The Billionaires's Temptation (Book 1)

54. Leader on board

Olivia

I took a sip of my coffee for the second time, my palms sweaty. Mr. Nero was seated in front of me calmly. Yet, my heart was far from calm. I know I needed to talk but I had no idea how to start from. His wife had left us to talk. I finally gathered my strength and took a deep breath before focusing my gaze on the man in front of me.

It's now or never Olivia. A voice in my head said.

"Sorry for taking your precious time, father," I commenced, wrapping my palms around the cup as a form of keeping myself in control. The man didn't say anything, but the expression on his face was urging me to say whatever brought me to his room. "I will first of all apologize for what I'm about to tell you," I continued.

The man's gaze remained calm as he stared at me. "I know you are here against your wish. You sacrificed your time to accompany us here. I'm greatly appreciative at the gesture." I stopped to take in a deep breath.

"We required more than the time you'd give. I will be bold with you. The reason why we had organized this trip was so we could revive back the bond that had been lost between you and your sons. I believed that chaining them to work won't get you the respect you needed."

The man's eyes slightly wavered from the calmness. He wasn't expecting my statement. But I didn't back down. I won't stop until I reach my peak. He needed to know how much cuffs he had used in chaining his sons down. "Your sons need freedom. They need to focus on their lives better than worshipping your company. I'm sorry if I used an inappropriate word." I apologized again.

"What are you trying to say?" He asked, dropping his hand down. The expression on his face more serious than ever.

Olivia, you shouldn't let your guard down. Remember you're here to make things right. You're getting there. I mentally assured myself before speaking up again.

"What I'm trying to say is, allow your sons to fly their wings. Be it Scott, Bernard, Logan, Liam, and Collin." I mentioned their names one after the other.

"They are only fulfilling their duties as your sons, not because they really want to. Don't you think you should do the same? They have made your company successful as it is now. I'm sure you're proud of them."

Silence suddenly occupied the room as I stared at the man in front of me waiting for his reaction. His gaze finally shifted from me to the cup of coffee which he hadn't touched. He took a sip of it, placed it back down and locked eyes with me. This time around, it held questions. "So what do you want me to do now? Looks like I have gotten a preacher as a daughter-in-law." My eyes slightly widened. Not at his words, but the rare smile I found on his face which barely lasted more than three seconds.

"Am I safe to say my mind again?" I asked.

"You had already made your intentions clear. Who am I to stop you? I don't think I'd ever get a daughter-in-law who doesn't back down on a topic. You are as stubborn as Logan's mother."

I didn't fail to feel bitterness down my stomach at the mention of Logan's mother. Maybe if Logan hadn't told me anything about his mother, I wouldn't have felt a strange feeling towards the man. But now I know about the past. How he treated her. The respect for him in my eyes has reduced. But I wasn't going to let him know what I harbor towards him.

I managed to force out a smile. "Birds of a feather flock together," I uttered.

"So father, since you know I'm a stubborn person who doesn't back down, why don't we do this?"

"We are planning to explore Costa Rica as much as we can. And for that to happen, we need your full support."

His brows furrowed in question. "What might that support be?"