Please Me Daddy (Gracie) novel Chapter 10

**Across Distant Skies Lies Hope Waiting To Be Found by Kade Rowan Flint**

Emotions were merely distractions.

—

Apollo

As I stepped out of the hotel, the brisk morning air enveloped me like an old friend, invigorating yet familiar. My gaze was immediately drawn to the sleek black car parked at the curb, a constant in my meticulously structured life. It was more than just a vehicle; it was a symbol of my routine, my unyielding dedication to my work.

Standing at the front of the vehicle, my loyal secretary Austin awaited me, exactly where I anticipated he would be. He possessed an uncanny knack for foreseeing my needs, always operating several steps ahead of the game. As I approached, he offered a slight bow, a gesture that spoke volumes of his respect and unwavering commitment. “Good morning, Mr. Apollo,” he greeted, his voice steady and professional.

I acknowledged him with a curt nod, a gesture that conveyed both recognition and the weight of the day that lay ahead of me.

With practiced efficiency, he swiftly opened the rear passenger door, and I slid into the plush interior, adjusting my shirt cuff with a precise flick of my wrist. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted from the center console, where a steaming cup awaited me, nestled beside a meticulously arranged folder containing today’s briefings. It was a small but significant comfort that I had come to rely on.

As the car glided away from the hotel, I picked up the document, skimming through the first page while taking a careful sip of the coffee. The heat scorched my tongue, but I relished it—just the way I liked it.

“Why was Chase late this morning?” I inquired, my gaze still fixed on the file, not bothering to look up.

Chase was usually the epitome of punctuality. He would rise with the sun, buried in emails and spreadsheets by six, and have my morning coffee delivered to my door by seven. Today, however, he had missed every single one of those milestones.

Austin cleared his throat softly, a sound that caught my attention. I glanced up to find him watching me intently in the rearview mirror. His eyes darted away the moment ours met, a subtle sign of the tension that lingered in the air.

“Sir,” he began cautiously, “Chase took the incorrect spare key from the hotel lobby yesterday. He needed to resolve the mix-up this morning and retrieve the correct one.”

I leaned back in my seat, folding the page in my lap in half, my mind racing through the implications of this oversight. It was a simple mistake, but in my world, even the smallest error could lead to chaos.

Austin had been by my side longer than anyone else in my employ. Now in his late fifties, he was a man of sharp intellect and unwavering loyalty, someone who had earned my trust through his rare, brutal competence. Yet, even he was not impervious to the pressures of life. I had noticed his health declining of late, which prompted me to hire a younger assistant to handle the mundane tasks—scheduling reminders, running errands, and managing minor reports—so that Austin could concentrate on what truly mattered.

Everyone around me knew one undeniable truth: I had no tolerance for mistakes. I paused, allowing the silence to stretch before I returned my attention to the file in my lap.

“Ensure it never occurs again,” I instructed, my voice steady but laced with authority.

“Yes, sir,” Austin responded without hesitation, his tone reflecting the weight of my words.

Just then, my phone buzzed, a sound that sent a ripple of unease through me. I didn’t need to glance at the screen to know it was likely bad news. No one dared to disturb me at such an early hour unless something was amiss. I stole a quick look at the screen.

Of course, it was him.

I stared at the name flashing across the screen, a mix of irritation and resignation flooding my thoughts. I could ignore the call, but I knew my father would persist until I answered. Tenacity was a trait that ran deep in our bloodline, and unfortunately, it was one I had inherited. With a resigned sigh, I answered.

“Son,” came that all-too-familiar voice, laced with concern. “Where are you?”

I leaned back against the plush leather seat, already feeling the weight of exhaustion settle on my shoulders. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Spare me the pretense; acting has never been your strong suit, old man.”

“What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean,” my father replied, his tone feigning confusion as if he were a master of deception.

I switched the call to speaker mode, placing the phone on the seat beside me while I returned my focus to the document in my hands. “What do you need? I’m busy.”

“When have you ever been busy?” he shot back, his voice rising slightly. “You don’t have a life, Apollo. You are your work. I don’t even understand what you do with all that money. You never take vacations, you never date, you never do anything fun.”

I continued to read, my pen circling an error in the financials that I had just discovered.

“Honestly,” he continued, undeterred by my silence, “you’re not getting any younger. Don’t you want to enjoy life before your back gives out? Find a nice woman, fall in love, maybe even have a conversation that isn’t about work?”

My lips twitched at the memory, almost forming a smirk against my will. That girl was a tempest of emotions. This morning, she had stormed into my world, eyes wide with fury, clutching a blanket like it was armor, shooting death glares as if they could pierce through me. It had been amusing, to say the least. She was one of the few women who dared to confront me with such intensity.

Her presence had caught me off guard, a rare occurrence. And last night, the way she responded to every touch was etched in my memory—like no one had ever taken their time with her before. The way she trembled under my hands, how she clung to me as if I were her lifeline, the way she clenched around my fingers—it was intoxicating.

“What a shame,” I murmured to myself, a hint of regret creeping in. “I didn’t get to finish what I started.”

“Sir,” Austin called from the front, pulling me back to reality. “We’re here.”

A moment later, the door swung open. I stepped out, adjusting the cuff of my suit with a practiced motion. In front of me loomed a tall glass and steel structure, my building, my empire.

I stared at it with an air of indifference.

This was all I needed. Emotions were just distractions.

—

As I stood before the towering structure of my empire, I felt an unexpected weight settle in my chest. The morning air, once crisp and invigorating, now felt charged with a different energy—one that stirred memories and desires I had long buried beneath layers of ambition and indifference. The fleeting moments with her, the fiery spirit that challenged my cold exterior, echoed in my mind, reminding me that life was not merely about building a legacy or dominating industries. It was about connection, vulnerability, and the courage to embrace the chaos of emotions that I had so fervently rejected. For the first time, the thought of my father’s words lingered, challenging me to reconsider what it meant to truly live.

As I crossed the threshold into the glass fortress, I realized that perhaps emotions were not the distractions I had deemed them to be. They were the very essence of what made us human, the threads that wove our experiences together. In that moment, I felt a flicker of hope—a hope that maybe, just maybe, I could allow myself to feel again. The walls I had built around my heart began to crack, and for the first time in years, I wondered if there was a path leading beyond the confines of my empire, a path that might lead me to the warmth of connection and the joy of living fully.

—

**What to Expect in Next Chapter?**

In the next chapter, readers can expect Apollo to grapple with the growing tension between his rigid, emotionless existence and the stirring feelings ignited by the enigmatic woman from the previous night. As he navigates the complexities of his professional life, the lingering memory of her challenge to his stoicism looms large, forcing him to confront the cracks in his carefully constructed facade. Will he allow himself to explore the vulnerability she awakened, or will he retreat further into the cold efficiency that has defined him for so long? The stakes are high, and the battle between duty and desire promises to intensify.

Moreover, the arrival of unexpected challenges at work will test Apollo’s resolve. With the pressure mounting from both his father’s insistence on personal connections and the demands of a high-stakes business environment, Apollo’s world is set to spiral into chaos. New characters may emerge, each with their own agendas, further complicating his life. As he attempts to maintain control, the question remains: can he keep his empire intact while grappling with the emotions he so vehemently rejects? The tension is palpable, and readers will be left on the edge of their seats, eager to see whether Apollo will finally embrace the hope that lies just beyond his reach.