3

Breakfast with Selene was still fresh in his mind — her smile, the laughter echoing among the aroma of coffee and warm toast. Alaric expected today to be like the days before, peaceful and uninterrupted. But as he stepped out of the car, an unexpected sight changed everything.

At the end of the parking lot, Alaric saw a familiar figure. His father had just arrived, and beside him walked a familiar woman, but whose presence darkened the skies of Alaric's heart. His eyebrows shot up, confusion and fear creeping in. He clutched his briefcase tightly, as if it were the only thing keeping him from exploding.

“She must have been complaining about my affair with Selene,” he thought, frowning as he walked quickly toward the CEO's elevator, which seemed to be getting farther and farther away. “How could Daddy be with Cassandra?” The two figures turned their heads, but instead of answering, Caspian checked his watch.

“It's after hours, why are you still in the parking lot? Shouldn't you be at your desk by now?” Caspian's voice boomed, adding to the weight of emotion in Alaric's chest.

When had his father started making a big deal out of his tardiness? Normally, Caspian was a calm person who didn't care if Alaric was late.

“Why are you still here? Hurry and get to work; do you want me to dock your pay?” Caspian asked again, making Alaric even more surprised. He had no choice but to go inside first.

In his mind, Alaric imagined Cassandra standing in front of Caspian, poisoning his father's mind about him. “He was defending Cassandra, not his son. Parents should always support their children, right?” 

He chuckled, angry at himself, angry at Cassandra. The day had just begun, but that woman had already managed to ruin his mood.

***

Alaric had brought a file for his father to sign. But when he got to the door of the room, his father's secretary stopped him.

“As I recall, no important guests are coming today. Why won't you let me in?” Alaric asked, confused.

“Sorry, the director told me not to let anyone in,” the secretary replied firmly, still preventing Alaric from entering his father's office on the twenty-first floor.

“It's an important file,” Alaric insisted, trying to be convincing.

The secretary slowly shook his head. “I'm sorry, but this is an order from Mr. Caspian.”

Alaric grew suspicious. It was unusual for his father to forbid people from entering, especially if it was work-related. As he remembered it, his father was a workaholic, so delaying important files was not an attitude he was used to.

Curious about what was going on inside, Alaric recalled that he had seen Cassandra in the parking lot with his father.

“I'm the son of the CEO who hired you. Do you want me to report this disrespectful behavior to my father? Do you want a termination letter in your mailbox?!” Alaric threatened, but the secretary stood his ground and didn't move an inch.

In a fit of frustration, Alaric shoved the much older man and forced his way into his father's room. A moment later, however, he came to a halt. His eyes widened, and the file he was carrying fell away as he saw a sight he hadn't expected: Cassandra sitting on Caspian's lap, and they were kissing.

“I forbade your son, but he insisted on coming in,” the secretary said, bowing apologetically to Caspian.

Caspian waved his hand and ordered the secretary out. His expression seemed irritated, disturbed by Alaric's presence.

Alaric was still surprised, and his emotions boiled over when he saw Cassandra not only sitting on his father's lap, but also being intimate, resting her head on Caspian's chest and looking at Alaric with a mocking smile.

“Why do you have to force your way in here, Alaric?” asked Caspian.

Hearing his father's words made Alaric even angrier. Instead of explaining the situation, his father questioned his behavior.

“I should have asked you what you were doing!” yelled Alaric, unable to contain his emotions.

“Don't you have eyes? You could see for yourself that we were making out,” Cassandra replied, deliberately provoking Alaric further.

“You! This is your way of getting revenge? Because I slept with Selene, now you're flirting with my daddy? Is your pride that low?!” Alaric never imagined that Cassandra would stoop so low to betrayal, let alone with his father.

“If I have such low self-esteem, how is that different from you and Selene? You cheated on me behind my back for years and made me look like a fool. Don't pretend like you're any better,” Cassandra retorted, fueling Alaric's anger.

Alaric clenched his fists, unable to accept the fact that Cassandra and his father were in a relationship. If Cassandra was with another man, he probably wouldn't care. But this was his father — the feeling of humiliation burned in his chest.

“You bitch! There are plenty of men out there, why does it have to be my father? Don't you think about my mom's feelings?” 

Caspian, who had only watched the argument so far, finally spoke. “Why would you think about a dead man's feelings, Alaric?”

Alaric was surprised. Granted, his mother was gone, but shouldn't his father be concerned about her feelings?

“It's been a dozen years since Mommy died, but you've never been close to a woman. Isn't that because daddy loved mommy so much and respected her feelings?” Alaric had never seen his father bring another woman home, let alone for fun.

For twenty-eight years, Alaric knew that Caspian put wealth ahead of his family. He felt a lack of affection as his father traveled more often for business than to care for him after his mother's departure.

Alaric thought positively that his father still couldn't let go of his mother and buried himself in work. He thought his father as a hero. But all that was lost when he learned that his father no longer respected his late mother. 

“Your mommy is gone. Don't drag her into this. Leave if you have nothing to do,” Caspian shooed his son away, seeing Alaric as an interruption to his fun.

“Daddy kicked me out because of that shameless bitch?!” It broke Alaric's heart to see the woman he hated succeed in getting his father's attention. 

“Why kick out Cassandra, who has more obvious uses? Go away, Al. I don't have time for childish talk,” Caspian said, glaring at Alaric, warning him not to upset him anymore.

“You two are disgusting,” Alaric snorted, while Cassandra smiled mockingly at him. With a burning anger, Alaric walked out of his father's room, slamming the door loudly.

***

After Alaric left, Cassandra tried to get off Caspian's lap. But Caspian wrapped his arm around her waist.

“You think our business is done?” he asked, his tone firm. “I've done my part very well. Now you must repay me for my services.”

Cassandra paused, confused. “Oh my, didn't we just kiss?”

Caspian's sardonic smile broke out, an angry look on his face. “Who said I only wanted a kiss? Now lift your short skirt, Cass.”

Hearing that command, Cassandra's heart skipped a beat. Fear mixed with attraction, making her hesitate. She looked up at him and saw a sharp glint in his eyes that sent shivers down her spine.

Was she really ready to continue playing this game? The tension between them grew, as if the surrounding space was shrinking.