Page 120 of Hate To Love You

“Thank you, guys. It means a lot that you’re here,” I say, not trying to get too sappy. They all look at me as if I’m crazy. Pat walks over to me, setting his hand on my shoulder.

“Dude, we’re brothers for life. We’ll always be there for you. Elite’s take care of their own,” he states, tapping my shoulder and giving me an honest grin.

I place my hand on his shoulder the same way he did mine. “Brothers for life,” I confirm, and Pat nods.

“Brothers for life,” Mason and Holland say in unison.

I shake my head. “Alright, enough of this sappy shit. Let’s get this over with,” I grunt.

When we enter the conference room at the Elite office building, the tension is palpable. Each of our fathers are already seated around the large table, their expressions a mix of curiosity and impatience. I should probably feel nervous, but I don’t. I only feel anger and hatred toward the man that was supposed to be my dad.

Robert is the first to speak. “What's this all about, boys? We have to get back to work.”

I step forward, not wanting to waste any time, and place the folder we’ve compiled of all the evidence on the table in front of them. They stare at it in curiosity and suspicion.

Holland’s father’s eyes narrow on the folder.

“What is this?” he asks. Daniel Monroe is cold and negligent. Much like my father, Holland and Ellie’s father was never there. Except, they had it a bit worse because when he was there, he’d get drunk and abuse their mother right in front of them. But it was an arranged marriage by the Elite, and the Elite don’t get divorces.

Holland steps up beside me, glaring at his father.

“We know what you've been doing. All of you.”

There’s a moment of stunned silence, and then my father’s face twists into anger. “You have no idea what you're talking about.”

Pat joins Holland and I closer to the table.

“So the embezzlement, the fraud, the bribery. You’re really going to sit there and tell us we’re wrong? The fucking files are all there,” he seethes.

Our fathers don’t look worried that we’ve figured out their secrets, except for my father who looks like he wants to strangle me.

“We're done being your little puppets. You’re not going to ruin our lives and the lives of everyone we care about,” Mason says.

Mason's father sneers. “Did you boys really think you could storm in here and threaten us?”

Holland, ever the calm one, looks at his uncle with disdain.

“We’re not threatening you. We’re giving you a choice. Step down quietly, let us take over, and we'll handle this internally. Refuse, and we'll take everything we have to the press,” he shrugs.

The large conference room is thick with tension and animosity as the old men exchange glances. It’s clear they hadn't expected us to find any of this information.

My father, still seething, finally breaks the silence. “And if we refuse?” he asks through gritted teeth.

I keep my voice calm and steady as I lean over the table to get in my father’s face.

“Then we’ll destroy everything you’ve built. We’ve already contacted our lawyers. You’ll be finished. Your reputations that you’ve worked so hard for, the money, the power, it’ll all disappear. You’ll be nothing, no one,” I grind out, shaking my head. “Grandfather would hate what you’ve done to this company and the family name.”

My father lets out a bitter laugh. “Your grandfather was an idiot. He had no clue how to run an empire. The business was going under, and he was letting it. My father never did know how to do what it takes to survive,” he leans forward so that I can see the fire in his eyes.

I fist his shirt, pulling him out of his seat and into me. I can see my brothers take a step closer, ready to pull me back if I go to far.

“Grandfather was a better man than you ever will be. You’re pathetic,” I spit. “You had a family, a wife, and all you care about is how much power you hold, and if you don’t do as we say, you can kiss it all goodbye. That’s a fucking promise.”

I release his shirt, letting him fall back into his chair. He looks almost proud, but proud of what, I’m not sure.

The old men look at each other, the weight of the situation sinking in. They underestimated us, thinking we’re too naive and loyal to ever challenge them. But what they didn’t know is that we were biding our time until we could get rid of them.

After a tense pause, Pat’s father finally speaks, his voice a mix of defeat and resignation. “What do you want us to do?”

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