All Chapters of Relinquish - His Second Chance : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Four Years Later Sebastian"Melody!" I yell from the kitchen, assembling her lunch that I should have done last night but instead decided to sneak in a workout instead. "Melody!!" I call again when she doesn't call back, staying silent, probably searching high and low for one of her rabbits in the bunny room next to her bedroom. "Christ, why does she have to feed her rabbits this time of day?" I mutter to myself, sipping the lunch bag up before ensuring she has water in her flask for school."MELODY! We need to go," I yell, walking through the kitchen and living room, coming to stand at the bottom of the stairs.I reach for my blazer, grabbing my coat too because it's raining, my keys from the hook and my umbrella from the basket.Her footfalls sound from upstairs shortly before she calls back to me."Coming, Daddy," her sweet, innocent voice filters through the house, making me feel terrible for yelling again. "Come on, baby. We're going to be late again.""I'm sorry, I couldn't f

Deep brown pools of mud invite me in.A moment transpires between us, something happening that I can't put my finger on. But I snap out of it. Turning to my father with furrowed brows, turning my attention back to the problem at hand rather than the strange woman who breached my protocols."It's okay, Cassy. I own this building much like tower one; ignore my son.""This is my office, father... and this is my half of the business," I remind him."Neither here nor by. Anyway, as Cassy enlightened you, we know. We've pulled the CCTV footage here in tower two. We are suing both parties that made a false allegation," he grins, taking a seat at my desk, angering me as the desk chair rolls backwards with his weight. This is my domain, my office and my fucking desk. But I don't confront him, keeping my anger inside as I ask my next question. It seems I've been on tenterhooks with my father since he took Melody all those years ago. And he hasn't regained total confidence in me since then."So

Grinning, I turn off the main road in the back streets that will lead me to my daughter, and before long, I'm pulling up within the car park, walking to the reception desk."Can I have Melody early, please?" I request to the old frail receptionist who has been here since I was a child."Of course, let me ring through for her, Sebastian."I wait, pumped with excitement, as she tells me her teacher will bring her straight out. And she does, depositing her with me as Melody grins bigger than she had this morning."Daddy?" She questions as I take her delicate little hand in mine as we walk out of the school side by side."How was your day?" I ask her."Good, is something wrong?""Why would there be anything wrong, baby?""You're early," she points out as I strap her into the car."I thought perhaps you might like some ice cream and to visit the soft play centre whilst I finish my last meeting with Uncle Josh.""Are you serious?" She asks, clasping her hands before her much as I might have

The lack of needed support from Josh has me tossing and turning all night, knowing I'm walking into the devil's den the moment I step foot into work today.I'm late again, gathering Melody and me into my car over thirty minutes late as I drag my feet, knowing once I go, I won't have a moment to myself until come five o'clock.And I can't leave work early two days in a row; after allI have afternoon meetings from twelve, and I cannot remotely meet up with these clients much as I did Josh yesterday.Even so, I'm strolling through the doors of work at eight-twenty, frowning as I clap eyes with Hannah and, unfortunately, Cassidy.She stands almost immediately, her face like thunder, as she marches herself to me as I move myself to the lift that'll take me up to my office on the fortieth floor."You're late. I believe your start time is seven-thirty..." she mutters in disbelief as we walk side by side into the empty lift."I have a daughter to tend to, feed, dress, drive to school. Beside

I get Melody to school late, but not as late as yesterday, and weirdly, the stars must have aligned to present me with no traffic between her school and work. Meaning I walk through the doors with only a five-minute tardiness to my name today.Cassidy's there, of course, sitting with Hannah as she stares at the doors waiting for—me. She stands immediately at my presence, looking down only briefly at the watch on her otherwise bare wrist. She's dressed in a dress today, something that I believe Melody owns, a pinafore; I do think it's called.It's black and hugs her curves... her breasts, those hips.Clinging its way down to her tight adorned legs that seem to last forever with the aid of those stilettos. She clears her throat, bringing me crashing down to reality. "You have the code, no? Why are you waiting for me down here again?" I ask angrily, my night's lack of sleep still making me cranky. Or is it the fact I was just caught checking her out?"That is not my office; I'm a temp