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"YOU."
"Hello, sweetheart," Tom Archer Aden said, a broad smile on his face as he approached the couple. The entire room's eyes were on them, the most important people of the night interacting. Her father glanced at her boyfriend amusedly. "Roman, if you'll excuse us for a moment. My daughter and I need to catch up."
Her boyfriend hesitated, his mouth still half open in shock, but Rory nodded assuringly. Reluctantly, Roman was roped into a conversation with a nearby group of investors, leaving the father-daughter duo in the semi-private corner of the ballroom.
She crossed her arms, eyeing him petulantly. "Damn, I really hoped you were just a deadbeat. This is the last thing I need." Rory sought the small group made up of the Reyes' on the other side of the room. Her abuela regarded them coldly, but held no surprise at her father's appearance as much as her tia and tio.
"Aurora, please, I know you must have so many questions, but we are in public, sweetheart," her father reminded her, smugness gleaming in his eyes.
Rory was having trouble keeping her emotions under control, her voice was low and furious. "What are you even doing here? You hated Godfrey Industries since they fired you ten years ago."
"Oh, sweetheart, it's all very complicated. Aera is the future of not just medicine, but the world. I poured my all into this, for you, and apparently my granddaughter, Solara, right?" .
"Yes. She's three months old." She didn't offer much else, if she wasn't going to get an explanation from him then he didn't deserve an explanation either.
"How absolutely precious, continuing that celestial naming tradition. I see Carmen is as meddlesome as ever," Tom scoffed, taking a sip of his drink, briefly glancing behind him where his ex-wives family were watching him. He waved to a crowd of glares.
"Yeah, recently learned she's named me the heir of the Foundation," Rory said bitterly, before quickly narrowing her eyes at her father. "Before you get any ideas, I want nothing to do with yours."
"Aurora Elena Reyes Aden, I named a company after you, I feel like I should have some props for that," Tom evaded the question while pushing his daughter's irritation elsewhere.
"Props?" Rory gaped at him, tightening her grasp on her glass and having to stop herself from tossing it's contents in his face. "I haven't seen you since Luna's funeral, and communication between then has been next to none. Then out of the blue, you come to this town, which you make apparent friends with my boyfriend, but never mention me."
"I truly didn't mean to neglect you, but I had important work to do," he said in a low voice, embarrassed at her outbursts some people around them could hear bits and pieces.
"Right, sending me a check once a month isn't even the bare minimum," she spat out furiously.
"Rory, the babysitters are expecting us by 11, and it's nearly half til," Roman interrupted smoothly, swooping in before the building tension could implode. His hand wrapped around her waist comfortingly. "Tom. I wish you had said something. Perhaps you two could have reunited sooner."
