All Chapters of Daddy Please!: Chapter 81 - Chapter 87

The tension in the boardroom was palpable as I stood at the head of the massive, mahogany table, flanked by Marcus Webb, head of accounting and his team of analysts. Before me were twelve board members, and behind them, six investors all waiting for what I had to say. The past week had been hell for Sterling Enterprises. Every leaked report, every fabricated scandal, every whispered rumor had chipped away at our reputation. Stocks had plummeted. Clients were nice nervous, and these people, the very foundation of the company were loosing faith. But today, I was fighting back with the truth. “Gentlemen, Ladies,” My voice was quite steady despite the exhaustion I felt. I had given my all into discovering the issue and trying to fix it, “Thank you for being here. I know the past month has been difficult for everyone. The leaked reports, the negative press coverage, the questions about Sterling's financial stability. I understand your concerns. That's why I've asked Marcus to pres

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" I said, reaching out to steady both myself and the person I'd bumped into. It was a man in his thirties, dressed in dark jeans and a black hoodie. He had a professional-looking camera hanging around his neck, the kind photographers used for events or journalism. "No worries," he said, his voice pleasant enough. He adjusted his camera. "My fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." "Are you okay? Did I damage your camera?" I asked, suddenly worried. He checked it quickly. "Nope, all good. These things are built to take a beating." "Are you here for an event or something?" Trevor asked, eyeing the camera curiously. "Just documenting the opening week for the owners," the man said. "They want photos of people having fun for their social media." "That makes sense," I said. "Well, sorry again." "Really, it's fine," he said with a smile, then moved past us toward the arcade section. Trevor and I continued to mini golf, where his putting skills proved t

Just then, my phone started buzzing in my pocket just. The vibration was insistent and urgent but I chose to ignore it."Petyr," Maria started but then her phone rang too from somewhere inside the apartment.We both froze and stared at each other. Her phone kept ringing and mine kept buzzing and something about the timing felt ominous."You should get that," I said even though every part of me wanted to ignore both phones and finish this conversation.She hesitated then walked back into the apartment to grab her phone from the coffee table. I pulled mine out of my pocket and my heart sank when I saw Christian's name flashing across the screen.Christian never called unless something was seriously wrong.Maria's face had gone pale as she stared at her own screen. I could see the word "Mom" displayed there.We looked at each other again and I knew without being told that whatever was happening involved both of us. The coincidence was too much. Our phones ringing at the exact same mo