Chapter 4

MATEO POV

Of all the people to meet, I had never expected in my wildest dreams to meet her.

When my dad had told me he had engaged the woman he had been seeing for the past few months, I was upset.

How could he just make his decision to spend the rest of his life with a person he met in less than a year? I had thought nothing of his fiancee but a gold digger.

Then he told me that his fiancee was coming over for dinner to his place for the first time and I had to be there. I planned to get rid of the woman and expose her as a gold digger to my dad but I got shocked instead.

Of all the women he could have met, it just had to be the mother of the one girl I couldn't get her name off my head for the past eight years.

I instantly recognized her the moment I set my eyes on her, her facial features had barely changed but everything else did.

I used to remember her as the cute chubby hazel jaded eye girl whenever I thought of her, but now she was more grown up, slim and more fierce looking.

I could see the hatred in her eyes as she looked at me, I expected nothing else to be honest.

I had been such a dick and jerk to her throughout high school years that I didn't want to even think about it.

I glanced at my father and saw him looking at both of us as we looked at each other, his eyebrow raised suspiciously. And I knew it would take no time for him to find out about everything and that we knew each other, he was always quick to observe.

After dinner, we went to the living room and talked or rather got to know each other. I saw Brielle from the corner of my eye, obviously not interested in whatever we were saying as she barely said a word and just nodded if spoken to.

She got up and went to the patio. I wanted to speak to her badly.

I saw my father glancing at me and giving me a look which said “go meet her and talk”

I don't know how but I always understood whatever he meant with his eyes.

I got up and joined her on the patio, she seemed so lost in thoughts that she had no idea I was behind her.

As expected, she was boiling with fury seeing me there. I could see tears forming in her eyes as she shouted at me and I felt like a piece of my heart broke, I really did hurt her.

She warned me and walked off, didn't even give me a chance to speak.

The once meek and timid young girl from high school had turned into a girl filled with rage and anger in her heart for me.

Unlike her daughter, Lizzy was sweet and nice. She looked at me adoringly and talked to me like her own son, oh if only she knew how I treated her daughter in high school, I was very sure the wedding would be cut off.

I could see how in love my father and Lizzy were throughout the time we spent together, they looked at each other like they were long time lovers who didn't want to be separated and then I knew that she wasn't just faking her love for him for his wealth, I still had to keep up my guards around her and make sure she was truly right for my father.

I was going to try and make sure nothing was to come in between them, I didn't want Lizzy to find out about the past between me and her daughter and I was certain Brielle wasn't going to inform her either.

The only person I was worried about was my father, and I knew it would take less than an hour for him to find out the entire history between me and Brielle.

The next morning, he called me and demanded to see me and I knew just the reason why my father called me early in the morning sounding upset.

I entered the house and was greeted by his angry stare

“I never knew I gave birth to such a cold hearted, heartless son” He said

He knew.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, feigning innocence

“Oh cut the crap, I know you know what im talking about, Brielle” he said

“I'm surprised it took you this long” I murmured

“How could you treat a vulnerable, innocent girl like that?” he narrowed his eyes at me

“I was young as well, I had no idea what i was doing” I stated defending my past actions

“I knew you were a spoiled brat but I didn't know you were that bad, didn't I do all I could to raise you right?” He asked

“Please stop, I don't need more of your emotional drama” I said

“You treated a girl like shit and made her traumatised, you evil son of mine” He shouted and threw a bunch of newspapers at me, which I guessed he has been reading and I dodged.

She was traumatised? I had no idea… suddenly I felt more guilty than ever

“I hired the best nannies to watch over you ever since you were a little boy and your mother died, I brought in world renowned tutors to homeschool you, you insisted on going to a private school rather than homeschod, now I find out this was what you were doing?” he added with a hurt look in his eyes, I stayed silent.

“Now you're going to fix this mess you created, make her forgive you and you better dont let this enmity between you two come between my marriage with her mother” he ordered, his back turned to me

“Yes father, I was also planning on doing that” I sighed

“I do not want LIzzy to find out about anything about what happened between you two, she loves her daughter too much and it would break her heart if she hears about it and I do not want to lose her, I'm going to clean up all evidence left of the past and hope she doesn't find out herself from Brielle” he said and sighed

“Trust me, I do not want her to ever find out either”

“Good. and I found out that Brielle applied to your companies secretary position” he quickly added

“Wait what? How did you…”

“Dont bother asking how, I know about everything son, I always do”

Of course he did, he had connections even within my own company

He turned to face me, “you are going to give her that position”

“What? Even if i do, that's the last thing she’ll rather do when she finds out she'll be working for me”

“She will, she will become your step sister soon and you both need to be at least friends, if not siblings and what better opportunity than working together and seeing each other every day” He said as a matter of fact

“I don't think that's a good idea, and this is my company dad, I make my own decisions. I don't want someone who will be happy seeing me dead than alive to be working for me as a secretary” I voiced out my opinion, knowing deep down, I wanted her to work for me too

“Well it's the only option and she has actually has a very good resume, she will be a great addition to your company. You will do as I say right?”He commanded

“No, I won't because i'm not a child and I do not live under you anymore, just because I obeyed you and came here listening to what you're saying doesnt mean I will agree to every terms””

He came closer to me “listen, I know I haven't really been the best father, I wasn't always around during your teenagehood and thought the nannies were doing a better job at raising you than I ever will and I’m sorry, maybe if I was there to raise you myself, I would have known and you wouldn't have been doing something so evil”

Typical parents tactics, using emotional blackmail. And yet it always worked on me

“Please son, I just want a chance at a happy family, I imagine the two of us with Lizzy and her daughter as a happy family, I want them in our life and I know you do too and I think this is the only option, she has to work for you” he looked at me with heartfelt eyes, trying to convince me

I sighed “fine, I will tell my workers to send her an email that she was accepted to the interview stage to be more discreet, and I’ll give her the job” his blackmail successfully worked.

“Glad to hear you reason with me” he said, smiling

I stayed quiet and then turned to leave

“Son, do you even regret your past actions?” he asked and I stopped in my tracks

I ignored him and then walked out of the house.

You have no idea…