Chapter 9

Derrick's POV

"Your father said you should contact him when you get here," Chloe, my PA, reported as I climbed out of my Aston Martin DBX - a gift I had gotten from my father the previous year, after completing a deal worth tens of billions with an international client.

And as touching as it was to receive the gift, it was later that I had found out the gift was merely to cater to Florida's secret hobby of watching and being part of car races.

I gave a curt nod to my employees as I walked into the private elevator that went directly to my floor.

"Did he say anything else?" I asked, carefully adjusting my jacket while Chloe balanced the files in her hand as her phone buzzed again.

She gave me a helpless look after checking the caller ID and realizing the caller was none other than my father.

He's quite persistent. I thought.

"Ignore his calls. You have the liberty to put him on a blacklist for the rest of the day," I ordered as the elevator came to a stop.

"But-"

Cutting her off, I tutted, feeling frustrated as I noticed the man waiting in the reception area. "There's no but. I pay you. And you answer to me."

"I'm sorry, sir." Chloe replied and I hummed as I signalled for the man to follow me into my office.

"Those folders should be sent to the marketing and sales department. They contain instructions on what to do with the new products," I instructed before closing the door behind me.

Shrugging off my jacket, I loosened my tie, placed my phone which had been buzzing non-stop on the table and poured myself a glass of whiskey before turning to the man.

"What did you find?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

Without saying a word, he reached out to his bag and brought out a brown paper envelope. He placed the envelope on the table between us.

"This contained the report for the week," he explained. "They moved back to the Morris Mansion."

"That's all?" I asked as I noticed he had gone quiet.

"Well, that's the only important thing to report," he replied with a shrug.

I sneered and picked up the envelope after setting down the glass in my hand. "I decide what is important and what is not important, Mr Ian," I drawled out, keeping my annoyance laced in my words.

I watched in satisfaction as he stiffened up before sitting upright. "I. Uh.. Well," he stammered, looking everywhere but at me.

I waited patiently, my fingers tapping against the envelope as I waited for him to put himself back together.

As much as the red haired sitting in front of me annoyed me, he was the best person for the job.

Never asked questions and never demanded more than he's worth. And to top that off, he's good at his job.

Almost too good.

Which is why opening the envelope filled me with dread, knowing I would hate whatever was inside.

I looked up as I heard him clear his throat. "Mrs... Eh.. Miss Morris hasn't been up to much since the day she picked up Miss Rose."

"She mostly spends her time in the company and then goes home at night. She refused to meet any business partners and insisted on cleaning up the company before external relations." He paused, his brows furrowing as he tried to remember the event of the past week.

"Her evenings were spent with Miss Rose and Miss Diamond and occasionally Mr Spencer." He continued.

"What are they like?" I asked cutting him off at the mention of my brother's name.

"Pardon?"

"What are they like... Emotionally." I repeated and he nodded.

"Well, Miss Morris looks happy, tired from all the work but mostly happy," he provided.

"And Rose?" I asked, my hand tightening around the envelope as the disappointment look on my daughter's face flashed through my mind.

"She is happy too." He replied, with a raised brow as he noticed the shift in my demeanor.

"You can leave," I gritted out as I turned away from him. My shoulder tensed as I tore open the seal on the envelope.

As I gazed on the photos now scattered on my table, my grip on the empty envelope tightened, the edges crumpled under my fist.

The images seemed to mock me; Rose's bright smile, her soft laughter that echoed in my ears even though she was miles away, her carefree joy, left a stab in my heart.

It was as if she had moved on, forgotten about me and thriving without me.

Granted Natasha has the right to be mad, but not Rose. She had no right to move on from me after just a week.

As my face fell on the last picture, one containing Natasha and Rose laughing together while walking out of the apartment Spencer had gotten for her, my mind wandered off to that day in court.

Remembering the judge's encouragement at having Rose sue me and how even till now there's been no news from her lawyers.

My shoulder eased and a soft laugh escaped my lips.

"Of course," I breathed out, as my eyes found a picture of Natasha's worn out face. "There was no way she'd sue me. She loves me dearly."

Hope bloomed in me as I reached for my phone and dialed her number by heart.

My feet subconsciously carried me towards the floor to ceiling glass windows on my office as her phone rang the first time and then the second and then the third without her picking up.

Just as I turned back to pick up my phone, her soft, tired but firm voice echoed through the phone sending waves of warmth through my stomach.

"Natasha Morris," she greeted and I hesitated. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me Derrick," I replied, sounding as calm as I can through my racing heart.

"Yeah, I know," she hummed. "What do you want?"

"Let's have dinner tonight, you and I" I replied, reaching for the lighter in my pocket.

"I'm not interested in having dinner with you, Mr Robinson and honestly, I hope you don't call me again." She hissed.

The coldness in her words almost had me enraged but knowing it was all a front put my mind at peace as I chuckled.

"You don't have to pretend, I know you still love me," I pointed out and the phone went silent.

I smiled knowing I wasn't wrong in my assumption. "Come on, Babe. You really don't think I would know you still love me?"

"Let's have dinner and we can talk. I'll right my wrong to you and to Rose as long as you help me through all this." I continued only to stop as I heard her laugh.

"Oh dear me," she breathed out between laughed. "You really have your head in your arse don't you?"

"Me? Love you?" She asked and I frowned as she continued. "Any form I have for you died when you tied the knot with another woman and lied to Rose."

"You want me to help you?" She asked and without waiting for my reponse, she continued. "How do you expect me to help you? The whole world knows the type of person you are now. And except you want me to take the fall for you again, there's no other way."

"Babe-"

"Don't call me that and don't patronize me," she cut me off. "I have no help to render you. And the next time you call me, I'll have you on restraining orders." She added and ended the call.

Enraged by her disrespect, I tried calling her back just as the door to my office burst open, revealing my enraged father.

I placed the photos into the drawer alongside my phone as I stood up to meet my father.

"What are you doing here?" I asked earning me a scoffed.

"Did you think ignoring my calls will stop me from reaching you?" He replied as he stalked towards me.

I fought the urge to step back as I stood my ground against him. Nothing my defiance, he sneered and stopped in his tracks.

What is this I am hearing about you ignoring calls from investors and business partners?" He asked.

"I didn't think it was important to receive their calls until we have a solution to the problems we have facing," I explained, my hands clenching by my side as I took in his disgusted look.

"And you think it was best to leave them guessing?"

"It was better than not having an explanation for them. Besides, most of them are calling to annull their contracts with us. If we give them something to hold on to, they are likely to stay." I provided.

"And you have something ready for them?" He asked, eyes searching my almost empty table.

"No, I'm working on it." I answered, my voice clipped as I waited for his demeaning words.

"I'm regretting ever chosing you over Spencer," he tutted, his face darkening at my reply. "Even though he never listened to me, he at least is competent with business. And none of his past flings ever caused me so much investment."

"Look at you! Nothing you ever do is right!" He echoed. "Two relationships and both relationships is nothing but a failure!"

"Your ex wife is having your reputation smeared on the Internet and she's hasn't been dealt with and now, your new wife is adding more chaos!" He ranted and my brows creased at his words.

"You can't even control the women in your life how can you control the company I have sacrificed so much for? Spencer..."

I blocked out his words as I reached for my phone.

From the notification bar I noticed Florida's name and clicked on it to see her interview.

"So Florida, I heard you are about to file for a divorce in your marriage of less than one month, could you tell us why?" The host asked.

"Is that even a question" Florida replied with a tight-lipped smile. "This time I have really disappointed my fans and I am sorry."

"In my defense I never knew Derrick was such an evil man before we got married." She paused and adjusted her sitting position. "He did tell me about his ex-wife, Natasha Morris, but I was made to understand that she committed those crimes."

"And now you know it's a lie?" The host probe and Florida nodded.

"Yes. Now that I know it's all a lie I can't bring myself to stay with such a man. Who knows what he'd do to me when he gets tired of me?"

I shut the phone off and close my eyes, as I felt my blood warm up.

My father's ranting voice floated into my hears, erruping the rage in me. "You can forget about having the CEO position if Florida files a divorced." He spat.

"Now that Spencer is alive and well... you can be replaced.