Chapter 58 Chapter 58

Chapter 58 Chapter 58
\[PAST\]

“You can’t be serious about this!” In his drunken haze, Ajax heard his father growl. But because he was too far gone to give a damn, he merely rolled his eyes and made himself another drink.

Ajax was on his fifth shot when Michael Halest rained inside the study room, loud and red with mad anger.

“I’m talking to you, Ajax!” the old man roared. “What the fuck are you doing with your life?”

“I’m fucking grieving!” Ajax snarled, clutching the tumbler tightly in his grasp. “Can’t a man even grieve in solace? What the fuck is your problem?”

Michael Halest bristled at the tone of his older son. He couldn’t stand it. So, instead of leaving his son alone—like he had literally begged him to a few minutes ago—the man grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, yanked him off the chair, and scowled. “Excuses!” the man gritted out. “Fucking all excuses!”

“So what?” Ajax snapped back, upper lip curling in a snarl. “Why the fuck do you care?” he ripped the hands of his father off his shirt, stumbling a little on his feet. “Besides, what the fuck are you even doing here? Don’t you have some goddamn business meeting to attend to?”

Ajax was so tired. All he wanted was to be left alone. All he wanted was to drink and pass out. All he wanted was to mourn.

“You don’t get to tell me what I need to do or not. You don’t fucking control my life!” Michael Halest clenched his fists.

“You do a fine job of controlling mine!” Ajax smacked the empty tumbler on the desk, almost breaking it.

“That’s because I’m your father, and I know whatever the hell is best for you!”

Ajax scoffed at those words. He couldn’t help it. Michael Halest only knew what was best for the business. Or him. Rest of the things simply didn’t matter. Not family. Not sons. Not the fact he lost his unborn son—something he had found out only a few days ago—and his wife, whom he might not have loved, but cared immensely for.

“If you’d have known what’s best for me you wouldn’t have…” Despite the anger and frustration pushing through his veins, tears glistened in his eyes. Tears of anger. Tears of hurt. Tears of every broken dream he sacrificed to appease his father. “Linda wouldn’t have…” he choked on the hefty emotions stuck in his throat. “She wouldn’t have…nothing of this would have happened….if you….if you…”

“If I what?” Michael Halest glared. “Have the balls to fucking say it!”

Curling his fingers tightly in a ball of fists, Ajax looked away and glared at nothing. Still not having the courage to say her name. Not because he couldn’t or didn’t want to, but because she didn’t deserve to be brought up in this ridiculous conversation. She was too pure for that. Too kind. Too perfect. Just not…just not his.

“Such a waste of time and youth!” Michael Halest finally said, his voice just as harsh and grating as earlier. “You know what? Do whatever the fuck you want. Don’t come crying to me afterwards, begging for another fucking chance!”

Spitting those words out, Michael Halest stormed out of the room, shutting the door on his way with an angry smack. Only to narrow his dark eyes and pause in his gait when a familiar face came into his sight.

“Uncle~” Veronica purred through those plump lips, her green eyes glistening with mischief that Michael Halest had grown to admire.

He loved that she was so bold and uncaring of her actions, that she didn’t care about the age gap between them and was ready to do literally anything at his word.

Just one word of his and she would spread her legs wide and let him fuck the hell out of her.

Just one word of his and she would bring any woman to his bed. Watch him fuck and happily join if he asked her to.

This was the reason he felt compelled to keep her close. The reason he had lied through his teeth and introduced her as the daughter of Lancasters.

He knew no one would question a man of his status. Even his family knew better than to doubt the decision he made for them.

Sure, his younger son had a bit of wild air about him, but who didn’t at his young age? A part of Michael Halest always felt like Vincent was more like him than Ajax ever could.

“What’s with this angry aura coming from you?” she teased while wrapping his tie around her nimble fingers, drawing her lips to whisper into his ear. “Would you want me to cool you down?”

Michael Halest smirked.