And being the generous man that he was, he often played along for a while. But eventually, it always end

Bi

d lasted

icking.

five months. Some barely lasted two. Bianca was the only one who hadn't tried to get

Adrian..

n she's never once looked at me like a man i

hat followed almos

you thinki

ne voice jolted h

ms, was already standing in front of hi

id, lowering himself into a chair across fr

ed his throa

t. "Nothin

s secretary might not swing his way and weirdly, that made her even

t nodded, slow and thoughtful, like a man who'd lon

crooked smirk, leaning back in his chair. "What's the occasion? Must be s

only son anymore? You've practically forgotten

en swamped lately. I can't exactly drop everything to p

th, Adrian. You visited last month. And not a single phone

but Dean cut him off with

," Dean said, voice rising. "It's embarrassing. You're not a kid anymore. Look at your age. Thirty one isn't

scolding, he was used to t

him to find love. To believe

d seen how th

n had walked in on him once, late at night, catching the man who once ruled boardrooms sobbing ove

ill kept her photo

path

open something in his chest that he didn't like. Something shar

said coldly. "And I'm

what happened to me poison you. Don't shut yourself of

rom his chair. His voice was hard, cli

xplain. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. After everything

he le

didn'

broke

. "Love makes people weak. I don't need it. Love? Do

like you, then I'd rather die alone. Look at yourself, Dad. Love broke you.

he'd been bottling up for years. The room fel

ring across his weathered

ot him was sharp e

pped mid

sighed, voice low, broken. "The reason I came... wasn't just

an f

ha

say... it's serious this time. Th

h

his chair like the air ha

couldn't

e'd promised to take him fishing again just the two of them, like old times. Said he st

. His throat burned

n who ever made him feel safe. Like he

ser, voice gentl

right away. His eyes

ean? I thought he was

s are under control. But his diabetes relapse

hard. His hands curled

abruptly. "

tal. The us

keys off the desk and rushed past his father

dn't st

pear through the office doors, his eyes filled wit

*