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Home / Romance / Even If It Hurts, Daddy / Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

All Chapters of Even If It Hurts, Daddy: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

45 Chapters

31

The rain drummed against the library windows, a relentless, frantic thud that matched the pounding in Richard’s temples. It rarely rained in February. On the desk lay a brown folder, hand-delivered by Victor an hour ago.Richard flipped through the glossy photos. His jaw tightened so hard he felt the bone might crack."Explain these," Richard commanded, his voice a jagged edge of ice.Victor, standing in the shadows of the bookshelves, adjusted his tie. "You asked for leverage, Sir. So. I went back to day one. The wedding morning."For the purpose of satisfying arecent curiousity, he had asked victor to get footages from Chase’s wedding, to enable him find more of her friends and relatives that may have attended the wedding, he needed to know her family, but what he would discover about their union gagged him.Richard looked at a photo of Chase. He was in his tuxedo, looking smug, but he wasn't with his bride. He was pinned against a catering van with another woman. The timestamp was

32

Serayah slammed her laptop shut, the sound like a gunshot in the small living room. "My cards. All of them. Declined. I finally made up my mind and called the bank and they told me there’s an 'administrative hold' on my accounts pending an audit. An audit, Giselle!""It’s not just you," Lawrose said, his voice trembling as he paced by the window. He was staring at his phone as if it had turned into a snake. "My lead sponsor for the Spring Collection just pulled out. No explanation. Just a one-sentence email saying they’ve decided to move in a 'different direction.' That direction being anywhere that doesn't piss off Richard Hemingway."Giselle sat on the edge of the sofa, her hands tucked between her knees. "This is a lot to taken.""Such an insufferable!" Lawrose shrieked, spinning around. "He’s starving us out, Gigi. He’s coming for our livelihoods. I am livid at this point"Serayah walked over to Giselle " My lifestyle is crumbling in real-time. I can't buy groceries. I can't pay t

33

The jeep was idling at the curb, a silent, predatory beast against the gray backdrop of the Heights. Giselle wondered what she was going to say to him, she had to say something at least. She prayed for courage and hoped her voice would not fail her. The tinted window slid down an inch as Giselle approached, the cool air from the interior smelling of leather and the sharp, expensive scent of Richard Hemingway. She pulled the door open and slid into the backseat. Richard was sitting in the corner, his silhouette imposing, his eyes tracking her every move with a hunger that felt like a physical weight. "You didn't have to do all that, Richard," Giselle snapped, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound firm. "Freezing her bank accounts? Blocking Lawrose’s sponsors? I just wanted some time to myself for myself, you said I should do what makes me happy, and I did that, so why are you hunting my friends? I need to process things, to think clearly without you or Chase suffocating me

34

The lingering scent of Richard’s cologne clung to Giselle as she shut the apartment door and took a deep breath to stable herself. Lawrose and Serayah were standing in the kitchen, hovering over a laptop, checking their bank balances with the intensity of people looking for a miracle. "The money is back," Serayah said, her voice breathless. "The restriction on my account has been remov. My accounts status has ticked green." "You guys wont believe my sponsor just emailed," Lawrose added, though he didn't look happy. "They called it a 'technical glitch.' A glitch that almost gave me a stroke." He looked up at Giselle. "He’s gone, isn't he? The monster in the sedan?" "He gave me twenty-four hours," Giselle said, walking into the center of the room staring at nothing in particular. Her voice was different—lower, steadier. "He told me if I’m not back in the mansion by tomorrow night, he’s coming up here to ‘evacuate’ me himself. And he didn't mean with a moving truck." "So th

35

The car pulled up to a pavement lined with white marble and gold plated bollards. Giselle stepped out first, followed by Serayah and Lawrose, who both looked like they were walking toward a firing squad. She looked up at the sign above the heavy glass doors. It read Opulencia in minimalist black script."This is it," Giselle said, adjusting her sunglasses.They walked inside, the scent of expensive lilies and filtered air hitting them instantly. An attendant in a neatly ironed suit approached them, holding a slim tablet. She smiled, but her eyes were sizing them up."Good morning," the attendant said. "Welcome to Opulencia. Do you have a reservation for this morning?"Serayah blinked, leaning toward Giselle. "Hol’up! Wait. Do people actually make reservations to shop? Is this a boutique?"The attendant looked slightly confused but maintained her professional demeanor. "Yes, madam. We operate on a strict reservation basis to ensure our clients receive the privacy and attention they r

36

Lawrose and Serayah looked at each other in total disbelief, but they followed her closely as she walked into the center of the room."Will you be needing assistance today, Mrs. Hemingway?" the attendant asked."Yes," Giselle said, looking around at the vast expanse of sophisticated fury allure. "I definitely need more hands. I plan on being quite thorough."The attendant raised a hand and signaled. Within seconds, four more attendants came rushing over, standing in a neat line."Please assist Mrs. Hemingway with whatever she requires," the head attendant commanded. "Treat her with utmost care."Lawrose looked at Serayah. "She might actually own it by the time we leave. Is this even real life? Someone tell me I am dreaming"Giselle ignored them. She pointed toward the back of the store. "Point me to the most expensive segment. The haute couture line."The attendant led her toward a raised platform where the lighting was softer and the fabrics looked like liquid gold. Giselle walked up

37

Chase sat in his high backed leather chair with a stack of documents spread across the table surface. He rubbed his temples as he looked at the figures on the screen. He was already on edge. The tension with his father was at an all time high and Giselle disappearance and his fathers intrusion had left him feeling like he was losing his grip on his own sanity.His secretary tapped on the glass door and stepped inside without waiting for an invite. She held a tablet to her chest and looked at him in a way that didn't quite hide her fatigue.“Sir the partners from the Sterling Group are in the conference room. They are expecting a briefing on the final logistics for the registration. Shall I tell them you are ready to receive them now?”Chase sighed and reached for his suit jacket. “Tell them I will be there in five minutes. Make sure the coffee is hot and that they have the updated copies of the—“He stopped mid sentence. His phone which was sitting face up on the desk began to vibr

38

Richard sat in a wingback chair, the pages of the Financial Times resting on his knee as he read through. The morning sun streamed through the high windows of the lobby, illuminating the dust motes in the air. He lifted a porcelain cup of coffee, the steam curling around his face.The peace lasted exactly six seconds.The front doors were kicked open with enough force to rattle the glass. Chase marched across the floor, his face a shade of red. He didn't say a word until he reached Richard. He snatched his smartphone from his pocket and slammed it down onto the middle of the newspaper."Look at it!" Chase screamed. "Look at what that bitch is doing!"Richard didn't flinch. He didn't even put his coffee down. He slowly lowered his gaze to the screen, which was still vibrating with a fresh notification."The newspaper is for reading, Chase," Richard said, his voice a low rumble. "The floor is for your tantrums. Choose one.""Read the alerts, Dad! Read them!" Chase paced a tight circle a

39

A fleet of six matte-black delivery vans was currently snaking around the circular drive, positioning themselves like a tactical unit. And at the head of the convoy was a brand-new, shimmering silver Lamborghini Revuelto.The driver’s side scissor door swiveled upward with a hiss.Giselle stepped out. Her hair straightened and swaying in the wind that brushed past her face, it was a wild sight, her sunglasses were large, and her struck a pose with her hands on her waist, she flipped her hair and took in a deep breath.Chase stood on the top step, frozen, his hands twitching at his sides. "Giselle? What is... whose car is that?"Giselle didn't answer. she cat walked up the steps with the rhythmic click of heels. As she reached the top step, she didn't stop. She didn't even slow down. Without looking at Chase’s face, she reached up, unbuttoned her new cashmere trench coat, and draped it over his extended, shocked arm."Be careful with my baby, darling," she said casually, her eyes fixed

40

Two men in uniforms were carrying armloads of luxury shopping bags into the house when Chase finally lost it.He threw her fur coat to a corner not caring where it landed.“I am done tolerating this!! The nerve of this woman” Chase roared. His voice echoed up to the high ceilings. “Giselle! Get down here right now!” He roared even louder.Amelia appeared from the dining room looking terrified. “Sir? Did you call for me?”“Did you hear your name you dumb fuck!” Chase asked harshly. “Did you fucking hear me call your name?”“Chase, do not speak to her like that!” Richard condemned from where he was, “And stop yelling!”“At this point, you dont get to tell me what to do or how to react dad! It’s obvious you have picked sides with giselle” He headed for the stairs. He didn't care if Richard was watching. He didn't care if the staff was listening. He was going to reclaim his authority once and for all.“Chase… do I have to fucking teach you everything? Get back here!” Richard yelled, fo

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