Eight Years too Late
1723 Words
Damien’s POV
It’s been eight years.
Eight years since I’ve made the best and worst decision of my life.
My mansion might not be the biggest in New York, but it’s surely one of the biggest, owned by Damien Hartley, the rich real estate dealer.
All the crazy things that happened to me years ago made me even stronger and my determination to be rich was fuelled. I worked hard over the years and became the CEO of my own company, Hartley Corporation.
It’s the biggest real estate company in the city, and the most reliable too. I make millions every month but I’m still yet to achieve my dream.
My real dream isn’t to be one of the richest but to be the richest, but I’m still chasing after that. I have no woman in my life and I’m not planning to welcome one.
I was woken up by the bright light from a camera this morning, and my opened slowly, only to see 9 years old Oliver sitting on my stomach, snapping my sleepy face pictures.
“Hey big man” I said.
“Dad please don’t stand up yet, just continue sleeping I still need to snap more. I’m in an argument with my classmates over whose father look the best while sleeping.” Oliver said.
I sat up immediately, and Oliver rolled his eyes, siting beside me. We are wearing the same pyjamas.
“I know you can never cooperate” he said and I smiled again before hugging him.
Oliver is my life. Since the day I took him from Adeline, spoiling him had become my favorite hobby.
“Dad,” Oliver muttered, hugging me back.
“You should go prepare for school” I said kissing his hair.
“Master Oliver! Breakfast is ready” a maid announced from downstairs.
“Fine” he broke the hug and gave me a peck on the cheek before jumping off the bed.
“Morning dad” he winked, and I sighed as he rushed out of the room.
“Little brat”
I got down the bed too, entering the bathroom to wash up.
I finished brushing and was about entering the tub when my phone buzzed. It was a message from Theodore, my PA.
“A plaza will be built on the land we bought for 50m last last month and it’d go for four times the original prize. We made it boss.”
I smiled a little before dropping the phone before entering the tub.
I cleaned up with the next 30 minutes, and another 20 minutes was spent dressing up in a classic frenzy suit.
My cologne was mixing with the air as I walked out of the room with my right hand in pocket, but on getting downstairs I saw no maid in sight.
Oliver was busy sitting in the living room with his three phones. He’s currently taking pictures of himself.
“Oliver?” I called.
“Yes dad” he replied without looking at me.
“Where are the maids?”
“I fired the two” Oliver replied.
“Not again” I muttered.
“The food they made is not up to my taste. Did they plan to poison me?” I sent them away” he replied finally looking at me.
“Gosh, and why aren’t you preparing for school?”
“I changed my mind. I’m not going to school today” Oliver replied.
“You are kidding right?” I said sternly, and the door opened, revealing Kate. She’s Oliver’s female friend and classmate.
“Good morning Mr. Hartley” she waved at me and Oliver grabbed her hand.
“We plan to play PS5 throughout today, bye dad” he said and started taking her upstairs.
“I know you are doing this on purpose, Oliver” I said amd he stopped.
“Then find me my mother” he replied without looking back, then went upstairs with Kate completely.
I sighed and walking to the dining, making my self a cup of coffe with hot water from the flask.
Oliver has been asking about his mom since he clocked five, and it hasn’t been easy.
I had been searching for her since then, but I just couldn’t find anything, and Oliver is t taking it easy at all. His mood swings are on another level.
Earlier this morning he was taking pictures of me and now, he’s rebelling and not going to school just to frustrate me.
He has fired close to twenty maids this month alone, and anytime he visits the company, the staffs even fear him more than me myself.
I took a deep sigh before drinking from the Coffee.
Adeline’s face in my memory and I closed my eyes. “Please…let me spend one more hour with Oliver before you’d take him away” her pleading voice invades my head.
I opened my eyes immediately, guiltily dropping the coffee before walking away from the dining.
Eight years.
Eight years and I could still remember that day clearly.
The tears in her eyes and the way she had looked at Oliver like her entire world was being ripped away from her.
I pushed the memory aside because there was no point thinking about the past. The decision had already been made.
Oliver was mine and despite his endless questions about his mother, I didn’t regret taking him.
My phone suddenly rang and the caller ID made me sigh.
It was Mira.
I answered on the third ring. “What?”
“Good morning to you too, sunshine.”
I rolled my eyes.
“What do you want?”
“What kind of greeting is that?” she complained dramatically. “You should be grateful your best friend cares enough to call.”
“You called at seven in the morning.”
“It’s eight.”
“Still too early.”
Mira laughed.
“What of Oliver? Did he go to school?”
“No.”
“What happened this time?” She asked.
“He fired two maids.” I replied, rolling my eyes.
Silence.
Then laughter exploded through the phone andI pulled the device away from my ear.
“You’re laughing?” I asked with frustration
“Damien, your son is terrifying.”
“He’s nine.” I said.
“Exactly. Nine years old and he already acts like the owner of a multinational corporation.”
I rubbed my forehead. “Trust me. It’s not funny.”
“It is for me.”
A smile threatened to appear on my face. Mira had been my best friend for years. One of the few people who could get away with annoying me.
“Anyway,” she continued. “I’ll be stopping by this weekend.”
“Why?”
“To see my favorite nephew.”
“He’s not your nephew.”
“He practically is.” She said.
Before I could argue, her voice softened. “Still asking about his mother?”
My jaw tightened.“Yes,” I finally said.
Mira was silent for a moment then she sighed. “Maybe one day you’ll find her.”
I looked out the window as the city stretched endlessly beyond the mansion grounds.
“I stopped looking years ago.” The lie tasted bitter because the truth was I hadn’t stopped immediately.
I had searched for months or maybe a year. But Adeline has disappeared. No address, no workplace and no phone number. It was as if she had vanished from existence.
Eventually, I gave up. Life moved on or at least I convinced myself it had.
“You’re thinking again,” Mira said.
“I have work.” I replied
“You always have work.”
“And you always talk too much.” I said and she laughed.
“Fine. Call me later.”
I grabbed my car keys and headed for Hartley Corporation. The drive took twenty minutes, but my mind was elsewhere.
Oliver’s words wouldn’t leave me alone.”Find me my mother.”
The moment I stepped into the building, employees straightened immediately.
“Good morning, Mr. Hartley.”
I acknowledged them with a nod and continued toward the private elevator. Theodore was already waiting for me when the doors opened on the top floor.
“Morning, boss.”
“Morning.” He said and followed beside me as we walked toward my office.
“The contracts from yesterday have been finalized. The investors approved the expansion project, and the interview process is complete.”
“Good.”
“There is one more thing.” He said and I glanced at him.
“What?”
Theo cleared his throat. “I found your replacement.”
I stopped walking. “My replacement?”
“You know I’ll be resigning soon.” He said and I frowned.
Theo had been talking about leaving for months to start his own company.I wasn’t happy about it. Finding a competent personal assistant wasn’t easy.
“Who is it?” I asked.
A strange smile appeared on Theo’s face. “She’s waiting in your office.”
“If she’s incompetent, you’re staying.”
Theo laughed. “I think you’ll like her.”
“I doubt that.”
We reached my office amd Theo stepped aside and gestured toward the door.
“See for yourself.”
I pushed the door open and I froze.
A woman stood beside my desk with a phone pressed to her ear.
“I got it!” she was saying excitedly. “I actually got the job!”
The voice.I knew that voice.
Slowly, she turned around and our eyes met. The phone she was holding slipped from her hand and my chest tightened.
Impossible.Eight years. After Eight damn years,yet I recognized her instantly.
Adeline Monroe.
The woman who gave birth to my son. The woman Oliver had spent years asking about. The woman I never expected to see again.
Neither of us moved or spoke. The entire room seemed to freeze.
Theo was saying something beside me, but I couldn’t hear a word. Because all I could see was her.
And all I could think about was one terrifying realization. The mother of my son had just walked back into my life.
And this time…
I wasn’t letting her disappear again.
- Writer
