Page 90 of Bittersweet Legacy

He jerked back. “What?”

I nodded toward his watch, “I think you looked at your watch at least 20 times since you picked me up.”

He shook his head. “I’m not sure why, there is nothing pressing.”

“Sure.”

“The accounts are fine,” William barked walking back into the main part of the cabin.

“What do you mean?” Archibald asked, and I had to give it to him. He was a good actor, but I knew him too well.

“I mean that I did get a call from Switzerland, with my login, but it was not them. We have to go home now.” He pointed at the door.

“I’ll ask my father to meet us at the house, I’ll come with - I have no car, anyway.” I tried to sound nonchalant but I hated the little increase of my heart rate at the idea of seeing Esmeralda.

Could we reiterate what we shared? I wasn’t sure I liked the kind of power she had gained over me despite myself, my mother had warned me many times of how destructive love could be and I wouldn’t let myself fall, no, not ever.

William nodded and walked briskly outside, taking the driver side of the car and drove way over the speed limit - We made the usually-30-minute ride to the Forbes mansion in less than 20 minutes.

When we walked in I quickly looked around, somehow hoping to meet Esmeralda’s inquisitive eyes but only met my father’s grim face.

“Esmeralda’s gone.”

I took a step back as if I just took a blow.

“Gone? What do you mean, gone?” William asked.

The butler wriggled his hands together. “Well about five minutes after Mr Archibald’s departure, Ms Esmeralda came down with a suitcase stating that a car was coming to pick her up to meet you at the airfield.”

“She did what?” I roared as I took the stairs up to her bedroom two at the time. I felt an unfamiliar type of fury.

Anger was a feeling I was familiar with, something I was fuelled by – it was much easier to hold on to this hate than to feel things that could tear me down but right now, this fury was new, it was a fury mixed with dread.

I wasn’t sure what I expected when I burst into her room, my chest heaving under the weight of the turmoil of many emotions I couldn't name.

I looked around, looking for what? I wasn’t sure.

“She left a letter,” my father announced leaning against the doorframe, waving the letter he’d clearly opened.

I narrowed my eyes seeing my name written on the front of the letter. “And since when is your name Caleb?”

William and Archibald walked into the room.

“What is happening?” William demanded looking at the letter in my father’s hand.

“It seems your daughter left a letter to my attention which my father already read.” I gestured toward him. “Maybe you could read it for us.”

My father extended the letter to me. “I think it’s something you might want to read alone.”

I scoffed; my father never showed me an ounce of solicitude even after the ‘incident’ we never mentioned. “You already read it, plus there is nothing she can say that I would care for.”Liar.“Just go ahead.”

My father sighed dramatically; he did have a drama queen persona for sure. “Fine, if you say so.Caleb, I’m sorry for leaving like this but I believe it is better this way than having to face the consequences of giving you my innocence in a moment of weakness we have both came to regret.”

Regret? no, I didn’t have any regrets, at least until now. Now, I regretted everything, even her birth.

I understand your wish for repudiation and do not blame you for it. I don’t belong here, in this life and never will. I’m wishing you all the best in the future. Esme Danvers.

My father sighed with faked contrition as her father growled with anger, the only real suspicious one was Archibald who looked anything but surprised.

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