29. Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Vicente Godoy
A fter dropping Ava off at school, Camila and I head to the office of Owen’s lawyers. Patrick is already waiting for us in the building lobby when we arrive
“Good morning, are you ready?” he asks Camila, and she gives him a stern nod. I hate seeing her so nervous.
I’m not sure what Owen was trying to accomplish with this. Didn’t he do enough damage telling my parents about my wedding? Does he really think I’m stupid enough to give him hush money for something that’s a blatant lie? He’s going to get nothing from us. Nothing.
Well, he might get sued if he doesn’t desist of this ridiculous idea. Camila definitely deserves compensation after all the distress he has caused her.
After riding the lift and being announced, we’re taken to a conference room. Owen is already seated with his two lawyers, his smarmy grin begging for my fist. But I need to remain calm and let Patrick do his job.
“Good morning. Thank you for agreeing to come,” one of Owen’s lawyers begins, and it takes a herculean effort for me not to roll my eyes.
“I’m Charles Shultz, legal counsel for the honorable Owen Clarke,” he says, pausing dramatically before continuing. “He is requesting a paternity test to establish his rights to the minor, Ava Flores. I assume you’re here to sign the documents that will allow this procedure to move forward.”
“Absolutely not,” Camila raises her voice.
I feel my heart roaring with pride, seeing my wife transformed into a lioness ready to protect our Ava.
“Then we have no other choice than to take this to court,” Owen’s lawyer says as he stands up.
Owen grins. Fucker doesn’t know what’s coming to him.
“Not so fast, Shultz,” Patrick says, as he stands, mimicking Shultz.
“I have evidence here that not only proves your client’s claims are false but also shows how poorly Mr. Clarke treated Mrs. Godoy when she ended their brief and uneventful fling.” He passes a folder to Shultz.
I have to stifle a laugh with a cough, enjoying the way Owen’s grin vanishes from his face.
“That’s preposterous!” Owen snaps, his voice rising. “I’m the victim here! I have a child and was left in the dark for the first five years of her life.”
“Stop lying, Clarke. What are you trying to achieve with this?” I demand, hitting the table with my fist.
Camila startles next to me, and I close my eyes, taking a couple of deep breaths. I can’t lose my composure. Not here.
“Well, now that you mention it, my dear friend…” Owen begins.
I growl at his fakeness as he continues, “I would be willing to forget all this—if I’m compensated for my loss.”
I chuckle in disbelief. I knew this wanker had an ulterior motive, and it wasn’t anything noble.
His lawyer murmurs something to Owen after scanning the documents, and I can see his nostrils flare in anger.
When he sees all the messages he exchanged with Camila—complete with time stamps—his demeanor changes entirely.
“I’m sure we all can see this as an unfortunate misunderstanding. We can dismiss the motion for requesting a paternity test, and you can go on with your lives,” his lawyer says after a brief, quiet exchange with Owen.
“Not so fast, Shultz,” Patrick says, his tone sharp. “I think we can all agree your client has put Mr. and Mrs. Godoy through heavy emotional distress, and they deserve to be compensated.”
The maniacal laugh that escapes Owen takes me by surprise, but I wasn’t really expecting him to be a gentleman and do what’s right.
“That’s right. I don’t think I’ve ever been more stressed in my life. And I’m an immigrant and a single mom, so I’ve been through my fair share of distress. Until recently,” Camila says as she stands and turns to face me.
“The fact that you decided to come after me and threaten to take away what is most precious in my life isn’t just despicable —it’s borderline criminal. You tried to scam Vicente into paying you for something you know very well is bogus,” Camila tells Owen, her hands spread on the table.
Fuck, my wife is hot when she’s mad.
I make a mental note to ask her to pretend to fight with me so we can have makeup sex. I bet we would be explosive.
“That might very well be, but there’s no chance in hell I’ll pay you for any emotional distress shite,” Owen says.
Camila stands her ground, and leans closer to him—she’s going for the kill.
“I thought you would say that. It’d be a shame if your wife…” Camila pauses for effect, gripping her chin with her thumb and forefinger, as if in deep thought.
“Gemma, is it? Yes, it’d be a shame if Gemma found out that you’re not only blackmailing your supposed best friend but also trying to claim the paternity of an ‘old loser Colombian’—someone you just fucked out of pity.”
Owen’s eyes grow wide as Camila’s confident smile spreads across her gorgeous face.
“That’s right, Owen. All those messages are in the folder,” Camila says, nodding toward the evidence on the table. “And I have plenty of copies to send to your wife.”
I can’t let her have all the fun.
Standing up next to her, I look at him and say, “I bet Gemma and her royal family wouldn't be very happy to learn this is how you plan to fund your next failed business.”
Owen pales at my words. “Would one million pounds be enough?” he asks, loosening his tie and shaking his hair.
I smirk and wink at Camila as I counter. “Ten million.”
Owen chokes, and Shultz passes him a glass of water.
“You know Camila deserves more, but ten million will do.”
He nods while Shultz shakes his head in defeat.
After shaking hands with Patrick, Camila and I leave the conference room. We’re done here.
“Mummy! Daddy! You’re back,” Ava exclaims the moment we enter our house, and I can finally breathe.
The drive back was quiet, adrenalinecoursing through Camila and me. But seeing our little angel so happy to see us makes everything better.
“Hey, duckling. How was school today?” I ask against her hair as Camila holds her.
“It was great, but even better was the surprise I got when I came home.”
Camila looks at me, her eyes widening. I shrug—then freeze as two figures materialize in front of us, and all the blood drains from my face.
“Mother? Father? What are you doing here?”
I sense Camila going rigid next to me. Instinctively, I move closer to her and wrap my arm around her shoulders.
“Well, I didn’t want to waste more time being alienated from your life and came to talk things through,” my father answers.
Even though I’m still mad at the way he tarnished our wedding day, I can see sincerity in his eyes.
“If you’re here to apologize, I’ll be happy to speak with you. Otherwise…”
“Yes, son. That’s what we came for.”
He wraps his arm around my mother’s shoulders, and after kissing her temple, he walks toward us.
“Why don’t you and your father go talk in the studio while I chat with Camila,” my mother says, smiling brightly at Camila.
I look down at my wife. I don’t want to leave her alone with my mother unless she feels comfortable.
Camila gives me a strained nod. I peck her lips and kiss Ava’s head before making my way to the studio.
I can hear my father’s heavy footsteps behind me, each one a reminder of the tension lingering between us.
As we enter the studio, I look him in the eye. I want to make sure he’s not going to explode like he did a couple of weeks ago.
“What caused the change of heart?” I ask, pouring a glass of scotch. I drink it in one big gulp and serve a second.
I motion for my father, silently asking if he wants one, but he shakes his head.
“The moment we got home, I realized the huge mistake I made—judging you instead of listening to your reasoning,” he says as he exhales a deep sigh. “I chose to believe Owen over you, and that’s simply unacceptable.”
I sip my scotch as I give my father time to continue talking.
“In retrospect, I can see now why you didn’t tell me you were getting married. I put you in an impossible position, and all you were trying to do was fulfill my wishes,” he says, his voice breaking.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen my father so emotional.
“I should have trusted you—trusted that I had raised you well. Instead, I came demanding even more from you.”
I walk closer to where he’s standing and wait for him to look up.
“Yes, Father. You should have trusted me. I knew what I was doing,” I say, and I can see a hint of a smile on his face.
“The truth is, my trip to Chile opened my eyes.”
I take a seat in one of the chairs across from my desk, and my father settles in the chair beside me.
“You knew what you were doing by sending me there. The moment I finally stopped assuming I knew everything and took the time to listen, I saw the vineyard in a new light. I knew I needed to go back and take charge.”
My words seem to calm my father. I guess he was expecting me to fire back, but he came to apologize. So I’m going to do my part and meet him halfway.
“But the main reason I listened to what employees had to say was my wife.”
My father's eyebrows form an arch, and I chuckle.
“Yes, Camila was Mrs. Evans’s replacement, and from the very first moment we spoke, she made sure to let me know she’s a strong and determined woman. She made me see the value of really listening to our employees. And then, when I came back to London, I met her, and that was it. The more time I spent with her and her daughter, I fell in love with them.”
A smile forms on my face as an image of Camila and Ava forms in my mind.
“I can see they are good for you, son,” he says, patting my knee.
“Even Gabo spoke highly about Camila and gushed over how cute Ava is.”
Now it’s my turn to raise an eyebrow.
“So you not only listened to Owen, who, by the way, tried to claim Ava’s paternity to extort money from me, but you also spoke with Gabo before coming here?” I ask, a mix of confusion and something like disappointment washing over me.
“Again, I know I didn’t handle this situation well. But I didn’t contact Gabo about this. He called me to tell me how amazing they were and what a big mistake I’ve made.”
I release a deep breath at my father’s words.
“And what is this nonsense about Owen? You’ll have to tell me later if there’s anything I can do to help. Right now, I simply want to apologize to you and Camila, and spend some time with you all,” my father says, his voice strong but kind tone.
I nod as I smile at him and lean closer to give him a hug. I know I didn’t need his approval, but it’s good to be back on good terms with him. He’s been my role model since I was a kid.
“The moment I saw you coming in with her, I knew you were in love, son. And there’s no better feeling in the world than that. Now I can rest and trust that you and Camila will take our family business into the future.”
My father hugs me harder, and I hug him back, simply enjoying the way things turned out.
“Thank you for making me see what I was missing. I’ve never been happier,” I share with him honestly.
“You don’t need to thank me. You’re about to learn there’s nothing you wouldn’t do for your children, even if they are adult billionaires.”
We both chuckle. After my father clears his throat—he hasn’t always been a man to show his emotions—we make our way to find our family.