Page 84 of Boss Agreement

Father takes a deep breath, and it comes out ragged. “I loved her more than anything. And I made that promise. From that day forward, I did everything in my power to make sure that no one would ever be hungry. I couldn’t make sure that Loughton House would keep my grandchildren fed unless I taught someone to run it. So, I made the hard choice to force you to learn how to run it, whether you wanted to or not.”

“But what about Mason?” I say instinctively. This has to be a lie. A fabrication meant only to keep me from hating him. He has nothing in his life anymore, and now he’s realizing that no one wants him. He’s spent his life controlling us.

“I was wrong. I’ve already asked Andrew to let Mason know that he’s welcome to come back. That I want him to come back. I’ll split my portion of the family money with him. I… I lost sight of the purpose of it all. When your mother died, I got lost. I let myself become someone I never wanted to be, because it was easier than being alone. And I failed her by disowning Mason. I failed you by forgetting that you were still a child. All three of you still needed love, but I… I didn’t have love in me when she was gone. And I’m sorry.”

I steel my jaw. It’s not a lie. I’ve seen every side of my father. I know him better than he knows himself.

And I remember the night he drank a bottle of Scotch and cursed my mother’s name right before declaring his undying love for her.

“Why are you telling me this now?” I ask, and my eyes drift toward Addison, who’s laughing with Sera after having wedged herself between them.

“I don’t know. I guess I had to take a step back before I could see what I’d done. I’m not asking for forgiveness, Phillip. It’s important that you know that. I don’t regret throwing myself into Loughton House, into building it into an empire that could do exactly what I’d promised. My grandchildren will never want for anything.

“I gave my life to fulfilling the promise I made to your mother. I sacrificed my relationship with you and your brothers, and I don’t regret it at all because the few years I had with her are worth it all. I need you to know that you’re doing the right thing with Addison.”

He puts his hand out and rests it on mine. It’s a shock. I can’t remember a single time that he hugged me or showed me an affectionate touch.

“Phillip, love is the only thing that matters in life. More than business. More than family. More than anything. Don’t let anyone or anything keep you from her.”

I’m speechless as Russel Loughton gives me a nod and stands up. He’s the man who built an empire with his own hands to keep a promise to my mother. He’s the man that taught me how to be the best in the world at what I do. And for the first time in my life, I feel like I finally understand him.

“Father?” I say as he turns away, stopping him. “You say you did all of this for her, but what about us? Didn’t you care about how we felt? How it would affect us?”

He seems to age in front of me, his shoulders slumping even more, his always stiff posture failing for the first time. “I did. She promised that she’d make sure you were happy. I never realized that when she was gone, it was up to me to do both. I’m sorry that I failed you.”

Then he walks away from the table, and I’m left shaken. Hefailed us? My father has never said anything like that before. He’s never admitted fault. Ever.

Could he really have done everything for my mother? Could he have spent his life trying to fulfill a promise to her?

I look back to Addison, who’s finally noticed me. She’s staring at me, and I can’t tell what she’s thinking. Is that anger in her expression? Is it hope?

I don’t know, but I can’t just sit here. I have to talk to her, and even though I feel shaken to my core, I came here with a purpose. To convince the woman I love that I’m not the man she thinks I am.

The weight of my own failure weighs heavily on me as I cross the conference room. Employees mill about, each of them glancing at me out of habit as I pass them. I don’t even notice them. Whispers follow me as I move through the crowd like a dull wave of excitement.

Everyone knows about Addison and me.

“What are you doing here?” she asks as I approach her.

“I hoped that you’d talk to me.” I try to remain calm, try to ignore the inner storm of emotions that flow through me. “I wanted to apologize.”

She shakes her head. “Did you just ignore the fact that I didn’t respond to your message?”

I give her a broken grin. “Well, I heard that breakups in person were better, so an apology would probably be better as well.”

“Phillip, I’ve moved on. I quit Loughton House, and you know it.”

I shrug. “It doesn’t matter where you work, Addison. Hell, give them the secret sauce to success while you’re there, and it won’t matter one bit. I didn’t fall in love with my junior editor. I fell in love with you, and I don’t want to lose you. No matter what it takes.”

My father’s words flow through my mind, and I know they ring true. With everything I’ve done, everything I’ve changed trying to prove that I’m willing to be the man she fell in love with.

She shakes her head. “I love you. I can’t deny that. Well, no. Actually, I don’t loveyou. I love the guy who needed a couch to sleep on. The guy who took me to see the Brooklyn Bridge in the sunset. The guy who understood me. He wasn’t caught up in a thousand other things. He wanted to be anything but his father.”

“I’m that man, Addison. I got a little lost, is all. Nothing has changed.”

She shakes her head again. “No. Plenty has changed. This is still your father’s company, and you’re running it just like he did. Putting the bottom line before your employees. Focusing on production numbers.”

With lips drawn tight, she continues, “Phillip, if you’re going to run Loughton House like your father, will you live the life your father did? Will you treat me like he treated your mother? Will you raise children like he did?”

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