ADDICTION✓

xxxiii(edited)

Adam's P.O.V.

Thanksgiving in my family really sucked. It isn't a family event, instead it is a black tied event, where my dad invited all our business partners with their families.
When mum was alive, it was just a family event but when she left, it became a social gathering were people came to showcase all their levels of wealth, which really annoyed me.

This year Marianna left me alone because she had been invited to her daughter father's family Thanksgiving. It wasn't hard for her to choose. The dinner hadn't even started yet, which is really annoying at least if it had started, I would have used it has my cover but everything was preplanned, dinner is by 7.

I'm stuck with Mr. Rishi, one of our investor in the company, he is one of those over overenthusiastic people, who got caught up in a subject they liked. I look around at the people who filled my father's living room. It really annoys the hell out of me seeing people everywhere. I notice Mr. Kleen walking towards me with an overly large smile on his face, with his wife and daughter. He is another investor, that has been pushing his daughter on me for years.

"Mr. Rishi, please if you'll excuse me, I need to check on my son," I cut Mr. Rishi mid sentence but he smiles, nodding at me. That's an honest lie, I know where Kairo is, he is with my grandma, she adores him and loves spending time with him. What she hardly did with me when I was younger.

I turn around and walk away, quicken my steps. When anyone tried approaching me, I smiled politely at them and continued walking out of the living room to the kitchen. I slip pass the chefs and cooks in the kitchen to the backyard. The cold air hits my face, making me exhale sharply. The weather is becoming cold quickly and it reminds me that winter is fast approaching, bringing Christmas along. When I was younger I loved the holidays, always anticipated it but now I can't help but feel slightly jaded. I stare up at the sky. I don't feel happy anymore, it's like I've gotten how to be happy, I don't know how to be happy anymore. Sure my son makes me happy but I don't feel like that's all the happiness deserved. I feel like I'm supposed to be happy, I mean I'm quite fortunate to be rich because I know lots of people who'll wish for the kind is wealth I inherited but been is not everything.

I was jealous when I saw a post of Gbemi and her family and the meals they had prepared for Thanksgiving. I'm envious of what she had, they all looked happy and relaxed, dressed comfortably not wearing stuffy dresses or suits, I want something like that, not very holiday turning into a black tie event.

"Master," there's only one person who called me that, my father's butler, Phillips. Don't ask why he has a butler. "Dinner is served," he announced in that posh English of his.

I sigh but keep my composure, Phillips is my father's ears and eyes around the estate. Ever since I was a little boy, I could never let my composure crack around him. I turn around and walk back into the house with him following me.

Everyone is gathering in the dinning room, it us enormous room, that could host a party of hundred. Again, don't ask what my father and grandmother need those much chair for. I make sure to walk behind everyone, walking very slowly.

There were names placed on the dining table, representing where everyone should be seated. I walk to the head of the table, where I'll be seated besides my father. I get there and pull out my chair, sitting down, all the while avoiding my father's gaze, I feel on me.

"Where did you go to?" He grits out, wearing a smile. I take few seconds before replying him, just to rile him up.

"I went out for fresh air," I lie.

He doesn't say anything, nodding his head towards Mr. Kleen's daughter, who is walking to sit on the empty seat besides me. I scowl realizing what was about to happen. I have the urge to stand and move to another seat. I get up.

"What're you doing, Adam? Don't make a scene," dad growls but I don't mind him, pushing my chair out of my way, leaving the table, I can feel everyone's eyes on me. I scan the table looking for any empty chair.

"Adam," a feminine voice calls out, sounding whiny. Mr. Kleen's daughter.

What I never learnt her name?

I can feel everyone in the room anticipation, holding their breaths for what was about to happen.

I turn swiftly to her, "Yes? Is anything the matter?"

She looks lost looking between me and my supposed seat. "This is your seat,"she points at the chair.

"I don't want it anymore, you can have it." I tell her and continue my journey down the table and sit besides Mrs. Johnson, the newest wife of Mr. Johnson, he's one of our biggest investors. I don't understand why the man keeps taking too young women has wives but he has married five times in the period of time I have come to know him, I might have married more, who knows.
The hall is quiet for a while before the dinner begins, everyone looking at me from the corner of their eyes but I don't mind them.

[|]

"I don't understand the stunt you pulled back there but it mustn't happen again," dad tells me once we're seated alone.

"I've told you times and times again to stop pushing that woman on me, I don't care the connection her family has," I say with finality in my voice.

"I don't know why you're like this," he says shaking his head, looking at me with disappointment costing his features. When I was younger I would have done everything for his approval but it died alongside with my mother.

"You helped in producing me so you should know why, dad" I say flippantly, shrugging.

He moves his lips to talk but stops when Mr. Kleen approaches us with his family, wine in hands. "Callan, Adam just the men I was looking for," they stop in front of us. "Adam you've met my wife and daughter. Olivia and Catherine," he introduces his daughter and wife smiling proudly at the both of them.

I give both of them a tight smile. "A pleasure meeting you. AGAIN."

"Oh, you've met before," Mr. Kleen says slyly, his eyes lighting up in triumph.

I decide to play his games, but with my own rules. "Plenty times. Infact, I can't figure out why you keep introducing her to me."

He laughs, thinking I'm joking when he doesn't see a smile on my face, he sobers up.

"Don't mind my son, his sense of humor is weird," dad says breaking the awkwardness that filled the sir. "Let's go talk about business, Gerard," he says, ushering Mr. Kleen and his wife to his study, leaving his daughter with me. I stubbornly don't want to remember her name. I pretend for a few minutes, she wasn't there then she just had to open her mouth.

"Well thank God they left us, isn't that right?" She asks stepping forward and taking dad's seat. I don't answer her, she continues talking. "Do you want to get out of here?"

I sigh. "Hmm, what's your name again?"

She looks outrage for a second before schooling her features, giving me a smile. "Catherine."

"Oh yes, Catherine, I don't know what idea your dad might have given you but it's not going to workout between us."

"Why would you say when you've not given it a try."

"We wouldn't match or last a day," I tell her.

She leans in, revealing her cleavage, I almost chuckle at how desperate she is. "Don't be too desperate, it's not a good look on you," I say and stand up, she gasps behind me I don't even turn back to look at her as she screams and calls me an asshole.

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