CHAPTER 3
1179 Words
In the boardroom of the Hawke Empire office building, there was a tense atmosphere filled with unspoken words.
Richard was at the front of the table, with his jaw clenched tightly and his blue eyes, that used to show determination, now dull with defeat.
The portrait his father stood out on the wall, watching over the disorderly aftermath he had created.
"Richard, we need to think about the future of the company," a board member said, his voice showing worry.
“Francisca Adams is waiting for your decision.”
He nodded, barely acknowledging the statement.
The weight of his father's will felt like chains around his wrists. Marry Francisca or forfeit his position as chairman.
Thoughts repeated in his head, but all he could see was Angela's face, her eyes filled with tears, the day she disappeared into the heart of the city.
"Did you find anything?" he asked Ambrose, speaking sharply. Ambrose Rainn was his friend and most trusted confidant.
"There is nothing, Richard." Ambrose's response was brief and reflected his frustration.
"It's as if she has vanished completely."
Richard pounded his fist on the mahogany table, making the room twitch.
"How could someone simply disappear?" he muttered, the roughness in his voice revealing his distress.
"Sometimes people don't want to be found," someone muttered under their breath, earning a glare from Richard.
"Enough!" Richard barked. "I don't care what it takes. Find her.”
"Perhaps it's time to focus on what you can control, Richard," a cool, calculated voice interjected.
Francisca Adams stood at the doorway, her presence radiating cold ambition.
Her sleek blond hair fell perfectly around her shoulders, her tailored dress an armor of sophisticated ruthlessness.
"Francisca," Richard acknowledged with a nod, his voice devoid of warmth.
"Time is running out," she said, stepping closer, eyeing him as a chess player might regard a king in check.
"Marry me, save your empire. It's what your father wanted."
His gaze lingered on the doorway through which Angela had last walked, the ghost of her touch still warm on his skin. He turned back to Francisca, his decision clawing its way up his throat.
"Prepare the marriage contract," he said, each word tasting like defeat.
"I'm glad you finally made the right decision" Francisca replied, a smile playing at her lips.
Sitted in his study that night, as Richard signed the contract that sealed his fate, he couldn't shake the image of Angela in his mind, free-spirited and fierce.
Her absence was a void no corporate victory could fill. She had taken more than just herself that day; she had taken his heart, leaving behind a hollow man with a title and an empire he no longer desired.
"Is this what you truly want, Richard?" Ambrose asked, concern etched on his face as he watched his friend surrender to a loveless union.
"Want?" Richard scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping him. "This has nothing to do with want."
With the stroke of a pen, he bound himself to a woman he did not love, to a chair he no longer wanted to fill, in a world that seemed increasingly alien without Angela.
He looked out the window at the sprawling city below and whispered a promise into the void.
"Wherever you are, Angela, I will find you. I will make this right."
The sun slanted low over the sleepy town, casting long shadows as Richard parked his car outside a modest two-story house. His hands shook as they gripped the steering wheel, his heart pounding in his chest.
After three years of searching, Ambrose's unwavering help had finally led him to this moment.
"Are you sure this is it?" Richard asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ambrose nodded from the passenger seat, his usual stoic expression giving away nothing. "I've double-checked everything. This is where she's been living."
Richard took a deep breath, getting out of the car and onto the cracked pavement. Each step he took felt heavy as he neared the white picket fence.
The gate squeaked open, betraying his silent approach. He paused, catching sight of toys scattered across the lawn, evidence of a child's presence. His heart lurched.
"Angela," he breathed out her name like a sacred vow.
He rapped on the door, each knock echoing in his chest.
Time seemed to have stretched into infinity before the door swung open, revealing Angela.
She was still just as beautiful, her hair longer now, her eyes reflecting a deep maturity that hadn't been there before. A mix of surprise and caution flickered across her face.
"Richard?" Her voice held a tremor.
"Angela, I've been looking for you everywhere," he said, the words rushing out in helpless control. "I—"
"Mommy, who is it?" A small voice interrupted, and a young boy with Richard's unmistakable sky blue eyes peeked out around Angela's legs.
For a second, Richard forgot how to breathe.
"Damian, go play inside for a minute, okay?" Angela's voice was calm, but her hands betrayed her, shaking as she gently guided her son back.
The boy cast a curious glance at Richard before scampering away. Silence fell between them, and Richard stepped closer, desperate to bridge the gap time had created.
"Is he...?" Richard couldn't finish the question; it was too raw, too fraught with implication.
Angela's looked at him her face not giving away any emotion. "Yes, Richard. He's your son."
The world tilted beneath his feet. "My son..." he echoed, feeling like he was falling into an abyss.
"I didn't know."
“I didn't know that you…”
"Of course not," she said softly. "I left before I could tell you."
Images of sleepless nights, of Angela alone with a newborn, barraged him. He felt a surge of protective fervor mixed with anguish. How much had she struggled without him?
"Angela, I..." He reached out, yearning to touch her, to confirm she was real, but she stepped back.
"Please, Richard. Why are you here?"
"Because I never stopped loving you. Because every day without you has been a torment." The truth poured out of him, unbidden.
"Richard, things have changed. You're married to—" Her voice broke, and she turned her head away.
"Francisca means nothing to me," he insisted, his declaration fierce. "It's always been you, Angela."
"Even if that's true, what now?" Her gaze was wary, disbelieving. "You're the chairman of Hawke Empire. You have responsibilities."
"None of that matters without you."
“Without our son, Damian.” Richard took another step, closing the distance.
"I want to be a part of his life… our son's life, and I want to be a part of your life too."
She studied him for a long moment, her decision hanging in the balance. Finally, she exhaled a shaky breath.
"Come in. We have a lot to talk about."
As he crossed the open door, a sense of homecoming washed over him. It was as if he'd been adrift at sea and had finally sighted land.
But the journey was far from over, and the currents of fate were unpredictable.
- Writer
