Page 21 of One Pucking Heart

One of my father's butlers, a man I don’t recognize, opens the massive wooden door as we step onto the front patio. “Ms. Cortez. Mr. Feldmore. This way, please.” He motions us inside. “Mr. Cortez and his lawyers are waiting in the study.”

We step inside, and I cling tighter to Beckett’s hand.

“Fancy,” he whispers in my ear, relieving some of the tension and bringing a smile to my face.

My father sits in his grand red leather chair behind his massive mahogany desk, the same set he’s had for years. While the office setup is the same, the man looking up at me with the same eyes that stare back at me in the mirror has changed so much. Only the eyes bear a resemblance to the man I remember. His body is frail, and his skin wrinkled. His once dark hair is a whitish gray. I’ve always thought of my father as threatening and looming with an undeniable presence. The man before me is none of those things.

I stand tall. “Hello.”

“Hello, Elena.” Even his voice is weak.

I introduce Beckett, and the two of us sit in the chairs across from the lawyers. The pair go over the legal jargon in the contract all of which is expected. It’s the same as the one they sent me, only my cousin’s name has been replaced with mine.

“We will need an official copy of your marriage certificate. When will that be handed over?” one of the lawyers asks.

“Soon,” Beckett responds. His hand rests on my knee, and he squeezes gently. “Within the month.”

The lawyers nod and jot something down before they ask if I have any requirements.

“Yes.” I sit tall. “I need this name”—I point at the outdated contract with my cousin’s name typed above the beneficiary line—“removed from all contracts. In addition, as I will be taking over, I require that he be fired immediately and removed from all his Cortez Industries responsibilities. His badge and keys will be surrendered, and he will not receive a penny of severance pay. This is nonnegotiable.”

My eyes flick to my father for a moment, and I swear I see a glimmer of a smile cross his face.

The lawyers look at my father, and he gives them a stern nod.

“Noted. The changes will be made, and a new contract will be drawn up, effective from the date of your wedding.”

The more vocal lawyer stands, and the rest of us follow suit. “Are there any other questions?”

I turn to my father. “Do you have any questions for me?”

He replies with a solid, “No.”

“Okay then. Thank you for your time.” Beckett takes my hand, and we exit my father’s office, leaving the three men behind.

Once the office door is closed, I release a long breath, one I felt like I’ve been holding for a long time.

“Come on,” I say, leading Beckett down a few hallways until we reach the north corridor and my old bedroom. Slowly, I open the door and step in. A small gasp escapes. “It hasn’t been touched since I left.”

Everything is exactly as I left it. All of my childhood belongings, those that didn’t fit into the one suitcase I went with, remain where I left them. I stare at the picture of Alex and me stuck to my vanity mirror.

“Is that Ari’s father?” Beckett leans in.

“The very one.”

“God, she looks just like you,” he says.

I stare at the picture taken a lifetime ago and feel no connection to the version of myself staring back at me. “Yeah, she’s definitely my mini-me in looks, but that’s where the similarities stop. She’s better than me—smarter, funny, sweet, kind, and free. She’s amazing.”

“She’s that way for a reason because she’s just like you.” He runs his palms up the bare skin of my arms.

“I can’t believe he didn’t want to know anything about her.” I sigh. “He could’ve asked me anything, and he chose not to. He’s dying, and he’s still stubborn as hell.”

“I’m sorry.” He bends in and kisses my shoulder.

I shrug. “I don’t know what I was expecting. Maybe I thought he’d want to catch up a little and ask about Ari or me. Something personal. He just signed over his entire estate to me, and he doesn’t want to talk about what I’ve been up to for the past twenty years? I’ve never understood him. There is nothing Ari could do that would make me not love her or not want a relationship with her.”

“Some people are meant to be parents, Elena. Some people aren’t. It’s clear where both you and your father lie.”

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