My Father's Friend
My Father’s Friend – Chapter 32

-Casey, please, I need you to listen to me carefully.

-You’re not denying it, that means it’s true,” she takes a step back.

-Let me talk,” the old man demands irritably. I want you to sit down and listen to me, and after I tell you everything, you can choose what you want to do.

The black-haired girl blinked repeatedly, feeling a strong desire to run away from her father. But on the other hand, she wanted to hear what he had to say. He was her father, he couldn’t do her any harm. However, he should not forget that there was a possibility that Raphael might also do the same as Cauther.

She wondered if that was the reason her dad never dated a woman again. He was sleeping with the girls at the club, or worse, shit! The gears in her brain began to grind madly – was Cauther buying the club girls for her dad? Was that what was going on?

It was worse than she thought, how had she not realised it all before. Her father was so late all the time, she could hardly see him, all those absences were because he had that kind of business with that deranged Cauther. Now it made perfect sense to her that her father would choose Acrom to be his equal partner, they were both in dirty business.

What a disappointment her father made her feel, but even more disappointment she felt for Cauther…

-I will tell you everything, daughter.

She wanted to hear about the atrocities her father was doing to her friend?

As night fell, out of nowhere a storm blew in, sweeping everyone in its path. The streets were desolate, while everyone was hiding inside their cars, houses, and one or two others who were unlucky and were caught by surprise on their way home.

Cauther was in the middle of a traffic jam, while the sky was falling on the roof of his car. He stared intently at the red lights of the car ahead of him, waiting for it to move forward once and for all. But as he waited, he thought of Casey. He let out a sigh as he picked at the bridge of his nose, he’d had a bloody day. Because she’d invited Raphael to her house, he’d had to go take care of company business.

He hated to do it, yet he’d rather do it than keep listening to Casey’s complaints and objections about wanting to get the hell out of his house, and how much he seemed to hate it. The line was finally starting to give way, so Cauther started the car… chances were he’d replace his house empty, Rafael loved his daughter too much to leave her in his hands. But then, what was going to happen to his deal? He denies, as he accelerates the car down the soggy highway…

As the guards spot her car, they open the gate to let her in. It was still raining heavily, so she had to get out quickly, but she couldn’t avoid getting most of her body wet. Inside the house, he wrung out his clothes and noticed the incredible silence. Her house was already very quiet, but since Casey had arrived, the atmosphere was different.

He headed up the stairs, he needed a hot shower and maybe some sleep… as soon as Cauther opened the door to his bedroom he stopped on the spot, on his bed was Casey, with his knees drawn up and his chin on them the young woman looked up to watch him.

Cauther only blinks at the sight of her in his house, on his bed and, to top it all off, looking at him in that sweet way. So she didn’t want to go with Rafael. Why did she stay?

-Hello,” the young woman flattens her lips. You’re late -And on top of that, she’s complaining about the time, that woman was going to drive him crazy.

-I got caught in a traffic jam, it’s raining a lot,” she answers coldly.

-You should get out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold.

The CEO frowns, he doesn’t understand her, why was she nice? Why did she care? Without a word, he ends up entering the room after taking off his jacket. He turned his back to Casey, the truth was he had a lot of questions to ask her, but he didn’t think it was wise to ask them.

-Casey…” She calls out to him.

-Why are you here, Casey?

The black-haired woman stood mute for a moment, silently watching the movements of Cauther, who had taken off his jacket and then his shirt. She admired that broad, olive-skinned back and prominent muscles. The magnificent sight made her swallow her saliva, then he turned around, leading her to lower her gaze before she was caught.

-You don’t want me to be here? You want me to leave?

-You know what I mean,” she bites her lips.

-Why didn’t you tell me before? Why did you keep that information to yourself? -She looks up to see Cauther with his arms crossed.

So she knew everything, but that didn’t answer her question, why did she stay? Cauther scratches his head as he makes his way to the balcony.

-It should have been your father who told you everything, not me.

-You should have done it,” he feels her stand up. It was your duty to tell me everything.

-Why me? -He turns around.

-Because we slept together, don’t you think that’s more than enough for you to tell me why the hell you buy those girls and what you do with her.

Cauther smacks his lips, he wasn’t used to any woman making any kind of claim on him, and Casey was doing it as if they were husband and wife. And while he should be angry with her, he wasn’t. Rather, his heart was pounding. Rather, his heart was pounding wildly.

-You made me believe something so horrible. All this time I thought you, I even thought my father… damn it! -He covered his face with both hands.

He still remembered every word mentioned by his father, he had them engraved in his head, now he looked at things differently. But especially Cauther.

-It doesn’t matter anymore Casey,” his loud voice snapped her out of her musings.

-How can you say that? What you’re doing is…

-It doesn’t matter. If your father told you absolutely everything, then you should have made up your mind, shouldn’t you?

It was true, he had. At first she had wanted to go home with her father, but he had made her understand that it was necessary for her to marry Cauther. She knew beforehand that her father did not agree to the union, he did not state his reasons, but the red-haired girl was astute. She didn’t need to tell them when they were more than clear. Raphael was apparently relieved, because he made her understand that the marriage would be annulled as soon as possible.

-So, what did you decide, Casey? Why did you stay at my house?

She watched those piercing blue eyes staring at her, knowing that she was waiting for an answer. The redhead’s heart was beating fiercely, dying to give an answer to this man who seemed so intimidating and attractive at the same time. Hell, she appealed to her father’s good judgment, but she had no choice but to become the wife of Cauther Lance Acrom.

-Yes, I will marry you.

Cauther stared at Casey for a moment, taking in her features in minute detail, and was immediately disillusioned. There was nothing more than a simple compromise in her eyes, it was clear at a glance that she was only obeying Raphael’s commands. She was marrying for convenience, just as she had agreed with her partner. After everything happened, then the two of them would have to….

-All right, by tomorrow everything will be ready. If you wish, you can go back to your room,” he says casually.

He walks past the redhead and straight into the bathroom… Casey bit her lips at the coldness of Cauther’s response, not that she expected any other reaction from the man, but at least a… a what? She wondered

Love?

Love?

But who the hell was talking about love?

She denied in her thoughts, why was she thinking of love? She had to remember that only their marriage was one of convenience, at that moment she looked towards the bathroom door which made her bite her lips. So why did she feel so empty inside?