Chapter 142
sir are we sell going to the company?” He heard his driver ask him, and Antonio tumed his attention away from his tablet.
“Nu. take me to my parents‘ mansion, He responded
His minil was a storm of conflicting thoughts as he thought about his looming confrontation with his father.
Despite him not wanting to have the talk, Antonio knew he couldn’t keep avoiding William, not when a lot had come to light.
Fuck, how could he have been so blinded by his anger that he refused to see the truth?
It had cost his and his father’s relationship two years, and it could have been more if not for the turn of events.
His phone vibrated on the seat, and it pulled him out of his thoughts. He picked it up and glanced at the notification. It was a text from Martin, his head of security.
He never texted unless it was something important.
Gabriel Antonio muttered to himself.
Martins Gabriel has been trying to get across to a specific number all night. After digging, I traced it to a guy named Daniel Gray, a repeat offender.
Martins: Arrested multiple times for armed robbery, extortion, and other charges. No response to Gabriel’s calls. I’m almost certain he’s tied to whole Zabelle not his daughter. Should I proceed, or do you want to handle it?
Antonio’s jaw tightened as he read the message. He knew that Gabriel wouldn’t take the whole matter lying down, but if the bastard thought for one second that he would be able to touch Zabelle like he did in the past, then he has another thing coming.
The thought of Gabriel’s schemes potentially targeting Zabelle again made Antonio’s blood boil
He typed a quick response:
Antonio: Handle it. Get whatever information you can. Let me know as soon as you find anything
There was no time to waste as he had to take care of business over here. Once he got the information he needed, then he would take care of things himself
With a sigh, he tossed the phone back onto the seat. There was no time to dwell upon Martins‘ texts, as he had another battle to face. His father.
The driver pulled into the grand circular driveway of the mansion.
venting at father. Now he was here to offer an
It felt surreal to be back there, as it was just yesterday that he had come there with the intention of venti apology.
Antonio stepped out of the car, straightened his jacket, and made his way to the large oak doors. They swung open before he could ring the doorbell, and one of the long–time housekeepers greeted him with a warm smile.
“Welcome, Mr Garcia, Your father is in the study,” she said softly, stepping aside to let him in.
“Thank you,” he replied curtly, offering her a polite nod before heading towards the study.
He saw his father sitting behind his large desk, his posture as straight and rigid as ever.
Despite his silver–streaked hair and the slight lines on his face, he exuded an air of authority that had always made Antonio both respect even while he resented him.
William looked up as Antonio entered. For a slight moment, Antonio was sure he saw his father smile, but it was quickly replaced by a neutral mask
“Antonio,” he said, standing up. “I wasn’t expecting you this early.” William remarked as he placed his tablet aside to give his full attention to his son. Antonio glanced around the room, noting the absence of his mother. He was sure if she was in the mansion, she would have come rushing to see
“Where’s mon“” he asked.
She had an engagement this morning. She won’t be back for a while.” William’s expression softened slightly at the mention of his wife.
Antonio recognized the expression to be one he only had whenever he was talking or thinking about Zabelle. It now made a whole lot of sense to
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Chapter 142
see why his father was a different person around his mother.
The saw the same around Zabelle and it came naturally, without him having to force it.
Antoran nodded, an awkward silence settling between them as they stared at each other. The tension was stifling, the weight of unspoken words banging in die an
I was caster to strike a conversation when he hated his father, but now that he didn’t, he didn’t know what to say.
Tsar,” William said finally, gesturing to one of the leather chairs in front of the desk
Antonio obeyed his father and he sat down with a sigh. He rested his hands on his knees, leaning forward slightly as he struggled to find the right
Willam seemed equally unsure of how to begin, clearing his throat as he tapped his fingers on the table.
“It’s been… a long time since we’ve had a decent conversation,” William said after a montent.
“You could say that.” Antonio let out a humorless chuckle. It was two years ago, the night before he left the company, when he had reminded his Lather to look at those documents before leaving the office.
The silence returned, stretching out until Antonio couldn’t take it anymore. He rubbed a hand over his face and decided to just rip the Band–Aid
sorry, dad” he finally apologized, his voice firm but sincere. “For the way I reacted. For shutting you out and for refusing to hear your side of the story for two years.
William’s brows furrowed slightly, but he said nothing, allowing his son to continue
“I was angry,” Antonio admitted, his tone raw. “Angry at the thought of me losing my baby and..” He trailed off, swallowing the lump in his throat.
“I guess it was easier to stay mad at you and blame you for what happened”
William leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. “You were always a stubborn child,” he said quietly.
“And I suppose I didn’t help matters by being just as stubborn,” he sighed.
“I’m also at fault,” William continued, his voice laced with regret.
“In my head. I thought I failed as a Ether for even allowing you to be in that compromising position where you were losing your life and I took your anger as the rightful punishment for me.
When his father stopped trying to talk to him, he assumed that the old man didn’t care about what he did and that only fueled his anger.
Same as when he found out about his father being behind the downfall of Natasha’s family but seeing his tough father being vulnerable made the guilt hit him harder.
“You didn’t fail as a father. The fact that I’m sitting in front of you is proof of that,” Antonio told his father.
“I should have known that Natasha’s family would give you problems.” William sighed heavily
“I should have known as well, but I didn’t. So stop beating yourself up about it,”
It was time for them to move on from the past. They couldn’t get the two years they had wasted, but they could focus on the future.
“Are we now on good terms?”
Antonio didn’t hesitate before nodding. Td like that if you forgive me.”
1 have.” All he had been wishing fo it was finally happening.
for the last two years was for his and Antonio’s relationship to return to normal, and he was more than happy that
They sat in silence for a moment, the tension easing slightly as they had reconciled. It wasn’t a perfect reconciliation, but it was a start,
“by
By the wa
way, Zabelle, is slig still mad at you?” William asked.
After that night, no. Antonio heard the voice in his head say, and he had to stile the grin that threatened to appear on his face.
“No, ses not. We were able to
to talk things out”
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Chapter 142
That’s good,” William stated as he grabbed his tablet and dropped it in front of Antonio.
“Yesterday, you said Jeremy Norman was the one who had found out about Natasha. Well turns out he’s still digging deep into you. Is it because of his relationship with Zabelle!”
Antonio wasn’t shocked to see his father knew about Zabelle and Jeremy. Knowing the old man, he had a full folder on Zabelle.
With what happened last time he got married, he understood it from his father’s point of view.
“They are no longer together,” Antonio corrected his father. “And yes. The asshole’s been trying to get Zabelle to come back to him”
“Do I need to take care of him?” His father’s eyes
darkened.
“No, I’ll handle it,” Antonio said, and he squinted his eyes at his father when he noticed William had a wide smile on his face.
“You’ve fallen for her,” William asserted.
