The Devil's Sweetheart

Two decades passed, the familiar face brought lots of memories. Not the sweet memories, though. If Heather hadn\'t seen him today, she wouldn\'t have remembered she has a father. Albert Steyer, her father.

The irony is that Heather can count in her fingers the number of times she utters the word, father. He has grown old, very old, and it seems with age, his influence also followed as she watched the number of people surrounding him. Heather can surmise the position he achieved today. 

\'\'I want the path cleared until my further orders.\'\' Heather heard him command, and within minutes, the surrounding traffic cleared, and to her surprise, no one complained. Power of a politician, she thought. Heather wondered what\'s his position because she was least bothered to check up on him even she had the chance to do so.

\'\'I want to have a private conversation with my daughter,\'\' Albert spoke up, as his gaze shifted to the man standing next to his daughter before he turned to Heather.

\'\'Sir, it\'s not safe_.\'\'

The personal assistant wanted to tell it\'s not safe to hop around without the guards, but Albert raised his hand, dismissing the thoughts. Despite the guards disappeared out of his sight, they were keeping a keen watch on him. Albert Steyer is no ordinary man. He is the Mayor of the city.

\'\'How are you, my daughter?\'\' Albert asked with a smile, walking towards her. Albert saw a familiar face in the car while passing by, and he was the one who asked the driver to overtake. How long has it been he has seen his daughter? Two decades? He didnot have time to tend to his daughter with his busy political schedule. His wife passed away, leaving his daughter alone. He was glad the Hayes family took care of her well.

Without replying, Heather walked up to Francis. Albert might be his father, but Heather hated him from every depth of her bones. \'\'Let\'s go, Francis. We don\'t have any work here. You will get late to the office.\'\' Heather whispered in a murmur, not bothered to care about the man seething in anger.

\'\'Alright,\'\' Francis said, and with no empathy, he looked at Albert for one last time before he led Heather to the car. Not before he opened the door, Albert\'s words strung into their ears.

\'\'Are you that desperate to get rid of your father who raised you?\'\'

Heather stopped in her tracks and instantly turned her body facing Albert. 

\'\'Father?\'\' Her sarcastic smile carried a vibe of grief before her voice came out. \'\'Where were you when I was in grappling for life in the death bed? Have you ever once came to see me in the twenty years I was in the hospital bed? Where were you when my daughter has no mother and father by her side to take care of her, and you call yourself a father? Don\'t bring shame to such a beautiful relationship. I respect the father and daughter relationship, but I hate the fact that you are my father.\'\'

\'\'Heather! Watch your words.\'\' Albert raised his voice, assuming that it would scare her, but in actuality, it didnot. Albert was thinking of mending their relationship today. How dare his daughter ignores her father? \'\'Discrespecting your father was not enough by divorcing your husband? You should be glad that I had set the things right before they went wrong. I gave you a beautiful married life, despite your scandal, but you ruined it_.\'\'

\'\'I never asked for it. You threatened me. You forced me into that marriage which I never approved.\'\' Heather screamed, casting tears when the memories surfaced again.

Heather\'s words were a real revelation to Francis. His gaze instantly shifted to Heather; pain was the only emotion ardent in her eyes. Was she forced to marry Max? Francis held Heather\'s shoulders and looked into her eyes deeply. \'\'Is it true whatever you spoke now?\'\' Francis demanded. \'\'Tell me, Heather!\'\'

Heather looked away. She refused to meet Francis\'s eyes. She dropped the secret she has been holding in front of him in the moment of her anger.

So, it is indeed true. Francis thought. Anger rushed through his veins.

\'\'What right you have to force her into a marriage even if it is your daughter?\'\' Francis yelled, holding Albert by his collar. The guards rushed forward, but Albert raised his hand and stopped them from further moving.

\'\'Francis, please leave him. It all happened in the past.\'\' Heather arrived in between to pull him, but it was her futile attempt to control the raging Francis in a fire. 

\'\'What relationship do you share with my daughter to make you stand for her every time, Mr. Hayes?\'\' Albert chuckled, pushing Francis away from his tight grip. He knows Francis has feelings for his daughter, but he didnot expect it was so deep that he remained unmarried. But he hated the fact that Francis became the hero of his daughter\'s life just by saving her from the accident. He was the one who looked after her studies. \'\'Do you know the reason my daughter distanced herself from me? It\'s because of you.\'\'

\'\'Do you know her birthday?\'\' Francis asked a question out of the subject.

\'\'Do you know what she likes to eat?\'\'

Albert\'s silence explained.

\'\'You don\'t know her birthday. You don\'t know what she likes. You wouldn\'t in a million years know the size of her shoe when she was little girl. What did you say? I separated her from you? Look back and see how many times you have spent time with her, and you will get the answer. You are not her father. You are just a sperm donor.\'\' Francis turned to Heather, who was standing like a statue, mouth agape. Wordlessly, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the car.

Albert bit back his anger and turned around. How dare he talk back to me? He would have crushed in seconds with his influence if it was any other person, but he knew he could not suppress Francis. Business and politics have to run harmoniously, and offending a big shot like Francis, is like shooting himself in the foot.

Anger is not good at his age. Albert slowly walked towards the car and stepped in. \'\'I want to know when my daughter was discharged from the hospital and started living with Francis.\'\' He ordered his personal assistant. If a word goes out to people that Albert\'s daughter is living with a man who is not her husband, it will hinder his political career. He has to put a stop to it before the calamity strikes. The elections are approaching, and he can\'t take a risk. He has to get his daughter back to his home soon.

\'\'Yes, Your Honor.\'\' The assistant bowed politely.

....

Parking the car in the home, Francis straight away headed to the garden.

\'\'Francis.\'\' Following behind him, Heather spotted him facing his back to her. \'\'I_I know you are angry, but_.\'\'

\'\'I want answers, Heather.\'\' Francis stopped her. \'\'Don\'t try to mask me with your lies anymore. Tell me the truth you are hiding.\'\'

\'\'I_I was carrying a child before the marriage,\'\' Heather whispered. She was ashamed to reveal the truth to Francis, but she can\'t keep up with the lie anymore. Even if she doesn\'t confess, Francis will eventually find the truth.

\'\'W_hat?\'\' Francis turned around and looked up to Heather in shock. \'\'How did it happen?\'\'

Tears started streaming down her cheeks while she recalled them.

\'\'Heather, please don\'t cry. Tell me what exactly happened?\'\' Francis\'s heart ached to see her grieve in pain. He wiped her tears and gently pulled her into his embrace to let her emotions out. \'\'I am here. Please don\'t cry.\'\'

\'\'It happened on the cruise ship,\'\' Heather explained everything that happened, including her father\'s threats to kill her baby if she doesn\'t marry Max. Heather has no idea how she ended up in Max\'s room when she was flirting with Francis on that night. The marriage with Max was only for the namesake. She never acknowledged the man as her husband and waited for the opportunity, and when the opportunity hit the door, she threw the divorce papers on his face. Even her father couldn\'t object at that time.

\'\'You have confined such important information from me? Was I not an important person in your life?\'\' Francis was shocked for the second time.

\'\'I_I was scared you would look down on me.\'\' She glanced up at him; her eyes were red with continuous crying. The pictures of Francis and some other woman caused Heather to confess her love to that womanizer in front of the person she loved dearly. \'I am marrying him because I loved him.\' She can never forget the harsh words she spat on Francis\'s face. Finally, she lost him on that day.

\'\'Have I ever looked down on you?\'\' He released himself from the hug and maintained a distance scared that Heather would reprimand him again. 

So, Heather didnot loved that scum. Francis\'s happiness had no bounds. The first time he took Leena into his arms was the happiest moment, and Francis never thought a day would come he would be happy again. But the day has come. Before his memories blacked out, Heather was in his arms. How did she end up with Max? He has to get the bottom out of it.

The moment Francis distanced himself, Heather missed the warmth, but she can\'t blame him. She was the one who taunted him on that day. God! Francis, why are you so perfect? Is there a chance for us to be together? Heather thought. She knows it is impossible, but her heart... 

While the two were in deep thoughts, from the balcony where Heather and Francis couldn\'t see, a woman clicked the pictures with a smile.