Chapter 47

CODY’s POV

Tomorrow should have been my day.

My launch.

My event.

My moment.

But of course, the universe had a twisted sense of humor, because now all everyone is yapping about is that European bitch’s NGO.

And it pissed me the fuck off. It was like an itch under my skin like a rash I could not reach.

The idea of her standing center stage, being applauded, celebrated, admired; it fucking annoyed me. It bothered me. It made something hot flare in my chest.

Still, it irritated me more than it should have.

I shrugged the thought away and focused on actual work. The day before a launch was chaotic: calls, logistics, confirmations, last minute adjustments. But I had handled worse.

What unsettled me was what I had not heard.

Audrey.

She had not called. She had not texted. She had not updated me on whether she had spoken to her father like I had asked.

I called her again, and it went straight to voicemail.

Fucking Perfect.

What I did not need right now was silence, especially not from the one person whose cooperation kept everything moving smoothly.

My phone lit up again, and when his name came up, I dropped the phone.

I did not even hesitate. I let it ring until it cut off. I could already hear him without answering:

You are a failure.

Your brother would have handled this better.

Why can you never get it right?

Not today. Not when I had a hundred fires to put out and only one day left.

He called again. I declined it.

A third time. Declined.

If he wanted something so desperately, he could leave a message. He did not. He never did. He preferred his insults delivered live for maximum impact.

I grabbed my keys, and walked out. If Audrey would not give me answers, I would find them myself, in the hamilton estate.

The Hamilton estate loomed like it always did: excessive, dramatic, drenched in old money and older secrets. But today, I was not in the mood to admire anything.

I needed results.

Before I even reached the front door, it opened.

“My son!” Edward boomed, stepping forward with arms open and a smile that was too warm for a man like him. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“Sorry for coming on short notice,” I said, slipping into the polite tone required for this house.

“You are my son,” he said again, gripping my shoulder with affection. “You can come anytime you wish.”

Then his eyes narrowed, amused.

“But you are late today.”

I blinked. “Late? Do you have an appointment?”

“Oh no,” he said with a chuckle. “Audrey went shopping with her mother. You know how women are.”

I smiled, because that was expected.

“Oh… of course. But I did not come here to see her.”

His brows rose, pleasantly surprised.

“You came for me?”

“Yes, sir–”

He cut in sharply. “What did I tell you about calling me ‘sir’?”

I swallowed and corrected myself. “Edward.”

He burst into a hearty laugh, “Good. Come, come.”

He led me into the living room and gestured to the couch.

A maid rushed over immediately, fidgeting as she poured our drinks. Her hands shook so much the glass nearly overflowed.

Edward watched her like a predator watches a trembling rabbit.

“I hope there is no issue with the launch,” he said, although his eyes never left the maid.

“It has been going as planned,” I said carefully. “But there has been an obstacle.”

He hummed in acknowledgment, still staring at the girl.

She kept her gaze down, her shoulders hunched like she was ready to shrink into herself.

“Obstacle?” he repeated.

“It is about one of our buildings,” I continued,“For the expansion project.”

He did not respond.

Because he was not listening.

He was too busy admiring the terrified girl in front of him.

I watched silently. It was not my business. I just needed my building.

“Edward?” I said pointedly.

He blinked and snapped out of whatever fantasy he had drifted into. “Yes, yes, the… expansion site?”

“Someone else took the building,” I said. “After we already claimed it.”

His face hardened. “How is that possible?”

“They got an executive order from the mayor.”

He scoffed. “The mayor? Does he not know you are my son?”

“That is why I came here,” I said smoothly, leaning back. “Because that is an indirect insult to you.”

His eyes sharpened immediately.

“It is. But I will speak with him. Do not worry.”

Before I could respond, his gaze flicked down.

To a tiny water ring left by the maid’s trembling hand.

His expression darkened.

“Rita!” he barked.

The girl appeared instantly, breathless, eyes wide like she expected a blow.

He pointed to the table.

“Clean this up.”

She bowed, fled to grab a cloth, and returned to wipe it quickly.

While she bent forward, Edward raised his palm

and spanked her hard.

She gasped. She straightened herself too quickly, her face was flushed with humiliation.

Edward laughed as she scurried away, taking a sip of his drink.

“As men,” he said, settling back, “we should have our vices, you know?”

I gave a small nod in agreement,“Of course.”

“But what we should not do,” he added, voice dropping, “is disrespect our women.”

I met his eyes. And they weren’t as warm as before. There was a warning behind them, wrapped in a smile.

“I would never disrespect her,” I said.

“For your sake,” he murmured, “I hope not.”

My jaw tightened, but I did not respond. Pushing back was not an option here. Not now.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

Once.

Twice.

Then incessantly.

I excused myself politely and stepped away.

“What is it?” I snapped as soon as I answered.

The voice on the other end trembled.

“Sir, there is a problem.”

The tone alone made something in me become unsettled.

“What kind of problem?” I demanded.

There was a pause, one too long for comfort.

“Can you fucking speak??” I barked, irritated.

But when he said it, my blood ran cold.