Chapter 36: Revisiting The Past

Tony Woods POV

“Yes, your wife, Mr. Woods.

And you might want to pay attention to me to experience a longer life span.

Kicking us out of your office might be detrimental to your existence.” Paul said to me.

His utterances conveyed so much authority I hadn't witnessed before.

I saw a different Paul.

He didn't speak to me in that tone when he visited my mansion with Susan last night.

I can't help but wonder what might have gotten into him.

Hearing Paul speak made me more angry, and I didn't hesitate to yell at him.

“Paul, one more word from you and I'll kick your ass. Haven't I warned you never to say a word?”

Just like the last time, I thought yelling at Paul would make him panic and stop talking. However, I was wrong.

Rather than sealing his lips for eternity, Paul went all out to confront me.

His voice was so loud that it got the attention of my office assistant who showed up looking so worried.

“Boss, I heard a scream from your office.

I had to rush down here immediately. Do you want me to call the security?” Maggie asked me.

“No, don't call the security.

That won't be necessary.

I'll handle it. Just let it go.

You can return to your office,” I told Maggie.

I had a thousand reasons to kick Paul out, but I didn't.

I was curious to know what gave him the impetus to speak to me In that tone of voice.

“Are you sure you don't want me to call the security?

From my observation, you seemed restless.

And I could swear that these people have everything to do with it.” Maggie asked me again just to be certain I didn't respond under duress.

She could tell that my decision didn't come from a place of sincerity.

“Maggie!” I called her name and didn't speak afterward.

The sound of my voice was enough to let her know how angry her disturbing questions made me feel.

This time, she bowed out and left me alone with Susan and Paul

“Why do you hate me so much, Uncle? What did I ever do to you?

Your son, Ethan, is my favorite cousin.

Sadly, I can't say the same thing for you,” Paul probed me. He was starting to get so emotional.

I care less.

I wasn't bothered if he ended up exhausting all the tears in his eyes.

“You want to know why I hate you so much?” I stood up and got closer to Paul In my fits of rage.

Upon seeing me coming closer, Paul didn't edge backward.

He wasn't scared if I was going to hit him in the face out of frustration.

“More than anything else in the world right now.

It's one of the reasons I'm here. I am not leaving this place until I get a valid explanation,” Paul insisted.

Things weren't always like that between me and Paul.

I harbored him while he was a kid.

It was during those times he established a stronger bond with Ethan.

It was more than just being cousins.

“Your father is the reason,” I gave Paul an insight and left him pondering

“My Father?” He asked while looking so confused.

He was trying to understand how his Father got into the picture.

“Yes, your Father

And I will tell you,” I responded and returned to my seated position.

Nearly a decade ago, Paul's Father and I visited Miami Beach to spend some quality time together.

During the trip, I discovered a bar of Gold on the riverbank

Due to my love for Paul's Father as a brother, I told him about it.

He was so excited for me, so I thought.

That night, some gunmen invaded my home and stole the bar of Gold from me.

A few weeks after the unfortunate incident, Paul's Father who was supposed to be my brother built a Gold mine that turned out to be a billionaire empire

I needed no soothsayer to tell me that Paul's Father was responsible for the attack on me

“This is insane.

How are you certain that it was my father's doings?

Since you were so confident, why didn't you press charges against him?”

Paul questioned the authentication of my story.

What did I expect from him, that he was going to castigate his Father and take sides with me? Of course not.

“That's because I've got no clear evidence, you dummy,” I yelled at Paul and took a deep breath.

“When a witch cries at night and a child dies in the morning, who do you think killed the child?” I posed a very difficult question for Paul that may require more than just wisdom to respond.

For some minutes, he stayed silent and chewed his nails like a kid.

I had all the ammunition needed to tear down his meticulously built defense.

“Why didn't my father mention this to me?

Each time I asked him about the rift between you two, he kept shutting me out. To him, I was disturbing his peace,” Paul lamented.

The sound of his voice got to me and melted my heart like Ice.

I felt so guilty for extending my hatred towards him when I shouldn't have.

The only person who should be subject to my frustration is my Brother, Paul's Father.

Paul wasn't even aware of what transpired between us.

I made him suffer for the sins of his father who is quite unfair.

“I am sorry for yelling at you.

I apologize for hating you.

It wasn't entirely my fault,” I apologized to Paul, and we shared a passionate hug that lasted for minutes.

We just couldn't pull away from each other.

“I think your wife is cheating on you,”

I heard Susan speak.

Slowly, I pulled myself away from Paul and got closer to her. “What did you just say?”

I tried too hard to encourage myself that she wasn't being serious.

I can't imagine dealing with another dramatic situation after the last one with Paul.