EDWINA
"Absolutely not!"
I snapped as I stood up, chest heaving as I stared down at my father.
His expression remained the same, and he looked me over in a way that made me feel like I was a kid again.
"Sit down, Edwina."
I took a deep breath and sat back down.
"I will not move back here, sir. I only just settled in at New York. The company is doing perfectly well. You do not need me here," I tried to speak as steady as I could manage, with anger and panic rolling in me.
My father raised his eyebrows.
"Who are you to tell me what I need and do not need for my company? The New York company will be in good hands, I assure you. But I need you here, and I need you urgently.
I already signed your name as the person in charge. You can't back out now."
My jaw dropped open at his words.
"You already signed my name? Without consulting me? You were not planning on giving me a choice in this matter, right?" my anger was beginning to lace my words now.
Father frowned as he took me in, displeasure evident in his gaze at my anger laced words and my rigid posture.
"Has your ego gotten too big for you to realize that you're speaking to me? Have you forgotten the presence of who you're speaking with?
How dare you address me in that manner?!" he snapped, his outburst taking me by surprise.
Remorse and shame doused me, ridding my body of the anger i was feeling.
He was right.
I had forgotten that despite the fact that he was my father, he was still someone I would not dare to mess with.
In other words, I had forgotten my place as an illegitimate child, and I had allowed anger to speak in place of reason.
"I'm sorry sir. I apologize. Forgive me," I said quietly, cheeks reddening with embarrassment.
We sat in silence for another whole minute before he spoke.
"Your objection is unnecessary. You know my mind is made up. You will move back here. No questions asked."
I nodded, but couldn't resist the urge to ask him why he was so bent on his decision.
"But why? I mean, Noah would have to move with me, and I fear the change of environment might not be a good thing for him."
Maybe appealing to him with Noah would work. I was desperately grasping at straws now.
Father shook his head.
"Noah is a kid. He's not the determining factor in this case. He will adapt. That's what kids best. And besides, there's a condition attached to this order."
I fought the urge to raise my eyebrows, my heart rate picking up at his words.
Another condition? The last time he offered me something like this, the condition was easy enough.
I only had to prove myself. What did father have in mind now?
What if he asked me to do something I was not capable off?
If I was unable to meet his demands, would he back down on this offer or look for another way to tie me down here?
"What condition, sir?" i managed to ask despite the roaring thoughts in my head.
"Do this for me, and I'll grant you the one thing I know you've wanted for years. I'll claim you legally, as my legitimate child."
And with just a few words, my father stunned me into silence.
Me. His legitimate child.
I knew how easier my life would become if he did that for me.
Accepting me meant he was willing to add me to his will, giving me access to his wealth, if he ended up kicking the bucket.
And Noah, my sweet boy, would be set for life.
He would not have to suffer like I did. My son would not have to do odd jobs to make ends meet.
Most importantly, he would not just be the grandchild of the illegitimate daughter.
He would be a real blood relative. A legitimate grandchild.
The offer was tempting. Beyond tempting, I knew it would be a terrible mistake to reject his offer.
If I refused, he might dismiss me from my current post as the CEO of the New York company, and I would be without a job.
I shuddered at the thought. Being jobless without any hope of securing a job was a terrible fate.
One I had no interest in going through.
But still, to manipulate me this way. To coerce me with a condition like this only made my chest tighten.
Father was dangling his power, his position in my face, like one would dangle a carrot before a rabbit.
"Well?" he raised his eyebrows, oblivious to the internal war going through me.
I needed time to think. Sleeping off this whole drama was a good idea.
I would deal with it once I woke up.
"I'll think about it," I said quietly and made to stand up when he stopped me.
"One more thing. There's a dinner party tonight, and I know you need time to think thia through. But I'll appreciate it if you can attend this event."
"Do I have to?" I was suddenly too tired, to exhausted.
All I wanted was to sleep.
"The company you'll be partnering with for this project would be there too. Make an appearance, mingle. Make small talk. Observe. I think it would do you a great deal," he said, eyes trained on mine.
"This is not a request, is it?" i asked.
We both knew he wasn't really asking me to attend the dinner party.
He was telling me.
There was a very vast difference.
He smiled, a small, humorless thing that only made him look more calculating.
I excused myself, walking to my bedroom with slumped shoulders.
Father's method had always been…unsavory, but it was very unfair of him to do this to me.
He must have known that I would object to all of these, which was why he asked to see me face to face.
And now, now I had no choice.
I would have to accept, of course.
This dinner party was just a formality.
I sighed as I plopped down on my bed. My phone buzzed, and I saw that father had forwarded the details of the dinner.
Glancing at the wall clock, I was relieved to see that I still had four more hours before the event.
So I turned on my side, closed my eyes, and let oblivion take all of my worries away.
~~
The dinner party was ridiculous.
Extravagant lights surrounded the ballroom, a thousand lights shining down on the guests.
When though it was nighttime, the room was as bright as day, and I winced at how unnecessary everything seemed.
I was careful to not let my thoughts reflect on my face though.
Pasting a limpid smile on my face, I acknowledged everyone father introduced to me, gripping his arm as we moved from one group of people to another.
Hiding my groan as he whisked me across the ballroom, I wondered how this man had been able to stomach all of these for years.
The extremely expensive dresses and suits made me feel inferior. I knew feeling that way was unsuitable, considering that I was dressed in the same manner as well.
But I had grew up on the other side of this world, waiting tables and trying to make ends meet.
Even when I relocated to New York to take on father's company, even when I was married to Kieran, the habits never left me completely.
I preferred cozy settings, not ostentatious ones like this.
"There they are. Edwina, look alive and come along. The partnering company is here," Father said, jolting me out of my thoughts.
"How did you even manage to keep track of all these people? They all look alike to me," I grumbled as we made our way to the partnering company.
Father glared at me, warning evident in his gaze.
I stopped speaking, keeping the rest of my not so pleasant comments in my chest.
I was already here. I might as well put up with it, no matter how uncomfortable I felt.
"Here. Hello, Kieran. Meet my daughter, Edwina. She'll be heading the company in my stead, working directly with you instead."
I froze, my ears ringing at the sound of that very familiar name.
His back was to us, and he turned around to shake my father's hand, only for his gaze to meet mine.
Kieran stared at me, and my jaw almost dropped open.
He had gotten even more handsome over the years, and I fought the sudden urge to h
ug him.
His gaze lingered on mine for a while before he turned to face my father.
"Hello, Mr. Hall. It is my absolute pleasure to be introduced to your daughter."
Holy shit.
Holy fucking shit.
Kieran was the CEO of the partnering company.
My ex husband was my new business partner.
I was in so much trouble.
KIERAN
My life just got fucked.
I had been waiting for Mr. Hall, the CEO of the company I would be partnering with, when I got the biggest shock of my life.
Mr. Hall was one of the wealthiest, biggest reputable businessman in the whole of United Kingdom, and a part of me had been nervous about meeting him formally.
This dinner was a formality, an avenue for the partnering companies to meet, to interact outside the emails.
It was the last step to take before we began to work together.
But when I heard his voice and turned around, the person that stood beside Mr. Hall, with a limp smile on her face, was the person I least expected to meet her.
Edwina.
My ex wife.
My mind blanked as I took her in, vaguely listening to Mr. Hall as he introduced her as his daughter, and the person I would be working directly with.
Fuck.
Edwina was the daughter of Mr. Hall.
All those years I was married to her, and I had not a single idea who her father was.
The realisation made me ashamed. Embarrassed. I had been so terrible, so indifferent to her. I knew nothing about the woman standing before me, despite the fact that we were married for half a decade.
What kind of husband was I?
I resisted the urge to run my hands through my hair as the realisation smacked me in the chest.
How could I have been so terrible?
Forcing my face into a neutral calm, I turned my attention to the people standing before me.
Edwina was staring at me with barely concealed surprise, her jaw almost slack as she took me in.
I shook my head to disperse the fog that was enveloping my senses, clearing my throat before I turned back to her father.
"Hello, Mr. Hall. It is my absolute pleasure to be introduced to your daughter," I managed to keep my voice steady as I shook the elderly man's hand.
I extended my hand to Edwina. Her face was blank, not even a trace of the limpid smile she had on earlier.
Had I imagined the surprise on her face earlier?
"Hello, Edwina. It's nice to see you…again," I said, trying to see if my words would have any effect on her.
Edwina looked me right in the eye as she shook my hand back, her grip surprisingly firm.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. White," her words were delivered with a brisk, sharp voice that was devoid of any emotion.
Her gaze, still trained on me, revealed nothing about how she was felt, meeting me again like this.
Edwina wasn't as shaken as I was.
Mr. Hall smiled at me, and we made small talk as we stood together. Only half of my attention was on the conversation though.
The other half was on Edwina, who looked so beautiful, so exquisite, that it was hard to tear my eyes away from her.
My hands twitched as I fought the urge to pull her to me, to envelope her body in mine.
Standing so close to her was unbearable, not when she looked so distant, so aloof, as she glanced around.
I was about to excuse myself to give her some space when her eyes lit up.
I cursed. A wide smile stretched across her face as she took in whoever it was that made her smile like that, and it was as though I was staring at the sun.
The smile transformed her entire body, highlighting her beauty. Her eyes sparkled with joy and she didn't even spare me a glance as she turned to her father.
"Excuse me, father. Orion is here," she said and gently extricated her arm from her father's elbow before walking away.
I traced her movement with my gaze, my eyes tracking each step she took. When she stopped before a blond, handsome man, hot white jealousy erupted in my chest.
Edwina left me standing here with no acknowledgement, no words, not even a single glance, and went to talk to another man.
I watched as the man —Orion, as she called him— lifted her delicate fingers to his lips. My hands fisted at my sides, and I had the sudden urge to bash that man's head into the wall.
Saying a vague goodbye to Edwina's father, I made my way to the drinks section.
This dinner wasn't just for meeting Mr. Hall alone. Powerful people dined right before me.
I was supposed to be out there, networking, strengthening alliances and forming new ones.
But I wasn't there. No. I stayed at the drinks section, downing glass after glass of champagne, my gaze zeroed in on Edwina.
She looked so relaxed, so at home with Orion, that I could not help but think they were together.
They suited each other, of course. Orion was an absolute gentleman, and from the look on his face, it was obvious that he was absolutely smitten with Edwina.
He engaged her with conversations that made her laugh, and my chest tightened with pain.
I should be the one standing there with her.
Was Orion the man she was in love with five years ago? The man she was so happy to leave me for?
I tilted my head back and took another large gulp of champagne.
She was describing something to Orion, her hands making animated gestures as she spoke. Edwina was like a magnet.
Her appeal, her allure had men gravitating towards her slowly, but she was oblivious to it. The only person she had eye for was Orion, and I cursed at how different she wasfrom the woman who has greeted me earlier.
With Orion, she transformed into a laughing, talking beauty, and the ache in my chest multiplied.
As I watched Edwina laugh with Orion, a pang struck my chest. Had I ever made her happy like that?
A voice at the back of my head started to whisper to me.
'Are you just going to let her go, then? You are seeing your ex wife, who you haven't laid eyes on for years, and you just want to stand here and burn with jealousy all night?
Go to her. Try to make a conversation. You are Kieran White, for fuck's sake. Don't just stand here like a lovesick fool.'
The voice in my head was right. If I was going to be working directly with Edwina, I might as well try to make small talk with her.
Chugging down two more glasses of champagne, I made my way to Edwina.
Orion saw me first, and his gaze hardened lightly when he saw that I was heading in their direction.
I paid him no heed as I touched Edwina's shoulder lightly, drawing her attention to me.
"Edwina."
She turned to look at me coolly.
"How can I help you, Kieran?" she said in the brisk, sharp voice she used me with earlier during our introduction
"We need to talk."
She eyed me, turning fully to face me before she spoke.
"I'm all ears."
I glanced at Orion, who was staring at me with anger. I smiled, a cruel bitter thing.
He was clearly aggravated at my interruption.
"We need to talk. Alone," I said as I turned back to Edwina, placing enough emphasis on the last word that she knew I wasn't going to say whatever I wanted to in the presence of her…whoever Orion was to her.
"Very well. Do you mind fetching me a drink, Please?" she turned to Orion, and I hated how warm her words were.
Orion took her hands and led her few feet away. I watched as the exchanged few words, and the man nodded as he left.
"What do you want, Kieran?" Edwina asked without wasting time as she came back to stand before me.
What did I want?
I had no idea.
Standing before her, having her full attention at last, I realized that I had no idea of what to say.
"I just…you know. We…you…I didn't expect to see you again," I managed to say.
Immediately the words left my lips, I knew I had made a terrible mistake.
Edwina stiffened, her body going rigid and tense as she took in my words.
"You don't need to worry about my return, Kieran. I assure you that you're and will always remain, a business partner. Whatever it is you're thinking, I definitely didn't come back here for that.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave."
She glared at me as she walked away, and I ran my hands through my hair.
Fuck.
Fuck!
I drank my way through the rest of the party, my heart aching at how indifferent, how cold Edwina was.
She had left the party immediately, saying goodbye to her father before leaving with Orion.
I wanted to run after her to apologize, to let her know that she misunderstood my words.
But I didn't. I stayed and drank, ignoring the people I was supposed to be networking with.
The dinner was coming to an end when I left, my chest still tight from the confrontation I had with my ex wife.
I was drunk as hell, and it took me a few tries before I finally managed to unlock the door.
Sleep. I needed to sleep. Thinking about Edwina in a drunk state wasn't ideal.
I needed to…a familiar heady scent wafted through my nose, scrambling my thoughts.
I raised my head to see Amelia walking down the stairs, her luscious body wrapped in a dress that did little to cover her body.
She smiled when she saw me.
"Home so soon?"
"Where are you going?" i asked, my eyes narrowing at how dressed up she was.
"Just…you know. I've been bored at home, so I decided to take myself out for a treat."
I scoffed.
"You are bored? Don't bullshit me, Amelia. I told you to come with me to the dinner party and you refused. Now you have the guts to tell me you're bored?
Where the hell are you going?" i said, my voice slurring at the end.
Amelia eyes widened when she noticed how drunk I was.
"You're drunk. Be a good boy and go to sleep," she smirked as she started to walk past me.
I gripped her wrist.
"Don't test the limit of my patience, Amelia. Where are you going to, dressed that way?"
She snatched her wrist out of my grip.
"It's none of your business," she snapped, rolling her eyes at me as she walked out.
I stood there for a while, watching the door even after she was long gone.
Amelia was lying to me.
I wondered how my times she had deceived me, lied to me. I wondered what I was still doing with her.
Maybe put
ting up with Amelia was my self imposed punishment for being a terrible husband to Edwina.
Maybe Edwina coming back into my life years after our divorce was the greatest punishment the universe decided to award me.
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