Chapter 101: ONE HUNDRED AND ONE

ADRIAN’S POV

I decided to go to Dad’s office early the next morning because the constant calls were becoming a problem.

We couldn’t keep ignoring him without giving him a reason, especially when he was already suspicious about where we had gone. If I showed up in person, acted normal and told him that we had simply decided to take a short trip together, he would have less reason to keep calling every one of us.

More importantly, I wanted to see his reaction when he saw me. After everything, I wanted to observe him closely without letting him know that I was doing it.

I skipped breakfast, picked up my keys and left the penthouse before the others could talk me out of it.

The drive to the company was long, partly because of nerves, and also because traffic was a bit slow. I checked the time several times while sitting behind a line of cars, becoming more irritated with every minute that passed. I didn’t want to spend the entire morning at the office, but I also couldn’t arrive looking like I was rushed or anything.

Eventually, the traffic cleared enough for me to continue, and I reached the company shortly afterward.

The receptionist greeted me as I walked through the entrance, and I went straight toward the elevator without stopping to speak to anyone. I knew most of the staff there, so nobody questioned my presence, and when I reached my father’s floor, his secretary immediately stood from her desk.

"Good morning, Adrian," she said, picking up a folder from her desk as she approached me. "Your father isn’t here yet. He called earlier and said he would be arriving shortly, so if you’re here to see him, you may have to wait."

"I’ll wait," I replied, pulling out the chair opposite her desk. "Don’t call him to tell him I’m here. I want to surprise him a little, and if he asks, just tell him I came in to see him."

She looked slightly confused by the request but nodded before returning to her work.

I sat there for almost thirty minutes before I finally heard the elevator doors open. Dad stepped out with two employees behind him, discussing something about a meeting. He noticed me almost immediately, and the conversation stopped and as guessed, his expression changed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, walking toward me with a frown. "I’ve been calling you repeatedly since yesterday, and you couldn’t answer a single call. You leave the house with your brothers without telling me where you’re going, nobody answers their phones, and now you appear in my office as though nothing happened. Do you think that’s acceptable?"

I stood up and kept my expression calm. "We weren’t trying to disrespect you. We wanted to spend some time together without anyone else around, so we decided to leave for a few days. We already explained that."

"You couldn’t tell me that before leaving? Doing it over a phone call was somehow more respectful?" he asked, his voice becoming sharper. "You’re all grown men, but that doesn’t mean you can simply disappear whenever you want. I called because I was concerned, and instead of answering, you decided to ignore me."

"I understand why you’re upset," I replied, keeping my voice the same. "That’s why I came here. I didn’t want you thinking something had happened to us."

He stared at me for a moment. "Something obviously happened. You’ve been acting strangely for a while, and now all of you suddenly disappear together. I have a company to run, Adrian. I don’t have time to spend chasing after my own sons because they refuse to answer their phones."

I didn’t react to the accusation. "We’re fine. That’s the important part."

He scoffed and walked into his office, expecting me to follow and I did.

He dropped his briefcase beside his desk before turning toward me again.. "You’re spending far too much time doing things that have nothing to do with your future," he said, removing his jacket. "You should be here learning the company instead of disappearing for days with your brothers. One day, you’re going to have to take responsibility for this business, and I don’t understand why you don’t seem interested in preparing yourself."

"I am interested," I answered, taking one of the chairs in front of his desk. "I’ve never said I wasn’t. I just don’t think spending every hour of my life inside this office is necessary right now."

"That’s because you’re young," he replied, moving behind his desk. "You think you have all the time in the world. You don’t. The earlier you understand the business, the easier it will be for you when you’re eventually responsible for it."

"I understand the company, Father. You know that."

"You say that, but I don’t see it. Not with the attitude you’ve been putting up."

I looked at him. "When the time comes, I’ll be involved. I care about the company, Dad. I also care about having a life outside it, and I don’t think those two things have to conflict."

He stared at me for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Your priorities are completely wrong."

"Maybe you think that now," I said, standing up. "But I’m not abandoning the company. I just needed a few days away with my brothers."

He didn’t look convinced. "And when are you coming back?"

"Soon."

"How soon?" He pressed.

"I don’t have an exact date yet."

His irritation returned immediately. "That’s exactly what I’m talking about. You can’t keep making decisions without thinking about how they affect everyone else."

"I’ve heard you," I said, picking up my phone. "I’ll make sure you know when we’re returning."

He continued talking as I walked toward the door, but I didn’t argue with him. I had already gotten what I came for. I wanted to see whether he looked nervous when I mentioned the trip, whether he would ask too many questions or whether he’d reveal anything that suggested he knew more than he should. Instead, he had mostly focused on my absence and the company, which was beginning to irritate me.

I left his office and made my way back downstairs, but I didn’t go straight home.

Once I was inside my car, I closed the door, started the engine and connected my phone before pulling out of the parking lot. I had placed a small sound recorder inside Dad’s office while I was waiting for him earlier.

I needed to know what he was talking about in my absence. If he was making any useful talk there.

I drove several streets away before stopping in a quiet parking area, then I played the recording.

For the first few minutes, there was only the sound of movement inside the office. Dad spoke to his secretary about a meeting before returning to his desk. Then his voice became clearer. "That boy is becoming a problem," he muttered.

I leaned closer to the phone.

There was a pause before he continued, clearly irritated. "He walks into my office, tells me he’s taking his brothers away and expects me to believe that’s all there is to it. He thinks I don’t notice what they’re doing."

My expression hardened, but I kept listening.

He cursed under his breath before there was the sound of him picking up his phone and dialling a number. "Have someone follow Adrian. He just left the company. I want to know exactly where he’s going and who he’s meeting. Don’t let him notice you, and don’t make contact unless it’s necessary. I want information, nothing more."

I stopped the recording and for several seconds, I simply sat there.

He was having me followed.

I started the car again and pulled back onto the road, but instead of driving directly toward the penthouse, I took a different route first. If someone was following me, I needed to know who it was and whether they were connected to Dad’s usual security team.

I checked the rearview mirror to notice that a dark vehicle was several cars behind me. I changed lanes and they changed lanes too.

Well... Fuck.

Dad wasn’t simply suspicious anymore. He was watching me.