Chapter 66

OLIVIA

I WENT to Maxwell's company to visit Chase's father. I still wondered what he would discuss with me at this moment. I saw my reflection in the elevator's golden colored double doors.

"Sh*t..." I cursed under my breath when I noticed the wrinkled collar of my polo shirt.

I somehow fixed it, but I wasn't satisfied with my entire look. Had I known that Ernest Maxwell would ask me to visit, I would've dressed a bit nicer than I did.

The elevator door just opened and his secretary just escorted me to a private elevator that would lead to his office. She then glanced at me from head to toe. It was kind of awkward, but I managed to speak with her.

"So... How's working with Mr. Maxwell? Is he a good boss?" I looked curiously at her.

"He's actually not just a boss; I'm more seeing him as a visionary and a true leader, a very passionate leader of this company." She smiled at me in a sarcastic way, then gazed at my wrinkled collar.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Are you a bit nervous, Ms. Reese?"

"Oh, of course not. I'm only... in a hurry, that's why I'm not--"

"Presentable and unprepared? You're the daughter of his son, Chase Maxwell, and I believe you should always be on top since you're carrying their family name. It's one of the most important names in the business industry," she said as she cut me off. She then exhaled deeply and raised her eyebrows. "You can go to our restroom. I can help you fix it."

"No thanks," I said simply, smiling at her.

Shaking her head, she just smirked at me.

The audacity of this woman... I felt so judged, and her being a secretary to Chase's father doesn't give her the right to treat me this way. After all, I'm still the wife of Chase Maxwell.

The elevator doors opened, and we went in front of Ernest's office. She was about to open the door, but I stopped her midway.

"You can now leave. There is no need for you to go inside since we're going to have a father-and-daughter-in-law conversation." I smiled sweetly at her and continued, "You can go back to the reception or grab some coffee or whatever suits you."

I rolled my eyes and walked past her. I pushed the door open and my eyes landed on Chases father, who was sitting like a real leader in his swivel chair.

He glanced at me and offered me a thin but welcoming smile.

"There you are. Have a seat, Reese."

"How are you doing, Dad?" I asked.

"I"m doing very well, sweetheart. Thanks for asking."

I then looked around at his office. The walls were painted brown with some wooden designs on them and exposed bricks. It felt very homey, and the family portrait hanging just behind his desk added some personal touches to this spacious place.

"So, have you met Melissa outside?"

My brows furrowed as I wondered who he was talking about.

"The woman who brought you here. Her name is Melissa. She's my sister, and technically, your aunt-in-law. My secretary was on a holiday trip with her family, and so she's been extending her help to assist me here. Have you talked? She's very excited to see you in person," he added.

I was shocked at what I just heard. For a brief moment, I hoped that I could turn back time and fix the mess I just made.

Sh*t, Olivia... So that woman was his sister! Chase's aunt! I massaged the temple of my nose and bit my lower lip.

"Y-Yes, Dad. I met her. She seems very nice. I would like to talk to her again to clear things up." Ernest's forehead creased as if he was curious about what happened before I entered his office. "I mean, I am thrilled to see her, Dad."

He nodded. "By the way, the reason why I asked you to come here is because I want to tell you some bad news..."

I blinked several times. "What is it, Dad?"

"Chase's company lost millions of dollars," he answered.

I frowned, totally shocked. I couldn't help but worry about what happened to Chase's company. At the same time, I was scared that it had something to do with me.

"My goodness. That's really bad news, Dad. How come Chase isn't telling me this?"

He let out a huge sigh. "It's truly devastating, Reese. There are a lot of investors pulling out their shares because of the relationship he has right now with your parents. It has something to do with the lawsuits against your parents that I'm sure you are not aware of. There are some write-ups that just spread, and Chase will lose more than what he lost right now if this continues."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. The thought of Chase losing everything scared me.

How could this happen to him?

Ernest opened a bottle of whiskey and poured it into his glass. I watched him move and noticed that there was something off about him. The atmosphere in his office became stiff and it was difficult for me to make any moves.

His expression changed when he sipped from his glass. His eyes radiated fury, and my heart raced because of it. I cleared my throat and tried to compose myself.

"I know it is not entirely your fault and my son only wanted to help your company. I'm just worried about you and Chase. The export business of your parents isn't doing well. Then, Chase bought the shares of that company and wrote millions of dollars in checks. With poor management and bad financial decisions, exporting grapes was no longer sweet at all. It's all sour."

I lowered my head and gazed at my lap while biting my lower lip. I held back my emotions because I didn't want to cry in front of him.

Before, I was so happy that he helped Reese's parents. But I didn't see this coming. I ruined his business, his career, and put his family name in jeopardy...

"You're a smart girl, Reese. And I believe that you're trying your best ever since you enrolled in a prestigious business school. However, the time is ticking. In a matter of a short time, what I built from scratch will turn into dust."

"I will meet up with my parents, Dad. Let me handle this, and please accept my apologies if my family disappointed you," I said, my lips quivering.

I tried to hold my tears, but my vision started to get blurry, and they fell instantly. I immediately wiped them as I didn't want to be so pathetic in front of Chase's father.

"Reese, do you remember any single thing that happened to you before?"

I shook my head and stared at him.

"I'm wondering why you can't remember anything, especially the time you ran away from my son and canceled your wedding."

"My memory hasn't came back, Dad. But I am trying... I am also suffering from an anxiety disorder and it might be the reason why I can't bring them back."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sweetheart." He stared at me sincerely. "I'm not sure if it's appropriate for me to discuss another matter with you."

"What is it, Dad?"

He shook his head, as if he'd decided to call it quits after I told him I was sick.

"Dad, please. I want to know..." I begged.

"I'm just thinking whether it is possible for you to file a divorce to end your marriage with my son," he said.

My eyes widened after hearing it. I looked at him in disbelief. He poured another whiskey into his glass before he continued.

"I pledge to continue supporting you financially. I'd give you seven million dollars. I still think that it was too abrupt for the two of you to get married. I don't see the capability within you, as well as with my son." He sighed and sipped on his glass. "Both of you are still young, and trust me, you can explore other things that will enhance your potential and skills. Believe me, ten or fifteen years later, you'll come to my office and thank me."

Tears were pooling in my eyes. This time, I didn't wipe them as my entire body was trembling with both anxiety and disappointment. I sucked in a breath, and I immediately opened my purse to take my medicine, as I felt that I'd get a panic attack at any moment.

I shook my head to refuse what he said, I continued to sob in despair.

"I believe this is the perfect time to convince Chase to file a divorce. Just tell him that you need to recover first from your mental disability. It's a tough decision to make, but it would be best for you and Chase."

"Dad, I can't do that..." I said, still shaking my head.

"Reese, listen carefully. This will be the best for both of you. You will still have my full support if that's what you're worrying about. I just love my son so much that I didn't want him to sink and lose everything, and if you love him too, you're going to accept this offer. Trust me, it's for the best. Think about it."

I couldn't believe that he offered me millions of dollars just to break up with his son. How was I supposed to react to this? If I said yes, then it would prove to him that I was just after the money, but if I said no, then Chase would be stuck with an idiot housewife with Reese's problematic family.

"You probably do not remember this, but you actually didn't like my son back then. You had a boyfriend in your company, and the only reason you agreed to marry him was because that's what your parents wanted you to do." He pressed his lips together and continued, "That guy... I wonder what happened to him, by the way, especially since you're married to my son. I suggest you find that guy and talk to him. He can certainly—"

"I apologize, but I love your son so much and I can't see myself going back to my previous relationship nor remember anything from the past. I wish you can respect that, Mr. Maxwell," I said, deeply hurt that he brought up some events in the past that I was not aware of.

I had no connections to Reese's past, and whatever it was, I wanted it buried and forgotten.

I was wrong to think that he was a nice person.

Even though I wanted a huge amount of money, it didn't feel right for me to divorce Chase because of it. I couldn't hurt him that way.

"I expected a far better response from you, Reese. But I guess I have to understand. In case you change your mind, know that I'm just a phone call away."

"No, I won't change my mind..." I replied firmly.

He then shrugged his shoulders. "You don't need to talk to your parents about this matter. It's all part of the business. The decision is on you. The only person that can stop my son from sinking to his lowest level is none other than you, Reese. Keep that in your mind."

My jaw clenched. I couldn"t take his words any longer, and so I went out of his office without saying any word.

As I hopped inside the car, I heard my phone chime. I was still having a high emotion when I read Ernest Maxwell's text message:

Don't ever mention this matter to Chase or to your family, or else, this will be the last time we'll have a nice conversation.

Whatever that implied, it only meant one thing, I would be dead.

My suspicions about him returned in an instant.

There was something off about him and I had a feeling that he took his part in why Reese Jones went missing.