Love & Business: Part III

Confrontation

Sophia's POV

"Hold on!" I yelled at the person ringing the doorbell.

When I opened it, it was Hunter. Today was his day with Blaze.

"Come in," I said as I moved to make way for him.

He eyed me down as he walked past me to come to the house.

When I closed the door and turned to walk past him, he grabbed me, from behind, by the waist. He started trailing kisses up my neck.

"What if Blaze sees?" I asked, trying to contain my excitement.

"What if he sees?" He asked back in a nonchalant tone.

I pulled my hands from my waist and gave us some space. "Mommy and daddy aren't supposed to be kissing. I don't want to confuse him any more than he already is."

He shrugged. "Fair enough. Where is that rascal anyway?"

"Nap time. He should be awake anytime now."

He nodded before going to the couch to wait. I sat down next to him and he held my hand.

I turned to him. "What are we?"

"Can't we just be enemies with benefits?"

I rolled my eyes before turning forward.

He sighed. "Let's make a deal. If my stocks are higher than yours this month, we'll remain as enemies with benefits."

I looked at him. "And if mine are higher?"

"Damn it, Sophia, why do you have to be like that?" He groaned before answering back. "If yours are higher, we don't have to be enemies."

I smiled. "I am willing to participate in this deal."

The doorbell rang.

"Why did I get myself involved with a businesswoman?"

"I don't know but it looks like you don't want out," I said before kissing him and then walking off to answer the door.

When I opened the door, I saw my dad standing at the door with a cold demeanor.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

"Is Hunter here?"

"Um, yeah? What do you want with Hunter?"

He ignored and turned around before motioning to someone in a tinted, black SUV. After he finished his signal, he pushed his way inside and headed to where Hunter was sitting.

"Dad, what's going on?" I shouted as I followed him.

He hit Hunter's legs with his walking stick. "Get up. We need to talk."

Hunter stood up with a concerned look on his face. "Mr. Bass, is everything alright?"

"No, everything is not alright!"

A voice I'd never thought I'd hear again shouted from afar.

I watched Hunter's fist roll up into a ball and his face reddened. "Didn't I tell you never to show your face to me again, old man?"

Mr. Lodge laughed. "As a young boy, you'd always obey my every command. You eventually grew up and took over my company and the business is thriving more than ever. It's such a shame that you treat your father, who you should be thanking like this."

"Mr. Bass, with all due respect sir, why the hell would you bring that man here?"

"I brought him to talk some sense into you, that's what I did."

"Dad!" I shouted.

"Stay out of this, Sophia!"

"You are such an ignorant child," Mr. Lodge said to me. "I told you one day my son will just get up and decide to break your heart. I played both mother and father to him as I child so I know how my son is. He plays with things and then when he gets bored, he gets rid of them."

I stayed quiet. What if this was true? Hunter wasn't objecting to any of it.

Hunter started to walk up to him but Mr. Lodge raised his hand. "Are you really going to use your old man as a punching bag again because he told the truth?"

"Leave or I'll leave," Hunter replied.

"Hunter, what were you thinking? What if this goes public? Stocks will plummet!" dad shouted.

"They won't; I have it handled," Hunter said as he rubbed his temple.

"And what about my grandson? He needs to grow up in a stable home!"

"Mommy?" I heard Blaze call from the top of the stairs. We all stopped talking to watch him.

"Go back to sleep, baby."

He shook his head before running downstairs and tugging on my leg.

Mr. Lodge started to look at him. "The boy has gotten big. He looks like Hunter when he was around his age."

"Yes, he's a good kid," dad added.

"Why don't you two have another one quickly so I can be a grandfather to it from the start?"

I bit down on my tongue hard as he dared to ask us to have another child for his own gain.

"Yes, Blaze cannot run this big company on his own. He needs a family to help," dad suggested.

"Not exactly, they can have an arranged marriage for him as we had for them. I will start looking for prospective wives from now."

I couldn't take him anymore, I slapped him.

"You're a sick man!" I shouted before picking up Blaze and carrying him to his room.

I could hear the three of them start arguing downstairs when I left.

"Mommy, I'm scared," Blaze whispered.

I hugged him. "Don't worry, it'll all be over soon, baby."

"Who was that scary man with grandpa?"

"Well, that's your dad's dad."

"So my grandpa?"

"Well, technically but he doesn't act like a real grandpa. Daddy doesn't like him."

"Why not?"

"That's a long story and if I tell you now, we won't finish till five years from now."

The arguing stopped and the place went quiet. I put on a show for Blaze and turned up the volume before going back downstairs.

When I reached where they were, Hunter was furious. He was breathing really heavily and looked like he was ready to kill.

Both dads stood watching him. Mr. Lodge looked pleased while dad looked a little scared.

"What's going on?"

Hunter snapped his head up when he heard my voice. He marched up to me.

"God dammit Sophia, we were doing so good. Why'd you have to mess things up!?" He shouted.

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Did you call my dad to come and talk to me?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Don't lie child," Mr. Lodge said holding in a laugh.

"Hunter, they're lying. I wouldn't."

I saw my dad putting his finger on his lip, telling me not to say anything further.

He looked me in the eyes, searching for the truth. I'm not sure if he found it or not because he turned away and walked out.

As soon as he walked out, I went to our father's.

"What is wrong with the two of you?"

"We are trying to help, Pumpkin," dad said. "Maybe if Hunter realizes how far you'll go, he'll want you back."

"I want the both of you out."

"Pumpkin-"

"Now!"

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