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The source of their conflict was the company’s succession plan. His father had decided to step down as CEO, and Liam would have to fill his enormous shoes as soon as Monday
He was passionate about motorsport, so he didn’t want to give it up and instead became the CEO of his father’s company
Imitated at being summoned, Liam stepped out of the shower and dried himself, noticing for the first Hme a hickey on his neck as he towelled off in front of the mirror.
- 100.
He was angered anew by Eden’s boldness. As if leaving him wasn’t bad enough, she had to brand him
As Liam cruised through the quiet, jacaranda tree–lined streets of Glen Eagles, an affluent suburb north of Rock Castle, it wasn’t the meeting with his father that occupied his thoughts. He was still fuming over Eden, bewildered that she had the nerve to leave him.
He stopped outside the massive, black iron–wrought gate in front of a sprawling mansion on the cul de sac, rolled down his window, and jabbed at the intercom irritably.
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently to the beat of the fast–paced dance tune shaking the metal walls of his Ferrari as he waited for one of several housekeepers and butlers to buzz him
- in.
The Lamborghini he drove last night was at the garage. He vaguely remembered Steven, his driver, mentioning something about it needing maintenance before he left.
Within seconds, the gate squeaked inward, and Liam eased into a circular driveway surrounded by manicured lawns and immaculate gardens Richard stood tall and proud in his butler’s uniform as he waited at the front door to welcome him home.
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Liam entered his father’s study to find him standing by the window, with his mother accompere hini, looking absent–minded.
Staring at his father, some good memories formed in his mind His father, Clarke, was always busy Liam and his sisters never resented him, though. When Clarke was present, he was the best father in the world, and when he wasn’t, he spoiled them rotten with insane gifts flown from all over the world to make up for his absence.
At twenty–eight, his father had lots of success in his career. Still, his constant scandals playing out in the tabloids overshadowed all his achievements, and he suspected this was the real reason for Senic speeding up his succession plan.
“Thank you for gracing me with your presence, Son,” Clarke’s wry drawl pulled Liam out of his thoughts
Undoubtedly, his father had invited him to discuss taking over as CEO soon, but he wasn’t ready yet, he couldn’t give up his own career.
“You said you would give me time. I’m not ready,”
Clarke was tired of Liam’s philandering ways and life of debauchery; he was continually disappointed with all the scandals he had to read about his son weekly.
“For once, can you make me proud and earn yourself a cover of Business Insider? Is it so difficult?
“For once, can you be proud of my achievements, I just had my seventh tournament win. I was on the cover of Motor Mag; doesn’t that count for something?”
“This is happening. All the paperwork has been processed, and the board has agreed. Your first appointment is at 6:00 a.m. Mrs. Gibson will call you with the details!” Clarke’s words were final, noting Liam said would change his mind.
Defeated, Liam stood up, grabbed his car keys and wallet on the table, and stalked to the door. Then he
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said something that he would regret for the rest of his life. “You’re so heartless. I hate you, and I will never forgive you for this.”
Liam was so angry that he drove the car so fast on the race track. He didn’t pick up the phone until his sister had called him multiple times.
“It’s Dad,” she bawled on her end. “You have to come to the hospital!”
Liam started to panic and made a U–turn, ignoring the huge warning sign forbidding him from making a turn there. He skipped every red traffic light and ignored the millions of car horns blaring at him.
His eyes were firmly on the road ahead, but his mind was back in his father’s study, replaying their heated exchange and the last words he said to him.
In the ten minutes it took him to get to the hospital, he prayed harder and more times than he’d ever done in his life. He made silent promises and bargained with everything he had. He’d give it all up–his dreams, racing, the tournaments–if it meant having just one more hour with his father.
He rushed to the hospital as the car was parked when he pulled up in the visitor’s parking lot.
They were both dishevelled, their faces splotchy with tears and snot, and their eyes red and hollow with fear.
“What happened? Where’s Mom and Dad?” He asked as he released them from his embrace, and they headed to the elevators to take them to the VIP wing.
“Dad’s very sick, Liam,” his sister Willow said in a tearful voice.
“That can’t be.” Liam shook his head, refusing to accept something was wrong with Clarke. “There has to be a mistake. “I saw him today. He was fine!”
“He was pretending. In reality, he had been dealing with colon cancer for a while. He only has six months to live,” his sister said in despair.
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“He should have told me sooner!” Liam raged as they stepped inside the elevator. “I wouldn’t have fought him so hard. How bad is it?”
“Enough to require immediate surgery to remove part of his colon,” Holly said.
Liam stared at his sisters with an incredulous look in his eyes. They both seemed to know so much about their father’s condition.
“Why don’t you tell me sooner?! Am I the only one who didn’t know?” Liam raged.
“We wanted to tell you, but Dad made us promise not to. He didn’t want you to worry.
He knew you were training hard for the tournament and he didn’t want to take your focus away from the competition.” Willow murmured as she rubbed her swollen eyes.
Liam was in agony, thinking,Dad pushed me to take over his role because his health couldn’t handle running the company anymore. He’s always been quietly supportive of my career, but I said hurtful things, accusing him of being heartless and even saying I hated him!!1 Could my words have caused his illness and hospitalization? “Liam was filled with regret and even feel like he could never forgive himself.
Afterwards, Liam finally saw his father, who lay weak and unconscious in bed. In that moment, he realized his father wasn’t the invincible hero of his childhood anymore–he was aging too. Now, as his son, it was his turn to care for him.
“Dad, I’ll get you better, and I’ll take care of your company,” Liam whispered softly.
Then my father’s doctor came.
“What’s the prognosis?” He asked Dr. Smith, the lead oncologist.
“Right now, we’re not entirely sure, but the five–year survival rate is around 90%. We’ll keep supporting him as well.”
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Liam had barely sat down in the only other empty seat in the room next to the bed when Mrs. Gibson and her impressive troop of assistants showed up, and life as Liam knew it was over.
From that moment on, with little preparation and no guidance, he stepped into the CEO role he’d fought so hard to reject.
For the next few days, he was busy with managing the company and his father’s treatment, leaving him no time to think about the woman who had a one–night stand with him and then abandoned him.
But whenever he had a free moment, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find her–it was as if she had vanished,
