47. Pre Wedding Jitters (p.2)

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Third person

"Can all of you give me and Max a second." Emiliano said as he walked into the dressing room. All the groom's men dropped what they were doing and cleared out the room, fifteen seconds or less. Amelia stepped a foot out the door. "You stay amor." She took a deep breath in and placed the trashcan down. "And close the door behind them."

As soon as the bolt on the knob clicked closed the tension in the room became suffocating. "I want to start by saying you look very nice Maxwell."

Max gave no acknowledgement to his father, and set his focus on his reflection in the full body mirror in front of him. His father let out a light chuckle in amusement towards the silent treatment.

"You know... All this anger you have towards me Maxwell is unnecessary. If you're still mad about relocating that cancerous woman and child of yours..." He stepped farther in the room. "My advice to you is... How should I say this nicely, eh... Oh I know-- I'd tell you to get the fuck over it." Max kept his composure as he placed the cufflinks on his wrist. Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but felt the side eye from her husband to keep out of it. "Getting rid of them was the best thing for your benefit. You don't have to worry about them anymore. Now you can focus on my business-"

"Get out." Max calmly interrupted still looking at himself.

Emiliano walked closer to stand behind Max to get into his ear. "Don't be angry with me son. You did this all to yourself. You could've been with them, honestly you could've. But, you aren't with them because you don't have the balls to stand up to me, and most likely you never will." Max clenched his jaw as Emiliano took another step closer. 

"I looked into this woman you've been with. Her name is NaTahny James, correct? When I was digging I found out her father is Theodore James, you've met him some time ago. He's actually a old friend of mine. Theo, Olivia's father Daniel, and I were all were roommates in college. In fact you, Olivia, and Tahny have played together as kids back when their fathers and I were close. It's a small world isn't it?" He began pacing back and forth behind him. "Theo was a world famous model at one point of his life. Now he's taking pictures for clients and companies that make more money then you and I. His wife's parents are wealthy too, so that means their daughter comes from money as well. I say these things to say: I'm a reasonable man and I'm always down for a deal. I always told you and your brothers if you don't like the woman I've picked, you should go out and find another woman you like better who also has money, an even trade. But I take it you didn't know who her family is, I also take it you didn't know her very well at all." Max tried his best to hide his emotions but they were written all over his face. Embarrassment, anger, self loathing, it was all visible.

"All you had to do is come to me as a man, son. Admit your faults, say you wanted to be with NaTahny and your child instead of Olivia. and I would've been angry, enraged even. I probably wouldn't beat you senseless but I would've respected your humility. But instead you hid all of this like a bitch I didn't raise you too be."

Max took deep breaths as he tried to keep his tears at bay. "Go ahead and cry." Emiliano hit his back making his watering eyes overflow. He quickly tried to wipe them but it was to late. "You'll always be a stepping stool for people to stand on. Coward too scared to stand up to a old man like me. My greatest shame you are but the a great business man noless, you get that from me. You must get all that other shit from your mother." Amelia put her head down from the humiliation. "You let your brothers live in the shadows of your hard work. You let Olivia cheat on you because you don't have the guts to put her in her place-" 

Max finally looked at him through the mirror. "How'd you know about that?"

A dry laugh escaped his lips. "BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYTHING MAX!" He spun him around and gripped his shoulders in his hand. "When will you understand that?! Anything you think you can hide from me I'll eventually find out. Whatever is done in the dark, comes to light. You want to know why?! It's because I live in the got damn dark Max so I know what goes on! I even know who burned down your little girlfriend's house!"

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