Page 164 of Strange Seduction
I didn’t flinch. Instead, I leaned in a little, staring him down. “Did you forget her begging me for more? Didn’t sound like a fucking hostage to me.”
The words hit harder than I expected. For a second, Vince looked like he might snap, but he held it together. Still, the smugness faded, replaced by something darker.
“Both of you, stop it. Theo, that was taking it too far.” My father’s tone was tight, but I could tell he wasn’t going to let me off easily.
Still, I didn’t back down. “I don’t give a fuck. Carmen Reyes belongs to me, and everyone in this office better fucking act like it.”
“Damn it, Theo—”
“I don’t give a fuck, Dad.” I cut him off, the words coming faster now. “I’ve told Vince this a hundred times. Carmen’s mine, and I’m not backing down.”
Vince stepped forward, his fists clenched. “You don’t deserve her, Clayton.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I waved him off. “I’ll remember that when I’m in the woman you wet dream about raw.”
There was a flash of rage in Vince’s eyes.
“I’m done with this.” And with that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
I stayed still for a moment, feeling the adrenaline pulse through my veins. My father’s silence on the other end of the line stretched longer than usual—probably as he digested everything I’d just laid on him.
“Wendell?” I broke the quiet, voice steady despite the tension.
“Are you a child, Theodore?” His tone was sharp.
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know. Are you gonna treat me like one?”
A short laugh, dry and bitter. “Funny. I thought I told you about that girl. Now look—you’re causing all kinds of chaos in the office. Over petty bullshit.”
“I don’t regret anything,” I said, feeling my pulse quicken. “I’d do it again.”
He sighed heavily. “At a certain point, you’re going to have to grow up, Theodore. If you can’t control the company, how am I supposed to retire?”
“You can retire whenever you want,” I shot back.
“How? When your pride has been a problem since the moment that girl landed there? Will this happen every time one of the team members looks at her? This behavior is obsessive.”
“It gets the point across.”
“You’re insane.” His voice rose, frustrated. “You need to get a grip on reality. You’re the CEO, not the child who used to slack off and cause havoc back in Georgia, the one I always had to clean up after. What if he goes to the press with this? Do you know how badly it’ll reflect on the company? You want to lose everything? Now?”
“No,” I said firmly. “I don’t.”
“Then act like it. Clean up your fucking act, and for God’s sake, get rid of that girl. Send her home.”
“That’s non-negotiable.”
“Theodore, I swear—”
“No.” I cut him off, voice low but steady. “I do everything you say. You want me to stay in Italy to run this company. Fine. I can’t open a tattoo shop because it would be a distraction. Sure. But Carmen? She’s where I draw the line. You can fuck with everything else, but not her.”
“Can’t you see she’s a distraction too?”
“I said she’s staying.”
There was a long pause, then he snapped, “I don’t have time for this childish shit. Do what you want, Theodore. But mark mywords: you’re gonna regret that choice. You can’t have both. The price of her staying has a price tag you’re not ready to pay.”
“Is that all? I have work to do.” I kept my jaw tight, refusing to let the frustration show.
