Chapter 32

Adam and Vanessa were ushered into the grand dining room.

The manservant pulled out a vintage chair for Adam while another did the same for Clarissa and Vanessa. The table was huge and long, draped and covered with a pure white tablecloth.

It was set formally, and a gold-colored candle stand sat at the center of the table beside the centerpiece vase that contained exotic flowers.

No sooner had they entered did James stroll in as well.

Adam noticed he and Clarissa were both dressed formally, and he wondered why on earth they dressed corporately when they ought to be relaxed in their own house. He knew it wasn't just because they were having dinner with him and Vanessa, her parents normally dressed up like that.

A butler poured wine into their wine glasses.

James sat at the head of the table while his wife sat on the left seat almost next to him, Vanessa sat at the right corner while Adam sat beside her.

"Sorry for coming late," James said with a chuckle. "That was a..," he looked at Adam and winked. "Multi-million call."

Vanessa and Clarissa burst out in foolish laughter. Adam joined them but he was forced.

James felt pleased that everyone was humored by his statement.

He snapped his fingers to the servants and immediately they started serving the dishes.

"Would you like some baked fish?" A servant asked Adam.

"Un...yes please," Adam smiled at the servant.

"Did I ever mention how that fish was obtained?" James asked with proud airs.

"You didn't tell anyone darling," Clarissa giggled.

"Oohhh....tell him, daddy," Vanessa said gleefully.

"I got it for the standard price of 40,000 Ceeds," James bragged.

"40,000?" Clarissa gaped. "You didn't tell me about that honey," she accused with a small scowl.

"For just one fish." James completed as a servant put a dish down in front of him.

Adam froze midway chewing. He swallowed quickly and put his knife and fork down. "Just one fish is 40,000 ceeds?" He asked surprised.

"Yes, yes, I had much to spare after all," James grinned at his wife. "Help yourself." He gestured at Adam towards the silver bowl that held the other baked fishes.

"Would you like another, sir?" The servant asked.

"No thank you," Adam replied politely as he dabbed his mouth with his napkin. He couldn't believe only he had wolfed down a whole forty thousand ceed fish.

"That napkin was given to us as a gift by Lady Georgia, wasn't it hunny?" Clarissa asked James.

"Oh yes," James put down his fork that held a piece of fish and looked at Adam. "Actually, it was me that was gifted the napkins. She was dreadfully grateful for the 7.8 billion ceeds I donated for her stables to be rebuilt."

"Um...," Adam lowered the napkin from his mouth.

Vanessa was too busy picking her food like a little bird to notice his discomfort.

"It was specially made you see, only fit for kings. Gold threading, carefully hand-stitched," James went on while Clarissa nodded in affirmation.

Adam replaced the napkin on the table again, making a mental note not to pick it up again.

"So...," James started again after he had taken a sip of his wine.

"How much do you earn now?" He asked, looking Adam directly in the eye. Vanessa and Clarissa both turned to him as well.

"Um...," Adam placed his own wine glass down.

"Approximately 90 trillion sir," Adam replied curtly.

"That's it?" James didn't look too impressed.

"He earns it per day daddy," Vanessa chipped in.

James's face brightened up considerably. "Marvelous! Marvelous!!" He turned to his wife, "See what'd I tell you? I knew Adam was the best suitor for our little princess."

Adam gulped down all his wine and looked down with a small frown.

Was it what he earned that made him a worthy suitor or his character?

Soon a servant served Adam a well-cooked steak.

"May I?" The servant asked gesturing to the knife. Adam looked up and saw that Vanessa and her parents were letting the servants cut their meat into tiny pieces. What they could very well do themselves.

"Um, no thanks," Adam shook his head and picked up his dinner fork and knife and proceeded to slice his steak by himself.

Clarissa looked at him at that moment.

"Oh dear!" She exclaimed. "Is Paul not doing his job properly?" Clarissa asked Adam when she saw him cutting his steak by himself.

Just as Adam wanted to clear the misunderstanding, Vanessa spoke venomously, her comment aiming at Paul.

"What's your problem dweeb? You can't do one thing right, huh?" She turned to her mother, the anger still evident in her voice. "Perhaps you should've left him in the garbage you found him."

"Vanessa—" Adam turned to chide her for her sauciness.

"Am I not paying you enough?" James roared at Paul.

"No sir I didn't—" Paul stammered.

"Actually, I'm fine doing things like this myself and I told him....," Adam started explaining quickly but Vanessa cut in sharply.

"It's alright Adam, don't defend him. He needs to get scolded," she said as she threw a scowl Paul's way.

"Sir, may I?" Paul asked Adam stiffly.

"Sure," Adam sighed and withdrew his hands letting Paul have access to the cutlery.

"Such a barbaric uncultured fellow," James snorted and put a piece of his steak in his mouth.

Paul stiffly started slicing the steak.

"Did I ever say how we got him under our employment?" Clarissa said in a nosy manner.

"Tell him, mother," Vanessa urged.

"We actually met in the hospital, his brother needed an immediate surgery, and being the penniless fellow he was, he couldn't pay for the medical bills that were needed," Clarissa started.

Adam noticed Paul's grip on the cutlery tightened and his slicing became a bit more violent.

"Un...easy," Adam whispered.

"Then he actually pushed past our security and everything in other to fall to his knees and beg us for a loan," Clarissa simpered.

The steak was being sliced sharper than usual, the plates moving as Paul harshly moved the knife over the meat in a rough manner.

Adam felt like shrinking into his seat.

What is all this madness? He wondered.

Vanessa snorted a laugh.

"I can just picture the scene, can't you babe?" She turned to Adam with a grin. "A nobody begging for help from my prestigious parents."

Adam's eyes flickered with annoyance.

He hated the way they always acted. He was sure James would've acted all high and pompous by asking the poor kid what he needed right there in front of a thousand flashing camera lights and reporters and the boy would be too desperate to care as he just wanted to save his brother.

"I can picture the scene all right," Adam said coldly.

"I gave him the exact amount he needed right there, right then, and even offered him a job," James finished the story with an air of pride.

"I'm sure you did," Adam replied sourly.

Just then Paul stabbed the steak. It was so sudden that Vanessa and Clarissa were startled.

He stared at James with hooded eyes while he addressed Adam with a flat tone.

"Your steak, enjoy."

He said grimly before walking back to his post.

James scoffed and took another sip of the wine.

"Daddy did you see that attitude?!" Vanessa screeched.

"I suggest you fire him at once!" Clarissa said with a scowl. "Servants of nowadays have no manners at all."

James just smirked and downed down his remaining drink. "No leave him," he chuckled darkly. "A pipsqueak nobody like him can't affect me. He's at my mercy, and I'll make sure he's reminded of it."

An insincere chuckle came from Adam, startling all of them.

"Such a jackass."

"Yes, Paul is." Vanessa supported firmly.

"Cheers to that." James raised his glass in the air, pleased Adam saw the fault in Paul as well. While Clarissa nodded.

Adam looked up at all of them.

Vanessa was startled at the amount of anger his eyes held.

"You. James. You're a jackass," he repeated as he stood up.

"Excuse me?" James looked greatly offended as he stood up as well. Vanessa and Clarissa's eyes went from one man to another.

"Your whole family are jackasses. You're all jerks, picking on people below your status like that," Adam said in a steel voice.

"Adam!" Vanessa yelled.

"Shut up!" He snarled at her.

"I'm done with your precious family; I'm really done with the way you run your mouth about others during every blasted dinner. This is the last time I'm ever going to step foot here again."

They were all too dumbfounded to speak.

Normally if Adam couldn't take the insult, he'd have given an excuse and left quietly but now he's had enough.

"You can break off the engagement if you want. I don't care because," he faced James with hard eyes. "I will never apologize."

He grabbed his cream overcoat and walked out in hasty strides.

He needed to clear his head and get out of there immediately.

Vanessa was still seated replaying all that he said in her mind when her Dad nudged her to get up.

"Why are you sitting down like a fool? Are you stupid? Go after him and beg him! If you lose that trillionaire as your husband, I, James Cartwell will never forgive you!" He snarled at Vanessa before walking into the interior parts of the building.

Vanessa quickly scrambled up and ran after Adam.

He was already starting the engine.

Clarissa watched them from the window, praying fervently that Adam forgives them. She didn't want to lose the richest tycoon as her son-in-law, especially after all the bragging in her shows she had been doing.

Adam stopped the engine when Vanessa approached him.

He kept the doors locked and he stared ahead, irked, because he knew she was going to justify her parents' actions.

"It was wrong, everything that we did. I shouldn't have even suggested we had dinner here seeing how much you and my parents don't agree on the same things," she said.

Adam didn't hear the sincerity in her voice, it sounded like she was biting back the angry words from spilling out.

At least she's making an effort.

Adam thought and unlocked the door.

"Get in."

She gratefully slid into the front passenger seat.

Clarissa heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Adam leaving with Vanessa, it meant he had forgiven her at least.

She skipped merrily to let her husband know the news.

~~~

Adam sighed as he turned around on his swivel chair again.

His wedding was just in three days' time and all the suit and gown had been selected. The whole city was buzzing with eagerness towards the event.

Tyson had reluctantly agreed to be Adam's best man. He didn't even want to attend the wedding before. All the invitation cards had been printed out and a huge event center was already chosen as to where the reception would take place.

Adam and Vanessa had earlier checked the place out and it was gaily decorated with ribbons, lights, and everything.

The wedding cake was ordered already.

The top chefs making the food had been contacted.

Everything was intact, now everyone was just looking forward to the wedding day itself.

Everyone except the groom.

Adam groaned and covered his face with his palms.

He just wanted to be happier. Marriage is supposed to do that to people, make them excited but he wondered while he was feeling like they were drilling holes in his heart.

Tyson had shown him a few neat bungalows the kids could move in. He even promised to live with them along with Mrs. Mann.

It was his plan from the beginning after all.

But somehow it just didn't feel right anymore.

Tyson suddenly entered the office.

"Hey buddy, you okay?" He asked when he saw the moody look on Adam.

"Hm-mm," Adam hummed absentmindedly.

Many times, he would catch Lucy looking at him with questioning eyes. Her facial expression always asked the unspoken question.

'Your wedding is soon. What now?'

But he just used to shake his head to indicate they would discuss when the right time came. But he didn't know the right time either.

"Hey, the meeting's now, Adam," Tyson said as he tapped Adam's table.

"Sure." Adam stood up and packed up his briefcase.

As he was about to head out to the conference room with Tyson, he felt a sharp sting within him. Suddenly the fear of danger was overbearing him.

Go home.

He heard the whisper loud and clear, almost as if God were standing right beside him and saying those words.

Go home, Adam. Go home now.

"Adam?" Tyson turned back.

Adam looked at him, his heart was racing yet he didn't know why.

"Tyson," Adam said as he dropped his briefcase. "I have to go home." When Tyson sent him a questioning look, Adam sensed another urgency again.

He looked at Tyson squarely in the eyes and said, "Immediately."