Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Four Years Later.
My hand wrapped around the warm porcelain mug that contained the dark caffeinated. liquid that | required each morning to give me the kick | needed to handle my day ahead. Days that were usually busy but | had come to adapt to it quite well and efficiently. After moving from New York to Canada, | wallowed in my self pity for a bit before | got back on to my feet again. | landed a job as an assistant manager before working my as s off to get to being the head of the department. The shift in my career had me so caught up in it and distracted that | soon forgot the ache of the life | left behind... of the man | left behind.
| shook my head, refusing to entertain any thoughts of the life that | left behind especially since | swore never ever to return to it. Whatever my life was now, | loved it as much as one could. | had my booming career and my beautiful baby girl who was every bit a fighter as | am. What more could | ask for?
Aknock on my office door dragged me out of my thoughts before it was pushed opened to reveal Adam. Dressed in his signature three piece suit and not a single strand. of his rich chestnut hair out of place, Adam marched in to my office moving to the glass wall that overlooked the busy city below.
“Good morning to you too, Adam.” | snorted sarcastically. “It isn’t like you to be in here this early.” | pointed out..
Adam threw me a look that was anything but threatening. | would have never spoken to him like this had we not passed formalities by now considering he was the CEO of the company itself. But Adam and | have shared too much since | began working here to be anything but friendly. Of course, | knew my limits and place at the end of it all.
“Is it? Is it really a good morning, Soph?” He asked negatively and | raised a quizzical brow at me.
| brought my mug to my I*ps to take a sip of my coffee before responding to him. “Wow, the Monday blues has got you down bad.” He waved a hand at that.
“It isn’t the Monday blues so much as much as it’s this meeting | have to go for.” He complained as he turned around to ready his shoulder against the glass and cross his arms over his broad chest.
Adam, at the ripe age of 32, was extremely handsome and had everything a man- and woman- could want. He was successful, focussed, and possessed the perfect balance of
wit and gentleness that saved him from being an as s. It always baffled me why he was still single but he appeared to be happy with that.
“You go for meetings all the time, Adam. Why is this one getting you so worked up?” | leaned back in my chair still nursing my steaming cup of coffee.
“This one is in New York. Not my favourite place really.” That had always been something we shared in common.
He let out a small sigh but his sparkling green eyes lit up like he had thought of something.
“Perhaps you may be able to brighten my mood if you join me for lunch today at that new seafood place that opened up along the harbours edge.” He looked at me expectantly and it was not unusual for us to eat together on most days but my lunch hour was already booked out today.
“As tempting as that offer is, | actually have to take Hayley to her physio appointment.” | informed him. Adam nodded slowly in disappointment but | knew he understood. If anyone did, it was him.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
He was a huge support for me since | began working here and over the years we just got comfortably close and it was nice. We both enjoyed each other company and matched on intellect.
“How has it been going with that? Is she doing any better?” He questioned with concern.
| nodded. “Oh, yes, a lot better actually. The numbness in her legs have decreased and she is starting to move around by herself now but some days are tiring than others for her.” | said with a sigh.
Hayley was born with a neural tube defect called Spina bifida. Although it isn’t on the severe spectrum of what it could have been, it still is quite challenging at times. Aside from that, she was a brilliant little girl with so much of determination.
“She is an amazing kid. I’ve never quite seen any little person as strong willed as her.” Adam knew her well since he was basically around her since she was born.
Hayley was fond of him from the get go and Adam was good with kids. It was surprising at first but then he explained all the kids his sister’s had and it explained a lot.
Adam left shortly after but not before saying something dramatic about his meeting. Once he left, | went through my personal email as | did every morning before | got down to doing any real work. There were a few emails that were spam and for advertising purposes but one on particular had caught my eye.
| recognised the email address being of one of the most renowned law firms in New
York and quickly clicked on the email to see what this was all about.
Apart of me feared that Hayley’s existence was discovered and this was a custody hearing but thankfully when I read through it. It was none of that.
However, my eyes widened with each word | read in disbelief and | had to read the email once more to make sure my eyes were not receiving me.
After his death nearly five years ago, my grandfather had left his entire estate and company in my name once | had turned twenty-six which | had about a month ago.
| couldn't believe it but here was the catch.
| would need to return to New York to sign the papers and take ownership of the company my grandfather had left behind.
In the years that have passed by, | swore never to return. | refused to subject myself to any sort of discomfort from being in the same country as Dante Crawford and my step- sister. Returning meant facing them after all these years and | didn’t know if | was ready to do that.
The hurt was still there buried away but not deep enough. The feeling of betrayal was one confrontation away from renewing itself and the anger that festered scared me to even think of it. | couldn’t ruin all that | worked so hard to overcome by going back there.
My b*dy immediately jerked up pushing my chair back. | rushed out of my office to find Adam. If anyone could advise me well, it would be him..