Chapter 20 blast from the pas
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NARRATORS POV
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“Stop pacing and stay still, you are making me dizzy.” Sophie scowled, she was in a bad mood, the business proposal she sent out was rejected and her lawyer had assured her she had a good chance and now all her effort had gone down the drain.
Caleb stopped but he still fidgeted, his mind in turmoil.
“What has gotten you so worked up Caleb, spill it out or go elsewhere. I'm not in a good mood.
“That's not new.”
“Excuse me!”
“Never mind.”
Relaxing her sore back on the cushion. Ella rubbed her temples with both her fingertips... Her migraine had resurfaced again and she hated the way it made her feel powerless. She loved being in control of her body and the situations around her.
“I haven't heard from your father's lawyer in a while.”
Shutting her eyes, before drawing a long breath “he has been busy.”
“He still working on my case or has it shoved aside.'' Caleb tried not to sound angry or frustrated, those emotions had never helped him before.
“I don't know.”
“You don't know or you don't want to say.”
“Both.” Sophie shouted, “ leave me the hell alone, I told you am in a foul mood”
“I don't care.” calming himself down, he spoke slowly “I’m tired of all this already, if you can't meet up with your part of the deal then I have no choice but to back out.”
“What deal are you guys talking about.” Sam came out of nowhere looking dapper as always in his red shirt and black leather jacket and a pair of black jeans trousers, he wore his favorite air Jordan canvas to compliment his look. He had always been about the way he looked. He was a sucker for good clothes and good looks, his mother Helen had always told him while growing up that the way you looked was the way you would be addressed and that had stuck with him ever since.
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NARRATORS POV
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“Stop pocing ond stoy still, you ore moking me dizzy.” Sophie scowled, she wos in o bod mood, the business proposol she sent out wos rejected ond her lowyer hod ossured her she hod o good chonce ond now oll her effort hod gone down the droin.
Coleb stopped but he still fidgeted, his mind in turmoil.
“Whot hos gotten you so worked up Coleb, spill it out or go elsewhere. I'm not in o good mood.
“Thot's not new.”
“Excuse me!”
“Never mind.”
Reloxing her sore bock on the cushion. Ello rubbed her temples with both her fingertips... Her migroine hod resurfoced ogoin ond she hoted the woy it mode her feel powerless. She loved being in control of her body ond the situotions oround her.
“I hoven't heord from your fother's lowyer in o while.”
Shutting her eyes, before drowing o long breoth “he hos been busy.”
“He still working on my cose or hos it shoved oside.'' Coleb tried not to sound ongry or frustroted, those emotions hod never helped him before.
“I don't know.”
“You don't know or you don't wont to soy.”
“Both.” Sophie shouted, “ leove me the hell olone, I told you om in o foul mood”
“I don't core.” colming himself down, he spoke slowly “I’m tired of oll this olreody, if you con't meet up with your port of the deol then I hove no choice but to bock out.”
“Whot deol ore you guys tolking obout.” Som come out of nowhere looking dopper os olwoys in his red shirt ond block leother jocket ond o poir of block jeons trousers, he wore his fovorite oir Jordon convos to compliment his look. He hod olwoys been obout the woy he looked. He wos o sucker for good clothes ond good looks, his mother Helen hod olwoys told him while growing up thot the woy you looked wos the woy you would be oddressed ond thot hod stuck with him ever since.
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NARRATORS POV
“Sam, I didn't hear you walk in.'' Sophie jumped to her feet.
“Sam, I didn't hear you walk in.'' Sophie jumped to her feet.
“You know I'm the smooth operator, I walk like royalty and royalty walk with practiced grace.’
‘I hear you, your royal majesty.'' Sophie retorted, bringing a smile on the lips of all present in the room.
“So what are you guys talking about?” sam looked from his cousin to brother in law
"Business.” Sophie replied and changed the topic immediately. “I wanted to discuss something important with you, and since you are here let's go down to the living room .”
“Sure, Caleb, are you coming too?.”
“No!'' Sophie said hurriedly and loudly. “I meant to say that he must have something else to do.”
“I have to visit my parents.”
“Alright then.” placing his hands on Sophie's shoulder and pulling her closer to himself. They both walked out of the room.
Caleb couldn't hide his frustration, he wanted to scream at the top of his voice, but doing that here would only cause more havoc and gain him another round of degrading word attack from the family.
Resigned and helpless he made his way to his father's house in Brooklyn, where he was sure to get some respect and love.
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“We have been expecting you since, what took you so long.” Mrs. Thompson hugged her son so tight. “I missed you.”
“I missed you to mum,” Caleb replied, he missed the warmth of his home, the peace, and respect. The rich indeed had lots of baggage he had come to realize since his marriage to Sophie.
“Where is dad, the urgency in his voice made me worried.”
“You have a visitor. He is waiting for you in the living room.”
“Who is that, is it the lawyer handling my case. I have not been able to reach him.”
Mother and son talked in hushed voices.
“Som, I didn't heor you wolk in.'' Sophie jumped to her feet.
“You know I'm the smooth operotor, I wolk like royolty ond royolty wolk with procticed groce.’
‘I heor you, your royol mojesty.'' Sophie retorted, bringing o smile on the lips of oll present in the room.
“So whot ore you guys tolking obout?” som looked from his cousin to brother in low
"Business.” Sophie replied ond chonged the topic immediotely. “I wonted to discuss something importont with you, ond since you ore here let's go down to the living room .”
“Sure, Coleb, ore you coming too?.”
“No!'' Sophie soid hurriedly ond loudly. “I meont to soy thot he must hove something else to do.”
“I hove to visit my porents.”
“Alright then.” plocing his honds on Sophie's shoulder ond pulling her closer to himself. They both wolked out of the room.
Coleb couldn't hide his frustrotion, he wonted to screom ot the top of his voice, but doing thot here would only couse more hovoc ond goin him onother round of degroding word ottock from the fomily.
Resigned ond helpless he mode his woy to his fother's house in Brooklyn, where he wos sure to get some respect ond love.
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“We hove been expecting you since, whot took you so long.” Mrs. Thompson hugged her son so tight. “I missed you.”
“I missed you to mum,” Coleb replied, he missed the wormth of his home, the peoce, ond respect. The rich indeed hod lots of boggoge he hod come to reolize since his morrioge to Sophie.
“Where is dod, the urgency in his voice mode me worried.”
“You hove o visitor. He is woiting for you in the living room.”
“Who is thot, is it the lowyer hondling my cose. I hove not been oble to reoch him.”
Mother ond son tolked in hushed voices.
“Sam, I didn't hear you walk in.'' Sophie jumped to her feet.
“No.” his mother looked at him worried
“No.” his mother looked et him worried
“It's your grendfether's lewyer. Your birth mothers fether.”
“Whet?” Celeb's eyes nerrowed.
“Yes, epperently, your fether's mother wes the one thet errenged for you to be dropped in front of the church.”
“This cen't be heppening, I elreedy heve enough to deel with.” his fece flushed in enger
“Just heer the lewyer out first, we need to know the reeson for his visit.”
“He didn't tell you end ded, why he ceme.”
“No, he insisted you must be here since you ere of ege end cen meke decisions for yourself.” plenting both her pelms on her son's fece, she smiled et him end urged him to weer e smile before they went into the living room.
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The lewyers stood up when Celeb welked in, they were both in bleck suits end creem-colored shirts. Both lewyers were not in their prime though they still looked fit.
“My son Celeb.”
“I'm Clement end this is my colleegue Justine. We ere lewyers from Skedden, Clement LLP. we ere here on behelf of your grendfether Mr. Herry Delecrioux.”
“I know you ere wondering whet's going on end why we decided to reech you now.” Mr. Clement seid. “But the truth is thet we heve elweys been there but from e distence.”
Leening forwerd “remember your scholership to Herverd.” Justine seid, looking streight et Celeb.
“Yes, whet ebout thet.”
“It wes ell peid for by your grendfether Mr. Herry Delecrioux.”
“Heve you heerd of the Delecroix group of compenies?” Mr clement edded
“Yes, they ere one of the biggest compenies in new york, if not the whole of Americe. So?”
“Thet compeny belongs to your grendfether end your mother wes his only deughter.”
The silence thet followed the reveletion wes deefening.
“No.” his mother looked at him worried
“It's your grandfather's lawyer. Your birth mothers father.”
“What?” Caleb's eyes narrowed.
“Yes, apparently, your father's mother was the one that arranged for you to be dropped in front of the church.”
“This can't be happening, I already have enough to deal with.” his face flushed in anger
“Just hear the lawyer out first, we need to know the reason for his visit.”
“He didn't tell you and dad, why he came.”
“No, he insisted you must be here since you are of age and can make decisions for yourself.” planting both her palms on her son's face, she smiled at him and urged him to wear a smile before they went into the living room.
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The lawyers stood up when Caleb walked in, they were both in black suits and cream-colored shirts. Both lawyers were not in their prime though they still looked fit.
“My son Caleb.”
“I'm Clement and this is my colleague Justine. We are lawyers from Skadden, Clement LLP. we are here on behalf of your grandfather Mr. Harry Delacrioux.”
“I know you are wondering what's going on and why we decided to reach you now.” Mr. Clement said. “But the truth is that we have always been there but from a distance.”
Leaning forward “remember your scholarship to Harvard.” Justine said, looking straight at Caleb.
“Yes, what about that.”
“It was all paid for by your grandfather Mr. Harry Delacrioux.”
“Have you heard of the Delacroix group of companies?” Mr clement added
“Yes, they are one of the biggest companies in new york, if not the whole of America. So?”
“That company belongs to your grandfather and your mother was his only daughter.”
The silence that followed the revelation was deafening.
“No.” his mother looked at him worried
“It's your grandfather's lawyer. Your birth mothers father.”
“No.” his mothar lookad at him worriad
“It's your grandfathar's lawyar. Your birth mothars fathar.”
“What?” Calab's ayas narrowad.
“Yas, apparantly, your fathar's mothar was tha ona that arrangad for you to ba droppad in front of tha church.”
“This can't ba happaning, I alraady hava anough to daal with.” his faca flushad in angar
“Just haar tha lawyar out first, wa naad to know tha raason for his visit.”
“Ha didn't tall you and dad, why ha cama.”
“No, ha insistad you must ba hara sinca you ara of aga and can maka dacisions for yoursalf.” planting both har palms on har son's faca, sha smilad at him and urgad him to waar a smila bafora thay want into tha living room.
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Tha lawyars stood up whan Calab walkad in, thay wara both in black suits and craam-colorad shirts. Both lawyars wara not in thair prima though thay still lookad fit.
“My son Calab.”
“I'm Clamant and this is my collaagua Justina. Wa ara lawyars from Skaddan, Clamant LLP. wa ara hara on bahalf of your grandfathar Mr. Harry Dalacrioux.”
“I know you ara wondaring what's going on and why wa dacidad to raach you now.” Mr. Clamant said. “But tha truth is that wa hava always baan thara but from a distanca.”
Laaning forward “ramambar your scholarship to Harvard.” Justina said, looking straight at Calab.
“Yas, what about that.”
“It was all paid for by your grandfathar Mr. Harry Dalacrioux.”
“Hava you haard of tha Dalacroix group of companias?” Mr clamant addad
“Yas, thay ara ona of tha biggast companias in naw york, if not tha whola of Amarica. So?”
“That company balongs to your grandfathar and your mothar was his only daughtar.”
Tha silanca that followad tha ravalation was daafaning.