Chapter 144
Chloe's POV:
The office at Palmer Media Group was chaos. Everyone was rushing around for the new project launch. Well, everyone except me and Parker.
I sat at my desk, glued to my phone. I was texting Maya. She had just dropped a bomb about her biological father.
It was Arthur Hayes.
"Holy shit!" I shrieked, forgetting where I was.
\Parker looked up. He frowned at me, confused.
I caught his eye and mouthed, “Sorry.”
I looked back at my screen, fingers flying.
[Chloe]: Wait. So you, Marcus, and Tiffany are siblings? Half-siblings?
[Maya]: Yep. It’s like a bad soap opera. I never thought my mother was the mistress.
[Chloe]: Putting that aside, Patricia was really beautiful back then. The kind of woman men go crazy for.
I had seen an old photo of Patricia once. She really was stunning.
[Chloe]: Are you okay? This must be hard.
[Maya]: At first, it hurt. But not anymore. Patricia made stupid choices. That has nothing to do with me. I’m not going to stress over it.
[Chloe]: Good. Don’t let them get to you. But why is your dad showing up now? If he knew about you for twenty-six years, why come find you today?
[Maya]: He needs Adam. He wants Sterling Global to invest in his Seaport project.
[Chloe]: Wow. The audacity! Don’t give him the time of day. He didn’t raise you, and now he wants to use you? Tell him to get lost.
[Maya]: Don’t worry. I won’t give him anything.
[Chloe]: Good. Stay strong.
A shadow fell over my desk. Parker was standing there, checking his watch.
"It’s lunch time," he said. He reached down and plucked the phone right out of my hand.
"Hey!"
He ignored me. "You’ve been staring at this thing for twenty minutes. Let’s go eat."
I glanced at the time. We were thirty minutes late for lunch. I quickly typed a final message to Maya on my computer.
[Chloe]: Gotta go. I’ll come find you after work.
I grabbed my purse and looked up at Parker. "You go down first. I’ll meet you in the car."
Parker frowned. "Why? We are dating. Why do we have to act like we’re having an affair?"
"I don’t want to go public yet," I whispered. I definitely didn't want his parents calling me in for a 'talk' this early.
Parker sighed. "Fine. Go quickly. Wait for me in the car."
He walked away, looking annoyed. I waited five minutes before heading to the elevator. Luckily, the office was empty. Everyone else was already at lunch.
I reached the underground garage and looked around like a thief. The coast was clear. I sprinted toward Parker’s car and threw myself into the passenger seat.
"Drive!" I gasped. "Go, go, go!"
Parker started the engine. As we drove toward the exit, I saw a group of colleagues walking toward us. I shrieked and ducked, burying my face in my knees to hide.
Two minutes passed.
"They’re gone," Parker said dryly. "You can get up now."
I sat up and fixed my hair. "Safe."
To avoid running into anyone we knew, we went to a restaurant far from the office. Ever since we started dating, Parker insisted on feeding me. Expensive lunches, homemade dinners. It was constant.
I took a bite of my steak and felt my waistband pinch.
"Parko," I asked, putting down my fork. "Do you think I’ve gained weight?"
Parker looked at me. He studied my face for a moment. "A little."
My jaw dropped. "What?"
I pushed my plate away. "That’s it. I’m done. No more food. I need to lose weight."
Parker raised an eyebrow. "You’re going to waste this delicious steak?"
I bit my lip. "I don't want to be fat."
Parker cut a piece of meat and held it out to me. "You won't be fat. Just eat. We can burn the calories tonight."
He gave me a meaningful look.
I knew exactly what kind of exercise he meant. My face heated up. I hesitated, looking at the steak, then at his smirk.
"Fine," I grumbled. I opened my mouth and took the bite. "But tonight... I’m on top."
Parker laughed. "Deal."
Patricia’s POV:
I stared at the man on my porch, feeling the blood drain from my face.
"What are you doing here?"
Arthur Hayes stood there in a sharp suit. "Patricia. Long time no see."
I let out a cold laugh. "It has been a long time. You look old. I almost didn't recognize you."
Arthur was silent for a moment. He looked me up and down. "You haven't changed much."
The comment pleased me slightly. My tone softened. "How did you know I lived here?"
"Finding an address isn't hard," Arthur said. "I need to talk to you."
"I have nothing to say to you."
"Can I come in? I don't want to discuss this on the porch."
I stepped back and let him enter.
Arthur looked around my small, worn-down house. He frowned. "Why are you living in a dump like this? Did you spend all the money I gave you?"
I didn't answer immediately.
When I left him, Arthur gave me five million dollars. I moved back to Cleveland and lived in my parents' old house. I hadn't worked a day since. I enjoyed the easy life.
But life was expensive. My son, Ryan, needed money. College, his wedding, his house... it all added up. Then came his divorce. His ex-wife took half the assets. Ryan was too soft; he gave her everything. Now, I only had about three million left. I was saving it for Ryan’s next marriage.
But I couldn't tell Arthur that.
"It's all gone," I said simply.
Arthur scoffed. "You spent it on your son, didn't you? I gave you five million to raise our daughter. You neglected Maya and gave everything to Ryan. You are unbelievable."
I froze. "You saw her? Did she tell you that?"
"I saw her," Arthur said. "She didn't tell me. I investigated you. I know exactly how you treated her."
"So what? You gave me the money. It was mine to spend."
"Maya is your daughter too. How could you be so cruel to her?"
"You abandoned her!" I snapped. "Don't lecture me. Arthur, where were you for twenty-six years? You didn't come looking for her. I didn't throw her in the trash, which is more than you did. You have no right to judge me."
"It was a mutual agreement—"
"Bullshit. You seduced me."
"Fine," Arthur cut me off. "I'm not here to fight about the past."
I glared at him. "Then why are you here? To catch up?"
Arthur adjusted his cuffs. "I want to have dinner with Maya. She refused me."
"Why should I help you?"
"Because," Arthur said smoothly. "If you help me get her to dinner, I won't look into exactly how you spent that settlement money."
Reluctantly, I pulled out my phone.
I dialed.
"Hello?" Maya answered.
"It's me," I said stiffly. "We are having dinner tonight. I'll send you the address."
I hung up before she could argue.
"Will she come?" Arthur asked.
"She didn't say no," I said. "I made the call. Now get out."