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“Children?” she repeated. “As in plural?”
“I mean, why not?”
“Are you listening to yourself right now? You sound insane. We haven’t seen each other in twenty years, and now I’m just supposed to walk down the aisle with you and get knocked-up, on what? Our honeymoon?”
“I was thinking more like our wedding night, but that works too.”
“I can’t believe this is happening.”
“You already said that.”
“And I’m going to keep saying it for as long as I have to for you and everyone else to understand this plan is absurd.”
“If it gets us the title of CEO, then it couldn’t be more logical.”
“Stop speaking to me like I’m another one of your hostile takeovers, Tristian. I don’t want to marry you, let alone have your baby.”
“Then what, huh? Everything you’ve worked so fucking hard for was for nothing? Because that’s exactly what you’ll receive. Not. One. Damn. Company. You want to see one of your brothers or cousins step into the role that should be yours?”
The truth of what would happen was getting through to her. I could see it in her eyes.
“How is this even legal?”
“You and I both know in our world, the two of them make the laws.”
I pushed off the wall and reached for her hand. “You once told me you wanted to prove your family wrong. Well, here’s your chance, kitten. Make a future with me, and I’ll make all your dreams come true.”
“Sounds more like a nightmare.”
“Well…” I smiled before I spoke from experience, “You know what they say—your best dreams and your worst nightmares usually have the same people in them.”
Chapter 3
—Belle—
I walked into the conference room like a woman on death row, and in a way it felt like I was. With my heart beating out of my chest, I inhaled one last heavy breath. I was losing my mind, but I tried to remain calm on the outside.
Mr. Hawkins greeted, “Nice of you to finally join us, Belle.”
“I’d have been here sooner had you and my grandfather included me in your plans for my future.”
“Our future,” Grandfather chimed in, nodding to the empty seat near the center of the table.
I adamantly shook my head. “I want no part in this.”
“If that were true,” Mr. Hawkins countered. “You wouldn’t be here.”
I sighed. He was right. Slowly, I walked toward the chair. Fifteen steps was all it took to make it to the seat while Tristian sat in the other empty seat in front of me. Of course, our grandfathers were sat at each end of the long rectangle table, looking like the epitomes of the coldblooded businessmen they were.
At that moment, I felt like a little girl and not the successful businesswoman I was. I desperately tried reeling in my emotions, fully aware they could still smell my indecision. The truth was, I didn’t know what to do. A part of me wanted to tell them all to go to hell while the other part, the ambitious one, craved to cave.
“This is how it’s going to go, Belle.” Grandfather slid what appeared to be the contract Tristian had mentioned in my office across the desk. “As you will see, this contract is non-negotiable. It states that after you’re married and our great grandchild is born, we will sign our companies over to you and Tristian.”
“Just like that?”
“Yes. It’s really that simple. You and Tristian will merge our businesses, and there will be a fifty-fifty split on the position of CEO.”
Unable to resist, I questioned, “Why now?”
