My hands trembled as I dialed Dad's number. Each ring echoed through my skull like a death knell. Part of me prayed he wouldn't answer, but after three rings, his familiar voice came through.
"Sienna?"
"Dad, I-" My voice cracked. The words stuck in my throat as Marcus's mocking smile flashed in my mind. "I messed up. I messed up so badly."
Silence stretched between us. I could picture him at his desk, that crease forming between his brows.
"Tell me everything."
So I did. Every betrayal spilled out - how Marcus had played the caring mentor, how Jason had wormed his way into my heart and my company, how I'd fallen for their act like a naive schoolgirl. My voice broke when I reached tonight's events.
"They planned it all, Dad. Marcus, Jason, even Jason's girlfriend Tiffany - they were all in on it. I gave them access to everything because I..." I swallowed hard. "Because I trusted them."
More silence. The weight of his disappointment pressed against my chest until I could barely breathe.
"I warned you about trust." His voice was quiet, controlled. Not the explosion I'd expected, which somehow made it worse. "Especially after what Marcus did to me years ago."
"I know." Tears rolled down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I'll fix this, I promise-"
"No, Sienna." He sighed, and in that sound I heard years of regret. "You can't fix betrayal. That's the one thing I taught you, remember? The one thing I never forgave Marcus for. And now history repeats itself."
The truth of his words hit me like a physical blow. I'd known his rules about betrayal, had watched him cut ties with Marcus years ago over it. Yet here I was, making the same mistakes.
"I should have listened." My voice came out barely above a whisper.
"Yes," he said simply. "You should have."
"Dad, I-" The words died on my tongue. What could I possibly say?
His words knocked the air from my lungs. A long exhale crackled through the line. When he spoke again, his voice carried an unfamiliar softness, as if he was forcing back decades of pain.
"The company shares?"
"Secure until now. But the clause in the agreement I signed with Jason have provisions to nullify that too. That's worrying me the most." My fingers traced the edge of my desk, remembering how Marcus had stood here just hours ago, champagne in hand, celebrating what he thought was his victory.
"I'll look into it" I heard him say sternly.
"But they have sensitive data, project specs, client lists-"
"We'll handle it." The strain in his voice betrayed how much effort it took to maintain his composure. "I'll have legal draw up the paperwork first thing."
The careful words told me more than any lecture could. He was holding back anger- not for his sake, but for mine. The weight of that kindness crushed me more than any anger would have.
"You never told me what happened with Marcus."
Silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken history.
"Some betrayals cut too deep to speak of." His voice roughened. "I hoped... I hoped keeping you away from him would be enough. That my mistakes wouldn't become yours." The tears came faster now, blurring the city lights into streaks of gold.
"Anyways where are you?" he continued after a moment's silence.
"Outside company's building"
"You've been staying there this whole time?"
"Yes" I embarrassingly murmured
"Go home, Sienna." Dad's voice softened. "You're in no state to handle this tonight."
"But the company-"
"Will still be there tomorrow. You need rest."
I wiped my eyes, remembering all the times I'd rolled them at his cautious nature, his constant warnings about keeping people at arm's length.
"The car service-"
"No, I can drive. I need... I need to clear my head anyway."
"Text me when you get home." A pause. "And Sienna? This isn't your fault. Marcus... he's had years to perfect his act."
I ended the call, my chest tight with everything left unsaid. The drive home passed in a blur of streetlights and memories - every conversation with Marcus, every smile from Jason, now tainted with their true intentions.
The clock read 3 AM when my phone lit up. Dad's name flashed on the screen.
"Did I wake you?"
"No." I sat up in bed, sheets tangled around my legs. "Haven't slept."
"I found something." The energy in his voice made me grip the phone tighter. "A solution."
"What kind of solution?"
"Not over the phone. Meet me tomorrow, first thing."
"Dad-"
"Get some sleep, Sia. We'll fix this."
The line went dead before I could protest. I stared at the dark screen, his words echoing in my mind. We'll fix this. Not you'll fix this, but we'll. Maybe that was the silver lining in this mess - it had taken betrayal to finally bring us together. And I couldn't wait to know what the solution he figured was.
