My Father's Friend
My Father’s Friend – Chapter 24

Cauther opened the glass door that connected to the company’s boardroom, that morning Rafael had come up with the brilliant idea of arranging another meeting. If it were up to him, he would be at home in the company of that rebellious redhead who was difficult to control. It was going to take him some time to bring her down, and it was bound to end up being a bit of fun while he was at it.

-Welcome Cauther,” Raphael’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. We’ll start the meeting, if that’s all right with you.

-As you wish,” he replies as if he doesn’t care. He sits back in his chair and leans back, waiting several hours to see Casey again.

A couple of hours later, some employees asked about Casey’s whereabouts. Rafael didn’t know what to tell them, and his employees understood that it was a sensitive subject… when everyone had left, Rafael looked over at Cauther.

-How is he?

-He wanted to call you this morning, but I forbade him to,” Cauther folds his arms without taking his eyes off Rafael.

-I understand, she must be very angry. Have you told her yet?

-No, I couldn’t do it,” he stands up, adjusting his suit. She’s very rebellious, everything you described about her is wrong, Rafael. Your daughter is no child like you think.

-What do you mean by that? -The old man frowns, looking sternly at Cauther.

The CEO keeps a smile on his face, not planning to tell the old man that he intended to take his daughter to bed before marriage and after marriage. He knew the conditions of marriage, but they didn’t stop him from making love to Casey.

-What have you done to my daughter? -She accuses him.

-Nothing.” He turns to leave. The ceremony will be at my house, no guests. Just the three of us.

-Cauther,” Rafael calls him cautiously. “Are you doing this to help her? Out of interest? Or because you’re…?

-I’ll call you later, Rafael,” she interrupts him. I’ll give Casey the news as soon as possible, bye, buddy.

When Cauther opens the door, Genaro is standing in front of it with the intention of opening it.

-Cauther greets him with a friendly smile.

-Genaro,” he says, passing by the man.

-Cauther is a very strange man,” he says to Rafael as he enters the meeting room. Your secretary told me you were here, and I came to see if you had any news about Casey. I’m sorry I can’t give you any information about her. The truth is, no one seems to want to say anything, I’ve bribed a lot of people, but no one knows anything.

-Thank you for your concern for her, Genaro.

-What are you talking about? I watched that girl grow up, she’s like the daughter I never had.

Rafael remembered Cauther’s words, he ordered him to withdraw all help for his daughter, but he couldn’t do that… for that reason he let them continue working, in exchange he wouldn’t tell anyone that she had already appeared and that she was under Cauther’s power.

-Yes, you’re right, I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m so shocked that I don’t even know what I’m saying,” The man passes both hands over his face.

-Don’t worry, Rafael. We’ll continue with the search, we won’t stop.

-Yes,” he answers, feeling a little guilty for having to lie to his friend.

But it was for the best, Cauther wanted to remain discreet and he could understand that. Even if he didn’t agree with his method, the truth was that he didn’t approve of the marriage. He knew Cauther better than anyone else, and the knowledge that his precious daughter would have to marry him felt wrong. He was too big for his daughter, and much too experienced. Other than that, he wasn’t sure how Casey would take it.

A marriage of convenience wasn’t exactly what she aspired to for her future, he needed to talk to her. But for the moment, it was best to keep up appearances that she hadn’t shown up yet. If by any chance someone was following him and found out that his daughter was under Acrom’s protection, then it would spoil everything.

He looked at his friend, and gave him a reassuring smile. He would concentrate on the business he had pending, then he would take care of his daughter…

-Let’s talk business.

That night, Casey didn’t want to come down for dinner. The housekeeper brought the food up to her bedroom, but the red-haired woman didn’t even touch it. Casey hugged her arms a little, still remembering those terrible days she spent in that place. She thought about Serena, and how to get her out of that place, but how? She didn’t have that much power, did she?

The detail was that it wasn’t just the brunette, it was all the girls. Even if Erika wasn’t the best of them all, she didn’t deserve to be in that place. Surely, she had a family that never gave up hope of seeing her again. No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t come up with a viable option to get them all out. It was so worrying…

Suddenly the black-haired girl heard someone open the door to her room, she wondered if it was the lady who had come back for the tray with the food.

No matter how hard she tried to get rid of her homework that day, she didn’t succeed. And it was only in the evening that he managed to get rid of his business. So the first thing he did when he set foot in his house, he went to see Casey. He assumed she would be in her room, sulking and in a bad mood. By the time the CEO entered her room, the second thing she did was look at the trays of food sitting untouched on the table.

Was he on hunger strike or what the f**k? Why wasn’t he feeding himself? Now he was more than furious, if she was going to go on hunger strike, she’d know who the hell Cauther was. So he made his way to the balcony, knowing her as he did, it was obvious that she would be there. And so it was…

-Why haven’t you had a bite of dinner? -he asks angrily behind the redhead’s back.

Casey gasps at the sound of the loud voice behind her back, turning around to meet Cauther’s frantic gaze. is that that man never was going to show another expression? I speculate.

-What are you doing in my bedroom?

-I asked you a question,” he insists, closing the space between them.

-I wasn’t hungry, what? Are you going to force me to eat too?

-If I have to, I will,” she threatens.

Automatically, she gulps. Why the f**k did that man have to be so intimidating and yet so f*****g seductive. If he was a fucker, that inner voice reminded her not to be swayed by his exquisite scent of a seductive man, was she suffering from f*****g Stockholm syndrome? That was the last straw!

-Who do you think you are to tell me what to do? -He spits with his arms up in the air.

-Are you trying to piss me off? -He sharpens his gaze, making Casey’s hair stand on end.

-I want you out of my room.

-No.” That was a resounding no.

-Then I’ll leave.” She makes a move to leave, but as I suspect, he grabs her arm and pulls her into his body.

-I said no,” he spat deadly serious.

He holds her in his arms, pressing her chest against his, immediately, Casey smells the scent of his perfume more intensely, she thought that fragrance was adulterated, because every time she smelled it her hormones went completely crazy. She also managed to catch a whiff of liquor and cigarettes. He wasn’t completely in his right mind.

-You’re so f*****g bossy, you think all us women will do whatever you want? -Casey resists his brute force.

-Not all women, just you.

Those words were like a trigger for the poor redhead’s heart, her brain short-circuited right after he mentioned the last word. Why her? What about the other girls he had bought? The girls at the bar told her that the last one she bought was before her, that was two months ago. Where was that girl? What had she done to her? Did she also tell her that she was unique?

Was she like that? Did she say the same thing to all of them? That not-at-all rational thought made her a little angry…

-Did you say the same thing to everyone you bought from that place?

Cauther’s jaw clenches at Casey’s irritating comment, and instead of letting go for pissing him off, it only made him clench harder.