Shay's POV
I walked into the living room and stopped in my tracks when I saw Dad sitting on the armchair already, reading a magazine. His back was facing me and he hadn't noticed me yet. My eyes shifted back to the magazine in his hand, and I noticed that it was the magazine with my pictures on it.
He was definitely reading that gossip article about me and Jason, and I could already feel another lecture coming up. I sat down on the long couch in front of him and cleared my throat. He glanced up at me through his glasses. He threw the magazine on top of the glass coffee table and then tossed his glasses on top before leaning back.
"This type of news will do nothing but bring trouble to our family all the time. This is unacceptable. Not even five days have passed for that news about your job to die down, and now they've picked up something else to entertain people with when it's all about you! Are you kidding me right now? Out of all the men you could've dated, you chose Jason Cartwright instead? Are you trying to piss me off or something because I asked you to start working at the company? Is this what it's all about?"
I shook my head in disagreement and stared at the magazine lying on the small table in front of me.
"No, that's not it."
"I had accepted the fact that you two were dating privately, but now that your relationship is exposed in the media? No, absolutely not!"
He grabbed the magazine and angrily waved it in my face before throwing it down again.
"This is not doing any good for the company or even for this family. Break up with him and focus on your job next week. This is the only way I'm asking you nicely."
I finally tore my eyes off the carpet and looked up at him. I couldn't hide my annoyance and anger anymore.
"No, I will not do that." He frowned back at me.
"Yes, that is what you're going to do. Do you even realize the bad consequences of your actions? You know that the press is still picking on us because of what happened to Shawn, and we're trying our best to get them off our back, yet here you are, thinking you can do whatever the hell you want because it's your goddamn life but keep forgetting that you're still part of this family! Whatever you do alone in this house or outside is none of our business, but when every scandal gets exposed by the media, it affects all of us. Don't you get it?" He yelled at me.
"I am not breaking up with Jason. I have done everything you want me to do and I never complained. I agreed to stay and do what you wanted me to do, and that's it! I'm not doing what you're asking me to do now."
He stared into my eyes for about a minute, then slowly leaned back in his seat while giving me a hard look.
"Give me one very good reason why." I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.
"Because I'm in love with him, that's why." He burst out laughing.
"Silly girl. Didn't they tell you that Cartwright is also known to be a great womanizer? I'm not even going to advise you on that one."
"That's okay, I don't need your advice, Dad. I just need you to stop interfering in my dating life. And no, he's not a womanizer. You don't know him like I do."
He raised his brow at me and his smile slipped.
"Well, you know him better, huh?" I nodded my head.
"Yes. If our relationship lasts longer, then I think I would marry him."
I didn't know what came over me to say that out loud, but it's already out there. Dad looked at me in shock. It even shocked me too, but I tried to hide it so he wouldn't notice, or else he'll realize that I just said that to keep my pride intact. Although, I may have fantasized about marrying Jason someday, it wasn't really something serious on my mind. But I would like it if it happens one day.
"Marry him? Are you insane?" He yelled loudly.
"It's my life, Dad. I can decide who to love and who to cut off from my life. It's my choice, not yours or Mom's or anyone in this family."
"If you're living under my roof, then I'm telling you now that I will never allow that to happen, whether you like it or not. Do you understand me? Never!" He quickly snapped back.
I stood up from the couch and glared at him one more time before leaving the room. My anger was boiling to the point where I could really hurt something or someone right now. I left the house and went straight toward Shawn's office, though it might not be his anymore since Shelby will be moving in anytime soon.
I walked in and slammed the door behind me, then paced around the room to try and calm myself down. My father is so freaking unbelievable! I can't believe he just said that and decided to rule over my life once again! Why wasn't I born in another family in the first place?
I fucking hate this life!
Something in the corner behind Shawn's big desk caught my eye. I stopped pacing and squinted my eyes harder to try and figure out what was wrong with that wall. I walked closer toward the wall and placed my hand on it while looking around because something felt so out of place with it.
I slowly moved my hand along the smooth mahogany surface, and then suddenly, a small particular compartment of the wall pressed in, and then a loud sound bleeped in the room. I stepped back and quickly looked around to find where the sound was coming from, and then finally realized that it was coming from down below where a safe was revealed.
Oh my god, it's a secret compartment where Shawn keeps his private safe.
I knelt down on the floor and examined the safe closely. I noticed that it was locked and could only be opened with a secret pin. I started racking my brain, wondering what Shawn could possibly use as his secret pin.
And then it hit me:
~Flashback~
"Shawn, can I borrow your phone real quick? I just need to Google something."
He playfully narrowed his eyes at me and then fished his phone out of his pocket and gave it to me. Since we left in a hurry to go golfing today, I left my phone back at home and I only realized it after we finished with our golf session and were now sitting at a café drinking iced tea because it was so freaking hot outside. I frowned at the screen when I noticed that it was locked.
"What's your passcode?" He stared at me over the brink of his cup and shifted in his seat.
"0909." I stared at him with confusion.
"Wait, isn't that the same pin for your bank account?" He chuckled while nodding his head.
"Yep. I always have the same passcode for everything, it makes it easier to remember."
~End of Flashback~
That's it. 0909.
I quickly pressed in the code, and to my relief, the safe door opened. I grabbed all the files inside and placed them on top of my lap. I reached back inside and my hand landed on a cool small object in a corner. I pulled it out and saw that it was a silver USB drive. I opened the first file on top, and my blood turned cold when I realized what these files were.
No freaking way.
These are documents with recordings of all illegal business investments done overseas. If this is just the first file, then I can't imagine what the other files must hold. This is huge. If these files end up in the hands of the wrong people, then the company is screwed. More like, Dad is screwed. But why did Shawn hide all these here?
I slowly stood up while cradling the files in one arm, then looked at the USB drive. Nobody can ever see these files until I find out the reason why Shawn was hiding them in the first place. If these are my trump card against Dad, then I must make sure that Shawn has completely nothing to do with these. I went back inside the house and quickly went into my bedroom. I have my own secret safe inside my walk-in closet, so I kept the files and the drive there for the meantime.
"Miss, dinner is ready!" The housekeeper suddenly announced from outside my bedroom.
"I'll be down in a minute!"
I will have to go through each and every file some other day and find out how my father was secretly doing this without anyone knowing. But Jesus Christ, Shawn! How is he involved with all this?