The Offer She Wanted.

Thea sat in the lecture hall, her gaze fixed on the professor at the front of the room. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was a student again.

She turned, her eyes flickering over to Ethan. He was sitting in the back of the lecture hall, dressed in an all black suit with an earbud attached to his ear. There was no hiding that he was in fact keeping an eye on her.

And something tells her there is a whole ass team within the school premises.

Seth had been skeptical of her returning to school so soon after what happened with Runes, but she had insisted. She needed to get back to her normal life.

But he wasn't having it. Not until she promised to make sure Ethan would not leave her side for a single second, and Seth?

He had a field day with those words. She noticed a handful of suited men within the school building when she arrived. A lot of prominent people attend the school but none of them seem to have their guards around. It was odd.

When she went to the rest room and saw a suited man in the hall ways , watching her not so discreetly, she got the answers she didn't know she needed.

Seth hired a whole ass security detail on her. She had groaned, is this what he meant when he said he would be intruding on her life.

Her eyes flickered over to Ethan; He followed her from the library to the cafe, and now to her final class of the day.

The day was drawing to a close, the final alarm ringing out a chorus of relief from her classmates.

“That would be all for today. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

The professor leaves and the quite class breaks into murmurs.

Thea packed up her notes, her mind already on her next move. She knew she had a stack of missed calls and messages, she was yet to respond to.

Posy had been persistent, and Thea was rather enjoying how desperate Posy was to know what she was up to. Of course, it's the only way for her to know and manipulate situations to suit her.

Amd not knowing what Thea was up to, was clearly going to drive Posy mad woth curiosity.

She pulled out her phone and found Posy's number. She dialed, her finger hovering over the call button for a fleeting moment before pressing it.

The phone rang twice before a familiar demanding voice answered. "Thea? It's you. Where the hell have you been? Why haven't you answered my calls?"

Thea smirked, she was right. She is clearly living rent free in Posy's head, just like she wanted.

“I’ve been busy. What can I do for you?”

Posy scoffed. "Busy? How busy are you that you can't even answer your phone? Your own sister is calling you for God's sake!" she snapped.

Thea chuckled in disbelief. It was unbelievable that Posy would address herself as her sister. It was pathetic.

Thea sighed. "What's the emergency? I saw your texts. All thirty of them actually and I thought maybe it was something urgent.”

"Why are you acting like this?" Posy's voice was filled with a mix of fury and confusion. "I have a right to know where you are! And why have you been ignoring me?!"

“I don’t recall giving you a reason to demand that of me. Are we really sisters?”

There was silence at the other end but Thea could swear Posy had her fist clenched and face distorted to that ugly look of disdain she often had whenever she didn't get her way.

“If you have something you need to say, say it. If not, I'm going to hang up." Thea said.

Posy swallowed, duly shocked by Thea's bluntness. "No, wait! I just... I was worried. That’s all. I haven't heard from you all weekend, and…”

“Drop the formalities, Posy. There's nobody to impress here..”

Posy bit her lip, reframing from cursing Thea out. “Did you happen to speak to Runes while you were away?"

A chill ran down Thea’s spine. It all sounded suspicious. "No, I haven't. Why?”

"Oh. Nothing really. " Posy said quickly, a bit too quickly. "I just haven’t been able to reach him either, that’s all.”

Thea went silent, since when did Posy call her to ask about Rune's whereabouts? Something wasn't right.

Posy laughs nervously. “ Mum and Dad have been curious about your well being. They wanted me to check up on you. Have you…heard from dad?”

Thea’s senses were now on high alert. Something was definitely wrong. Posy had never sounded this desperate before, this frantic. "No, I haven't."

Posy fell silent, her questions answered, her mission accomplished.

“Okay. Take care.”

And the call ended abruptly, leaving Thea with a sense of unease.

“Something’s up,” Thea muttered to herself.

She put her phone away, her mind racing with all the possibilities. Why was Posy so frantic? Why was she asking her about Runes and Adam?

Did something happen between her and Runes? Did they end their engagement?

She stepped out of the school building, Ethan right behind her. From the corner of her eyes, she could see several suited men in the compound.

Seth Blackwood!!!

But before she could reach her car, a sleek black car pulled up beside them, the tinted windows sliding down.

Thea’s heart stopped. Adam, her father, was in the passenger ’s seat. She frowned, what the hell is he doing here?

Adam cleared his throat and looked away from her. “Get in.”

She scoffed, this man sure hasn't learned anything about her yet, has he?

Thea folded her arm. “I believe we can talk here. I have a busy schedule.”

Adam turned to her, duly shocked by her response. He cleared his throat and nodded. “I understand. But best we discuss family matters privately.”

A word of defiance danced on her lips but Thea held it back. Could it be what she's thinking? Is her plan finally in motion?

Something big must have happened. She glanced at Ethan, who had positioned himself protectively beside her.

Adam’s eyes flickered to him, a hint of confusion on his face.

"Ethan, wait for me in the car," she instructed, her voice calm.

She knew it was a risk, but she needed to talk to her father alone. This was a private matter.

“Ms Thea, I'm afraid I won't be able to do that. I promise to give you enough space but I have to do my j0b.” Ethan informed.

Maybe it was best that he's there. She knew her father couldn't possibly hurt her bit tp Ethan, this man was an absolute stranger.

She nodded.

Adam smiled at her, a look of appreciation on his face. Thea’s heart melted a little, a familiar warmth spreading through her chest. It had been a long time since her father had smiled at her like that.

She followed him to a quiet cafe just a few blocks away from the school. When they arrived, Thea noticed the dozens of security men keeping watch. Her father's security detail and hers overcrowded the cafe , making a few guests uncomfortable.

They found a secluded corner booth, and Adam ordered them both a cup of coffee. The silence between them was long and thick, filled with all the unspoken words and emotions that had festered between them for months.

"Thea, I… I know I haven't been the best father to you lately," he began, his voice low and tinged with regret. "I let things get… out of control. I let you go. And that was a mistake."

Thea’s gaze remained steady, her expression unreadable. She wanted to believe him, to forgive him, but she knew her father all too well. He's only apologising because he needs her help.

"What do you want, Dad?" she asked, her voice calm and even. She wasn't going to let him beat around the bush.

She needed to know what he was doing here, and she needed to know now.

"I want you to come back," he said, his voice pleading. "The company is not doing well. Posy… she’s not…she’s not fit for the job."

Thea’s heart ached at his words. This was what she had been waiting to hear all this time. A confirmation that her father knew how incompetent Posy was.

“I know,” she said simply, a hint of coldness in her voice.

“I should have listened to you. But I didn't. And now… now we're paying the price. We're losing millions, Thea! Our reputation is in shambles. Our clients are threatening to pull out of their contracts. I… I need your help. I need you to come back and save us.”

His words, once a source of her validation, now felt hollow.

She chuckled, her eyes fixed on the coffee in her cup. “Our clients? As far as I know, you disowned me. And allowed Posy to take my place in the company.”

“But that….”

Thea’s expression hardened. “I’m sorry, Dad. But I can’t.”

Adam’s face fell, a look of shock replacing his initial relief. "What? Why not? Don't you see what's happening? The company… everything we've built. It's all falling apart!”

"And it's your fault!" Thea retorted, her voice raising a little. "You’re the one who put her in charge! You’re the one who chose her over me! You’re the one who chose your reputation over my sanity!”

Adam’s face paled, the words hitting him like a wave. He had nothing to say. He knew she was right. He had chosen Posy, and he had been paying the price ever since.

“I know. I know I messed up,” he said, his voice full of regret. “But I can fix it. I can make things right. Just come back, Thea. Come back and take your rightful place.”

Thea stood on her feet. “I believe we're done here.” She bows her head and walks right out of the cafe.

She had to show Adam that she was good on her own and he'll be back to beg her again. Adam will never let an outsider run his business and he's way too old to run a company now.

He'll be back and then, she'll let her offer known to him.