Chapter 10 – Connect The Dots
1184 Words
“Where’s the handsome boss?” Elaine asked, curving a playful smile as she sat on the couch. She gently placed the envelope that Raffy had given her on the table. “Need help?” she offered, eyeing the piles of paper on her table.
Brianna scoffed lightly, turning her head to her table. “They’re done,” she declared with a hint of pride in her voice. “I had Faye bring them before my handsome boss arrived.”
A soft chuckle escaped Elaine’s mouth. “No wonder she’s late for work. Your sister’s looking for her, but I bet that one-hour late deduction from her salary’s more than you paid her.”
Brianna smirked, picking up the envelope but not opening it. “So, what’s the story? Raffy didn’t get the chance to tell me the juicy part.”
“Are you sure you wanna know about it?” Elaine folded her arms, leaning on the couch.
“You’ve read the file.” Brianna’s hands trembled as she asked her assistant.
Her heart was in her throat, and she was unsure if she was ready to know the truth. She didn’t care about her assistant knowing it first, but the sealed envelope told her she got the information somewhere else. It was not easy to get to Robert; not even Bailey could ask for favors for the company's sake or any personal matter. A nagging suspicion crept into her mind as she always thought there was more to Theresa and Robert’s friendship.
“Nope. I didn’t need to read it to know the juicy parts.” She snorted. “I just need good ears to know a few details. People gossip, you know,” she chuckled. “Oh, by the way, the copy of the contract between your father and boss is in the envelope, too.”
Brianna rolled her eyes and smirked. “Cath’s a Judas, after all.”
Cath was her father’s personal secretary. She squinted at her assistant, then her eyes widened, growling suspiciously at how she got the copy.
“Elaine!”
Laughter erupted, and Elaine’s face turned crimson, raising her hands. “Hey! Cath’s a friend. It’s loyalty, I guess.” She grinned, but when Brianna did not speak, she continued, “No sort of payment done. Not even my virgin lips. It was Raffy’s doing, not mine.”
“Pfft!” She smirked but believed Elaine. Yet she could not force herself to pull the paper out. “Gossip, huh? Tell me about it,” she said as she tried to calm her heart, thumping crazily inside her chest.
“Cath told me Theresa had visited before, then she returned a few months ago,” Elaine shared. She paused, browsing her phone before she continued, “Cath has good ears. She told me she heard some of their conversations while bringing them snacks.”
Elaine stopped browsing her phone, shifted her seat, and crossed her legs as she faced Brianna.
“I loved you. I have always loved you,” Elaine whispered emotionally.
Brianna lifted her eyes. “You’re joking, right?” She wrinkled her nose, shaking her head as she tried to understand the message, then cracked a joke. “You’re not my type.”
She was hopeful it was what it meant. Her heart raced, not wanting to hear the truth. Her father had never been showy of his love for them, especially for her. She grew up thinking her mother had an affair and they were not Robert’s children.
Laughter burst into the office. “I’m relieved to hear that. You’re not my type, too.” She raised her hands. “No offense.”
Brianna pursed her lips, trying hard not to utter the words from her mind. Suddenly, she was not in the mood for a joke.
Realizing it, Elaine cleared her throat. “Neil Scott was…” Elaine leaned forward, showing her phone’s screen. “One of the recipients of the company’s foundation. You see, there were much better students than him, but your father had supported him financially since high school.”
“I loved you. I have always loved you,” Brianna whispered, her heart raced. “Please tell me this stupid job...” She paused and shook her head. “Not the job, but this stupid pretense made my brain crack into five, and now I’m a complete idiot.”
“If you wanna hear it, I’ll say it,” Elaine said, leaning to the backrest. “Those are mere rumors anyway.”
“Mere rumors.” Brianna scoffed, reading the contract silently.
A peal of laughter almost escaped her mouth when she read the agreement between her father and Neil Scott. She now understood why her boss made such an effort to avoid her despite his body’s reaction. It was in the contract.
Neil Scott must not touch Brianna Thomson.
“Rumors like what?” she asked, sighing deeply as she put the contract at the back of Raffy’s report.
“Theresa was your father’s…” Elaine pursed her lips.
“Lover.” Brianna finished, swallowing hard as she shook her head. “First love,” she said, almost choking. Her lips trembled, wanting to understand everything, but more questions surfaced as she read Raffy’s report.
She swallowed hard, hoping it would help push her heart back to her chest.
“Theresa…” She whispered
Brianna knew her father never loved her mother, but she hoped Raffy got his report from a drama he had read somewhere. Yet, as she thought of her family, she realized he didn’t need the document to know there was more to his father and Theresa’s friendship.
Despite being married, Robert and Theresa continued to see each other. Then she left. Ten years later, he found her a single mother, raising her son alone. Since then, he has supported her financially without Lorie knowing it.
She threw the papers on the center table. Her heart raged as she connected the dots. She didn’t need to be as bright as Bailey to realize why Robert did it. Neil was her brother.
Elaine watched her quietly, waiting for what she had to say. She and Cath had shared their opinions about it, and both were convinced Neil was Robert’s son. His only son. Housekeepers gossiped about how Robert hated that Lorie didn’t want another pregnancy after having twins.
It was a difficult pregnancy, Ida mentioned once. Another reason was that Lorie never liked kids, leaving the twins to the nannies.
“Go home,” Brianna said after being quiet for a few minutes. “Tell Dan not to wait for me.”
“How will you go home?” Elaine asked, standing up, not showing she was worried.
“Neil will take me home,” Brianna said, sounding confident.
“Okay,” Elaine muttered, thinking if it was another code. Realizing it wasn’t, she furrowed her brows and tilted her head. “What’re you thinking, Brianna?”
“Breaking my father’s heart,” Brianna answered. “Ruining Neil’s life,” she added.
- Writer
