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“Enough of that now,” he teased. “If I had known you two were making out here, I wouldn’t have bothered to look for you.”
His mother’s eyes opened wide. “Why were you looking for us?”
“To give you your anniversary gift, of course,” Dereck said, reaching into his pocket for an envelope. His mother quickly grabbed it and eagerly tore the envelope open.
“Oh no,” she exclaimed after reading the cover of the pamphlet. “We can’t possibly leave for this long.”
“Why not?” Dereck asked.
“What about our business?” She raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow.
“Your business would be taken care of,” Dereck said, and based on his mother’s reaction, he knew she misunderstood him. Her eyes widened, and she clapped her hands together while bouncing on the spot. Her smile broadened and even her skin seemed brighter.
“I’m so glad you’ll be coming back to run the company,” Dereck’s mother exclaimed as his father added, “Me too, son. Wise decision.”
Dereck raised his hand in front of him. “You misunderstand. I’m not coming back.” Then he placed his hand in his pockets. “Dina would take care of the company while you’re on the cruise.”
“Dina,” his parents exclaimed at the same time, glancing at each other.
“Dina is fully capable of handling day-to-day duties, son, but she can’t manage the business for six months,” his father said.
Dereck crunched his forehead. “Why not? She’s been managing mostly everything by herself, including the new restaurant in New York. I think she’s more than capable.” He blew out hard. “You guys underestimate her.”
“This is ridiculous,” Dereck’s father’s voice was raised. “This company is your inheritance. Why do you constantly reject it?” He was displaying his dominance now with his chest pushed out and his shoulders broad.
“Because it is not the path I want to follow. I never have.” Dereck walked around the chair between them. “I’m a doctor and that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life, treating the sick. The business has always been Dina’s passion. Give her the chance to prove to you she can do this.”
“No,” his father spoke firmly. “I do not accept this.”
“You can’t force me to take over the company,” Dereck watched his father with fixed eyes. “I am not a child anymore.”
“Throwing a fit like this, you are certainly acting like one.” His mother gripped his father’s arm to help him calm down. The elder man took a few deep breaths, then patted his wife’s hand as it hooked through his elbow. “This is not the time and place to discuss this. We will finish this later.”
Dereck sighed and turned to leave as his father spoke for the last time. “Let me tell you this now, son. Your mother and I are only taking this trip if you would be managing the company at that time. No negotiations.”
Saying nothing, Dereck walked out of the room. It was hopeless to argue, and the outcome was always the same. They have been having that discussion since he decided to go to medical school and he believed they were far from reaching an agreement. His parents would keep pressuring him to accept the company and he would keep rejecting it. As he left the room then, he heard the light murmurs of his mother asking his father what the stops were on the cruise.
Dereck shook his head and turned in the direction of the incoming crowd when he came face to face with his sister.
“How much of it did you hear?” He eyed Dina cautiously.
“Everything,” she replied, lowering her head as her fingers folded into a fist.
“Don’t worry,” Dereck said, wrapping a hand around his sister’s shoulders. “I will never give in.” He guided her in the direction of the soft classical music. “You know me. When I make a decision, I never go back on it.”
* * *
Alina
Dereck’s parent’smansion reminded Taylor and Alina so much of the winery they visited for the wine-tasting party. It was the same elegant scene with the same style of interior decoration. The women made more than enough money to afford certain privileges, but the mansion was on a different level altogether.
As they walked through the main entryway, a sense of bewilderment engulfed them. They were greeted by two workers, one on either side of the doorway, who bowed as the women entered.
They had only walked a few steps, leading them to the bottom of the dual-arched stairway when they were greeted by another server.
“Right this way, ladies,” the older man said, and the women followed in the direction he pointed. That led to the main hall, which was larger than both their apartments combined. Starstruck, they eyed the room lined with tables on both sides, the middle bare as if intentionally empty for dancing. At the very end of the room were two chairs and a table, and the women guessed it was for the celebratory couple.
The tables were covered with a white tablecloth and set with premium dinnerware. Every table held an extravagant bouquet and a few lit candles. The chandelier in the middle of the room was a burst of crystals glistening as the light hit the balls.
