10-We're here

"Dad, it's four days since you gave the ultimatum" Elliot said to his father as he barged into his study "Kevin hasn't found a wife."

Mr Kord placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose and stared at Elliot,

"Are you eager to become the CEO?" Mr Kord asked

"Of course, dad." Elliot answered impatiently.

"And you're proud for not having to work for it??"

"What?"

Mr Kord leaned back on his chair and completely removed his glasses.

"When will you become something, Elliot?" Mr Kord's voice was stern "Look at your blind younger brother! You are nothing beside him despite having your sight which he doesn't!"

"Dad-"

"Silence!" Mr Kord fumed "When I brought you here and raised you, did I teach you to become useless?"

Elliot's hands curved into a fist. Mr Kord banged at his desk,

"Answer me!"

"No." he curtly replied

"Then?" he got up on his feet abruptly "Why do I have to do every single thing for you? Even the position of the CEO which supposed to be yours, you cannot even clinch it! I have to lift a finger for you at everything!"

"I'm sorry, dad. I will put in enough effort"

"For how long? Giving you everything freely will raise eyebrows and I don't want people speaking of my partiality to your brother because no one will never really understand how much I love you, Elliot."

He circled round the desk and stopped in front of his son, "If Kevin does not find a bride before tomorrow, I will announce you as the new CEO of the company however, you'll need a bride too."

Elliot was high on adrenaline until he heard his father's last words.

"A bride??" Elliot scoffed "Dad, I've no one."

"See what I'm saying??" Mr Kord stepped back "What do you want me to f*cking do?! Go out there and find one for you?"

"No..no dad.. that's not what I meant."

"The whores you sleep with at the hotel," Mr Kord mentioned, making Elliot shocked "Won't they make a good wife??"

"Absolutely not, dad!" Elliot frowned

"I won't help you on this, Elliot." Mr Kord said with a stern face "This is how far I've come."

"But dad-"

"Out," Mr Kord ordered "Until you learn to be dependent and prove to be better than your goddamn brother, don't show yourself to me."

"But dad-"

"Get out!"

Elliot huffed and walked out of his father's study. He was enraged with having to be compared to Kevin in every little conversation. With thoughts elsewhere, he accidentally bumped into Kevin who held himself from falling.

Staring at the brother who has taken everything away from him, Elliot felt nothing but hatred. He wished he could just wipe him off the face of the earth and no longer have to be compared to him.

"Didn't you watch were you heading?" Kevin snapped him out of his thoughts. "You're the one with eyes, make good use of 'em."

Elliot grabbed his collar, "Don't you talk to me in that manner, you bastard!"

Surprisingly calm, Kevin did not struggle with Eliot which only infuriated him the more. Chuckling, Kevin asked with a sarcastic tone,

"What? Did the old man annoy you again?"

"Watch it," Elliot warned with anger blazing in his eyes however there was nothing he could do when Kevin pushed him off him abruptly.

Straightening his shirt, he looked up and said "I know what you did back there, Elliot. Going up to Selene and feeding her with lies."

"Lies?" Elliot chuckled "Who's the one lieing?"

"Certainly not me," Kevin responded and then took a step forward "Let me tell you this, Elliot. You can keep trying hard to falter my plans but that's where you'll always be. That's who you'll always be. A liar and a pitiful and helpless daddy's boy while I'll remain at the top."

"So confident, aren't you?" Elliot retorted "Shouldn't you be looking for a wife, you don't want to fall from the top, do you?"

Elliot's long legs covered the distance between them.

"You can feel big all you want now, Kevin but the moment I get that position, the moment you let go and I become the CEO" he paused and added with a more deeper voice "You're done for. You and your mother. I will break you and watch you suffer. I will make you beg for the life of your mother in the same way I begged for mine! Your life will be so miserable, you'll beg for death but you wouldn't find it."

"How will you convince Selene to marry you, huh?" Elliot ended and brushed past him while hitting his shoulders.

....

Mrs Kord was elated to pick up Kevin from the office and drive down to Karen's house to pick her up too. Kevin was in a pensive mood and did not say much to his mother who cared the less.

All she wanted was to get the wedding over and done with before Kevin changes his mind. Leaving him in the car, she went into the house and helped Karen to the car.

"Kevin," Mrs Kord called "Your fiancee looks really pretty."

However, Kevin remained still and quiet. Karen too was in a world of her own and barely heard all the talks Mrs Kord made. While Kevin was finding it difficult to accept this marriage, he knew he had no choice. His mother was right, if he doesn't do what his father says Elliot will make their lives miserable.

The car came to a screeching halt in front of a large hall. Turning to them, Mrs Kord remarked,

"We're here," she broke them out of their thoughts.