Page 43 of Sebastian.

She laughs softly. “All I did was call your daughter and speak to her myself. She doesn’t seem to love the idea of coming, but I made sure to be as convincing as possible. So she’ll be here.”

Grateful for Paula's efficiency, I manage to chuckle, “Thank you, Paula. You always know how to get things done.”

With a renewed sense of purpose, I make my way to my office to face the inevitable conversation with my daughter. Paula greets me in person when I get back to the office, and she stands, coming over to brush my shoulders off and straighten my tie. “I don’t think that she has much time, so keep things succinct. I tried to get some water or tea, but she wasn't interested. I think she’s nervous.”

This makes me smile, but sadly. I’ve never wanted to make my daughter nervous, not once in my entire life. But here we are, and this problem is totally of my making. “Well, she isn’t the only one, so it should work out.”

As I approach the door, I take a deep breath, preparing myself for what might be a tense and emotional encounter. Inside, I find Elise standing composedly before me. My first urge is to pull her into a hug, but the tightness in her expression tells me that it might not be the best idea. Her appearance exudes a mix of casual elegance and professional poise–beige chinos, a crisp Oxford white shirt, comfortable tennis shoes, and her chestnut hair pulled back into a neat ponytail.

“You look like you're ready to get back to work,” I remark, trying to break the ice.

Elise's expression remains guarded, her eyes wary as she responds, “I only came here because Paula begged me to. What do you want?”

My heart sinks slightly at her curt tone, realizing that rebuilding our strained relationship won't be an easy task. However, I refuse to back down and decide to approach the conversation with a hint of levity.

“Hello, darling daughter, good to see you too,” I reply, mustering a gentle smile. Elise doesn’t seem pleased with the sarcasm. The air in the room feels tense, and I motion towards the couch, inviting her to sit. “Please, um, have a seat,” I say, hoping to create a more relaxed atmosphere.

We go to the couch, and seeing how cold and distant Elise is, I try to start with an apology. “First off, I want to apologize for firing you the other day. I…well, I’ve been a brute. These past few weeks, though, have really been an eye opener for me.”

Without missing a beat, Elise asks, “Is this because of the divorce? Are you trying to win me over so that you've at least one child on your side?”

“Of course not.” Frustrated, I drag a hand through my hair, heaving a sigh. “Christ, this isn't for some judicial battle. I…I shouldn't have pushed you away. You've always been such a good daughter and employee, and when things got ugly, you stood up to me and kept your loyalty towards the family. And that’s...that's something I admire.”

She raises an eyebrow in suspicion. “Do you mean something you are incapable of doing?”

My shoulders slump slightly, and I lower my voice before saying, “Things are more complicated than they seem, El. I’ve got so many wheels turning all at the same time that I can barely keep up.”

Elise exhales slowly, crossing her legs and looking past me out at the spectacular view of the city that my office offers.

“Mom is deeply hurt, which I’m sure you already know. Complicated or not, your little rendezvous with a stripper while she was there supporting Andries at his wedding, alone, shattered her heart.”

Shaken, I clear my throat. “Elise, I––”

My daughter holds up a hand to stop me. “I’m not finished. You disappointed everyone, just like Oma knew you would.”

God, more talk about Margaret. I know without a doubt that she’s been waiting all this time for me to slip up, and now that I have, she’s going to be like a shark with blood in the water. “I know, El. I know better than you can ever understand, but I need your help. I want to make things right.”

Elise remains cautious, though, not wanting to be drawn into the dance of manipulation that is so common in our world. “I don't want to be a pawn in your game. You’ve already used me before, and I’m not going to make the mistake of falling for something like that again.”

“No, no. Of course not. That's not what you're here for,” I reassure her, my voice tinged with sincerity. “I truly want to mend our fractured bond and rebuild the trust between us.”

Shifting on the couch to face me fully, Elise looks intently at me, her expression determined. “Well, if you want to make things right, then fire Karl once and for all. Get rid of him, Dad.”

I sigh, knowing this isn't a simple decision. “You know I can't do that, not right now, at least,” I respond, trying to explain my predicament. “Clients like him, and he's a great asset to the company. The amount of clients that belong to him and him alone is astronomical. We’d be slashing our profits drastically if I just fired him out of the blue.”

Elise instantly puffs at me in return. “See? It's all about the company, isn't it?” she hisses, slapping her hands on her knees in frustration. “That man has caused so much trouble and pain for us, and still you are defending him. Protecting him, even! Where was that protection for Roxanne and Andries when the press was tearing them apart?”

I stand up, feeling torn and conflicted. Just like at Jan’s, I find myself pacing, anxious and unsure. “If he goes, I can't be the cause of it," I admit, realizing that letting go of Karl might expose things that I’m just not willing to have come to light. “What you’re saying isn’t wrong, but I just don’t know how to do it.”

My daughter pauses for a moment and seems to be thinking something through. “Gabi has found some evidence against him,” she announces. “It's worth letting her do her job, don't you think? You can always pretend she did it against your will.”

Gabi. The only person that knows just as much about the trials that Julia and I have faced––other than Alex––is her. While I can’t imagine she’s much of a fan of mine these days, her loyalty to Julia is surely intact.

“Evidence, huh?” I rub my chin with my hand in thought. That just might work. “Hm. Fine, yes. Let’s allow Gabi to do her job, then.” Karl will be pissed, no doubt about it, but as Elise said so well, I can always pretend I did my best to save him.

13

Julia

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