Promises Forgotten
Chapter 57: Epilogue

At first, I thought it was my father shaking hands with people as they walk in, but I realized that there was no grey hair. I was looking at Adrian. Evie touched my arm, and the metal was cold. It jolted me to glance at her and there was a concerned look on her face.

“Sorry. I saw Adrian for a second.” I whispered in her ear.

“Why do you look like you saw a ghost, then?”

I looked down at her, my lips pressed together in a thin line. “Because I thought he was my father.”

Her eyes widened and then she nodded. The grip she has on my arm tightened and we waited in line for the final photo to be taken. Walking in front of the logo, I stood with Evie close to my left side. Rissa was in my arms, and Elliot between us. I hadn’t spoken to my father since the night I told him I was done. He had tried to worm his way back into the company and bring his Mafia influence with him.

At first, I was able to fight alongside Adrian until my father started to give Adrian something he always wanted, recognition. I watched as I was pushed away further and further from my brother. I watched him rise with the company while his personal life spiral out of control. I tried to help, but my opinions no longer mattered. He became my father over the past few years, and it was the reason why I no longer associated with him. He became the man I hated.

“I thought you said you didn’t invite models to this? This was supposed to be about the kids, Nicole. Not people showing off.” We heard his voice float over the lull of the crowds.

“Adrian, stop. I did exactly as you asked. I can’t help it if someone looks better than you.” Nicole snapped back at him.

Evie looked up at me and my eyes locked with hers as we heard their conversation. A smirk formed on her lips, and I felt it invade my face as well. We looked back at the camera and adjusted slightly in a more modelesque pose.

“Look at them. It’s gross. Who has two kids and is that thin? Let alone the guy probably doesn’t even spend time with his family. Works out all the time.”

Evie snorted. We were trying to keep it together for the poor photographer, but we were struggling. The photographer gave us a thumbs up and we walked over. Evie apologized to him, and he shook his head, laughing. Elliot came up to me and motioned me down. Leaning into my ear, he glanced at my brother.

“Why are they so mean?”

My eyes widened at first, but then softened. “Because they don’t know us. While that doesn’t give them the right to talk about people behind their backs, it’s better that we be the better person and not talk about them.”

Evie came over and rolled her eyes. “If I can’t compare him to a sausage roll this night is ruined.”

My hand came up to cover my nose as I tried to stifle down a snort. It turned into a cough, but Evie came up and slammed my back. She did this with her bionic arm and a little too hard to actually be helpful. Her face also donned her usual smirk. Straightening up, I let Rissa down and she held hands with Elliot. We walked over together to Adrian. His eyes weren’t on me, but rather the floor.

“Thank you for coming.” He thrust his hand out and I took it, trying to swallow the unease as it felt like I was shaking my father’s hand.

“I appreciate you doing this for one of our favorite charities. I’m not one for outings, but my wife decided it was time that I get back on the red carpet.”

He laughed. “Well, you all look red carpet ready. All of you look lovely tonight.”

“I thought I taught you better. Look the people you are talking to in the eyes, Adrian.”

Adrian’s eyes widened and he slowly looked up at me. I kept the smile on my face as his mouth dropped open. Nicole next to him did a double take before throwing her arms around Evie, who was surprised.

“I can’t believe you made it! I didn’t think you guys would. You always turn down the invitations.”

Evie blushed. “I’m sorry. It’s hard enough getting time off with the kids and the cafe, but it’s a whole ordeal going anywhere. Plus, we aren’t ones for cameras.” She looked at me and I nodded.

“Why not just give the kids to the nanny for a few days and come over yourselves?”

I looked at Adrian, this time my mouth fell open slightly. Nicole, who could read the surprise and horror on my face, went bright red with embarrassment. She dared to look at Evie, who looked pissed, but I watched Evie’s face quickly flash into a sickly sweet smile.

“We don’t have nannies, Adrian. We parent our children, together as a family.”

He laughed and I hated the sound. The sound when my father was laughing at a joke one of his clients made. “My dear, I meant no offense. Just with you being one-handed and working, Z working as well. I’m sure you have someone taking care of the kids. Nanny, cleaning staff, chefs, whoever. No one in our tax bracket would even think of being hands on like that. Who has the time?”

Swinging around, I grabbed Evie’s arm as I saw it start to move forward, I pulled her in close and kissed her forehead. “Evie. No. Hay cámaras por todas partes. Cálmate, mi amor.”

Nicole and Adrian looked a mixture of shocked and confused.

Elliot though, stepped up to them, also looking upset. “My mom and dad don’t have a chef or nanny or cleaning staff. We take care of each other. Mom and Dad cook dinner. We go on trips with Dad for business trips. Mom helps me with my homework and Dad helps me learn the guitar. They drive us to school and pick us up and sometimes we get to hang out at the cafe.”

Elliot furrowed his brow. “I don’t understand why you are so mean when you don’t care about children. I hope you don’t have any kids, because I would feel sorry for them. My parents are the best and anyone who can’t see that needs to get glasses. How could people like you put on a charity event for kids?”

Smiling, I reached out and ruffled Elliot’s hair. “Come on, let’s head inside.”

I heard Evie take a deep breath and I let her go. She rolled her shoulders. I walked behind Elliot with Rissa still in my arms. Evie, though, took a minutes.

“What happened to you?” She asked.

“Excuse me?” I heard Adrian say in a mocking tone. “Not all of us can look like we just walked off the f*****g runway.”

She shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t care what you look like, Adrian. You’re my brother-in-law. The uncle to my kids. The stories that Z told me about you…the fact that he basically raised you. I can’t believe that under his guidance you turned out like this.” She narrowed her eyes. “You are a disgrace, just like your father. I’m sorry Z’s approval of you and his faith in you wasn’t enough. I’m sorry you had to go running to a man who ruined so many people’s lives in order to build his own reputation.”

She paused for a moment before looking at Nicole and then she looked back at Adrian. “He ruined your lives, too. Look at what you have become…because of him. The happiness you had. The love. The self-respect. All of that, gone. Z raised you better than that. He’s been supporting you from the shadows all these years and I let him because I knew he loved you more than anything. You are the little brother he raised to be a man better than himself. But now? Now, Adrian? You’re a disappointment.”

Evie turned and hooked her arm in mine, leaving the two of them dumbstruck. We found our seats and she set up Rissa next to her.

“That was a little harsh, Evie.”

She shook her head. “You stopped me from punching him. Anything else I do or say isn’t considered harsh.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “How can the man you described become such a disgusting pig?”

Kissing her forehead, I pulled her close. I knew she held out more hope for Adrian than I did. She didn’t deal with the backend of all he had done in and out of the company. She didn’t know some of the messes I ended up cleaning for him. I gave up hope a while ago. It wasn’t like Evie though to give up so easily. He managed to hit the one thing she hated more in this world than anything. Parents who were alive and not there for their kids. It hit her hard after losing both of her parents, and Adrian hit that pressure point.

“Did you put anything up for auction?” She asked after a while.

Smiling, I shrugged. “Not up for auction, per say. Maybe a donation goal being reached.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What did you put as a goal?”

“We will have to wait to see if they announce it.”

Our dinner was served and we ate, enjoying the music playing. Though Evie was annoyed at the cellist, who seemed to not know his fingering during one of the songs. After that though, the auction began and goals were met, one after another.

“At two hundred million, we have a special performance by Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Anderson, which is the next goal we have to hit on the list.”

Evie slapped my arm and I chuckled. “What the hell, Z?”

“What? I couldn’t find anything to auction off this late and so I thought it would be the next best thing.”

“And we managed to raise the extra 32 million needed for the stretch goal! That was the fastest stretch goal we have reached so far,” the MC announced, and Evie hit me again.

“F**k, Z.”

I chuckled. “Honestly, I didn’t think they would hit it.”

She threw her hands up and I laughed. Standing up, I held out my hand to her. Evie stood up, a haughty look on her face. I couldn’t help the smile on my face and motioned the kids to come with us. The MC for the evening almost ran over to us.

“Thank you so much for setting up a touching goal! I know the world wants to see the famous Zachary Anderson perform!”

I nodded. “Really, it’s my wife who is the musician in the family, but I do my best.”

Evie was still mad as she asked the band to bring down a mic for her. One of the band members handed her a loose mic and she sat on the edge of the stage, crossing her legs and showing far more of her thigh than I felt comfortable with in that dress. Clearing my throat, I asked for the acoustic guitar and they handed it to me gently. I didn’t take it immediately, instead I lifted up Rissa and Elliot to sit next to their mom. Then, I took the guitar and sat on the edge of the stage as well.

“I apologize. My wife didn’t know I roped her into this performance.” I grinned at the crowd, who laughed.

There were a lot of familiar faces out in the crowd. Many people I was raised with and saw at every charity and opulent event. Some of them I partied with and grew up next to, their families interlocked with my father and mother. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Evie.

“This will most likely be my last public appearance before you all. So let this be a goodbye to the people who have dealt with me and grown up with my family’s shenanigans throughout the years.” I strummed the guitar and Evie touched my arm.

Her face had changed into a soft love. “Shall we say goodbye together?”

I nodded and smiled. “It’s time to say goodbye.”