He takes a deep breath, controlling his anger for his daughter. “Claud, please sit over there for a moment.” He points to the table in the furthest corner.
“But, Daddy?—”
“No, buts! Do as you’re asked.” She looks at him briefly, then her bottom lip quivers. Harrison doesn’t miss it, either. He crouches down on one knee and takes her into a tight embrace. “Everything’s okay, angel. Please go take a seat, and I’ll be right there.” She nods, mollified, and runs off.
His attention is back on me in a millisecond, and neither of us says a word until his eerie voice splits the silence. “You need to explain how you know my daughter right now and do not lie.”
I shudder inwardly at his cold demeanor, fear knotting my stomach.
What is he implying?
“Juliette!” he demands, snapping me out of my trance.
“This is our bakery,” I spit out on a shaking breath. “The one I told you about, she’s been coming here for ages with her nanny.”
He steps toward me, and for the first time in his presence, my body is screaming at me to step back, only he’s too quick, standing so close I can feel his hot breath as he speaks.
“Look me in the eyes,” he murmurs through a clenched jaw.
Something in his voice has me obeying his command, and my eyes snap to his furious ones.
“Why are you acting like this?” My voice trembles with hurt and confusion. His formidable appearance falters, but he shakes his head and yields his mask just as quickly.
“You’re telling me you had no idea Claudina was my daughter, and this was a complete coincidence? You happened to run into me not once, not twice, but three times within weeks of each other, and now my daughter is acting like she’s your best friend?”
I’m so taken aback by this whole situation; my brain is slow to comprehend his words today.
Is he trying to say…
“Are you insinuating that I planned this? Who do you take me as? What type of person do you think I am?” I feel the back of my eyes fill with tears, mostly out of frustration but also hurt that someone I thought I had a connection with would think I was conniving and manipulative.
Harrison shakes his head, and I can tell he’s just as confused as I am.
He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out, so he spins on his heels, grabbing Claud to leave, then pauses on the door’s threshold, turning back to glare at me.
“I don’t know who you are or what you’re playing at, Juliette. I will only say this only once—stay away from my daughter.”
His harsh words knock the air right out of my lungs, and I stand there staring at the now-empty doorway in complete shock.
7
Juliette
“I’m sorry,Ms. Caldwell. I wish there was something we could do. This is business, not personal.” Larry from the building management company says, looking me square in the eye.
I direct my glare up to the ceiling instead of at the man in front of me, who’s breaking my spirit left and right.
After going over the bakery finances and the rent increase, there is no way we will be able to stay afloat for long. We will likely have to make some hard decisions in the near future, even though I promised Mom I would figure this out.
The worst part is that if we need to give up the bakery, it will be rubbed in our faces daily since we live above the space. I can’t imagine Mom ever wanting to move.
Or at least, I hope not.
Eventually, I’ll need to find my own place again, but Mom should stay, mainly because that’s our family home. I grew up in that apartment, and Mom and Dad lived their whole lives there.
There are too many memories to leave behind.
Luckily we’re rent-controlled; legally, they can’t raise it above a specific price, so it gives me peace of mind that I’ll never have to worry about her living situation.
