3 weeks later…
"Please Adrianna..just forgive Jace. If this continue, it is not good for our company" that was what her dad said right after she walked into the reataurant.
It has been 3 weeks since Jace's scandal broke out and it was still the most popular topic being discussed online and even all around them. Her Dad requested to meet Adrianna right after the scandal broke out but she was busy with her show.
Last week, she flew to Maldives for a photoshoot and stayed there for about 10 days, working and vacationing, two in one. Then she flew to Paris for a show and a photoshoot. She just came back yesterday and today, she has another photo shoot. Knowing her busy schedules, James had no choice but to go and meet her personally.
He went to a restaurant near to the location of her shooting and Adrianna finally had no choice but to meet her dad during her break. The restaurant was kind of empty too and they chose to seat at a corner where it was kind of hidden. Well with the current situation and Adrianna's status as a supermodel, they would attract attention if they were in public.
Adrianna sighed as she took off the shade that she wore. "Are you even my dad?" she asked him.
James was taken aback by Adrianna's question. "Of course I am, Adrianna I believe Jace went astray just for a moment, you knew how men was. Talk properly to him and everything would be alright" he was still persuading her to forgive Jace.
Adrianna hold onto her head. "Wow, I can't believe this! I thought my dad would support me after what he has done to me but now you are asking me to forgive and forget. What do you think of me? A fool? Just because I'm a woman, I'm supposed to forgive him and accept him back?"
Adrianna stood up from her seat and James hold onto her arm. His eyes is pleading for her to go back to her seat. Adrianna's face was contorted with hurt but she's finally seated back to her seat but her posture was rigid as if she's ready to fly the scene at any moment.
"Please…for me? I-I am sorry for hurting you but this is for your own good. "James was still trying to persuade his daughter.
Adrianna looked inside her father's eyes before she spoke. "Dad, did you know that I caught them themselves?" she finally dropped the bomb.
"Them?" James was shocked. "You caught them? So it wasn't because of the article?" he asked. He thought Adrianna found out about Jace's scandal from the internet.
Adrianna laughed as she took out her phone from her purse. "Do you want to know who the person that he was cheating with?" she asked again.
"His secretary?" her Dad asked her back. He got the information that the HR fired Jace's Secretary right after the scandal emerged and he believed it was really her.
Adrianna said nothing but her hand was quick pressing and swiping something on her phone before James looked inside his pocket when he heard his phone beeping.
Within a moment, a voice of a woman and man can be heard from the video accompanied with a sight that was enough to make him almost threw up. He quickly stopped the video and clenched onto his phone tightly. Nancy! It was his step daughter and Jace slept with her and Adrianna caught them.
"Adrianna…I am sorry..I.."
Adrianna smiled as she wiped away her tears from the corner of her eyes. She didn't want to cry but talking to her dad is making her a bit emotional.
"You know Dad, I always did what you wanted me to do without fail, you enrolled me to study MBA and I did so. I even graduated with flying colors and top of my class though it was just me fulfilling your condition in order to pursue my dream of getting my engineering degree. Later, you asked me to get engaged with Jace, I don't even know him but I followed your wish, then for the sake of Jace, you asked me to decline Victoria Secret's offer and I did so without complaining. You married Olivia two years after mom died, I said nothing…
Then, you brought Nancy home and treated her as your precious daughter and I thought maybe you wanted to show her the fatherly love and let her being your daughter until you…"Adrianna choked on her words before she continued.
"…until you forgot that you have another daughter and you even forgot my birthday not once but many times but you never forgot Nancy's, you brought her everything, gave her everything and I was okay since I treated her as my sister. But did you know that deep down inside my heart, I long for your love too. You have changed since Olivia and Nancy came into your life. But now, your 'precious daughter' slept with my fiancée and you asked me to close my eyes and forgive them as if it wasn't happened. What do you want actually? What do you want from me? Did you even love me? Was it because of the company that grandpa left for me? I'll give them to you! I don't want them. But please, let me live my own life. This matter is about my future, not because I am the heir of Winters Corporation"
Adrianna spoke her mind as she stared at James face. James chest was hurt after listening to his daughter confession. True. It was all his fault. He never realized that his eagerness to show fatherly love towards Nancy cost him his relationship with his biological daughter.
James' hand moved to touch Adrianna's hand but she pulled her hands away. She smiled bitterly. "I am sorry for doing this but please respect my decision, I am not going to forgive them. Ever!" Adrianna took her purse and she stood up and started walking away.
"Adrianna dear…"James tried to stop her but even if he did, what would he want to say. So he just let her go.
He saw Adrianna left her phone on the table, he was about to use the excuse of giving back her phone and talk to her again later when he saw Adrianna's assistant get into the restaurant and walked towards him.
"Alicia…" James nodded her head.
"Hello Uncle James…ermm I came to retrieve Adrianna's phone…"
"Alicia…was it true? Adrianna caught Jace with Nancy?" he asked Alicia for another confirmation. It wasn't because he didn't trust Adrianna but he just wanted another confirmation.
Alicia nodded "I was there too, I saw the three of them inside Jace's room and I saw Nancy was covered in blanket so...I guess, Adrianna really caught them in the act."
"How did this happened?" he asked Alicia.
Alicia sat down and started telling the whole story that Adrianna never mentioned to her dad.
James became guiltier after knowing that Adrianna fainted after she donated her blood. She was afraid of needle since she was small but she did so because she thought it was Jace but turned out Jace was cheating on her with Nancy. Did she loved Jace? Oh my baby! I am so sorry.
"Is Adrianna in love with Jace?" he asked for confirmation.
Alicia sighed. "As far as I know, no she wasn't. You knew that Adrianna has a heart of a gold. She was willing to sacrifice herself for someone else's benefit. She did all of this many times but it was a shame that nobody realized that and I am sorry uncle for saying this, your whole family don't deserve someone like Adrianna.."
James felt like his heart was crushed to pieces listening to Alicia's words.
"Can I have Adrianna's phone back?" Alicia requested and finally James returned the phone to Alicia and saw her walked away and out of the restaurant.