Page 72 of All That She Needs

I braced myself, preparing for whatever confrontation awaited me.

After a few tense minutes, the door swung open, and Blackthorne Senior stepped in, radiating authority. He carried himself with the confidence of someone who still believed he was in charge—and in his mind, he certainly was. At seventy, my father remained an imposing figure; his presence could shift the room's energy. Years in the business world had shaped him intosomeone who commanded respect, and I often found myself at odds with that authority.

"Father," I mumbled, still seated and unwilling to rise to greet him. I had no energy to cater to his ego, and I certainly wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

He walked—no, stalked—toward me, a frown wrinkling his forehead.

"Would you like to have a seat?" I said to him, gesturing to the two chairs across from the desk.

His frown got deeper, not saying anything, but he sat, then crossed his arms over his chest.

"Let's cut to the chase," my father said, his voice rumbling through the room. He was not one to waste time, and I was all too familiar with his direct, no-nonsense approach.

"Sure."

"Why did I just hear that you're separated from Asha?"

I sighed. "Divorced, Father. We're divorced," I corrected him.

"And you had the audacity to tell me through text messages. You should have discussed this with me first! How long has this been going on?"

Was he serious? Did he really think I should have asked his permission regarding my marriage? We never discussed anything beyond work, and now he suddenly wanted to delve into my personal life.

"I signed the papers a week ago," I replied casually, leaning back in my chair. "I moved out around three months before that."

"Why?" His voice rose, revealing his anger. "Asha is the perfect woman for a Blackthorne. She's beautiful, successful, and dedicated to you."

I nodded solemnly, acknowledging the truth in his words. "She is, without a doubt. But I fucked up."

His beady eyes narrowed at me, turning them into slits. "What did you do?"

"I cheated on her," I admitted, before I added with a tired exhale, "I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree, did it?"

"You should be able to control your woman, Aiden," he seethed. "You should never have let her go. Blackthorn men don't get divorced. Our family image is crucial for the company. We set the standard for the community. Our values are based on family."

I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to retort, but the words slipped out anyway. "Maybe it's time we stop covering up our shits, Father, and let the world know we're not as perfect as we portrayed."

"That's nonsense!" He bellowed. "Get her back," my father ordered. I raised my brows at him, questioning whether his old age was making him delusional. "Beg her, offer her more wealth—do whatever it takes to win her back."

"I did beg her," I replied. "And you know Asha isn't easily swayed by money."

"You will not sit in that chair as a man who lost his wife because of his own idiocy."

I laughed bitterly. "Father, your own wife left you, too. Maybe not physically, but everyone knew her mind and heart didn't belong to you anymore. You've lost her a long time ago. She was just a shell of a woman, and yet, you've sat here for over thirty years."

"But your mother was present when it mattered," my father argued, sounding more ridiculous by the second. "I made sure of it. That's what you need to do."

Then it struck me, the horror of it. Staying with Asha could lead her down the same path as my mother—a woman forever heartbroken, confined in a life that dulled her spirit, reduced to a mere shadow of who she once was. I didn't want that for Asha. I loved her too much to let that happen.

In that moment, I also recognized the risk of my downfall. I could easily become like my father—a shallow, self-centered man, disrespectful of women and endlessly unfaithful, indifferent to the pain he inflicted. He never felt guilty, convinced that his money and power justified everything he did. It was painful to admit that, in many ways, I already followed that path. My betrayal of Asha marked the first step toward that cycle, a pattern I couldn't afford to repeat. I wasn't him, and I wouldn't let my life reflect his. I had forgotten that. I had lost sight of my determination to never follow his way of life.

Even worse, I could pass this cycle on to Kayden and Chloe. They would grow up resenting me, just as I'd resented my father for putting appearances above all else and living comfortably with lies and betrayal. I couldn't let that happen. Asha and the kids deserved better, and so did I.

A sudden wave of relief washed over me, grounding me in the certainty that I was doing the right thing.

"You'll have to step down as CEO, Aiden, if you refuse to reconcile with her. We can't have a divorced man as the face of the company," he snapped, irritation lacing his voice. "We're selling a family image. That's what has made us successful all these years. People trust us. So, you need to get your wife back!" He was losing his composure, but I found I couldn't care less. "I thought you loved her!"

I looked at my father, feeling a sense of disdain creeping beneath my skin, and I cringed when I remembered Kayden had looked at me the same way.

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