Mallory's Melody

Chapter 40

"YOU'RE MY FATHER?"

William had imagined her saying those words a million times before, and never once did he think she would say them the way she did now, with more anger than surprise, more disgust than pride. It wasn't everyone who had the luxury of being related to someone as famous as he was, but William saw that Mallory wouldn't care even if he was God.

"I can explain," William began, urging her to take a seat. But Mallory wouldn't even look at him. Her face was the colour of scarlet. The fire of fury danced in her eyes. It was so easy to see the resemblance between her and Jane when she was overtaken by passion.

"Explain what?" Mallory asked, daring to take a step closer to him. "How hard could it be to explain the fact that you've been my father all this while and didn't tell me?"

William swallowed hard. "It's not that simple."

"Oh, really?" she cocked her head at him. "How hard could it be to say, 'oh hey Mallory. I'm your father.'? How freaking hard could that be?"

She slapped the letter on his chest, making William stagger backwards. Gaining his equilibrium, he picked the letter from the floor and hid his smile. He hadn't expected his plan would work out so well. Things have never been more favourable to him.

"So I've been going in and out of this organisation for months, and you didn't think it was fair that I knew the truth? I had questions, William! Questions nobody could answer. Questions like why Jane, my mother, jumped off the cliff and left me behind. Why it was Cole and not you, my biological father, who took me in. Why doesn't anything make any damn sense!"

William saw that her curiosity was edging towards insanity. The news was evidently too much for her to take in. Sighing, William placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder, trying to appear fatherly. "How about you sit down for a while? I'll explain everything to you later, not now."

"Now."

"No"

"Now!"

"No."

Mallory reached out for her phone. "Screw you. If you're not going to tell me the truth, then, then I'm going to find out myself!"

"From who, exactly?"

She eyed him. The audacity. "From my father."

"Cole Trent? Did he ever tell you we were old pals once? Real close. Well, that was until Jane got between us."

Mallory dropped the phone from her ears, disappointment clouding her features. "No, actually. He didn't tell me that."

William sat on the edge of his desk and poured himself a cup of whiskey. "He didn't tell you a lot of stuff then."

"Actually." She folded her arms. "He did. He told me he loved Jane, and that she left him for Lewis. But Lewis, I see, is you."

"No." William shook his head. "Lewis was another person. My brother. Half brother, actually. We don't have the same fathers."

Mallory narrowed her eyes at him. "But that's impossible. Jane married Lewis, and if you're my father, then—"

"Jane married a lot of people," William said before he could stop himself. The alcohol did that sometimes, made him stupidly opening, susceptible to yapping. He popped the corkscrew of the bottle back in. Enough of that for a while. He didn't want to release too much information. "Forget that. I was—I was talking trash. I didn't—"

Mallory got close to him, uncomfortably close. "I don't know why, but I always get this feeling that I don't know enough. I feel like a passive character who goes by in the world without actually knowing what is going on in the world. There are secrets, William. Don't think I'm too naïve to not know that. I want to know. I want to know everything."

"There's nothing to know..." William made an attempt to walk away from her, but she stepped in his way. "Woah, what's this all about?"

"Listen to me, William," Mallory said, desperation dripping from her voice. "I want to know. You just tell me the entire truth, and everything will be back to normal. I wouldn't act like I ever knew you were my father. I wouldn't tell anyone anything. I'll sign the papers, and be Starlight star, and that'll just be it. All I want to know is the truth." A tear dropped from her eyes.

"I want to know who my mother is, William. I want to know why she jumped off the cliff and forgot me."

"She didn't. She protected you."

Mallory wiped her tears. "I want to believe that. I mean, I really want to, but something just seems off about that whole narrative. There is more."

William's hands were shaking. She was coming closer to the truth than he expected. Guess she wasn't as naïve and stupid as he thought. "Why don't you just ask your father?"

"Because I don't trust him."

"Wow." William laughed."That sounds like blasphemy."

"I know he keeps stuff from me. I've always felt it deep down in me. He hides things from me on the pretext of protecting me, but...I'm tired of being protected. I'm sick of being lied to. The secrets are killing me, and I need answers."

"Well, you're not completely right about Cole lying to you. His perspective of what happened isn't quite accurate. And that's not particularly his fault. But as for what happened—" William shrugged—"you're not going to be getting any answers from me. "

"Please... for me?"

William avoided her eyes. "What makes you think I care about you?"

"Well, for one, I'm your daughter." Mallory paced the room. "And I've always kind of noticed you had a soft spot for me."

William rolled his eyes. "Touche." He offered his elbow to her. "Sit down. I'll tell you all about it"

Smiling, she slipped her arm into the crook of his elbow.

He shook his head. "You're not going to like any of this, Mallory Trent."

"Orlando." She smiled. "It's Mallory Orlando."

William cocked his head at her. "You look like you're actually proud of that name."

"I am."

William glared at her. "Well, after now, you will detest the name Orlando. You will wish you were never born."