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Sitting in my father’s office, I rolled my eyes as I watched him twirl his pen in his hand back and forth.
“Is there something you need, Father?” I asked, and he looked over at me, unamused.
“Archer, word has gone around, and it seems as though Papa Bear Killian is just a bit angry that you and Delilah are together, so to speak,” he muttered.
I tilted my head. “Your point is?” I asked, and he smiled.
“My point is, I’m not angry. In fact, it was bound to happen, especially with you being in love with her your entire life and all. You weren’t exactly discreet about it, son,” he muttered, standing, and I leaned back in the chair as he stood and walked over to the window.
“I commend you really. For as crazy as both Killian and I are... you still followed your heart,” he remarked.
I rolled my eyes once again as I stood, placing my hands in my pockets.
“I just realized I wasted my time coming here to see you. I’ll be going now if you don’t mind—” I began, and he cut me off.
“There is a bit of adilemmaI am having, though, son.”
I tilted my head to the side, and from the look on his face, I knew something was wrong.
“Which is?” I muttered.
He thought for a moment. “You know, your brother grew jealous of me choosing you to be my successor.”
I rolled my eyes. “I told both him and you that I didn’t care for the position, and somehow, your decision always makes me look like the bad guy.”
He gave a slight smirk before pouring himself a glass of whiskey and taking a sip.
“He grew jealous because he realized that you would get the position no matter what he did—and do you want to know why, son?” he asked, and I remained silent. “It’s because ofDelilah.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “What does she have to do with any of this?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Not much... you just need to marry her,” he answered, taking a sip of his drink.
The room seemed to grow colder at my father’s words. “Marry her?” I echoed, my voice filled with skepticism. “You’re serious?”
“You wouldn’t be head over heels for her if I wasn’t.” He shrugged and I clenched my fists, my father’s words echoing in my mind as I tried to process the absurdity of his words.
Marry Delilah?He made it sound like a simple business transaction, a way to secure power, keep our family’s wealthy legacy intact—but Delilah was more than a pawn in his twisted idea of a game.
“It’s rather easy and simple, really. Your brother’s envy is for good reason. You have something—someone—he can’t have… and it coincidentally gives you an advantage.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You’re suggesting I use her.”
My father set the glass down, eyeing me with a calculated look. “If that were the case, you’d be doing my job for me then.” My jaw clenched as he tilted his head. “Delilah is more than just a means to an end. But in this world, love and power are often intertwined.”
Standing only a foot in front of me, my father placed a hand on my shoulder.
“You may not care for the position, but you care for her. And that’s why you’ll do what needs to be done.”
Shrugging his hand off of me, I scoffed. “So, is this your subtle way of threatening me?”
“Call it what you will… just know if you don’t marry her, there will be consequences. You love her, and she loves you, apparently, so… this shouldn’t be much of a challenge, I would assume. Just make sure Papa Bear Killian doesn’t get in the way, and we should be good as gold, hmmm?” he proposed.
I turned away from him as I walked towards the door. “Fucking psychopath,” I muttered, and he chuckled as I left his office.
“That’s the spirit,” he responded.
I had to control my thoughts and anger as I entered the elevator.My father is practically forcing me to marry Delilah...
