Chapter 82: Misunderstanding

Knowing she couldn’t remain outside any longer, she knocked on the door and pushed it open. The conversation inside stopped abruptly and all three men looked up.

Sarah met Luca’s shocked and worried eyes first. She offered him a reassuring smile, knowing he had no clue she was the Cera Stone the President and Chairman had been waiting for. She had felt it better to keep this from him, especially because she wanted to remain friends with Luca. She couldn’t do that if she turned into a billionaire heiress overnight.

“What are you doing here?” George asked sharply and his eyes lingered on the door, as if he was scared someone else would come in.

“President Colton asked me to meet him here. I thought you were expecting me as well,” she responded calmly.

William stood up and walked over to her. He placed his hand on the small of her back and formally introduced her. “Dad, this is Cera Stone. My girlfriend.” He gave his father a pointed look.

Sarah stepped away from his touch, disliking how he had phrased it all. Like it was his plan to wine and dine Phillip Stone’s daughter. William didn’t notice it. He saw her extending her hand to his father and remained poised.

“Is this a joke? Did you think you could bring your girlfriend and lie to me like this?”

William jolted. He had not expected this reaction from his father. He should have, though. Perhaps, he was too excited that his girlfriend was the woman he had been desperately looking for… so, he hadn’t remembered how implausible and twisted the story sounded to a logical outsider.

“Chairman Colton, this is not a joke. I am indeed Phillip Stone’s daughter. I lived with my mother for the first half of my life and after her death, in an orphanage.”

“You want me to believe that you knew you had two powerful families on either side and still wanted to be an orphan?” George asked scathingly.

Sarah scoffed. “It was hardly a choice I made. I have never met my father or the family and I have little affection or connection to them. I dislike the toils of the rich and prefer to stay in the shadows and live a normal life.” She remained firm in her opinion.

William sensed some hostility in the way Sarah spoke and looked at her curiously.

“But you would get special treatment everywhere you went,” George challenged.

Sarah nodded. “I have learned that recently. I was treated differently from the moment William found out who I was.” She paused and looked at William with a half-hearted smile. “I felt more precious… I got a shadow bodyguard to make sure not a scratch was left on me and even my so-called stepmother paid me a visit in fear that I would walk into her company and take over.” She chuckled and shook her head.

George was taken aback. While the words were in response to him, the meaning behind them was not good. George glanced at his son and saw him stiffen.

“Sarah, it was only for your protection. If I know who you are, it is only a matter of time before Vera found out. She already tried to kill you when you were younger, what is stopping her now?” he tried to justify.

He knew Sarah had misunderstood something.

“You. You are,” Sarah said lightly. “But what should I do? I have no plans on taking over the company… no matter what profits you receive from it.” She turned to George. “I am happy that you looked for me and that I found out that my father didn’t despise my existence. But you should not hold that good intention as an upper hand. You can’t blackmail your son with the position of the chairman to make him do your bidding.”

George realized that Sarah had reverted to the sharp girl from the interview. The same one who thought she had nothing to lose and gave him her piece of mind.

“What is it you want to say?” George asked.

“Sarah—”

She raised her hand to stop William from making whatever excuse he was going to. “I never intended on making my relationship with William public. Not even to you, Chairman Colton.”

William grabbed Sarah’s hand. “Stop. Don’t say anything you will regret,” William whispered. “We should talk outside and resolve whatever misunderstanding we have before you make a decision."

“Okay,” Sarah agreed immediately. “Let’s go out and talk.”

Within a minute, they were in a corner, away from prying eyes, staring at each other.

“Which part do you want to explain?” Sarah asked finally, growing frustrated.

“I don’t know where to start,” he insisted. “I really didn’t treat you differently. I just realized you were in far more danger than I had previously thought. It is one thing to plot against Vera Kincaid, but it is completely different when you are threatening her power and position. And you are doing both. I want you protected and happy at all costs!”

Sarah nodded. “Okay, I understand that bit. But what would you say about taking over as the Chairman only if I succeeded in overthrowing everyone and becoming the owner of Stone and Brothers?”

William gulped. “I said it to appease my father.”

“But you didn’t, William. I know what you sound like when you are insincere… and you weren’t.” He was silent. “Why, William?”

‘Why did you betray me?’ she thought.

“This is not about me being chairman but more so for you to get what you deserve.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Against my wishes and happiness? Did you think you could slowly chip away at my resolve and finally convince me? William, that is manipulative and not the man I want to be with.”

It was the last part that caught William off guard. He had thought they could resolve this issue easily. What he didn’t expect was that his scheme would lead to her rethinking their relationship.

“Are you telling me that you are breaking up with me?” he questioned. He felt his own anger take over. “You are not allowed to,” he gritted out through his teeth.

“It takes two people to get into a relationship, but one person to break it off. You are only making this worse for yourself.” Neither of them wanted to back down and fed off of each other’s frustrations and anger.

“Aren’t you looking for an excuse to break up with me? Isn’t this why you tried to keep it a secret all along?” William accused. “If you really liked me… loved me… you would want to tell everyone. But now that you are going to be Cera Stone, you can’t do that. And it scares you, doesn’t it.”

Sarah shuddered. “You are twisting the truth,” she hissed. “I now wonder if you even understand who I am. Do you even know what I want and what I like? Or are you so occupied with your own feelings that you have forgotten again?”

They grew silent after that. The words they had said to each other only made things worse.

“Let it go,” Sarah whispered. She turned and walked away.

William was so angry that he didn’t have the control to follow after her. He pushed his hands into his pocket and went back to the private room. His father looked at him with worry and he only assured George that they would talk it over in a few days.

All this time, he had no idea that it would be the last time he would see Sarah.