A Sinner’s Truth: Chapter 4

Afirm knock echoes throughout my apartment, and I already know who it is without having to check. He has the same knock. Every time. I contemplate curling up under my covers and pretending I’m not home. Maybe he won’t come back.

Knowing better than to leave him waiting too long, I drag my sorry ass out of bed. I’m nursing the hangover of all hangovers, and I really don’t have the energy to deal with whatever this visit is about.

I open the door and immediately move aside. “Dad, I wasn’t expecting you,” I say as my father steps into my apartment.

“Obviously.” He looks me up and down with disdain. Sometimes I think he hates me because I look so much like her. My mother. I know he loved her. Probably the only person he ever loved. And all I am is a reminder of what he lost.

I quickly close the door and walk into the kitchen. “Coffee?” I offer.

“No, thank you.” Dad stands by the benchtop. “You haven’t answered my calls.”

“You married me off in one of your business deals as if this is the fifteenth century and all I’m worth to you is two cows,” I hiss out between clenched teeth. “I’m sorry. But what did you expect me to do? Say: Gee, thanks for marrying me off to Melbourne’s psychopath, Daddy?”

“It’s in your best interests, Aria. Oliver comes from a good family. A wealthy family. You’ll be well looked after,” Dad says without missing a beat.

“I don’t need to be looked after. I’m fine on my own,” I remind him.

“It’s eleven in the morning and you’re only just now getting out of bed. That’s unacceptable. Once you’re married, you’ll settle down. Grow up,” he states, as if it’s his will so it will be done.

“Is that why you’re here? Because I ignored a few calls?”

“No, I have a job for you. For the summer. A position in the company. You need to start learning the ropes for when the day comes that you need to take over,” he says.

I laugh. That has to be a joke. My father has never once mentioned me ever taking over his empire. Not that I have any plans to. “What are you talking about? That’s not happening.”

“You start Monday. I expect to see you there, Aria,” he tells me.

“Why? Why now? You’ve never wanted me to work at the company before.”

“Things change. Swan Enterprises will be yours someday. You might as well learn how to run it now,” he grunts.

I stand here in shock. He’s actually going to leave his company to me? Since when? I mean, I’m his only child. The only good thing to come out of my father’s six marriages is the lack of siblings. I couldn’t imagine him needing to father more children.

“Monday, 9 AM sharp, Aria. And dress appropriately. You represent the Swan name.” He turns and walks out of my apartment without another word.

“What the fuck just happened?” I ask aloud.

“What the fuck indeed?” Drew says, scaring the shit out of me.

“Jesus Christ, where the hell did you come from?”

“Your guest room.” He grins while rubbing at his head. “That whole encounter was weird.”

“Tell me about it.” I sigh before turning back to the coffee pot. I’m not going to even pretend to try to figure out what my father is up to now without at least a litre of caffeine in my system. “Why are you sleeping in my guest room?”

“Some chick passed out in my bed. I couldn’t wake her up to send her home, so I came here. Can you go see if she’s gone yet?” He gives me those puppy-dog eyes of his. The ones that usually make every woman in a five-kilometre radius drop her panties. Every woman but me. I’m immune.

“No. Go and deal with it yourself.” I laugh. “You left a total stranger in your apartment, Drew.”

“Well, I didn’t want to wake up next to her.” He shrugs.

“There is something seriously wrong with you,” I tell him, and not for the first time.

“But you love me anyway.” He winks at me. “Can you pass me a cup?”

“I bet whoever she is, she’s going through all your things. It’s what I’d do if some dude left me alone in his apartment.”

“You think she’s snooping? Fuck that.” He walks off and I hear the front door slam closed. I wasn’t lying. I’d totally snoop if it were me. Curiosity killed the cat. Not the woman.

I take my full cup of coffee and fall onto my sofa. So many questions are running through my pounding head. Maybe he’s dying…

The thought leaves just as quickly as it came. My father is indestructible. Even when I hate him, I don’t wish him dead. Although, it would be the easiest way out of this whole marriage thing.

Nope, still don’t want to lose the only parent I have left.

Damn it. Maybe working at his company will be a good thing. I could get inside, find out what is actually going on with this deal he’s made. And then find out a way to make sure it doesn’t go ahead. I don’t buy for a moment that he thinks me being married is in my best interests. My father doesn’t believe in the whole constitution of marriage. If he did, he wouldn’t be on his sixth divorce.

I hear the door open and then Drew’s heavy footsteps stomping back my way. “Crisis averted. She was already gone,” he says, plopping down next to me. “You make me one of those?” He nods towards my cup.

“You don’t seem to have a problem helping yourself to my guest room, which means you can also help yourself to the kitchen and the coffee.” I smile sweetly at him.

He gets up with a groan as he moves towards the kitchen. “While you’re in there, can you whip up some pancakes?” I call after him, knowing my best friend won’t deny me.

After filling up on breakfast, I decide it’s time to put my plan into action. If I’m going to fake this whole job thing, I need a new wardrobe. I need to dress the part—the corporate part. “I need to go shopping,” I tell Drew.

“For what?”

“Work clothes. Didn’t you hear? I have a job to start on Monday?” I grin at him.

“You’re actually going to do it?” Drew scrunches up his nose.

“Yes. I have a plan,” I tell him.

“Of course you do.” Drew rolls his eyes. “Let’s hear it.” He waves his hand in a get on with it gesture.

“I’m going to get close. I’m going to find out whatever I can about this deal he’s made. I have eight months to get myself out of this,” I tell Drew. “If I’m there, I can try to find something, anything that I can use as a loophole.”

“That’s actually not the worst plan you’ve ever had,” Drew says while nodding his head.

“Okay, so let’s go and find me an appropriate wardrobe. I’ll shout dinner afterwards,” I offer.

“Times like this, I really wish you had girlfriends,” Drew groans. He hates when I drag him out shopping, but lucky for him, I don’t actually have any other friends. I’ve never really had many people I trusted enough to confide in. Drew was also the only one I kept around after high school.

It’s not that I don’t like people. I’m just not great at keeping in touch with them. But Drew is like my brother. He doesn’t give me a choice.

“Well, I don’t have any other friends. And as my best friend, it’s your job to help me pick clothes,” I remind him.

“Maybe you can make new friends at this new job of yours.” He laughs.

“Yeah, because everyone wants to be friends with the boss’s daughter.” Sarcasm drips from every word. I’m not there to make friends anyway. It’s probably the one personality trait my father actually likes about me. My indifference when it comes to socialising. He’s always told me that there is no place for friends when you’re at the top. And according to Dad, us Swans are always at the top.