POV: Raphael
So I met Austin Kendall, sitting on the floor and rummaging through some papers like a lunatic. He looked up with a mix of confusion and fury, I could tell that something’s terribly wrong and that is why I did not respond to him
“What have you done, Raphael Hawkins?
You ruined my family, why the hell did you steal the documents and sell the properties meant for Claire, Victoria and I?
You thought I would not give them their share of the goods, what have you done?
I told you it was mine!
I told you to stay the hell away from my family, but you chose to meddle in things that you do not understand.” He lets out furiously, throwing me off balance and confusing me.
“I didn’t take anything, goddammit!
What the hell are you talking about, what is wrong with you, have you gone mad?” I asked him angrily dragging him from the floor and throwing him up against the wall, holding him by the neck and forcing him to stay still and look right back at me. He tried to struggle and break free, but I held him tighter, almost cutting off his air supply and making him gasp for breath.
“I don’t know what games you think you are playing with me, but I came here to ask you why you sold the fucking company and you are going to answer for it!” I shot back, my frustration growing as we exchanged accusations and glared at each other furiously.
“Get away from me, you meddle!
You won’t get away with this, I promise you. I will make you pay, Raphael, you have no idea what I’m capable of!” he threatened me furiously.
“You have no right to threaten me, asshole!
As a matter of fact, I think it’s high time to start owning up to all your crimes and correcting your past mistakes. You bad one job, Austin, one job!
Take care of the company and hand it over to Victoria on her twenty fifth birthday. That was the deal you had with Eloise, that was the kicking deal!
She is trying so hard to make up for destroying their lives and lying to them for year’s. If you had any conscience, you would have followed through with her plans because that is the right thing to do after hurting the girls all their lives. But you chose to let your wife and daughter control you. You chose to be greedy and wicked to the girls that called you father all their lives.
I thought you were just stealing from the company and laundering money behind the scenes. I had no idea that you were planning to sell the company and elope with your family, if I did I would have stopped you sooner, I would never have allowed you to sell it. Why couldn’t you just give them their inheritance, it didn’t belong to you Austin, it’s not your to sell!” I yelled in his face, glaring daggers at him and pushing him away roughly.
“Let me make this clear, Austin Kendall…” I told him, taking a dramatic pause.
“If you have been getting away with all your past crimes, I want you to know that you won’t bet away with this one. I need you to return every dime you borrowed from the bank and get back that company, I need you to return the money you took and take back the houses and other properties.
I want to where you moved all the money because I checked already and all your accounts and the company’s accounts are empty. So tell me where you moved all the money and hand over the documents you signed to seal the fucking deals and complete the sales of the properties.
I’m going to get back everything you stole from the girls, Austin. And if I can’t get it back, I’m taking all the fucking money to set up a trust fund for the girls. You are not getting a dime out of it, that is a fucking promise!” I told him angrily, ordering my boys to search for the documents he signed to sell off the company.
While they searched for it, I felt Austin’s stern gaze on me and it made me even pissed because he is looking more confused by the second. His eyes were fixed on me, but it seems like he is deep in thought or something. I looked at him and wondered if I am dealing with a mad man, like, what the hell is wrong with this dude?
I felt so angry to stand next to him and feel the heat of his gaze, so I just paced the room to cool off, trying so hard to control my anger and wait patiently for the guys searching for the document for me. But Austin Kendall will not let me deal with my anger in peace, it seems like he is hell bent on pushing my buttons and infuriating the shit out me,
“Are you saying you had nothing to do with the sale of my company and my assets, are you saying that you didn’t do it?” he asked out of the blue, making me groan in anger and frustration.
“Like seriously?!
Are you fucking kidding . e right now?!” I yelled in his face, glaring daggers at him.
“Are you fucking hard on hearing or what?
I said I need the fucking documents!
Get the documents out and stop playing mind games with me because I am not in the mood for your shenanigans. I need the business documents and the fucking bank documents too.” I yelled at him. But he didn’t flinch this time, he came forward and stood in front of me, glaring back at me,
“For once listen to me, Raphael!” he yelled at me, shutting me up with the urgency in his tone.
“I didn’t do this, I didn’t sell the company and the estates and other assets we have. Hell, I was even keeping the company for Cindy and your brother. Even if I don’t care about Victoria and Claire, what about Cindy?
Do you think I will intentionally hurt my daughter and destroy her future?” he asked me, sounding hurt and betrayed. I looked at him and I saw the same confusion in his eyes that I had on mine. He was making sense with every word he said, but I just don’t trust him enough to listen to him, I refused to let my guard down for even one second.
Austin could tell that I don’t rust him, he paced the room for a few seconds, his hand going through his hair a couple of times as he paced in confusion and frustration. I saw his eyes lighten up as a thought struck him all of a sudden.
He suddenly ran towards the pile of papers that he was holding when I walked in on him. He pulled out a brown envelope and thrust a stack of papers at me, insisting they were proof he hadn’t sold anything to anyone.
“These are the documents to the company and some of the houses we possess. I was looking for a few more documents before I could file a formal complaint in court. But take a look at these files first, they are the documents of the company. How on earth will I sell the company without the documents!” he asked me angrily, throwing his hand in the air in confusion.
I looked at him suspiciously, but I took the papers anyways and I looked through them. But as I scanned the documents, my heart broke into a million pieces. It’s either Austin and Vera are just a bunch of dummies or something is not right with their relationship and one person is trying to play a fast one on the other person.
These are not the real documents to anything, they were forgeries. The realization hit him so hard that I couldn’t think straight for a good few minutes. If he didn’tdo it and I didn’t don’t, then who did?
“Are these the documents you got from Eloise Kendall?
I mean, do you think someone switched your documents and left these trash with you?” I asked him, handing the documents to him. He grabbed back the papers from me and he looked as it and liked at me as in I was talking gibberish.
“What the hell are you talking about, I got these from my exwife Eloise. She never wanted to let it go, but I bullied and threatened her until she had no choice but to give them to me!” he told me firmly as he went through the documents to confirm they are the documents he got from her.
“Look right here, this is the contract we both signed to transfer ownership of the company to Victoria when she is twenty five years old. This here is her signature and this is mine. I haven’t let these documents out of my sight since we separated.
That company and all the other assets have been in my care since I married her, I don’t think anyone would dare to switch my documents to forgeries, not even Vera!” he affirmed sternly.