Bound By Lies - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 75

Rafe's POV

I sit at the dining table, staring at the stack of papers in front of me, my fingers drumming against the polished wood. It's been a while since I've done something like this—hell, it's been a while since I've wanted to. Business deals, contracts, negotiations... it used to be part of the life I was supposed to lead. The one my dad had planned for me. The one I messed up with all the mistakes I made.

But here I am, staring down at this deal like it's the key to proving something. To him. To Teresa. To myself.

I shift in my seat, the tension building in my shoulders as I hear my dad's voice in my head. His words from earlier this morning still echoing, biting into me like a scolding I can't escape.

"You need to start manning up, Rafe. Time to get serious. You've been fucking around long enough. It's time to show the world you're Cameron material. That you're not just a waste of space."

He didn't say it out of anger, not even disappointment, but more like an order—a fact. Like he's already accepted that I've messed everything up and now it's on me to fix it. And maybe he's right.

I reach for the papers, my hand shaking slightly as I flip through them. This deal—it's bigger than anything I've handled on my own before. But my dad thinks I can pull it off. Hell, maybe he's just testing me, waiting for me to fail again. But I can't. Not this time. I have to show him, show everyone, that I can do this.

Teresa's words from this morning are still fresh in my mind too. The way she looked at me, the way she kissed me and said she believed in me. That she knew I could be better. It's like a lifeline I'm holding onto, something keeping me from sinking completely into the darkness that always feels so close.

"Rafe?"

I turn my head at the sound of my dad's voice, watching as he steps into the room, his presence filling the space like it always does. His sharp suit, his controlled movements, everything about him screams authority. Control. The kind of man I've never quite been able to live up to.

"Dad," I mutter, sitting up straighter, the tension in my back growing as he approaches the table.

He nods toward the papers, his eyes narrowing slightly. "This is important," he says in that cold, measured tone of his. "You close this deal, and people will start taking you seriously. You show them you can handle the family business, and they'll stop seeing you as just a liability."

I swallow hard, my throat tight. "I know. I'll... I'll get it done."

"You'd better," he mutters, giving me a long, appraising look before he walks over to the window, his hands sliding into his pockets. "It's time you stop relying on me to clean up your messes, Rafe. Time to step up."

I grit my teeth, nodding even though the words sting. I know I've messed up. I know I've been a disappointment to him, to everyone. But I can't let that be who I am anymore. Not after everything Teresa's been through with me. Not after everything I've promised her.

"I'm serious about this," I mutter, glancing at the papers again. "I'll close the deal."

My dad turns, his eyes locking on mine, and for a moment, I think I see something like approval flicker there. But it's gone before I can grasp it, replaced with that same steely gaze.

"I hope so," he says quietly. "Because if you can't handle this, I'm not sure how many more chances I'm going to give you."

The weight of his words settle heavy in the air between us, and I clench my fists under the table, fighting the urge to say something—anything—to prove to him that I can do this. But I stay quiet, letting the pressure of the moment wrap around me like a noose.