—Vincent—
"You've got to be kidding me"I abruptly stood
"I'm absolutely serious about this" my grandfather argued leaning back on his office chair
"Then I'm begging you to reconsider"
"The only thing i'll be reconsidering is who will inherit my empire"
Unable to hold back my anger any longer i spewed
"I helped you build this empire over the last fifteen years.I turned this company into what it is today when i came on board Darwin Industries was just one company that i have now turned into several,making all of them go public within seven months.In the last year alone between our gross profits and our stock valuations we've grossed over a hundred and sixty billion dollars. I deserve to be the CEO of Darwin industries because I've worked my ass off for it."
Looking him deep in the eyes I spoke with determination, "Do you understand me?"
"It's not personal, Vincent.It's business,I'm just looking out for the future of our legacy."
"It is fucking personal! It couldn't get any more personal than what you're asking of me."
He shook his head in disappointment. "You really need to learn how to control that anger of yours grandson."
I took a deep breath, this man knew how to push everything one of my buttons and did it without hesitation. It didn't matter how much I'd proved myself over the years, nothing was ever good enough. Now he was pushing me to the brink of madness, and i was supposed to sit back and obey like a fucking dog.
In my world, I was the alpha except when it came to him.
"I raised you," he reminded me like he did time and time again
It was his fall back, hanging it over my head for as long as I could remember. Of course, I apreciated everything he'd ever done for me, but the resentment of his constant demands also grew as the years went by. His expectations of me were getting fucking ridiculous, however this one took the prize.
I couldn't believe he thought I'd just bend to his will. Talking as if he was simply asking me to take a meeting with a client and not alter the course of my entire future in such a long, extreme manner, with a woman I hadn't seen since I was seventeen years old.
I mean the guts of this man knew no bounds.
He was relentless in his pursuit, determined to make whatever he thought was right happen, no matter what or who it affected. The sad part was that we were the same. I was exactly like him; he made sure of it. I wasn't just relentless, I was diabolical in the way I destroyed my opponent. There was no reason for my tactics. It was insanity and I owned it.
Making them beg for mercy was what I was good at. They didn't call me a ruthless businessman for nothing. I'd earned that title,and i was fucking proud of it. I gave up everything for Darwin Industries, and I'd be damned if he didn't leave it to me, I'd fight him for it if I have to.
With his latest demand, it was becoming overtly obvious it would come down to that. However, for the first time in my life, I had no idea what the outcome would be, and I hated that more than anything. I wasn't used to not being in control and for a man who thrived on authority, it was destroying my life.
"I've always known what you're capable of" he coaxed, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"You don't have to inform me of what you've achieved in my companies with my money, Vincent. I'm well aware."
" Then why are you doing this to me?"
"My dear grandson you may think I'm doing this to you when in reality I'm doing this for you"
I shook my head in disbelief. " What makes you say that?"
" Well for one, you're almost forty and you still act like an incipient playboy."
"What I do with my personal life is none of your business."
"It's my business when you want me to leave you a hundred and sixty billion dollars in enterprises."
"Which has absolutely nothing to do with how I carry on in my personal life."
"Vincent, what you fail to understand is that the only person's opinion that matters is mine not yours."
"You're being unreasonable grandfather, how do you expect me to behave?"
"Like a possible heir to my fortune which doesn't include your playboy ways. Time magazine voted you the most eligible bachelor for the sixth consecutive year.
"And sales skyrocket everytime they do."
"So does the media when they see you out with another model. For Christ's sake, Vincent can't you date a woman over the age of twenty five? I'm sick and tired of the press making you out to be the man whore you are."
" Again that has nothing to do with my ability of running the company and taking over as the CEO one day."
"Alright, then how about this?" He grabbed the Forbes magazine and threw it on his desk.
There in front of my eyes was the woman I hadn't seen or spoken to in twenty years.
She was on the cover of the magazine with the title "Everything Ana Wade touches turns to gold"
"She's made quite a name for herself, Vincent. Like you, she's turned her family's business into several successful companies, grossing multi billions with their revenue and stocks. I'd say she's your biggest competition."
"Grandfather…" I warned with a hard tone.
"You need to consider the possibilities. Just imagine merging corporations with our biggest adversary. A rivalry that's been going on between our families for over a century could finally be put to rest, and all it would take is both of you saying "I do."
"I don't need to marry Ana to make that happen."
"No, but it does make it better. The enemy becomes the ally. I couldn't think of a better plan. Trust me, Vincent. We've been working on this strategy for the last year and if we didn't think it was a good idea we wouldn't have done it, it wasn't a decision we took lightly.
"We?" I snap confused.
Right on cue, the door to his office opened, and I was instantly caught off guard. Which was another emotion I hated. For the first time in twenty years, Ana's grandfather, William Wade, who was still CEO of Wade Enterprises, entered my grandfather's office and leaned against the door.
I couldn't help but remember the last time we were all together in this office. The memories of that night played out in my mind like they were happening right then and there.
Clearing away those thoughts, I clenched, "what is he doing here?"
"I'm here because we've already united forces."
I regarded his statement for a moment, then it dawned on me that this was not an argument between my grandfather and me, but it was a fucking ambush by Ana's grandfather and mine.One i stupidly walked into, exactly like the last time.
My gaze shifted from the man I least expected to my grandfather.
"What the hell old man? What is this? Another one of your games?"
"This isn't a game, Vincent. It's a hostile takeover of our futures that solely depends on you getting Ana to say 'I do' to you."
" You both know that I haven't seen her in two decades right?"
"Time only makes the heart grow fonder"
I shook my head in shock and disbelief. "You two are the reason we haven't seen each other in twenty years, the reason why I had to break her heart and mine. It was why I was sent away, remember?"
"Vincent, you know that's not true. It wasn't just Ana we were trying to get you away from. My reasons were much more than that and you know it, but look how well you turned out? It was the best thing I could have done for you. Who knows what would have happened to you if I hadn't intervened?"
"Which only hurt Ana in the process."
"It's all water under the bridge."
"Enough with the whole bumper sticker bullshit, Grandfather! What makes you think she's even going to agree to this?"
"For one it's your job to make sure she does. I know the power of your persuasion, Vincent. They don't call you a merciless bastard in the boardroom for nothing. Hostile takeovers are your forte, and they're your favorite. Besides getting her to marry you won't be your biggest achievement."
I narrowed my eyes at him, taken aback by what he meant by his statement. I didn't have to wait long for an explanation.
I just didn't expect the next thing that came out of her grandfather's mouth…
"Giving us a bloodline heir will be"
