Chapter 59: Hot And Cold Hearts

Ricardo's POV

I wanted to expunge the smile off Kaleb's smug face and I was trying my all to restraint myself from hurting him. He wasn't the issue. The issue was my mother and her conniving ways.

"You would really remove your own son and put a stranger in his place to run this company?" I questioned my mother as it dawned on me that that was what she most intended on doing.

"Didn't you chose Adani over me and your ex-fianceé?"

"Ahh. So it all circles back to Adani. You hate my fianceé so much that you're willing to come after your son's job title!"

"I had to. You showed me that you weren't going to listen to me so I'm hitting you where it hurts. Your pockets."

"You wanted me to be your little puppet! Someone you can showoff to your circle of husband-snatching friends."

"Watch your mouth, Ricardo! I'm still your mother!"

"I wish you weren't!" I snapped at her. I took up my briefcase and folders and walked back to my office where I noticed it was already being redecorated to accommodate Kaleb.

His name-plate was even on my desk!

It felt like steam was rising and shooting out of my ears. I exited the building and headed to Tough Flowers to my fianceé.

~
Seeing Adani's face melted my inner anger away. She pulled me into a comforting hug and led me to her office. She locked the doors behind us and came over and began massaging my shoulders. Something I needed.

"Baby, what happened, do you want to talk to me about it?" she asked.

"My mother happened. You know, she hates me being with you so much that she
eradicated me as the company's CEO," I summed up.

"She can do that?"

"Yes. She has the majority of stake. With my father's and hers, she's at fifty percent."

"What about Rockett's, doesn't she have a say in any of this?"

"She does, however, the guy Rockett is seeing right now, Kaleb, that's who my mom put in my place."

"Sounds like your mom got Kaleb to woo Rockett so she can relinquish her vote to her mother. Does Rockett even know about this?"

"She signed it," I answered feeling defeated and abandoned by my sister.

"I think you should talk to her about it," Adani said.

A knock came to the door. She opened it and it was one of her assistants. 

"Sorry to disturb you, Miss. Prime, but one of the ladies has an accident and she would like your help," she informed.

"Oh my goodness, is she okay?" Adani asked her alarmingly.

"Yes. It's her period and she's wearing white today," she responded.

"I'm coming."

"Okay."

Adani gave me a quick kiss, told me to call my sister then disappeared through the door.

~
In her office by myself, I decided to call Rockett. She answered on the first ring.

"Ricardo, I've been meaning to call you because I just got off the phone with your secretary and she said you're being replaced. Replaced by who and for what? And who the hell has the power to remove you as CEO?"

"Who do you think?" I asked.

Rockett sighed loudly. "Mother?"

"The one and only," I said and raked my hand down my face.

"How?"

"She has the majority of stake and you even voted against me Rockett!"

"Wait.. What!?"

"You signed in her favor. I can't believe you would do that to me."

"Brother, I didn't sign anything of that sort."

"Then how does Kaleb has your vote of confidence?"

"I don't know."

"Then we have to get to the bottom of this. Can you meet me at PIT in an hour, exactly one hour, Rockett?"

"Yes, I can do that."

"Good. I'll see you there."

I hung up and went to find Adani and informed her on what Rockett said before I left to head back to the company.

~
Rockett and I took the elevator up to the top floor and headed to my previous office where we found our mother and Kaleb in a conversation. We stormed in, catching them off-guard.

"Darling," Kaleb greeted.

"Shut up!" Rockett spat at him.

He listened.

"What's the meaning of this?" Mother asked.

"I didn't vote against my brother! What kind of phony acts are you two up to?" Rockett asked.

"Rockett, you signed this!" Mother stated with a shout. She handed a sheet of paper to Rockett. She grabbed it and looked it over and appeared puzzled and wrecking on brain to the timestamp of signing.

"Kaleb, you're unbelievable. You tricked me into this bullshit!" she exclaimed.

"Rockett.. I.."

"DON'T YOU DARE LET MY NAME COME FROM YOUR MOUTH AGAIN! How could you stoop this fucking low, I expected this from my mother but not from someone as successful as you are! Why you even need to be CEO?" Rockett finished with the question I've been meaning to ask.

"His parents cut him off," Mother answered instead.

"So you got me drunk, fed me with some bullshit lines that your aunt wanted me to showcase my fashion pieces at her fashion event, had me sign several contracts one after the next where you slipped in the document that I unconsciously signed to have my brother removed as CEO, right?" Rockett asked him again.

"Rockett, you should leave this alone," Mother said in a warning tone.

"She wasn't speaking to you," I spoke up and directed towards my mother. This woman was vicious to the core.

"My vote wouldn't hold weight. I was intoxicated and bamboozled when I signed that!"

"Can you prove that, Rockett?" Mother asked her.

"You think you would get away with this?"

"I already have in case you haven't noticed! This isn't your battle, little girl. You don't even know how this company operates! Go back to your fashion studios or take a trip in the family's private jet to somewhere," Mother dismissed.

At that moment, the doors opened and Penelope walked in wearing a proud smile. Her heels echoed in the room as she stalked closer.

"There she is, are you ready to take your place, my dear?" Mother asked her. They stood side by side like bananas on a bunch.

"I am," she answered and stared at me.

"What place?" I questioned.

"She's the new CFO," Mother answered.

A fuse went off in my head.

"ARE YOU CRAZY! What's your malfunction! After she stole from the company, you're appointing her CFO?" I asked.

"I'll appreciate it if you and your sister would stop yelling at me before I have the both of you escorted out!"

"What kind of mother are you? You're a twisted, bitter and sickening soul. I'm so sick of your selfish ways!" Rockett yelled at her.

"Selfish, Rockett, really?"

"Yes! All of this is stemming from you no longer having a say in our lives on the people we decide to let into it and fall in love with. You would take a trip around the freaking earth to find someone you think your daughter and your son should love. What is wrong with you, why wouldn't you just let us be?!" Rockett asked. Tears welled up in her eyes. Our mother wasn't just doing this to me, she was dictating on who Rockett should have as well.

Mother swallowed dryly then looked in my direction. "Ricardo, your new job position would be..."

"Save it," I told her, stopping her from completing the statement.

"Excuse me!" she snapped.

"If it's not CEO, I don't want it. And hell would freeze over before I work in the same building with Penelope and Kaleb," I finished.

"So you're..."

"I quit, and I have nothing else to say to you," I finished.

"See, are you happy now, you miserable woman?" Rockett chipped in.

"You two have called me all the names under the sun. There's nothing more you both can say to hurt me," Mother tried to showoff her thick skin.

"Oh really?" Rockett asked. She stepped closer to Mother, "When dad died, he had family, friends and people who loved him at his grave site. When you die, you would have nothing and no one." And with that Rockett left the room.

I followed behind and took one last look at what I was leaving behind and at my mother. Rockett's words sliced her like a knife because it was the first time I saw tears rolled down my mother's face.