Chapter 2

Liam Kings

" I'm not sure Liam, things aren't looking good on their side. I doubt they can even pay one percent, not to even ask for a full payment." Ian Cooper my best friend and business partner tells me over the phone. He invested in Kings Corp a few years ago, so now his shares are big enough to call him a partner. I still had more shares than him and I could finalize decisions without him or anyone for that matter but Ian has been more than a friend and he's really good in the business world. We know literally everything about each other so I have no issues seeking advice from him. He was the director of Cooper Hotels, a company that was owned by his father but will soon be his.

We were both good looking and we knew it. I had a get black hair while he had a chestnut brown one. We were both tall but I was taller by 2 inches. He was 6'2 while I was 6'5 and of course we were both bachelors. Ian and I were single, Ian was the playboy between the both of us whereas I was the workaholic. I didn't have the time for women and their annoying attitude. They were always throwing their selfs on me like they worth nothing and I hated it. I had only one thing on my mind, work.

" Look Ian, whether or not the company is in crisis or not doesn't have anything to do with me. He has been owing ten billion dollars for 7 years and he hasn't even payed a hundred thousand dollars off. It looks like Albert Davidson doesn't know that I'm not like Dad. I won't be so nice as to over look this Ian." I say angrily.

" He will pay every single dime and it will happen this year." I finish off and head back to my seat.

" Look man, whatever you want to do, I'll help just don't cause a scene Liam, cause I know you're more than capable of doing that." Ian says with a laugh and I join in, allowing the anger to subside.

" Well that's it for now, I gotta go, get out of my phone." I say playfully to Ian

" Yeah, go bury yourself in more work idiot, but remember all work and no play makes Liam stupid." Ian says while laughing.

" Yeah nice one, Go away dude." I say as I end the call.

A few minutes later, I hear a knock on my door, already knowing who it is, I speak.

" Come in." I say and Lucy my secretary walks in with an expression that said ' sorry '

" What is it Lucy." I ask her knowing that it's never good when she has that look on her face.

Lucy is a very wonderful lady. She was in her early 40's and worked for my dad before I took over and I could see why dad could never let her leave. She was damn good at her job and since she was married I didn't have to worry about her seducing me like how my previous assistant tried doing while I was the director. I also respected her as much as I would my mom and she never took it for granted. She was a lovely soul.

" Mrs kings is here." She says and I stiffen. Now, I was feared by a lot of people but this woman frightened me, she's the only one who can make me go against my will, the only woman asides my sister that I love. That woman is my mother.

" She doesn't look happy Liam, you're in trouble." Lucy says in a playful tone. I immediately start thinking of what crime i had committed against her these past few months. Adjusting my position, I speak.

"Let her in Lucy, she wouldn't kill her only son now will she?". She won't right? As soon as Lucy leaves, the door opens to reveal a very angry mum.

" I was beginning to wonder if I really had given birth to a son." She starts and I know that she wasn't going to leave here without giving me an earful for not visiting her for almost 6 months.

" Good to see you too mom, you look amazing." I say trying to change the topic, knowing that she loved it when I praised her. But she wasn't falling for it this time around.

" No no no, Alessandro, don't you dare change the topic." She says calling me by my Italian name. Her Italian accent coming out strongly. This only happened when she was really angry.

Both her parents were Italian, so she was a pure Italian but she got married to dad, who was Canadian. I got most of my features from my mother, that explained why I looked more Italian than Canadian. While my sister Hailey, got her features from dad so she looked Canadian.

" Six months Alessandro, six months, no calls, no texts, no visits, no nothing!" She says fuming. I leave my seat and walk towards her, she was right and I knew it. I was avoiding her and she knew why.

" I'm sorry Mom, I really am. I love you but whenever you see me, the only thing on your mind is marriage, and you know fully well that I don't want that." I say with a pleading look.

" So you cut me off because of that?" She says with a hurtful expression and I immediately regret my actions.

" I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking Mom. I missed you." I say with a sincere look and her anger subsides. You see, I told you she won't kill me. I'm her son. I sigh in relief.

" If you missed me why didn't you call Sandro." She asks, using the short form of my name that she only is allowed to use.

" My baby looks so pale, you haven't been feeding well." She states while touching my face with a pout.

" This is exactly why you need a wife dear. For things like this. She would at least make sure you're healthy. And by healthy I mean food wise not just exercise Liam." She says and I'm immediately reminded of the main reason I haven't been in touch with her.

" There you go again mom. You say things like this and then you wonder why I avoid you." I say looking at her with a tired expression.

" Of course Liam. If I don't who will, your father? Hailey? you're all too busy to look after each other, so I have to do it." She says.

" Please Liam, listen to me this time, I won't ask you to do anything you don't want to anymore, please." She says tiredly and that's when I notice it.

Something about the way she's saying it this time feels different. Since I turned 26, she has always been pressuring me into marriage, but this time around I feel that there's something else. I stare at her and I think she notices that I was sensing something, so she avoids eye contact with me. I study her and that's when I notice that she looks different. Her skin looks pale and her hair looked different, mom had black hair that was devoid of any white hair despite her age. Not that she was old, she was barely sixty. Although she tried to hide it, I could tell that she was wearing a wig. Mom never wore a wig.

" Why are you wearing a wig mom, what's wrong with your hair, why do you look like this." I ask her as I feel myself getting scared, my thoughts are everywhere and I can't seem to calm down.

" Oh, this." She says referring to the wig.

" My friend launched a new hair line, so I decided to try it out." She says not looking at me and I can tell that she's lying. I've always known when something was up with mom, she could hide it from others but not me.

" Look Sandro, I have to go, come home, then I'll tell you everything, I promise." She says looking at me weakly.

" I love you okay?, Bye Liam." She says as she leaves the office. It can't be what I'm thinking right? She's okay, right?

Hailey, she'll know what wrong with mom, she lives with her. Grabbing my phone from my desk, I quickly dial Hailey's number, it rings for a few seconds before she picks.

"Hey." I say not knowing how to start the conversation with her. We were close but this past few months have been really hectic for me at the company, not that we were doing badly, it was the exact opposite, we were doing great but I had some loose ends to fix so I haven't been in contact with her.

" Look who finally decided to call, I was almost convinced I was an only child." She says and I can imagine her smirking on the other side of the call.

" I know, I know Hailey, I'm a bad brother and son, but please save that for later. What's up with mom. Something doesn't feel right." I say to her and she immediately goes silent. This can't be good.

" If you visited more often or even called Liam, you would know. But no, you're too busy building your empire. Do you think I don't work too Liam. For God sake Liam, I'm as busy as you are and I still find time for family." She says and I know she's right.

She had her own fashion line and it was really popular in the country and beyond. She even travels a lot more than I do because of the nature of her job but she still managed to strike a balance between work and family, something I haven't been able to do.

" Mom is sick Liam, she has been for months now." Hailey says as I slump on my chair.

" How bad is it?" I ask fearing for the worst.

" It's really bad Liam, 2 weeks after you stopped visiting, she suddenly slumped, we rushed her to the hospital and it was confirmed that she had pancreatic cancer." She says in between cries but I still mange to hear her.

" No, no way Hailey. Tell me it isn't true, it a lie right?" I say hoping it's one of her usual jokes but what she says next proves that it isn't.

" It isn't, we didn't know because according to the doctor, pancreatic cancers are hard to detect and they don't usually show symptoms until it is in the final stage." She says while sobbing.

" So what does this mean, what the hell are you trying to say Hailey." I ask, yelling at her for no reason. I was so frustrated because I had neglected mom while she was going through this.

" The doctor said she has just three months to live." She explains.

It can't be true, Mom can't be dying. No. I try my best to maintain my composure but I feel myself loosing it.

" What do you mean by that, huh, how is that even possible, she just left my office and she looked fine to me so what are you talking about." I say trying to assure myself that Mom was okay.

" She looks fine for now, Liam, but not for long. She isn't even supposed to be moving about. I guess she so desperately wanted to see her son who forgot her before anything happens." Hailey says and to say I feel guilty is an understatement.

" I understand Hailey, I'll call you back. Bye." I say hanging up.

Making my way into my parents house, I look around as I notice that it looks a lot different from when I last visited. Well, with mom around, renovations were bound to happen often. She loved changing the house's look Everytime and no one dared to question her. The house or should I say mansion, was built by dad when they got married. It was a wedding gift from him to Mom. It was built in a castle-like way, with lots of pillars on the outside. Plain white with silver outlines clouded the exterior and the interior was no different, just more magnificent.

After I ended the phone call with Hailey earlier, I left the company immediately to my apartment. I got my things and had them moved to my parents place because I had made up my mind to use the little time I had left with my mom well.

" Liam, oh my word, it's so good to see you. Where have you been dear." Maria, our housekeeper welcomes me with a hug that I reciprocate genuinely. I have really missed her. Maria has been working here since I could remember. She was probably here before I was born,so she pretty much raised me alongside my parents.

" Very well Maria, You look good, as usual. If I didn't know you I'd ask you to be my girlfriend." I say teasingly.

" Oh goodness Liam, stop flattering me will you." She says blushing. Maria was an Italian woman in her early fifties, age was taking a toll on her compared to previous years but she still looked beautiful.

" Lucia is upstairs in her room. She has been waiting for you to come visiting." She says referring to Mom. Kate was really close to my mom so it's no surprise that she knows about everything that goes on in the house. They were from the same city in Italy.

" Okay Maria, I'll go to her, thank you." I say as I make my way to mom's room.

The door is open as I approach the room and I see mom lying on the bed while dad was beside her, they looked so happy as they were having a chat with each other. My parents marriage was one of the very few successful marriages in Canada and I envied them so much. One might think that the reason to my hatred for women or commitment was because my parents had a failed marriage, but it was far from that. Well you'll hear more about that story later.

Clearing my throat to get their attention, they both look up.

" Hey dad." I say as I enter the room.

" Look who finally decided to show up. For a moment there I thought I didn't have a son you know." My dad says playfully.

" You're just exaggerating dad." I say as I give him a hug.

" Well you don't look bad and the company's doing great this days my boy. I'm so proud of you." Dad says while hugging me.

" Although you haven't been a good son these past months, what's up with you anyways." Dad says

" I know dad and I'm sorry, that's why I'm here, I just moved in. I'll be staying till the end of the year." I say and mum's eyes twinkle with excitement.

" Really Sandro? You're going to be here for the rest of the year. Oh my boy, come here." Mum says as she extends her hand to me. I bend to her level in the bed and give her a hug.

" I'm so sorry mum, I heard what happened, I am disappointed in myself for not knowing about your sickness until today." I say looking into her eyes and a tear escapes her eyes.

" So to make up for these past months that I couldn't share with you, I'll be Staying here with you, while doing everything I can to make sure you stay longer mom." I say not realizing that I was crying. This has become a normal thing for me in just 8 hours.

" I couldn't ask for anything more than to have my family by my side honey, the doctor has already told me that I have just three months left and I'm going to make sure that I have no regrets when it's time." She says smiling at me.

" No mom, don't say that, you're stronger than you think, the strongest woman I know, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you live. You should get see my children and grandchildren before you die. " I tell her and she beams immediately.

" What do you mean Sandro, you want to have children? I thought you were against marriage." Mom says looking at me with confusion written all over her face.

" Well looks to me like he changed his mind honey." Dad says beside me and I give a short laugh.

" Yes mom, I've made up my mind. I'm going to grant you your wish. I'll get married and I'll do it in three months."