CHAPTER 15 Final Offer
“May I come in?” My dad stepped inside my apartment before I could suck in a breath to reply.
“Of course.” Not that it was an actual question, was it? It felt more like please step aside because I’m coming in.
I shut the door with a sigh, taking a few seconds before dropping the door handle and turning around to join my dad, who was already making his way to the living room like he owned the place, which he didn’t anymore.
“Why aren’t you answering your phone?” He crossed a leg over the other in his usual elegant way. He was dressed sharply in a navy-blue suit, pristine white shirt, and a deep burgundy tie. The smell of his familiar musky cologne left a trail behind him. “I’ve called and texted you multiple times. But I had to call Aaron, who confirmed you were home.”
“Nina and I went for a run and left our phones here,” I explained. I wasn’t going to apologize for it. It hadn’t been intentional. And I didn’t want him to feel like he could keep demanding things from me when he’d been nothing but dishonest and unsupportive of me. Trying to forget the lies he told me for years had proved more challenging than I thought. “And I just got here a few minutes ago and was on another call.”
Frowning, he took a deep breath and looked around the apartment in a contemplative way. “You’ve succeeded in deceiving me.” He nodded a few times, slowly. “I don’t know if I should be proud or worried.”
“Deceiving you?” I sat on the couch in front of him and crossed my arms at my chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” That was his problem, thinking everyone was like him. Thinking like that is what turned him into a paranoid man. It was sad to realize that.
“Oh, kiddo. Don’t tell me you didn’t plan this”—he waved a haphazard hand in front of him—“with William. You pushed me into selling the apartment while he was ready to buy it under a false name.”
“It’s not a false name,” I retorted, feeling the anger boiling inside me. “That’s the company he uses for his real estate investments.”
“So you do know what I’m talking about.”
“No! I—” I cut myself off and took a deep, calming breath before replying so as to not let my irritation get the best of me. But my goodness, his ability to say things in a way that would make me snap and lose composure in two seconds bordered on disturbing.
This is what he wanted, though. He was here to pick a fight because he was furious and feeling blindsided and wanted someone to pay for the humiliation that afflicted him.
That someone being me.
But I was broken now, in every possible way. I was emotionally and economically spent. And when you’ve got nothing else to lose, a certain sense of freedom accompanies such an inconvenience.
You learn to give zero fucks as a defense mechanism.
For the most part.
“I found out last night that William was the buyer,” I offered out of the kindness of my heart. I could’ve asked him to leave without giving him any explanations. But something told me this was the last I would see of him for a while. Things were too heated between us. We needed space to breathe and for things to cool off. But a na?ve part of me was still hopeful that he would come to his senses and support my relationship with William once he realized it wasn’t an act of rebellion or stubbornness.
This was his last chance to reconsider.
“William didn’t tell me anything about it until it was done,” I continued. “We didn’t plan anything. No one deceived anyone. You placed the apartment on sale because you chose to do it, and William bought it. He’d been waiting for years to do so because he wanted to own the entire floor.”
He looked away and shook his head a few times. I couldn’t read his expression. It was a mixture of hurt, bitterness, and betrayal.
“I didn’t choose this,” I reminded him. “You’ve always, one way or the other, forced my hand or manipulated me into doing things your way. And we were fine with that dynamic because I never argued with you or questioned your authority. And I’m thankful for everything you’ve done for me, but I’m not a child anymore. I should be free to make my own choices without you having to condition your support.” It’s hurtful. But I couldn’t make myself say it. Pride is a bitch.
“Manipulated?” he almost shouted back. “I will never get behind the idea of having my daughter scrutinized by the media and harassed by the paparazzi because of who she wants to date!” His phone rang, and he took the call before the first ring fizzled out. Neat.
He hung up and tossed the phone on the couch next to him after a quick “Is it done?” and a “Thank you.”
“Don’t know if you’re aware of this, but four men with cameras were standing outside your apartment building when I arrived. Since they wouldn’t leave, I had to call someone to remove them. And they called me just now to confirm they were successful in doing so. But I cannot protect you if you insist on dating William and living in the same building as he does.”
“It’s funny how this is the first time we’ve ever seen a paparazzi outside the apartment building in the year and a half that I’ve been living here,” I countered. “And now you’re responsible for making them go away?” Suspicious as fuck. I wouldn’t think he’d be above calling the paparazzi himself.
“That’s how it is with celebrities.” His tone was darker now. He uncrossed his leg and leaned in, resting his forearms over his knees. “When a high-profile one like William starts dating someone, the media goes out of its way to investigate as much as they can about the person their beloved star is dating. About what their relationship looks like.”
I wasn’t stupid. Of course I knew how nosy the media could be when it came to William, especially about his private life. But they had never waited for him outside the apartment building.
He stood and paced back and forth in front of the couch. “They need to know how to market the love story. They’ll make a fortune selling images of the two of you together. So no, I don’t think it’s odd for them to show up outside your doorstep because you haven’t been seen together much. So now that the media suspects you’re together after those photos of the two of you in Tel Aviv surfaced on the internet, they’re hungry for that winning photo to confirm the relationship.”
Maybe William should’ve hired my dad as his PR consultant because he acted like he was an expert on the subject.
“I can take it,” I said, wishing that were true. And it’s not that I felt like I wasn’t strong enough to deal with William’s fame, but I hadn’t been “tested,” so to speak. Our relationship was still very private, so there was no way to know if I would succumb to the pressure or not, but I sure as hell was going to do my best.
“Kiddo.” He sighed with frustration and directed the green of his gaze at me in a pleading way, but it was easy to detect the “or else” undertone. “This is ridiculous. Pack your bags. We’re going home.” He waved a hand at me, urging me to get moving.
“This is home,” I reminded him, staying put. “And I will continue to live here. I told you William will lease me the apartment since he isn’t planning on doing anything with it yet.”
“And how do you plan on paying for that, exactly?” he asked almost mockingly, crossing his arms at his chest. “When you have no money.”
“Oh, about that,” I said, snapping my fingers once. “I got a part-time job at the magazine. It pays enough for me to survive. And William, of course, gave me a nice discount on the rent.” I smiled.
My dad snorted and shook his head with disappointment.
“I hope you don’t take any money from him,” he warned. “I didn’t raise you to depend on a man like that.”
“Actually … you did.” I chuckled at the irony. “But no. I’m not going to be living off William’s money.”
My dad sighed and said, “This will be my last offer.” He sat on the sofa in front of me again. “You won’t have to live with me. I’ll rent you another apartment—any apartment you want. I’ll reinstate your credit cards and ask Aaron to leave. You’ll be free to live your life like a regular college student in New York. I can even consider letting you go on a few trips with your friends. But you need to end things with William.”
I considered him in silence. He thought he was offering me what I’d always wanted: freedom. But it was nothing but the illusion of it, and the price to pay was beyond steep.
“What do you say, kiddo?” He smiled, but I could feel the anger vibrating off him. “This is what you’ve always wanted. Don’t throw it all away.”
“I respectfully decline,” I said. “What I want is for you to trust me with my choices. The only reason why you’re even offering this is to steer me into doing what you want. You’re conditioning me to make a choice. So I choose William.”
He gnawed his lower lip and looked away for a moment, his hand flexing on his thigh. His displeasure was more than evident, but I was becoming immune to it.
“Why do you disapprove of our relationship?” I asked. His wide gaze met mine, seemingly stunned by the question. “Aside from you thinking it’s dangerous for me to be tossed into the spotlight with him. What is it, really?”
William and I could handle our relationship however we chose to do it and make it as private as we wanted. We knew the media would be hunting for information, and hiring a new publicist was part of William’s plan to appease the media. But my dad didn’t trust William to take care of me, even after he took a literal bullet for me.
My father inhaled deeply and cocked an eyebrow, his expression letting me know he would get candid with me, and I knew I had to prepare myself for the blow.
“William is just an actor,” my dad finally declared, “who rose to stardom due to nepotism. If it weren’t for his father, would he be where he is right now?”
My jaw dropped to the floor. I sucked in a harsh breath to reply, but he held up a hand and interrupted me again.
“You asked, and now you’ll listen to what I have to say.” He pointed at me with a shaky finger. Seeing my father displaying so much emotion through his gestures was unnerving, especially since I’d been used to his measured, meticulously polished, and diplomatic persona.
“You are my daughter, Guillermina. My only child and everything I have left. And I only want what’s best for you. Someone hardworking, with a degree from a fine institution, with a real job. Someone from a good family, and William …” He paused, but his eyes weren’t showing a speck of compassion. “He couldn’t even graduate with an associate degree in culinary arts, for Christ’s sake. He’s Hollywood’s hottest commodity right now, but someone better, more attractive, more … everything will show up and displace him eventually. They always do, in that business. And then what? Soon he’ll be out of a job, and what will he do with his life? He’ll become a shadow of his success, and I don’t think that’s the type of person I want you to end up with.”
I wasn’t even shocked to find out my father knew about William’s unfinished studies. It was obvious that he would do a deeper dive into his life when I started dating him. But he was judging him too harshly. He didn’t know him at all. And his comments were pretentious, elitist, and disrespectful. William was much more than “just an actor,” and his family was warmer and more united than ours ever was.
“William’s father is still an actor and landing important roles, so I don’t think you have to be worried about William being out of a job anytime soon.” I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation. William had real estate investments and was probably involved in other endeavors I wasn’t aware of. Yes, he was an actor, but he was smart and cunning and ambitious in the best way possible. And trying to convince my father about how great William was, how he was more than “just an actor,” was nothing but a waste of time and energy. He’d made up his mind about him and was fixated on the idea of me dating someone like Nathan.
My father parted his lips to reply but was cut off by a gentle knock on my door. I knew it was William, and he was probably still with Naomi, or he would’ve come in through the secret door.
“That must be William.” I jumped to my feet and crossed my arms at my chest. “I think it’s best if you leave.”
My dad stood and dusted off the lapels of his jacket, his gaze piercing into mine. One could tell he wasn’t thrilled about not getting his way. But there was nothing he could do at this point. I had a job that would provide me with enough money to survive. I had a place to live. And my tuition at Parsons was covered. He couldn’t control me anymore.
The idealistic part of me wanted things to be okay between us, but I knew that wouldn’t happen anytime soon, and I’d made my peace with it. I’d rather start living my life my way (as terrifying as it seemed) than fall back to the “comfort” of being told what to do in exchange for economic stability. Fuck that.
I followed my dad out, and William and Naomi fell silent when he opened the door to leave.
“Mr. Murphy,” William said with a curt nod, offering his hand to him. My dad shook it with a stiff mouth. “This is Naomi Lieberman. My new publicist. Naomi, this is Guille’s dad.”
My dad regarded her in silence for a few heartbeats and finally smiled and offered his hand to her. “Nice to meet you, Naomi.” She looked tiny next to William. She was a petite thing but fierce, nonetheless. I’d learned that from our earlier exchange.
“Likewise, Mr. Murphy.” She smiled at him with narrowed eyes. Maybe William had briefed her regarding my father’s ways. Or maybe she was good at reading people. Either way, her look made it seem like she was curious about him, but not in a good way.
“I expect you to take good care of my daughter,” my dad told her. “You seem young, and I doubt you have the necessary experience to deal with the media and …”
“Dad,” I cut him off mid-sentence. “Naomi knows what she’s doing.” I didn’t know her or anything about her experience, but if William trusted her enough to hire her, that was enough. Besides, this wasn’t about me. Her job was to manage William’s image, not mine. My father was out of line for many reasons.
“Sure she does.” My dad offered Naomi one of his diplomatic smiles, the kind that wrinkled his nose and eyes, but I knew it was fake. “My apologies.” He then directed his attention back to William. “She’s too good for you. But you’ll soon realize that.” He pointed at me when he said that, and I shut my eyes and took a deep breath that did nothing to soothe the indignation.
William refrained from replying, and I loved him even more for that. There was no use in arguing with my dad. Not when he was behaving this way.
He needed to leave. And I was about to ask him to do so for the second time when he leaned in to kiss my cheek and walked away.
“Mr. Murphy?” William said as my dad waited for the elevator. He looked over his shoulder at him. “I’m having the surveillance cameras uninstalled tomorrow morning and will hand them over to Aaron so he can return them to you.”
“Removing them is up to you.” The elevator chimed, and the doors opened in front of my father. He stepped inside and turned around to face us. “But you don’t want to know what happens if my daughter gets hurt.”
The doors shut with a thud, and William pulled me in for a protective hug.
“Your dad seems nice,” Naomi said, and the three of us started laughing. “I can’t decide who I like the best between him and your bodyguard.”
“Was Aaron rude to you?” William asked.
Naomi raised an eyebrow and readjusted her purse’s strap on her shoulder as she hugged her laptop against her chest. “We can assume he hates me.”
“He does not,” I said with a laugh. “I promise. He was cranky today because the coffee hadn’t yet loosened his mood.”
“Oh, that’s fine.” She waved a carefree hand in front of her, raising a shoulder in a playful way. “I hate him too.”