Once Upon A Time(65)
“A false sense of happiness.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Although my parents had no money, they were happy and still are. We lived without luxuries to make sure we had food on the table every night. Money doesn't buy happiness, as the saying goes; merely a false sense of happiness, which only brings misery.”
I averted my gaze as I realized I’d admitted far more than I wanted to.
“Not everyone is unhappy if they’re fortunate enough to have money, Payton.”
I kept my gaze trained on the floor as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. My gaze shifted to the space in which we’d arrived and I was floored. Gasping out loud, my gaze moved about the room. Stepping out from the elevator, I walked into a large space filled with dark furnishings and dark wood flooring. I swore the room was big enough to fit my parents' house twenty times over.
“Holy shit,” I whispered, taking everything in.
Stepping into the living room, I quickly noticed there weren't any pictures anywhere. No pictures of his family, no friends or not even a damn pet. Much like his office. Nothing. It was becoming infuriating just how closed off he was about his past and his family. I could never get a straight answer out of him, but maybe this time he might be different.
“Take a seat,” he growled from behind me. It sounded like an order, but then again a suggestion. I sat down without question.
The large black leather corner sofa sat opposite an exposed fireplace below the biggest flat screen TV I’d ever seen. Behind me, I could hear a coffee machine brewing with the scent swiftly following after. He clearly wanted me to sober up.
Minutes later, Gabriel walked into the living room with two cups of coffee and handed me one. Raising my brow, I peered inside the cup. Black, no sugar. He remembered.
“I noticed what you drank that day in the coffee shop, then again at your apartment,” he said, as if reading my mind.
“Oh,” I answered, unsure as to what to say about it.
Over the last couple of weeks, it was evident he knew more about me than I first thought. He’d known where I drank my coffee, how I drank it, even my dress size, yet I knew pretty much nothing about him.
“Why don’t you have any photos in here?” I blurted out as I took a sip of coffee.
It was yummy. Expensive, but yummy all the same.
He sighed, averting his gaze to the fireplace.
“I used to.” He paused, his gaze moving back to mine. “I took them down not long after me and my father stop talking.”
What? He didn't talk to his father? It was news to me.
“Why did you stop talking?” I asked timidly, unsure if he’d open up and finally tell me a little about himself.
“We never had a great relationship,” he said, taking a sip from his coffee. “I didn't always have money, Payton.”
His admission shocked me a little. Wasn't his father was one of the top lawyers in the UK?
“When I was eleven, my father co-owned a law firm with my uncle. The firm was quickly becoming well regarded firm, the go-to for corporate legal matters but when the cops turned up at my house we soon realized why.”
My gaze searched his, trying to work out what he was about to tell me but his face stayed blank, much like it always did.
“What happened?” I asked.
“My uncle was arrested for embezzling client money. They came for my father shortly after,” he admitted solemnly, his head bowed. “There was no evidence my father knew anything about it nor was he involved, but the moment you mention embezzlement, no matter whether you were involved or not, your career is over.
“My uncle embezzled over half a million in client money and was sent to prison. They released my father without charges but by that point, Black Brothers Corporate Law was gone. We were broke at the time; my father spent what money we did have on legal council and we had to sell the house to pay off some bills and find somewhere else to live.
“Eventually, everything died down and my father managed to rebuild his career, using the scandal to his advantage and using the victim card. But I always thought my father played some part in it knowingly.”
My mouth had dropped open. I was shocked to hear not only had his uncle been imprisoned for embezzlement but his family ended up broke because of it. Suddenly, everything made sense.
“That’s why you didn't tell me who you were,” I whispered.
He nodded his head. “I’m a private man, Payton. I don’t just tell anyone about my past.”
“Then why tell me?” I asked.
He chuckled softly. “You know why. Are you still going to sit there and tell me we can’t do this or we shouldn't do this?”
I was speechless. What the hell did I say to that? Was I falling for him? Yes, and maybe by now I think I may have even loved him, but we both knew acting on it could risk everything.