Chasing Imperfection (Chasing Series 2) (28 page)

    
“Papa, please come back
.
I need you….
”
my tiny voice pleaded.

     I immediately woke up startled and turned on the lamp beside my bed. I was freely crying.
Papa….

     I haven’
t dreamt about
that damn tiny closet in almost two years. Why are the dreams
coming back now? The therapy definitely opened unhealed wounds and now they’ve resurfaced.

    The only chance I have now is to brave it out and finally deal with it. Maybe Dr. Murray was right. It was high time I talk to someone about it. For almost thirteen years, I’ve bottled everything up. It’s no wonder I’m so messed up.

     I wanted to call Kyle, but I knew it wasn’t fair to bother him at this odd hour. I would save that late night talk
for
when
I really need to.

     Turning off the lamp, I closed my eyes and
slowed
my breathing.
I pictured my happy childhood with my father—him putting me to bed and rea
ding my favorite bedtime story—h
im singing while he cooked us a meal
with a huge grin
—or
when
he taught me how to draw.

     Memories of my father eased my troubled mind and put me
back
to sleep.

    
Sleep tight, my sweet pea….
be strong…I love you
…
.
my dad
’s soft voice
whispered
through the darkened night
.
    

18

Blake

    
It was already eight at night when I left my grandfather’s estate just
outside of London.
O
ur conversation focused solely on Knightly Industries and where I plan to take it in the next few years. I’m ambitious and I like to invest my energy in various fields.

     William was impressed with what I envisage of the company’s future. Since I tapped the mining industry in Australia, I want to expand our casinos a
cross Europe and the Caribbean.
I also want to explore mo
re options for expanding
our investme
nts with
crude oil, and I’m toying with the idea of doing business with Barrington’s shipping.
I knew that Clive
will
eventually start training very soon. I’d rather talk business with my notorious cousin instead of the pompous Henry. We
own
stocks in Barrington Shipping because my grandfather, William, married the glamorous Corrine Barrington.
W
hen she died, twenty percent
of that
stock went straight to my father.
Corrine was the sister of Edward Barrington, Henry’s father. Thus
,
Clive and I
are
second cousins.

     Grandfather was pleased with the direction I have been leading our company. He knew I loved it as much as he did and wouldn’t jeopardize it anyway. He had a lot of reservations of making me a CEO at such a young age but my record proved I was worth the risk. I was born and raised to run our company and I take it personally when things do not go according to plan.

     In a week’s time, I will turn twenty five and grandfather will officially announce that he
is
stepping down
as CEO
and
will officially
appoint me as his heir and successor.
This is not
new
news but this how it’s done in the business arena. Nothing is official until it is made
official
.

     Toby plans to have a huge bash in Spain to celebrate my birthday and I obliged his request. My best man has been out of sorts from his recent parting with Lucy. I cannot fathom how two lovely and very much in love couple can be separated from a mild interception of Toby’s parents. Rupert
and Evelyn are ghastly and absurd. How can one feel threatened by
that
harebrained lot?
E
specially
a
sweet and strong-headed woman like Lucille Connelly?

     Pulling out my mobile, I made a quick call to my pilot that I will be ready to leave London
for
Spain in an hour’s time.
The plan was for me to leave tomorrow morning but I feel restless from all the travelling I have been doing for the past few days.
T
o be quite honest, I want to see Sienna even if she doesn’t plan to speak to yours truly. It’s pathetic and rather pitiful to resort to this unusual type of emotional torture but I did admit that I tend to me a masochist where Sienna is concerned.

     Robert wa
s weaving through traffic to get to Luce and Sienna’s flat. She wanted to join me
on the flight
back to Marbella. I’m sure her delaying mechanism was to avoid Toby as much as she can. I don’t blame her, well not really. Break-ups are wretched and it becomes even more disconcerting when you run in the same circle of friends. I witnessed Lucy and Toby fall in love. They met a friend’s party in Knightsbridge and immediately were inseparable
the day after.
Literally the day after
—they ate and made love for six
whole
days straight. I understand the whole concept of shagging a hot woman for six days straight
but
confine oneself with the woman for that long? It’s rather unprecedented—
well I thought then
—but changed my view of the particular subject once I met Sienna. They claimed it was love at first sight, but
where
is that everlasting love now?

     “Lovely, thank you
.
”
She thanked the stewardess who placed a glass of white wine and an assorted plate of snacks before her.

     “You lost a lot of weight Luce. Have you been
eating at all and not nibbling on
your food?” Leisurely sitting across
from
her
, I
studied her gaunt looking face.

     “
I do eat, you cavalier man! I’d rather not banter with you for the next two hours whilst being confined in an airplane. That would bloody make me demented. A gentleman would leave the subject alone
.
”
She
popp
ed
a grape in her mouth.

     “I need not broach the subject again
if
that pleases you but do pay heed. I do have another query if you will oblige me, dear Lucy.”

     “Well
hell
, do go on. My curiosity is rather
piqued
.”

     “What really happened with Toby? I do
need
you to come forth with honesty and not some fabrication of sorts. I trust we’re close enough that you will confide in me with confidence and certainty.”

     She took a sip of wine and shook her head. Luce looked vulnerable and conflicted. “I don’t want to be the reason to break Toby and his family apart. Or the reason—
if there is any possibility for that matter
—for them to go bankrupt.
You
of all people know that I love him—I love him like no other.
But I cannot live with myself if I put him in a situation where he will be forced to choose. That’s quite a horrid position to be in and I do not want to be
the
person to do that to Toby.” She toyed with her glass and watched the golden liquid swish about.

     “Toby abhors his parents but does a proper job in concealing it
,” I explained
.
“
His father, Rupert, gambles on a daily basis. The losses can sometimes be covered with the family business earnings and most times—
if
the loss is too substantial, it simply needs to come out of their bank balance. Evelyn gets a generous allowance from her side of the family. But most of that goes directly to frivolous expenditures. Keeping up appearances can be exhausting, most especially when there’s not much money to go about to cover
a
gambling addiction and excessive spending
by
both parties.

    
“
Toby was asked to cover Liam’s private schooling expenses because his parents cannot be bothered with cutting their
spending
to benefit and educate their second son
,” I continued
.
“
Upon learning this, I offered to help but Toby wouldn’t have it.
He’s a proud man and wouldn’t accept any handouts.
When he sold his apartment, I stepped in and eased his burden. I hired him and proposed a better deal that would benefit us both.

    
“
The man is going through a blockade of hurdles on
e
after the other, but what got him through unscathed was your unyielding support. Toby exalts in your love and support, Luce.
Since
you left him, he’s been obliterating
his pain
in alcohol
.
The man
is
desperate for you—he
needs
you. I implore
you
to bestow him again your unrelenting love and affection.”

     “That was a
quite speech,
Blake
,” Lucy began
.
“
How in the bloody
hell
did Sienna manage to leave such a man?
But to answer your plea—at this point, I cannot cross that particular bridge yet. He needs to sort
through
this
exceptional
circumstance he and his family are in. I’d rather not be in a middle of a family feud—even if the man included in the equation is Toby Watson.”

     
I do understand her stance and I respect that. A woman who doesn’t want to sway or intrude in a family
’s
aff
air
s
is someone to be respected, even if the consequence is losing the man you love.

     “I gathered a lot of the heated exchange you and your beloved spat about. You love her to distraction and
yet
…she keeps slipping off your manly fingers. What could a powerful man do?”
She
quirk
ed
a brow
at me
.

     “A man—
powerful or not
—canno
t simply do anything about it. One
should pay heed to what a
noble man
should do—
quietly walk away
.
”
I poured
a glass of the rich burgundy wine that was being ignored for quite some time now.

     I feel rather celebratory tonight. Apart from my failings
in
the romantic department, everything else in my life is succeeding.
T
hat is something to be applauded and commemorate.

     “I guess a man
of
your stature and looks shan’t worry much. Flocks of women are always easily acquired without even lifting a finger
,” Lucy said
.
“
But I
am not a soddy
fool
—you
still
love her. I see your
blasted handsome face contort
with agony each time I mention her name. You better take on a new mask
,
love because this one simply doesn’t work.”