“Though, I do want to ask one other question.”
“Shoot,” he said as he stood in front of my desk.
“Why are you really here?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You said so yourself. You’ve come back out of the blue after all these years. Why?”
“Simple. I want a relationship with my daughter.”
“See, I was convinced about it before. But watching you now, I’m not so convinced,” I said.
“I want to make up for lost time, Olivia. That’s it. Whether you believe me or not is up to you, but I told you I was sticking around for a while.”
“If you’ve been in Seattle this entire time, then why are you in a hotel? Why aren’t you simply staying at your place?”
His eyes connected with mine as he drew in a deep breath. He let it out through his lips before bending over and picking up his untouched cup of coffee. He sat it on my desk, like some sort of a silent peace offering. Then, he slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“I can’t convince you of what you refuse to believe yourself. It seems as if you have your mother’s stubborn demeanor, and it’s not something I’m going to try and fight,” Daniel said.
“All I asked was a simple, logical question.”
“And it’s a question I don’t have an answer for,” he said.
“You don’t know why you’re staying in a hotel instead of your own place?”
“Maybe I just wanted to be closer to your side of town.”
“I call bull.”
“And that’s your choice. But I’m here to get to know you. To have a relationship with you. That’s it,” he said.
“Then why didn’t you come around earlier? Hmm? Why wait until I’m a fully grown adult if you were in Seattle this entire time?”
“I think we should have this discussion over food. Or maybe a relaxing drink when you aren’t so worked up and stressed out with other outside influences.”
“Or maybe we shouldn’t be meeting at all any longer,” I said.
Daniel shrugged. “If that’s what you want, then so be it.”
“What I want is for you to get out of my office. I’m done with this conversation.”
“Fair enough, Olive.”
“Olivia,” I bit out.
Daniel connected his eyes with me one last time before he shook his head. Like I was the one causing all this shit in the first place. I watched him walk out of my office and waited until he was down the hallway, and then I picked up both of the coffees. I made my way to the employee bathroom at the other end of the floor and pushed into the women’s restroom. I dumped them each into the sink, then tossed the to-go cups away.
I needed to speak with Brett.
“Yes she is! You didn’t see it before, but you have to see it now. Come on, Brett. Stop being such a damn idiot!”
“You won’t use that language or that tone of voice in my office, Brittany. You’re the one who showed up here wanting to talk. Either talk, or get out.”
“Why can’t you see this? Why can’t you see that she’s no good for you?”
“Because you’re blinded by a jealousy I still don’t understand!”
I heard Brett and Brittany yelling at each other as I stepped off the elevator. I looked over at his personal assistant, who was wide-eyed and staring into his office. The door was hanging wide open. Everyone on the floor could hear every little fucking thing. And it pissed me the hell off.
“What in the world is going on in here?” I asked.
“I know you wrote those emails, Brittany. All you have to do is tell me why the hell you did it,” Brett said.
“I didn’t write shit! She’s trying to make you think I did because she’s trying to push me out of your life. She’s always tried to do that. She’s always been jealous of me,” Brittany said.
“Says the pathological liar who tried convincing people I was cheating and a drug addict,” I said.
“I’ve got this, Olivia. Stay out of it,” Brett said.
“Well, then you’ll be happy to know I just spoke with Daniel,” I said.
“Daniel? Who the fuck is Daniel?” Brittany asked.
“That man was here? In my building?” Brett asked.
“He said he wasn’t the one that wrote the emails,” I said.
“What? Is this some kind of witch hunt?” Brittany asked.
“I need you to calm down, or I’m going to have you escorted out of my office,” Brett said.
“I knew she’d do it again,” Brittany said.
“Do what again?” I asked.
She turned her fiery gaze to me, and I actually took a step back.
“You took my brother from me. You were the reason he never came home. You were the reason I never got to have lunches with him anymore. And when he came home, he brought you. Always. I never got a chance to do things with him. I never got a chance to bond with him. Because you stepped in like a prissy little bitch and demanded all of his time!” Brittany exclaimed.