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“Yes, but I don’t like that one.”
“You can’t say that, Pa.”
“I just did.” Gramps sniffed and turned back to me. “Well? Did you manage to sweep her off her feet?”
“I wouldn’t say I swept her off her feet,” I replied slowly.
“Ah. I see.” He nodded. “You slowly beat her down until she agreed to go out with you out of pity.”
I glared at him. “What kind of weakling do you take me for?”
“Well…”
Dad held up his hands. “That’s enough, you two. Jesus. I can’t say I ever thought I’d be a referee between my bickering father and son,” he muttered. “Pa, did we meet here today for you to fulfil some pipe dream of Chloe marrying Theo?”
Gramps looked at him and said, “Yes.”
I rubbed my hand across my forehead. “Is this not a conversation we could have had over dinner?”
“You ignored my calls yesterday.”
“Because I knew you’d do this.”
“All you have to do is tell me if you managed to convince her to date you or not.”
“Nobody convinces Chloe of anything. She makes her decisions entirely by herself.”
“Hmm.” Gramps rubbed his chin. “In that case, if she does date you, she might not be as smart as I thought she was.”
“This is workplace harassment,” I replied. “I’m going to report you to HR.”
“I’ll fire you, you little shit.”
Dad got up and walked over to his desk. “You two let me know when you’re done.”
“Alastair! Don’t you care about your future daughter-in-law?” Gramps hollered.
Dad switched on his computer and shot Gramps a withering look. “I was against your machinations from the beginning, Pa. I am extremely fond of Chloe and would like nothing more than to have her be a part of our family, but there are many things that must be considered. Not only do we own this company, but we’re also members of the aristocracy.”
Not that anyone would believe it if they heard the current Duke of Ruxleigh rambling on the way he was.
“Anyone who marries Theo must be able to carry the weight of the companyandeventually, the titles of Countess of Southford and then Duchess of Ruxleigh,” Dad continued. “While I appreciate our noble roles are largely ceremonial these days, it doesn’t change the fact that whoever marries an heir to such a title must be prepared to shoulder the responsibilities of it. You cannot shoehorn Chloe into such an undertaking just because you love her as if she were your own.”
Gramps turned away, crossing his arms over his chest, but even he couldn’t argue with Dad.
He was right, after all.
Unlike my grandmother and mother, Chloe hadn’t grown up in the upper-class world of the aristocracy. The closest she’d come was the few years she’d lived with her aunt and uncle after her parents passed away, but even living in the household of a multi-millionaire like Jay Park wasn’t comparable.
That said, if anyone could handle the burdens that would come with marrying me, I knew it would be Chloe.
“Besides,” Dad said. “You’re completely disregarding both Theo and Chloe’s feelings, Pa. Have you considered that neither of them feels that way about each other?”
“Ha!” Gramps barked out a laugh. “You think you’re so smart, Alastair.”
“What does that mean?”
“This chump has been in love with her for months.”
