“In less than two months. Why? You want us to halt construction?” he asked.
I felt he knew I’d been building the house for Vanessa. It was obvious in how excited was about it, how I rushed him on the progress of the house, and my involvement in every minor detail.
“No. Finish it.” I said to him.
I’d not given up hope I would find her but was a little disappointed that she did not trust me enough, and felt the need to leave even though I promised her we would sort through this mess together.
I was also mad at myself for being too afraid to tell her I loved her. I could not help the thought that if she had been more confident in my feelings for her, then maybe she would not have left.
Two days after Dan’s visit. My PI sent me updates on his work so far, but the update was useless because there was still nothing about her whereabouts. It was as if she had fallen off the face of the earth or she no longer lived in the city.
I was getting desperate; I was antsy and very much angry at the entire world. And that was the mood my mother met me in when she dropped by to visit unannounced for the first time since I got back into the city.
“You’ve ignored your father and me for the past two weeks, and we want to know the reason?”
Those were the first words she said to me the second I let her in. No hello, or how have you been? No comment on the fact that the last time she saw me, I needed a cane to stand up straight, and now I was walking perfectly well on my own.
It didn’t surprise me. My mother had always been like that and I'd accepted it a long time ago. Though it was infuriating that she went behind my back to talk to Vanessa. I did not know what exactly she said to her, but it was enough to prompt her to break up with me, and I knew for certain that it played a major role in her decision to leave after the scandal about her former workplace broke.
“What do you want?” I asked her.
“Your father wants you to meet with Thea Wright. That window is closing faster than you think, so if I were you, I’d decide before a decision is made for you.”
“I already made my decision. And if you and dad weren’t so wrapped up in preserving some fucked up legacy that no one cares about, you would both see that.”
“Now listen here–”
“No, you listen. You and dad have crossed a line with what you’ve both done. I love that woman, and when I find her, I’m going to tell her exactly that, and then I’m going to marry her. I don’t care what you leaked to the press. It will not change how I feel about her. So, you can both quit now while you’re ahead and apologize to her, or you can insist on this and lose whatever relationship you have left with me.”
It was the most honest I’d ever been with my mom. And it was obvious from her expression that my words have made absolutely no impact on how she felt about Vanessa. She simply nodded her head, casting a furtive glance around the living room before she finally walked out. I do not know what my parents planned to do next, but I knew it could not be good.
Chapter 30
Christian
Ethanwasavoidingme.
My assistant knew something, and he was not telling me, and I knew what that meant; somehow, my father had gotten to him, and now he was more afraid of my father than his boss.
What I needed to find out was what he was hiding and why? I did not care whether he was more afraid of my father or me. I just wanted to find out where she was.
Her former boss at the hospital did not know where she lived too, though she seemed to have been sympathetic to my plight and asked me to ask Vanessa for forgiveness.
I did not know what she was talking about and only when I asked her; she told me Vanessa was being probed by the Nursing council board. Not only did getting involved with me cause her to become nationally hated, but her entire profession was also now on the line. I could not blame her for blaming me and running away, but I wanted a chance to fix everything.
Trying to follow the probe was almost impossible since they tried to block my efforts each time I tried to find out more about it.
Then a knock sounded at my door. I looked up from my desk and saw Ethan at the door since my office was made of glass doors.
“Ethan?” I called, with a crisp voice. Then he came in and stood at the far end of the office just beside the door.
“Are you going to stand there all day, or did you have a reason for coming to my office?” I snapped at Ethan when he still had not said anything.
“No, sir. Uhm… your dad wanted to fix a date for you two to meet.” He stammered his words, but I heard him.
“Tell him I’m all booked, and that it would be impossible,” I said without looking up.
“Sir, I already cleared your schedule for the rest of the week.”