavement.
‘You’re being bloody ridiculous. If she hasn’t forgiven you yet, she’s not going to.’
‘She will,’ I grit.
She has to.
My father continues, spouting his demands like I’m still a kid who has to listen.
‘Get yourself together or don’t come home at all. Fairfax Guardian will—’
‘Will be fine,’ I snap. ‘In fact, it’s better than fine. I was informed yesterday that we’ve won another award.’
My father snorts. ‘You got lucky.’
‘Yes! I did! Because I have an entire team who worked hard to earn it!’ I bark. ‘And I was sure to give them a nice fat bonus to show my gratitude.’
‘You’re too bloody soft. This isn’t how I raised you.’
‘No, you raised me to be a puppet. But guess what, Dad? I’m cutting the damn strings. And I’m running the company my way because I’m the CEO now, not you.’
He falls silent and I rub at the tightness in my chest as I wait for him to say something.
‘How much?’ he finally asks, the fight yielding in his voice.
‘Ten per cent of their annual salary,’ I answer, knowing he’s referring to the staff bonuses, because of course he is.
He tsks. ‘I’d have got the same result out of them for five.’
‘Of course you would,’ I reply tightly.
‘I’ve always known, you know?’
‘Known what?’ I exhale as I scan the street for a sign of that dickhead Joe’s car.
‘About Dominic bailing you out.’
I freeze.
‘Excuse me?’
‘I know he saved Fairfax Guardian after you ballsed up the Wyndham account. That he sent new clients our way. Kept the money flowing in. Stopped it all from falling apart. Why didn’t you come to me, son?’
I know better than to fall for the hint of tenderness tinting his tone.
The only things my father has ever truly cared about are his company, and my mother.
I’m grateful he loves her the way she deserves, but it’s like he ran out of love when it came to having kids, and it was too much damn work to create more.
‘You’re saying you would have helped?’ I snort.
‘I’m saying I could have come back as CEO. You weren’t ready.’
I shake my head in disgust. I was more than ready. Like my father told Aurora, I was head of my field of expertise in financial fraud cases, and I understood corporate insurance just as well as my father, if not better, by the time I took over as CEO.
But I understood people better than my father.
How to get the best out of them; even if some of my staff think I’m an arsehole with the standards that I set, I know what they can achieve.
Fairfax Guardian have the best people in the industry.
A fact that is only further evidenced by the number of awards we’ve won, and the scale of clients we’ve taken on since I took the helm.
But my father can never forget that one client.
Wyndham.
And if he wasn’t so bloody blind, then he’d see that part of the reason for the way that went is him.
I knew he didn’t think I could close that deal and sign Montgomery Wyndham.
He expected me to ask him to come along and help me.
He wanted me to understand that I might be the new CEO, but that I’d never be as good as him, no one would.
But a lifetime of living underneath my father’s reign, added to the scalding memory of that day on the balcony, and he was right . . . I ballsed up. Big fucking time.
And for a while, I thought losing two hundred and forty million meant I’d done it again. But it wasn’t me who fucked up that time. It was Dominic. Bloody Dominic, who’s now done a goddamn runner, refusing to take responsibility. The bastard could be anywhere right now.
Kate informed me she’s filing for a divorce, if she can ever locate his whereabouts.
I think she knew all along who Aurora was and why she was there.
She said she had her own questions after discovering Dominic was having an affair six months ago.
Leaving hotel statements in your suit pockets will lead to being caught out.
Kate told me Freddie misses Aurora and that he’s been off his food since she left.
Same. Bloody same.
‘You still there?’
I pinch the bridge of my nose. ‘Yes.’
‘There’s one more thing,’ my father says, his tone losing its usual razor-sharp edge.
‘What?’ I sigh.
‘What you did? Putting your hand in your own pocket to save the business? I’d have done the same. I did do the same. And your grandfather never knew a thing about it.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘Past history,’ my father grumbles. ‘But it’s why I know you’re the right person to be Fairfax Guardian’s CEO. You’re like me. You’re my son. And I am proud of you, even if I don’t tell you enough.’
I clear my throat, but the lump that’s rapidly growing there still presses against my windpipe, making breathing difficult.
‘You never tell me,’ I choke out.
My father tuts dismissively. ‘Pandering to you isn’t going to help you be the great man I know you can be. Just look at what happened after your fall. I got you straight back up on that balcony. Made you face your fear. Best thing I could have done for you.’
My throat feels like it’s closing over. I was a terrified boy who pissed himself.
His tough love shaped who I am. Led me to never feel good enough.
To have this ingrained urge to show my father what I can do.
One that’s meant I’ve made mistakes that have cost me everything.
Cost me Aurora. In what fucked-up universe is that the best thing?
‘But you don’t think that day haunts me? I almost lost my eldest son. My boy . . .’ He sighs wearily. ‘If I’d taught you to be more careful you wouldn’t have fallen.’
Minimising the risk. That’s what I’ve always prided myself on.
Until Aurora.
Allowing us to grow close made me vulnerable. Made her vulnerable.
But it was a risk I’d take a million times over. Two hundred and forty bloody million times over.
‘But I did fall, Dad,’ I whisper.
‘And I’ll live with that for the rest of my life, son.’
I stare out of the window, blinking hard.
My father’s next words carry a tenderness he’s never used with me before. But they hit me like a freight train straight through the heart.
‘Get yourself back to London, son. Give her up. She isn’t coming back to you.’
My heart clamps painfully, like acid’s being pumped through it.
‘I’ve got to go,’ I choke, ending the call.
I tug on my tie, loosening it and fumbling to undo the top button of my shirt, sweat beading on my brow.
‘So damn hot,’ I rasp, throwing open my car door.
But it does nothing. The fabric sticks to my back as I heave in a breath, wincing as my lungs scream out and my heart thunders between them like it’s trying to break past my ribs.
I climb from the car, the cool air hitting my face as I push a hand through my hair, then run it around the back of my burning neck.
A stab of intense pain hits me in the chest, and I grab the car door to steady myself.
Reaching inside, I pull out a bottle of water, unscrewing it, and immediately downing half.
I’m fine. I just need air. I’ll feel better soon.
I check my watch. She’s almost an hour and a half late now.
I rub at my chest, wincing.
I’m fine.
She’ll be back soon and this pain that’s been coming and going since she left will ease again. It’s never been this strong, but as soon as I see my Beauty’s face, all will be right in the world again.