Daddy issues (2)

Making my way out of my room and into the narrow hallway, I could hear the ruckus going on downstairs as people set up for the party later tonight. I made my way towards my father's office which was directly the last door at the end of the never-ending hallway. I hate going in there just because whenever I'm in there we're talking about business, and that is always such a snooze fest. Coming face to face with branded double doors, I exhaled deeply to calm my nerves.

Why is he still here? He was supposed to be gone this morning and for the rest of the weekend, I thought he had a business deal to close in China. I couldn't fathom the anxiety that was eating me alive. No, I wasn't afraid of my father, and no child should ever be, but he has a way with words that cut deeper than any knife could ever.

Coming face to face with the branded double doors, I gave it a gentle knock. When I didn't hear a response I decided to knock on it again.

"I am busy." I heard him say from the other end.

"It's me, dad."

There was a silence for a moment and then the double door opened to reveal my father's blinding set of white pearly teeth as he smiled.

"Alex, my boy come on in!" He said. I walked into the office I've been coming in and out ever since I was a toddler. Everything is still the same everything is still intact just the way it used to be.

"You look nice. Is that Dior" his grey eyes flickering to my suit for tonight. His pale hands slid against the silver trimming along my shoulders.

"It's Tom Ford." I corrected.

"Oh," my father let out a deep chuckle, his voice rumbling through me like thunder. "You know I'm never up to date with this fashion brand like you are." He chuckled, taking his usual seat behind his large mahogany desk. I took a seat in one of the two leather seats in front of him.

"Harry told me you needed to see me," I said, my eyes wondering anywhere else but his face.

"Ah yes, I needed to discuss something important with you before I left for my business deal in China." He said, straightening and stacking a few papers up on his desk.

"There's going to be a lot of your law friends here tonight correct?"

I nodded.

"A lot of these people are students from your law school whose parents are very successful and Influential people," He went on, I slightly questionably raised my left eyebrow, not understanding where he was headed.

"What I want you to do for me Alex is when you're giving your little speech to your law friends, maybe talk about the company and its future for a little while as well. You know, promote it for me if you will."

I had to withhold myself from rolling my eyes. Of course, he wanted to make this party about his stupid company. He makes everything about that damn company and silly shares, even things that don't involve him.

"Why would I do that? It's a party, not a business meeting. People are here to have fun and celebrate the success of finishing law school and being called to bar, not stand and listen to me talk about the future investments of a company." I told him, not realizing how rash and harsh my tone sounded until I was finished.

To my surprise my father remained calm, hands laced gently on his desk. However, his hardening gaze pierced right through me, those cold eyes of his. I immediately regretted my choice of words. "You're questioning my decision?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows at me.

"What I questioned," I began, my grip on the leather chair tightened. "Is the decision of my father, who wants to make my party about him and his company."

"How am I making it about me? All I ask is that you talk about the company and its assets for a few minutes. It's not even that hard of a task Alex. " my father had now stood up from his desk, making his way around in front of me. His 6'5 towering over me in the chair.

I exhaled a sigh I never knew I was holding. " this makes no sense. Why would you ask for me to do something so foolish?"

"Foolish?" my father repeated, brow-raising. "Are you sure that's the word you want to use?"

"As of now, yes!" I tried to retort, but my father had motioned for me to cease. "Enough. It won't kill you to talk about the company I worked so hard to build and the shares I have acquired around the world, at this party. I don't know why you're acting so defiantly like you aren't going to take over my role in the few coming months. You should want this more than anything."

"You can't decide things like this for me!" I seethed, fist balling at my sides. " this is my life!"

"And this is your company!" he raised his voice and my eyes lowered to the ground. It wasn't often that my father raised his voice to anyone but when he did it was enough to make the world come to a halt.

I've always seen my father as one who doesn't get angry easily his always smiling and laughing, even when nothing is funny, and it takes a lot of work for him up to that point of anger, but I guess I had a talent for it. When someone looks at you like that, eyes holding total anger, it hurts; but when someone you hold so dearly to your heart, it kills.

"Fine," defeated, I exhaled a heavy sigh, my eyes roaming to the ground. "I'll do it."

Like clockwork, my father's wicked expression left his light-skinned face and was replaced with a more relaxed one, the one I was familiar with. "Good boy. I always knew I could trust you to keep the company in good hands." His thin lips stretched into a smile, as he placed a cold hand on my shoulder.

Before I say anything, there was another knock on the door. "Mr Claremont, your limousine is here to take you to the airport." The voice spoke from outside.

"Ah, that's my cue." I watched as my father glided back over to his desk chair and grabbed his jacket, before swiftly putting it on. "Don't mess up the house too bad Alex. I don't want another accident like the time Harry ran his head through one of the walls of the house. The damage is fixed from the last time, but I can't help but feel that's the reason that boy acts the way he does."

Opening the door, the sever boy sent my father acknowledging head nod, before handing him his briefcase. "Don't forget our little discussion, Alex. I know you won't disappoint." And with that, he walked off leaving me in his office.

"Oh and Mister Liam," the server called again, causing me to shift my gaze towards him. He seemed to shift uncomfortably under my stare, and that only made my brows furrow more at him. "Miss Gates is downstairs waiting for you."

Imogen.

As if dealing with my father wasn't enough.

I groaned aloud, my fingers rubbing against the bridge of my nose, before making my way past and sever and down the spiral staircase. immediately I could spot Imogen standing in the foyer, hands propped up on her jutted-out hip. If there was one thing I could give Imogen credit for it was that she was a beautiful girl. No matter how much she annoyed me beyond belief. I couldn't deny that the girl was a rival to Aphrodite herself.

The black dress she wore fit her body perfectly, emphasizing her curves and assets. It's a strapless dress. The end of it flowed to the ground with a spilled slice on the side, giving a clearer view of her blemish-free honey skin. Her hair lies black and poker-straight yet soft, moving like prairie grass in the wind. it gives contrast to her face, so dark against her soft brown skin. Her eyes were doe-like and had an icy greenish hue like the first sprout of a seedling in the snow.

Her eyes scanned the room with determination in search of someone, and when her eyes met mine she smiled.

"You look amazing." The words trailed off my tongue slowly as I made my way down to steps. Meeting her at the bottom, I took her accessorized hand into mine, slowly placing a kiss on it.

"Thank you," her sultry voice filled my ears as she scanned me up and down. "Not too bad yourself, but something is missing.'' She hummed tapping her well-curated set of black manicured nails against her chin.

I raised my left eyebrow at her. "What is it?" I asked, curious.

Imogen reached into the limited edition Fendi leather clutched in her hands and pulled out a mask. It was black like her dress, glitter around the edges and a small feather at the top right corner. "Your mask? This is a masquerade-themed party after all. Remember?

"It's upstairs in my room. I'll go get it." I mentally rolled my eyes. I thought she was talking about something more serious.

"No need." Harry's deep voice sounded from up the stairs. I turned to see him making his way down with my mask in his hands, his already on his face, his mask was white and only a half mask, the right part of his face perfectly visible. It went well with his all-white suit since he was paying tribute to the phantom.

"You look nice Harry." Imogen complimented, sending the boy a smile that he gladly returned with one of his own.

"And so do you, but I'd expect nothing less from the First Lady herself." Jumping off the last step, Harry handed me my mask.

I looked down at the silver piece of plastic. It wasn't anything fancy, which is so unlike me, but I had to pick something quick so I grabbed the closet thing that went with my outfit. It's silver, almost white whenever the light hits it just right, and there's a small engraving on the sides with two Angel wings on the ends in the top corner. It covers up most of my face, only my eyes, lips, and some of my being able to show.

I placed it on, before turning back around to Imogen and Harry to already see them looking at me.

"Aw, an angel, cute." Imogen cooed, flinging herself on me unannounced, and I sent her a look that she didn't seem to notice because she was too busy finding the perfect camera angle to take a picture of us both.

"C'mon love birds," Harry playfully rolled his eyes, before spinning around on the heel of his white shoes. "We have like thirty minutes before guests start arriving. Let's go pregame!"

Finally getting Imogen off me, I made my way over to Harry, "is drinking all you ever think about?" I asked him genuinely concerned.

"As of now yes, and you wanna know why?"

"Why?" Imogen asked, making her way beside me again.

Harry spun around towards us, his brown eyes brighter than usual. "Because this part marks the last week of our freedom before work consumes if not almost all of our time, and we need to make it as memorable as possible. We need to get blackout drunk, do crazy shit we're going to regret in the morning, and just be reckless!"

Before I could manage to tell him that if he's too drunk he probably won't remember the crazy things he planned on doing tonight, Harry took off running toward the bar on the other side of the house where the party would be thrown. Imogen intertwined our hands together before she ran in the same direction as Harry, literally dragging me behind her.

For once in his life, maybe Harry was right, and maybe tonight I just need to let loose. Let the worries of my father and everything fade and just enjoy myself for once. it's my call to bar party after all, and that celebrant should always be the life of the ball.

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