Chapter 74 My Decision is Final
"How dare you barge into my office like that?" Devon barked, standing up to face Bryce, who was equally standing in front of his desk, facing him squarely.
The two gentlemen stared at each other angrily for a while in silence before Bryce decided to break the silence.
"Angela is my wife, and now that I know she is carrying my child, I am not going to let her go," Bryce said, sounding very serious.
"Then you leave me no choice. I shall take the company away from you," Devon said, and Bryce scoffed.
"So be it. You can have your company back," Bryce said and was about to leave.
"I am not just taking the company away from you. I am freezing all your assets. Good luck running that house in the Estates with no money. And Bryce, I need you to pay the rent for that apartment by noon today. Starting from the day of acquisition, if not, you move out," he said.
"We own that estate, so why do I have to pay you rent?" Bryce questioned. "I am a Moore," he added.
"Since you started disobeying my orders. You cease to be my son, and that means you are no longer a Moore," Devon said and sat back down realizing he had the upper hand now.
"Dad, she is pregnant. How can I abandon her in such a state?" Bryce questioned.
"Last I checked, you don't have any health condition that prevents you from getting a girl pregnant. Let her terminate the pregnancy, and there will be nothing connecting you two. She goes her way, and you go your way," Devon said nonchalantly.
"It's not just about the child she is carrying. I don't want to lose her. I think I am in love with her," Bryce confessed.
"You think you are in love?" Devon said and let out a small laugh. "Bryce, you don't love her. You feel that way because she is the first and only woman you got intimate with," he said, and Bryce frowned.
"Oh yes. I know about you keeping yourself. Sleep with another girl, and you will realise you don't love her. You just like her body. That is normal," Devon said.
"I don't want another woman. I am her first as she is my first. I don't want to be with another woman," Bryce retorted.
"Good to know. You can go sleep on the street," Devon said and relaxed in his seat.
"Dad, are you serious right now?" Bryce questioned, resting both hands on Devon's desk.
"Yes, I am. Stay with her and cease to be a Moore, or divorce her and you can keep your inheritance," Devon said. "My decision is final," he added.
"Fine," Bryce said and angrily walked out of Devon's office.
He was now building something for himself. If his father kicks him out now, he wouldn't have anything. He would not be able to take care of Angela and the child growing inside her.
"I am sorry, Angela," Bryce said, not finding any way out of the situation aside from getting his own money, something he doesn't have now.
He had spent almost his entire life making the company better. He had now reached a point where he was supposed to start paying himself, and his father wanted to kick him out because he found someone he cared about.
"Son, what happened?" came Patricia's voice, and Bryce shifted his gaze to his mum.
"Nothing I can't handle," Bryce replied, not rather to share the details with his mum yet.
"And where is the pretty girl, your wife?" Patricia asked.
"Mum, you will not see her in a long time," Bryce replied and was about to leave, but Patricia stopped her by holding his hand.
"What do you mean? Are you two not married already?" Patricia questioned with a frown.
"I need to take care of a few things," Bryce said, still dodging the details.
"Does this have anything to do with your father? I realise he didn't like the girl," Patricia said, and Bryce turned to look at her.
"Look, leave your father to me. Go enjoy your married life and get ready for a grand ceremony and annunciation," Patricia said with a smile.
"She is gone. I went to get her food. When I returned, she was gone," Bryce reported to her.
"What do you mean she is gone? What did you say to her?" Patricia asked.
"She asked for a divorce, and I told her about her pregnancy. When I left to get her food, she also left," Bryce said, looking dejected.
He never thought that not knowing where Angela was would have such an impact on him.
"She is pregnant?" Patricia asked with a smile on her face.
"Yes," Bryce replied with a frown.
"O, dear. I am going to have a grandchild," Patricia said excitedly.
"But mum, she is gone, and I don't know where she went," Bryce informed her.
"Don't be silly. Use your contacts to find her and bring her home," Patricia said.
"He would do no such thing," Devon interrupted.
"And why, if I may ask," Patricia asked with a frown, resting both hands on her waist as she faced Devon, who was standing at the entrance connecting to the inner hallway to the living room.
"Because that girl is not who you think she is," Devon said.
"Oh, please, your late father said the same thing about me when you first introduced me to your family and twelve years later, where we are and see what you have achieved," Patricia pointed out. "Look, they are already married. If she were a bad person, our son would have known already," she added.
"I know what I am talking about. She is a slut. Look at this," Devon said and threw the pictures of Angela's headline for Luke's house on the floor.
Patricia picked them up, surprised, but she looked at each picture carefully, and her frown turned into a smile.
"What are you smiling about?" Devon questioned with a frown.
"Does the girl in the picture look like someone who went to see Luke on her own accord?" Patricia questioned Devon, showing him one of the pictures, and Bryce wondered what his mother saw. "Look at her face. That is not an expression of a girl who is happy to be where she is. I know you will say she is a gold digger next. If that is true, what does she want with Luke when Bryce has it all?" she added.
"Please, you need a better reason to convince me if you don't like that pretty girl," Patricia said. "Bryce, go get her," he said and pushed Bryce towards the door.
Meanwhile, back at Zora's place, Angela lay on the sofa recalling the artefact she had found and the murder of her parents, which happened ten years ago.