Page 49 of Till Forever Falls Apart
“It’s lovely to meet you both.” She rejoined my dad. I couldn’t quite grasp what the fuck was happening, and before I could speak another word, Cathrine appeared.
“Dinner is served, Mr Knight.”
“Perfect timing. Shall we?” Dad said as he made his way out with Monica.
Just as I turned to start walking, Aria pulled me back to face her, those moon-like eyes of hers meeting my soul, and she rested her hands on my cheeks.
“I’m here, ok?”
I smiled and kissed her forehead. She had no idea how those three simple words calmed everything inside me.
When we reached the dining room, I stood for a moment, looking over at the table filled with an array of roasted meats, crispy potatoes, and seasonal vegetables. Anyone would think this was a regular family affair, based on the way my father sat there at the head of the table.
I pulled the chair out for Aria, and she smiled before sitting down. I took the seat next to her and rested my hand on her thigh.
As I placed different bits of food on Aria’s plate for her that I knew she would like, I could feel my dad’s eyes on me.
“I’m sure she can do that herself,” he commented.
I didn’t even bother looking at him. “I’m sure she can. However, there’s nothing wrong with a man taking care of the woman he loves.” My eyes flicked up to meet his. “Then again, that’s not something you’d be accustomed to.”
Dad narrowed his eyes at me, the air thick with tension. It looked like he was trying not to explode. My lips twitched,holding back a smile. He had to be on his best behaviour with his new wife around.
“Monica,” Aria said, trying to defuse the ticking time bomb that was me and my dad. “How did you and Mr Knight meet?”
She’d never called my dad by his first name. It was always Mr Knight to her.
“We met in Spain at a charity event.” She smiled. “It was love at first sight.”
My dad had never loved anyone. She was nothing more than a trophy wife to him, and I’m sure his bank balance helped her out. They’d be divorced soon, I’d bet money on it.
“That sounds nice. What kind of charity was it for?” Aria asked.
“It was to raise money to help fund some of the local schools. Stephen was our biggest donor.”
“Who knew you were so invested in charity work, Dad?” I mocked, taking a sip of my whisky.
“Well, son, there are a lot of things you don’t know about, as you haven’t taken the time to answer my calls.”
“Like the COO you decided to appoint at the office without my knowledge?”
A smirk pulled at his lips; it was only for a split second, and if you didn’t know my dad as I did, you wouldn’t have noticed. He knew what he was doing by bringing Caspian in. He knew it would get my back up.
“That was in the company’s best interest. What with you having time away—”
I cut him off. “Luxe Corp was fine in my absence.”
“Nonetheless, it needed someone in case you went AWOL again.”
I shifted in my seat, my body tense, and I felt Aria’s hand rest on my thigh. There was a reason I’d been away, and it was to take care of Aria after what she’d been through. She was themost important thing in my life. I would always protect her and keep her safe.
He had no idea why I was away, and he’d never find out, either.
“Without me, it would be in ruin.”
“So you keep telling everyone,” he said, brushing the words away as if they meant nothing.
I pushed the chair back and stood. “Well, if dinner is done, I need some air.”
