Chapter Fourteen

I knew I was dead the moment I walked into the confrence room twenty minutes late. I didn't say a  word as I took a seat, avoiding eye contact with my father who was indeed sitting beside me.

He leaned into me and whispered, "you're late."

"I know I'm sorry, I overslept." I apologized, genuinely meaning it.

"See me after this meeting," he said and that was that.

According to the meeting, things in the company are going very well now, no more financial issues. Halfway through the meeting, Andrew messaged me and I honestly wanted to ignore it but I knew that if I didn't respond at that moment, I didn't know when I'd have been able to talk to him again.

I discreetly messaged him back saying that I was in a meeting that I'll reach him later. Dad saw me using my phone but he didn't say anything.

At the end of the meeting I sat back and waited till everyone had left the room, save for my father. I turned to look at him, "you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," he stood up and walked towards the windows overlooking the city.

"What is going on with you?" He asked, his back away from me.

"What do you mean what's going on with me?" I was actually confused.

"Drinking on a Sunday night? Who does that?" He turned now to face me, this time he crossed his arms.

I groaned and stood up, packing up my stuffs, "dad I'm grown up, I can make my own choices."

"I'm talking to you Victoria," his angry footsteps got closer to me.

"And I'm listening to you," I looked at him, trying not to blow it. "Yes I got drunk last night, wasted even and so what? It's not like I've been doing that constantly. And even if I have how has that got to do with you? Haven't you done enough? You ruin my love life and now you want to meddle in my drinking habits? Isn't one enough for you?" I was furious.

He needs to stop treating me like I'm a child. I'm an adult and I can very much handle myself.

"I'm not trying to control your life Victoria, I'm just looking out for you," his voice was softer now but I wasn't having it.

"Yes you are!" I yelled. "Yes you're controlling my life. If you weren't you wouldn't be forcing me to marry someone I don't love!"

"You think I want any of this? You think I don't want you to be happy and marry Andrew. God damnit Victoria I want you to be happy and if there's one thing that makes you happy, it's Andrew." He stepped closer to me. "I wish I can stop it but I can't."

"Yes you can, all you need to do is say no, say you don't want me to marry Miles. I know you're doing this for the funds that Miles' dad is willing to provide but it doesn't have to come to that. We can figure this whole thing out together, as a family, that's what we are after all." I leaned on the table.

"It's not that simple," he shook his head. "I tried,"  he sat on his chair a sad look now taking over his face. "But that's the only deal Mr. Jacobs would agree to. I tried offering him so many other things, larger shares in the company, I was willing to take risks but all he wanted was for his son to marry from a respectable home."

"What are you talking about?" The wheels in my head was finding it hard to process his words.

"Miles didn't tell you did he?" He gestured to the seat I once occupied and I sat down, ready to listen to what he was saying. "Miles always had this issue with women, he always dated the wrong people, every girl he met always had an issue or the other which always either left Miles heart broken and depressed, there was always a permanent damage, most of the times on the family name and Stefan, Miles' dad just wanted it all to stop, even if it means setting him up with someone."

I wanted to speak about Miles'girlfriend but I decided to hold it in, obviously his parents don't know about the girl and even if they did, it's not my place to talk about it. "Doesn't he know I have a boyfriend? Didn't you tell him?" I decided to ask instead.

"I did but I had the option of taking the deal and letting you marry Miles or letting this company crumble," he answered.

"I know I don't know a lot about running this company and all that but The Ezzeh's company is doing well and you guys have been close since I could remember, why can't both companies just be merged. At least they are financially stable, better than us and it'll really be great for all of us, the workload on Andrew and I would be reduced, it really doesn't stop anybody." I said what was in my mind for a long time now.

"It's not that simple," he stood up now and adjusted his suit jacket. "We've thought of that but it's really not that simple. There are a lot of things that you don't understand and I can't start explaining them to you right now but one day I will just know that I love you and I'd do everything to protect and not hurt you okay?" He pulled me to a hug and placed a kiss on my forehead before walking out of the room.

My head was starting to hurt with all the new information I had gotten and so when I bumped into Funke on the way to my office all I could do was apologise so it wasn't until I entered my office did the fact that Funke was around hit me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as I threw myself on my couch, rubbing my forehead.

"Can't I come visit my best friend at the office," she said from my desk as she admired the room. "I like your office, it's nice."

"Thank you," I groaned then sat up abruptly. "There's more to Andrew and I's family that I don't know about."

She looked up at me, "what are you talking about?"

I stood up and walked to my desk now sitting on the other end because Funke was sitting comfortably on my chair.

I told her about the discussion dad and I had and all she could say was, "just take it one at a time. Worry about this wedding first then after you can worry about your families after."

"You're right," I sighed. "What are you doing here really?"

"You left in a hurry so Miles and I cooked you brunch, I didn't expect your meeting to take so long." She pointed to the bag on the desk that I hadn't notice till then.

"You cooked with Miles?" I stood up and looked into the bag.

"Yeah, he's actually fun to be around," she smiled.

There was a cooler with two bottles of water, a bottle of coke and an apple. I took out the apple and wove it around, "an apple?"

"I've been living abroad for a while now, it has rubbed off on me," she deadpanned. "You're lucky."

I dropped the apple back into the bag and zipped it close, dropping it on the floor by the side of my desk. "What do you mean I'm lucky?"

"You have two amazing men who want you, whichever one you chose is good for you," she shrugged.

"But I only love one and I can't be with that one. Technically I don't have a choice in this," I paused when Funke's words played in my head again. "What do you mean by two men who want me? Miles and I are just friends."

Her eyes sparkled, her grey eye especially under the light of the room. "I believe Miles has a crush on you, how can you not see it?" She chuckled.

"No he doesn't," I shook my head at her silly joke.

"Yeah he does. The way he looked at you when you were leaving the house this morning, the way he talked about you as we cooked, honestly he likes you." She wiggled her brows. "I'm all for Andrew though. If you guys don't work out then I think you'll be in good hands, Miles is a great person."

I clapped my hands, "wow, says the person who has met this guy for just four hours."

She shook her head, "you know what I mean. From what I saw today and how you've talked about him, trust me."

I rolled my eyes, "whatever. Miles doesn't like me like that so stop imagining things. Anyways enough about me, how's Adrian."

"Adrian," her eyes widened and she reached into her handbag that was on the desk, "before we talk about Adrian, Andrew said I should give you something." She held a small blue box and she handed it to me.

"What is it?" I took it and eyes it.

"You're asking me? I don't know open it," she urged me and I did.

It was a silver necklace with a small scarlet pendant shaped as a diamond. I examined the necklace as I took it out of the box.

"Oh it matches mine," Funke suddenly said and reached for her necklace on her neck, a necklace I've never seen her take off.

Like she said, both necklaces looked the same, my pendant being smaller than hers.

"But why..." She trailed off.

"What do you mean why?" I studied her face.

She sighed before helping me put on the necklace. "When Adrian gave me this necklace it was my eighteenth birthday. He didn't know what I was going through at home, or rather he didn't know about the sexual abuse part. Then he always encouraged me to report my case and to get help but I was a little defiant. Anyways giving someone a scarlet necklace means you're giving them willpower, strength, you know and the likes of it. It means you're willing to fight with that person through whatever they're going through, you're willing to be that person's pillar."

"That's why," I nodded now having a better understanding.

"Also I think it's a 'remember me always' gift." She smiled. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you," I smiled back. "Now tell me about Adrian, what's going on, any new developments?" I wiggled my brows at her and with the way the smile on her face widened, I knew that there was a lot to talk about and damn was I ready to hear it.