Chapter 172 - One Hundred And Seventy-two: The New Family Head (2/2)

”What do you mean by that?”

I growled, ”Don't play games with me, father! You said something to Maya that made her turn out that way”

We stared hard into each other's eyes, a stare down that none of us was willing to back out from until he shook his head in disappointment.

”I'm so disappointed in you”

”Unfortunately, I stopped caring about what you thought about me when mom died”

I saw an unknown emotion flicker across his eyes but he was quick to resume his impassive features. My mom has always been a touchy spot between us.

My mom had died when I was pretty young from cancer of the lungs leaving Emily and me behind. Adam has always been a strict man, but his hardness came to light after her death.

Rumors plus the little fact I captured from my childhood revealed that Adam had loved my mother with all his heart even though her attention was on someone else - she loved another person who I had no clue about.

Yet, Adam did everything possible to marry her hoping that once they were husband and wife, she would eventually love him back but that didn't happen.

Yes, they lived as husband and wife, he treated her and they even performed their conjugal rights blissfully yet he never owned that heart.

Mother tried to hide it but Adam still found out she craved for the one she loved. He continuously lavished gifts and did everything to keep her mind off him but none of it seemed to work.

They argued sometimes but she didn't speak back, only kept silent and allowed him to vent his feelings until he found out that she was not affected by it.

Slowly Mother withered away until she escaped this reality through death when she could have fought hard for them - for her kids.

After her death, the once loving father they knew disappeared forever. Love became a fairytale he despised to hear.

”My decision is final” he dismissed, going back to his work.

”Why Tina? With or without her, the company would do well. In fact, she's the one gaining from us ”

”And Maya didn't gain from you?” He challenged

I licked my lower lips, my blood aching with the need to describe what a blessing Maya was to me.

”Maya is different and to be frank, she did me a lot of -”

”You need a proper woman from a respectable home, who has the power to back you up when you're down” Adam cut me off before I could finish.

”I don't need her backup”

”And you need Maya's?” His intent gaze bore into mine,” Tell me what she can offer you? Sex? Power? Money? Which of those can't Tina give you?”

”My heart! Maya has my heart! ” I yelled.

I watched his heart narrow into slits, ”You useless son!”

Adams's face distorted into anger and he stood abruptly, picked up the golf club that was always beside his desk, and tried to hit me with it again.

But I took the club from his grip and flung it halfway across the room much to his surprise.

He punched me in the nose without warning and while I was recovering, pulled out the gun from one of the drawers, hitting me on the head with its butt.

But I pulled out my gun from the waistband of my jeans and pointed it at him, pulled the trigger, and fired.

The bullet escaped through the space between his neck and hit the glass display case where he kept all of his awards, the glass shattering to pieces.

”I'm no longer that ten years old you push around the way you want !” I said in an outburst.

I purposely missed but the threat was obvious - the next time would be a perfect shot. I was only going easy on him because he was my father but my patience was slowly thinning.

”I fulfilled my promise by staying away from Maya, but touch a strand on her again and I wouldn't hesitate to fight you head-on” I warned him straightforwardly.

He chuckled, ”You're going to fight me? With what?”

” I'm the new family head”

”You were chosen and have not been inaugurated, so I remain the one in power” Adam pointed out.

And he was right, I was just chosen for the new family head role but my father's regime was not over and still required two years before he should step down and hand it over to me.

”So perhaps, before you declare a war, know your capability,” My father said triumphantly.

Father underestimated me, it was  time to reinforce.