Page 32 of Flames of Desire

The atmosphere in the room shifted, growing taut with the tension of long-buried resentments. My father leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "Alex, you left. You walked away from everything—your family, your responsibilities. Do you think you can come back now and demand answers?"

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. "I left because you pushed me away," I shot back, my voice rising. "You never listened. Never cared about what I wanted or needed. It was always about the company. About your expectations."

"Expectations?" he retorted, his face flushing with anger. "I had to run this empire, Alex. I needed you to step up, to be the son your mother believed you could be."

"Don't you dare bring her into this," I snapped, my hands clenching into fists. "Mom was the only one who ever understood me, who ever cared about what I wanted. And you—" My voice broke, the anger giving way to a raw, aching pain. "You never did."

Lily's grip on my hand tightened, her voice cutting through the rising storm. "Stop," she said firmly, looking between us. "This isn't helping. Yelling at each other won't change the past."

My father and I glared at each other, the room thick with unspoken words. Lily stepped between us. "We need to focus on what matters now," she said, her tone soothing yet resolute. "Alex, your father wants to talk about your mother's estate. Let's listen to what he has to say."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. "Fine," I muttered, my anger simmering beneath the surface. "Let's talk."

My father nodded, his expression still tense but more controlled. "Your mother left behind a considerable estate," he began, his voice steady. "There are properties, investments, and assets that need to be managed. She wanted you to have a say in what happens to them."

I blinked, the weight of his words sinking in. "She did?"

"Yes," he replied, his tone softening. "She always believed in you, Alex. Even when we disagreed, she never lost faith in you."

A lump formed in my throat, the pain of loss mingling with a flicker of hope. "What do I need to do?" I asked, my voice quieter now.

"We'll go over the details," my father said, his gaze meeting mine with a rare sincerity. "There are legal procedures to follow, but the most important thing is to decide how you want to handle her legacy."

For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a tentative sense of understanding with my father. The anger and resentment were still there, but they were overshadowed by the need to honor my mother's memory.

"We'll need to go through everything thoroughly," my father said, his tone more cooperative now. "But I believe we can do this, Alex. For your mother."

I nodded, the enormity of the responsibility sinking in. "I want to do this right," I said, my voice unwavering. "For her."

Lily smiled, her eyes filled with pride. "And you will," she said, her confidence in me unwavering.

As the evening wore on, we settled into a more productive discussion. My father outlined the next steps, and I found myself actually listening and considering his advice. It was strange, almost surreal, to feel a glimmer of cooperation between us.

By the time we left the study, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting a soft twilight over the estate. Lily and I walked hand in hand through the gardens, the cool night air a welcome relief after the intense conversation.

"You did great," Lily said, her voice filled with warmth.

"I couldn't have done it without you," I admitted, pulling her closer. "Thank you for being here."

"Always," she replied, her smile radiant in the fading light. "We're in this together, remember?"

We strolled in comfortable silence for a while. The day's tension had drained me, but I felt a renewed sense of purpose with Lily by my side.

As we reached my car, I turned to her, my heart full of gratitude. "I don't know what I would have done without you today."

She leaned in, her lips brushing mine in a tender kiss. "You never have to find out," she whispered, her eyes shining with love.

We stood there for a moment, wrapped in each other's arms, the night sky stretching endlessly above us. For the first time in a long while, I felt what it was like to be happy again.

Chapter seventeen

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - A BLAZING FUTURE

As Alex and I were about to enter his car and leave, the butler who had greeted us earlier emerged from the house.

"Mr. Sinclair," he said, addressing Alex, "Your father requests that you stay for dinner."

Alex stiffened beside me, his jaw tightening. "Tell him we're leaving, James," he said curtly, reaching for the car door.

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