Percy POV
I could NOT get out of there fast enough.
After my ex-father brushed my shoulders and hugged me on stage, I was bombarded by a bunch of questions from random people. I couldn't even deny Rachel's and my 'union' because Poseidon didn't stop talking.
As soon as his speech ended, I rushed off the stage. People went on a little break while I rushed to get out of the room.
I finally found a restroom and ran into it. Even the restroom belonged to people of the upper class. I turned the water on before staring at myself in the mirror.
Jason followed me into the bathroom.
"Percy, oh my god. Are you okay? That was crazy," he exclaimed. "Since when did you get back with Rachel? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I DIDN'T GET BACK WITH HER," I shouted angrily.
I splashed water on my face and grabbed some paper towels. I dabbed my face with the rough tissues before turning my attention to Jason. He was staring at me silently. While I hate wearing suits, he was born to be professional. His whole personality radiated rules and regulations. He would do anything to please his dad and his company, but that was not me.
"I had no warning about this. I had no clue that this was going to happen tonight," I explained. "They just sprung it on me."
"Do you think that Rachel was in on it?" he asked with concern.
"Rachel knew about it for sure. Gods, she didn't even warn me. I would've never come to this dam party if I knew this was going to happen. I hate him."
"I'm sorry, man. Everything's gonna be fine," Jason comforted.
He came forward and patted my back. I rested my arm on his shoulder. I couldn't believe what just happened. Who does Poseidon think he is? He has no right to fix my relationships. He doesn't even get an input.
Poseidon lost that privilege when he abandoned Tyson, mom, and me.
I looked around the empty bathroom, trying to find a window. I didn't want to go back to the party. Everyone would have questions, but I have no answers. At least, I have no kind answers, and I was afraid that I would blow up on everyone. That certainly wouldn't look good for anyone. Plus, Annabeth would be so disappointed since I came with her.
I wondered what she was thinking. She probably felt betrayed that I didn't tell her. Of course, I don't consider Poseidon my dad, especially after this.
As far as I know, Sally Jackson and Paul Blofis are my parents.
"Bro, what are you going to do now?"
"I'm leaving this stupid party. I can't be around all this. I don't want to marry Rachel, and my hatred for Poseidon and Olympus has only increased," I growled.
"I'm sorry, man. Maybe, this will blow over in a few days."
"HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING, JASON," I snapped. "Don't you get it? He's trying to use me for a business deal, and I don't care for it. I'M LEAVING."
When we stepped out of the restroom, several people around us turned towards me. I hated the attention. Just a few hours go, they didn't even look at me twice. Now, I was the hottest commodity for all of these business people.
I pushed my way through the crowd.
They were asking questions about my position, family, relationship with Dare, and possible business deals. Finally, I ran into Annabeht near our table.
"Percy, we need to talk. Now," Annabeth expressed firmly.
I ignored her gorgeous self. She was beautiful tonight, and I couldn't even enjoy her presence in silence.
My mind was racing as I walked out of the Olympus Airlines lobby. The music and lights drowned behind me as I walked into the open parking lot. I had to call an uber.
"Percy. Percy, wait," Rachel exclaimed from behind me.
"You wanted this, didn't you?" I snapped. I whirled around to face my ex-girlfriend. "Even though we broke up, I thought that you (at least) cared about me."
"Listen to me. I didn't want this. However, in business, I don't have all the control. Trust me, Percy. I tried to stop this, but my dad and your dad wouldn't listen. You know how they are. He wouldn't listen to me."
Rachel pleaded with tears flowing. I could see honesty in her eyes, but I didn't care for it. I was done with everyone tonight.
I gazed up at the stars and moon.
It was a clear night. The stars and moon shone brightly. I could see the beauty of the moon despite the hardships in my life. Golden light emanated from the lobby in the distance, but I concentrated on the moon and stars.
Say Hello to the Stars.
My novel's title meant a lot to me. It was something that my mom said a long time ago. Her words and actions always soothed me. I breathed heavily to calm myself.
Then, I turned my attention back to Rachel and the lobby of Olympus. I wish I had never come here tonight. It was a mistake.
Annabeth was inside the lobby, and she probably hated me right now.
However, she doesn't know the truth. I should've told her about my connection to Olympus before I started working. Now, she was probably getting bombarded with questions about her secretary, who happened to be Poseidon's son.
"Rachel, please go away. I don't want to see you or anyone right now."
"I didn't want this to happen, Percy. I just couldn't stop it. I have no control over the deals of my dad and Poseidon, your father."
"HE'S NOT MY FATHER," I snapped with boiling anger.
Just then, I noticed the uber pulling into the parking lot. I waved him over and got in the car. As we drove away, my insides twisted as my head pounded. I was nervous about tonight, but I never expected something like this.
Now, I felt stuck in a world and a title that I despised.
***
I spent the entire weekend working on revisions for my novel.
I didn't feel like attending to the billions of phone calls that I was receiving from my friends. Most of them don't know about my family history. However, the cat is out of the bag now. I knew that everyone was concerned, but I just couldn't talk about it yet.
I wouldn't know what to say. A part of me hoped that if I waited long enough, the whole situation would pass away. Of course, that's just optimistic thinking. After all, being claimed by a world-renown CEO for business purposes is a big deal.
"Percy, you've been in your bedroom all weekend. Is everything okay? I feel like you're not telling me something," Hestia said softly.
She walked into my bedroom and picked up some dirty laundry. She tossed the clothes in the hamper before coming towards me.
"I'm just working on my book, Hestia."
"My brother called me today." I sighed. "Poseidon said that you won't respond to his calls or messages. Percy, what happened at the business formal."
"It's fine, Hestia. I don't want you or the kids to worry," I expressed.
I continued to edit my novel on my laptop. However, Hestia blocked my screen with her hand. She was serious about having conversations with me. We were going to have a hearth-to-hearth; there's no getting around it.
Hestia took my arm and pulled me out of the bedroom.
We walked into the living room where a batch of fresh cookies was waiting. They were dyed blue j just like I liked them. I grabbed one out of instinct.
"Don't eat all of them. Tyson and Stella will want some too."
"Where are they?"
"Tyson is at a friend's house. I figured that he would like to have some social time to get his mind off of cancer and treatment. Estelle is at a playgroup," Hestia explained.
We were sitting on the couch. Hestia was waiting for me to share all the troubles of my life. Over the weekend, I finished a lot of my book's revisions. The work distracted me from my problems. However, now that she's confronting me about it, I have nowhere to hide.
"Did Poseidon tell you what he did?" I asked quietly.
Hestia shook her head. Of course, Poseidon wouldn't admit to their faults. I wondered if this is a common businessman quality.
Annabeth also doesn't like admitting her faults. However, Annabeth is justified in her pride. She is intelligent and beautiful. 99% of the time, she's correct. As such, Annabeth's pride and power are endearing rather than infuriating.
"He made me a pawn in a business deal," I said in frustration. I didn't know any better way to say it. This was the utter truth.
I bit into another blue cookie before starting to explain everything. I told Hestia about Poseidon's announcement. I told her that it caught me completely off guard. I was not given any warning, and that made me even angrier.
"Poseidon doesn't care about us, Aunt Hestia. However, when he needs something, he's willing to suddenly acknowledge me?" I retorted. "I hate that."
"I hate it too. Now, you're understanding why I left that family for this one. You kids are so pure, and you were raised so right by your mother and Paul," Hestia paused. Tears bristled her eyes. "My family's hearth doesn't have the same warmth."
We sat in silence as her words settled.
"What are you going to do, Percy?" she asked finally.
"Tomorrow, I'm going back to work. It's Monday, so Annabeth will be expecting me. I'll explain everything to her and beg her not to fire me."
"Poseidon said that he'll help with the finances," Hestia acknowledged.
"I don't care, Hestia. I don't want his help now after everything he did. My father showed his true colors yet again. I'm going to tell Rachel that marrying her is NOT an option. I'm going to ignore my father and keep moving forward with my life."
"We don't need him," Hestia affirmed with a nod. However, based on her facial expressions, it was obvious that it wouldn't be this easy.
Everything I just mentioned was easier said than done.
"I just hope that Annabeth isn't angry with me," I said softly.
My mind kept thinking about her throughout the entire weekend. I wanted to tell her everything, but I was also scared about her reaction.
I thought about the moment that almost led to a kiss. Annabeth and I both knew that it was a bad idea, so we stopped it. However, I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if we hadn't stopped. I wondered what life would be like with her by my side.
I shook my head before smiling weakly at Hestia.
"Thanks for the cookies, Hestia. They're delicious," I said.
After eating a few more and conversing with Hestia, I went back to my bedroom. I only had one more chapter of revisions to make. Then, I can resubmit my manuscript to the Hunters. They'd probably do another round of editing before it's ready for publication.
However, I couldn't wait for my book to be published.
I was fixing the grammar in the last paragraph of my book when my phone buzzed suddenly. I practically jumped before checking the caller ID.
"Hello, Ms. Artemis. I know that you're waiting for the revisions. They will be done tonight. I can come to the Hunters tomorrow," I explained quickly.
"Percy, wait... that won't be necessary," Artemis said boldly.
I paused. I thought that the editors and I would have a meeting about the novel. We had scheduled it already.
My gaze lingered on my laptop. The last sentence of my book, Say Hello to the Stars, repeated in my brain. I shook my head before speaking up again.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
My heart was starting to weigh heavily. The dam was ready to explode.
"Perseus Jackson, you don't need to come to the Hunters tomorrow because we will no longer publish your novel. I'm sorry," Artemis conveyed regretfully.