My Boss Is Secretly A Softie - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Father
“Sir, you know you don’t have to go if you don’t want to, right?” Merlin managed to whisper to Terrence, whose sharp gray eyes were fixed outside the car window with a voracious light.

“It’s nothing,” he replied, taking up his phone. His frozen face, as cold as the northern winds melted slightly. “He’s sick. It’d be rude to decline.”

Merlin sighed internally but dared not question his boss’s orders anymore. “Yes, sir.”

They arrived at the hotel, a vain architecture of wealth and splendor, oppressive yet with grandiose valor.

The other vehicles behind also arrived, and with a sign from Merlin, Terrence was surrounded by well-built, black-suited males who escorted him into the hotel.

Meanwhile, a certain red-haired woman looked down from a high height with disgust. She could barely make out the figures of the guests but could fully make her deductions.

“Father, did you have to invite him? What even is this? A show of wealth or his distrust of us? Why did he come with so many guards?”

The gray-haired man, seated gracefully in a wheelchair while admiring the well-flourished garden on the other side of the hotel, merely smiled.

“That child has always been like this. Let him be.” He watched a red flower trail down from its height to the floor briefly before a pale hand on his shoulder brought him to reality.

“Father,” Ariel blushed faintly, “may we leave?”

He smiled. “Right, my darling daughter.”

“Oh, it’s nothing much!” Ariel giggled while pushing the wheelchair in their direction.

***

Terrence sat down with crossed legs and an unamused gaze. Unbothered by the splendor around him, he couldn’t care to observe, criticize, or praise. All he wanted was to be done and leave this place as quickly as possible.

Where was that old man? They say, speak of the devil, and he will arrive. In his case, he had merely thought… but he thought it realistic, alluding to the fact that this old man really was a high-ranked devil—along with his daughter.

The door opened, and finally, the two gods strolled in majestically after all the delay. Terrence wondered if he threw his phone at the gloating red-haired one then and there… if he could pretend it was by mistake. Probably not.

“Brother~” she immediately spoke, which was very much in line with someone whose words moved faster than her thoughts. Terrence even wondered sometimes if the only thing that remained in that empty head of hers was echoes of stupidity.

“How have you been? Missed me?”

Terrence chuckled.

“Not in an infinite years,” he spat out rudely.

Ariel smiled angrily, which was returned with equal valor. She clicked her tongue in sarcasm. “And I was just trying to be nice!”

“Yes, yes,” Terrence muttered, looking like an interesting idea had bloomed in his mind. “You and hell WOULD make a nice duo.”

“Terrence,” Father cautioned. “Stop that.”

He rolled his eyes while the seething Ariel suddenly felt much better. As long as Father was by her side, nothing else mattered!

They were finally settled down, and a glass of non-alcoholic sweet wine was served. Father took the first sip, and the duo followed right after.

“Sir, you called,” Terrence began without hesitation.

Father chuckled. “Always in such a rush, I see.”

His sharp green eyes lingered on Terrence, who stared back without a trace of anxiety. A smile slowly framed his aged face.

This boy… Terrence. He had grown up very well. Although there was a bit of bad blood between them due to the actions of the past and he had regrets, he was still happy. This child had grown up so perfectly. What else could he want?

“You skipped work for a couple of weeks last month,” he spoke with a hushed tone while taking a sip of his wine. “For a woman?”

Terrence’s eyes flashed, but he suppressed his boiling temper. “Father, can we not speak of this?”

Father laughed. Terrence’s wishes were ignored as he continued.

“I’ll never do it again,” he said calmly, leaving the duo confused.

“Do what…?” Ariel questioned.

“I’ll stop,” he poured himself more wine, “interfering.”

Terrence tensed up but said nothing, while Ariel’s face was as dark as the bottom of a charcoal pot.

“Including Ariel. From now on, if she goes rogue, I’m no longer in cahoots with her.” The old man finished the second glass of wine before looking toward Terrence’s stormy gaze. “What do you say?”

What did he say…?

For years. Indeed, for years he had interfered in his matters and did however he pleased. All his relationships had been tampered with and messed with by his witch of a daughter under his approval. And after acting as he wanted till he was satisfied, he had the gall to do this…?

He just backed off… Nothing else. What did he take him for?!

He picked up the bottle of wine, filled his cup, and gulped it down in one move. He did this two more times until a shout brought his attention back.

“Hey! Father asked you a question!” Ariel was beyond enraged. She had always been his little pup. Had he not lived with them and known how little affection they had been given, he would have suspected he had groomed the witch.

Though he was not that evil… In fact, he had no iota of evilness within him. His parents had died, and he adopted him with open arms, loved him more than ever, and never held back anything that could be of help to him.

But he became too intrusive in his relationships after his first heartbreak. Terrence guessed that seeing him that desperate broke a chord in the old man’s mind, and he went full overprotective.

He had always been like that, which was mostly why his brother left in later years, and why his wife divorced because she couldn’t condone being controlled like a puppet. But back then, he was just like Ariel, wanting love so desperately that he found nothing wrong with his control and happily went along with his ‘love.’

Until he went too far and began breaking up his relationships with anyone he deemed unworthy. Perhaps, Ariel, jealous of all the attention that had fallen on him, decided to be his helper, using tricks to tear apart his relationships—even going as far as to isolate him from all friendships because they had ‘ulterior motives’.

And father watched all of it… without doing anything.

That was when he realized that this wasn’t love. It was control bordering on obsession, but he was so lost he didn’t know what to do.

He was all alone, and the only human he had even a sliver of connection to was his assistant— Merlin. The only one who was truly loyal to him and acted more like a father even more than the old man.

Those days were hell. Turns out, despite the fakeness of the connection he had with others, it was much better than the unbearable loneliness that came with being isolated. And then he met Elara, and everything changed.

Perhaps, back then, he was unwilling to break away from this pair of father and daughter despite their toxicity because, in truth, they were all he had, and despite their twisted affection, they did care… at least father did.

But now, he was more than ready—not just for himself but for his Ela—and now he says this?

What? What exactly was he to do? Be grateful? Ha! The irony of it all!

“Very well,” he smiled cynically, “I’m very grateful for Father’s merciful retreatment from my life. This calls for celebration, yes?”

Ariel frowned, but just as she was about to speak, father interrupted. “Terrence, do you hate me?”

His eyes were steady as can be, and there was an undeniable trace of affection within them when he looked at him. Terrence felt his heart waver because he knew that this man, despite his twisted attitude, was the type who would calmly lay his life down, if he had to, for his loved ones without hesitation.

His love was as fierce as his control.

“No,” he replied with a sad smile, “You are the only father I had… but now, father, I can’t… I cannot see you in the same light anymore. You’ve done more harm than good, and I’d rather we end this now when memories of the good times still remain… I would like for our relationship to become strictly only business.”

Ariel was stunned. The last thing she had expected was this! How could—father loved Terrence so much, how would he react?!

She glanced towards him in a panic but was even more astonished by the calmness with which he braced the news.

Father sighed internally. They say old age always came with some type of regret. He regretted being so tightly wound around his loved ones… he had been so anxious. That accident that nearly wiped out the last of his kin had triggered the madness within him, which he unleashed onto his family

He couldn’t fix the mess he had made, but he wanted to at least tidy up as much as he could.

He looked at Terrence with a nostalgic smile. That little boy who wouldn’t let go of his trousers the first time they met had become a full-blown man ready to make a decisive act without fear. The mess he had made with him had been cleared, and he had barely done anything.

Was it Elara? He hoped that she at least gave him the type of love he wanted—he’d make sure, if this was the last thing he could do to make up for his sins, they lived a wonderful life.

“It’s alright,” he chuckled lightly. “Can I at least ask for something?”

Terrence smiled calmly. “Yes, Mr. Astridge.”

“So quick, haha!” he laughed sadly. “Can I at least be seen as the grandfather of your kids? I could be a stand-in, or don’t I qualify?”

Not only Terrence, but even Ariel, was shocked beyond words.

“What? Do you not think I can make it?”

For the first time in a long while with them, Terrence laughed heartily. His eyes were as soft as cotton at the thought of his beloved giving him a child. He had thought he would want her all to himself, but this… it seemed he was deathly wrong because the idea was so sweet it overwhelmed his entirety.

Both father and daughter were stunned at the sweetness that trickled from his gaze. Was he that in love?

“No, it’s not an issue. I can agree to this.”

Father sighed in relief. “Then it’s fine. Cheers!”

***

Ariel watched from the same position as before as the male left and couldn’t help gritting her teeth before facing Father.

“Are you really okay with this, father?”

Astridge overlooked his lovely daughter. He had done so many terrible things, but nothing he ever did could amount to what he had done to this daughter of his, Ariel. Allowing her to foster jealousy and hate for her family, so deprived of his love and attention she’d do whatever he wanted to please him.

The only one to accept his controlling vice with open arms, and it had ruined her… He needed to do something. Anything to change this, even to the barest. He caused this, and he had to fix it.

“Forget that, Ari.” Her eyes brightened. “Let’s travel to Egypt by next week. What do you say?”

A brilliant smile bloomed on her face. “Sure thing, Dad!”

She embraced him warmly, cold eyes glaring at the blonde as he entered the vehicle. “After two weeks, let me conclude something first.”

No one could hurt her father and walk away that easily!