Lethal Obsession

10.

„If you dance with a devil then you haven't got a clue, for you think you'll change the devil, but the devil changes you."

„Heads you lose, tails he wins." – Claudia Moscovici

Chapter 10

Seeing Paul in my house was shocking, to say the least. Usually, I was familiar with my father's business partners, however, I had never heard of him. I knew that we attended the same university, we shared a couple of classes, but nothing more. I had been surprised when he had approached me a few days ago, but I was starting to realize what was the reason for his actions.

I scanned the whole room. My father was seated at the head of the table and it looked like he was in deep conversation with Paul's dad who sat on his left. Paul was next to him and my mother and me in front of the father-son duo. I noticed that she tried way too hard to join in the conversation, but she failed miserably. Paul didn't take his eyes off me the whole night, additionally trying to get me to talk to him, however, I was overly suspicious to do so. This was too much of a coincidence, and my father wasn't one to operate with those.

"Well, dear Tara, I heard that you go to the same university as my son." Paul's father spoke to me when we finally finished dinner and moved to the salon to continue with our night.

"Yes, we share some classes," I answered with caution and he nodded his head, clearly pleased with my response.

"I shall admit that I heard a lot about you, my son just can't stop talking about you," I frowned. Why would he do that? We were basically strangers.

"Only good things, I hope," I gave him the fakest smile I could manage and I was pretty sure that everyone in the room was aware of that.

"Of course," he countered the same way.

For a brief moment we were surrounded by a deafening silence, however, my father put an end to it. He coughed and started speaking with his deep voice.

"Tara, since we are done with pleasantries, It's time to get down to business," he looked at me with a serious expression. I furrowed my eyebrows confused as to what I had to do with all that.

"What business?"

"Remember our agreement from earlier today?" He was obviously provoking me to say something I would regret. I was smarter than that.

"Yes, why?"

"Paul will also finish his studies here, so Adam and I decided that the best thing would be for you two to volunteer together on our project," he stated in a triumphant tone. I looked at Paul with a shocked expression but he had already had a satisfied smile plastered on his face. At that moment everything made sense. The reason why I had to move back, to immediately start working at the company, everything came to this. You didn't have to be a genius to understand what they planned.

Is it possible that someone does these things in the twenty-first century?

"So, this was all planned by you two?" I knew I was stepping into dangerous territory. Dealing with such stern businessmen wasn't something I should take lightly, however, I was adamant to get to the bottom of this.

"You could say so, yes," Adam, Paul's father, answered me in the same way. I found it rather amusing how people were able to act totally opposite of the way they really felt.

"And may I ask why?"

"Well, you see, since you are the heiress to your father's company and Paul is mine heir, I think that that was the only logical solution seeing as we will cooperate much more intimately in the future," he emphasized the word in a way that made me sick. I was angry with myself because I didn't have enough courage to confront my father. I wondered if I would be obligated to do what they said in the end if I would ever be brave enough to refuse my father's orders.