Chapter 57.

                                    

                                          
David’s POV.
The speed with which I burst out of my car when my driver moves into the garage startles Irene.
“Good evening…sir.” She stutters while greeting me but I don’t speak rather I nod. She moves past me to the car where she gathers my Jacket and briefcase.
I storm into the foyer and see Andrei waiting patiently for me. The look on his face doesn’t calm my heart though.
“Where is he?” I bite out, striding into his space.
“Good evening, boss.” He first greets me, even though that’s not the first thing I want to hear. Then. “He’s waiting in the living room.”
I nod and pad into the large living room where I see William lounging on one of the cream-colored sofas.
Irene severed him a bowl of popcorn and a glass of juice to relax with while waiting for me.
The instant William heard my footsteps, he turned and stared up at me.
I inch closer, standing just by the side of his left-hand side, and shove my hands into my pockets.
“Good evening, Mr. Truman.” He greets and I take that moment to shake hands with him, nodding.
“It’s been a while, William. How have you been?” I ask, taking a sit briefly.
Sure, all the years I took Vera in, the CPS had been checking up on her to know how she was faring.
Sure enough, they don’t know I knew Vera directly from her mother before picking her up from their care years ago.
So, back then they do come once in a while to check up on her. Over time, William became the assigned person to care for Vera.
“Yes, Mr. Truman. I was…uh…” He shrugs. “I was away for some months now.”
I nod faintly in confirmation. I thought as much. In the recent months, William hadn’t been here. He suddenly stopped and now he was back.
He came back just in time for me to sign off my right as Vera’s guardian.
“I see. What kept you away for that long?” I ask him and he’s quick to respond.
“I had a new business I ventured into. It’s a bookstore. So you know getting various types of books and stocking up the place took me a long time.” William grins as he speaks.
“That’s nice. And where is that?”
“Los Angeles. My family
lives there, actually.”
Even though he was talking, my mind wasn’t focused on it. I’m just more concerned about what I should do next just so I can retain my rights over Vera.
I can’t start telling the young man there are some bad guys out there who want to get their hands on Vera. Neither will I tell him that I love her.
It doesn’t make sense at all.
My eyes move around and I see Andrei standing by the foyer with his hands over his torso. Our eyes clash and I notice he's as worried as I am about the whole thing.
He can practically see mine flashing across my eyes. Andrei quickly breaks his eyes away from me and then…
“So, Mr. Truman.” William’s voice wade through my thoughts, interrupting me.
I clear my throat, pinning my eyes back on him.
“Vera has reached the age of maturity and it’s time for you to sign off your right over her.”
“Has it?” I quip, cocking my brows in a fake act. “Oh, it never occurred to me she’s already eighteen…”
“Oh, well she is. Almost heading to nineteen.” He says, cutting me short.
I see, so he was also calculating her birth date? How pathetic. I fire daggers at him but he’s too naïve to understand the reason I’m looking at him in that manner.
Dammit. I can’t imagine Vera living out there without my protection. I can’t imagine coming back from work here without getting to see her face and letting her light my mood.
It surely will break me.
This whole mansion will be cold and unspeakably quiet.
“Yeah… you know she’s been under my care for years. So I still see her as a child. I'm not yet able to…you know…believe she’s grown.” I babble and William only nods.
“Yeah, she has grown into a beautiful woman too.”
William says mindlessly and that makes me mad.
Don’t tell me he's crushing on her. I look at him further and my mind keeps telling me that he feels something for Vera.
Dang it! I feel like rushing over and tackling her over the sofa for thinking naughty about Vera.
Fuck, shit.
I stand up in frustration but he’s quick to call me out.
“Mr. Truman.” He stands to his feet behind me. “So, I would like you to sign the papers now.”
I grit my teeth at that, turning I see him pushing the paper out to me.
I take it and read through it. All I can see are men chasing after Vera every step of the way.
My blood boils and my heart shrinks…
“Um…I brought you some coffee…”
I use that instant Irene match into the space to serve my coffee and deliberately bump into Irene.
“Oh, my God,” Irene screams and I grunt as the hot liquid splatter over my body and hers.
She hoots in a little bit of pain but I smile loving the effect of what I just did.
The papers are now soaked. Drenched and almost about to be torn.
“I’m sorry, sir. It wasn’t intentional.” Irene bustles around, her feet crunching over the broken glass strewn on the floor.
I turn and glimpse the look on William's face. He looks shocked as he asks. “Were you hurt?”
William runs over to my side, checking me out but I shake my head no.
“I’m fine. It’s just…” I say and raise the papers.
It was only then that William saw the damaged agreement papers.
“Oh…that’s quite…unfortunate.” He rattles off, taking the paper from me. “I only came with one of these.”
“I advice you get another one. So things don’t get shitty along the way.”
“Precisely. I’ll work on it. But it'll take a while.” He shrugs. “Thankfully, Vera signed hers.”
His last words make me pause, my heart sinks into my stomach. “She did?” I keep my face neutral and ask.
“Yes. I visited her in school. She already has her life planned out.”
Shit, how could she have signed that without informing me?
I ball my fists, trying to keep my rage in check until William leaves. Then, I turn on my heels and walk upstairs.
I head over to Vera’s room to yell but I stop short. Even though she signed it, she doesn’t know the battle we're fighting for her.
She did it out of lack of information. She didn’t do it because she wants to be away from me, I convince myself.
While I stand by her door thinking, I hear her moan, and at the same time, a text comes into my phone.
Her daily naughty report…
I grin and pull the door…immersing myself in her room and in her scent.
Standing before her, my lips kick up in a huge smile.
“Daddy…” She whispered at the sight of me…her eyes gleaming with…canal want for me…
To be continued.
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