Chapter 7: Hire her

The horror stricken face of every man around wasn’t enough to quantify what’s to come?! But the person in question who has shaken forbidden waters had no idea or maybe he got his boldness from staring death in the face because he kept on talking.

“You know Marcus is a better leader than you! One day the Dalgliesh empire will fall and all your men will pledge allegiance to the Heinrich clan, I know it!”

“Argh! Huff!”

The man speaking received a whiplash that cut across his back. The men couldn’t stand to watch the blasphemous words falling from his mouth, if it wasn’t for the fact that they had to receive orders to end him, he wouldn’t be alive till now!

The gloom over Donn was intense enough to melt anyone who dared to come close and his eyes were sharp as the viper staring deep into the soul of the nearly lifeless body.

With a calm but thundering voice he commanded.

“Pull out his teeth”

Horror instantly filled the man’s face, he thought all that awaits was death but he seemed to forget for a second that he was dealing with someone whose dictionary doesn’t have the word called mercy!

To the Dalgliesh clan, death is mercy and traitors don’t deserve a peaceful exit.

The command was given and the men snapped into action, Donn turned around and walked away and fear like no other embraced the man. The next second he violently tried to break free while screaming at the top of his lungs.

“Just kill me! Ahh!”

But his attempt was futile because his position prevented him from banging his head on the floor. The tools needed for the teeth extracted stared at him and the man holding it made a little show while pressing both sides of the metal handle together.

“Open wide!”

“No! Stopppp! Donovan you bastard! Listen to me, Marcus is going to kill you! You hear me, kill you! Argghhhh!”

Donn’s steps halted, he was one step away from leaving the warehouse. He glanced in the direction where painful screams were coming from and he mumbled.

“So that was your last words”

“Boss, the chairman is calling”

Franklin’s voice caught his attention and he walked out to his car with his phone in his ear.

“Yes?”

“You rascal! You don’t call to check on your grandfather and when I call you don’t bother to ask how I am. I could’ve been dead for all you know!”

“I’ve been busy, I was going to visit you-”

“I’d be dead before that time comes, all you’ll meet is my urn you punk!”

The other end of the call remained silent and Mr Dalgliesh signed in resignation. He knew how emotionless his grandson was, there was no point pushing it so he cleared his throat and spoke seriously.

“Donn, you need an heir…”

“…I know it’s useless trying to force you. You’re as stubborn as your father when he insisted on getting married to your mother, look what happened to him. Her bad luck ended up leading both of them to their death.

“Cut to the chase”

Donn gritted out, the topic of his parents was extremely sensitive and for some reason, tonight everyone has been touching his most sensitive spots. The thought made him hastily pull out a wrap of tobacco, with a click of his lighter he inhaled and exhaled air-filling fumes.

“Even if you don’t get married, have a child. I’ve found a suitable woman-”

“Forget it, I’m not interested. I’m hanging up”

“You punk! I’d be hearing from you soon whether you like it or not-”

Donn ended the call and took another puff while getting into his car but he had barely gotten comfortable when Franklin passed him a tab.

“Boss, you need to see this”

Donn collected the tab and fed his eyes the content.

“What’s the meaning of this?! I never agreed…that old man!”

immediately he pulled out his phone and called his grandfather. The title ‘old man’ was displayed on the screen and he threw the barely smoked tobacco out the window in annoyance.

“What is this news about? I never consented to this”

“I told you you’d call back, Ha! You didn’t have to, you left me no choice you rascal! The lineage of the Dalgliesh Clan has to go on! It’s an obligation you cannot neglect”

His words made perfect sense so Donn could only clench his jaw in anger. He has no interest in any woman if she’s not Rose! And he can’t have Rose so he doesn’t want anyone!

His old man is aware of his obsession for a girl named Rose and he knows it’s pointless to try and make him love another but he can’t neglect his duty to carry on the lineage of the Dalgliesh clan, making it his responsibility to ensure Donn passes on their name before he dies.

“I’m currently having dinner with an interested candidate a very suitable one at that. Olivia Auberon remember her? You guys used to be classmates, top of the class, Haha”

Donn’s hands went over his face in exasperation, his old man was always a pain, just like a smudge on the face that refuses to come off.

“If you were going to select someone for the surrogacy why go through the trouble of putting it on the news?” He asked in a tired voice.

“For the thrill of it of course. I want you to personally select, that way you’ll feel more attached to the child, who knows you might end up falling for the lady who piqued you interest. The Clan would protect her and she would leave with you until the baby is born”

“You’ve obviously been so jobless lately that you now have time for such silly thoughts”

His grandfather’s words peeved him greatly, none of the things he said sounded reasonable to him.

“How can you call the future of the Dalgliesh Clan silly?! You had better see this through young man!”

“Fine” He grumbled “Exclude me from the process, I don’t even want to set eyes on her. I’m serious old man, don’t try anything stupid or I won’t hesitate to send her back in a box”

“We’ll see about that!”

Although Donn didn’t like his reply he ended the call either ways and an uneasy feeling swept through him. The old man seemed to be plotting something or was he overthinking?

The next day, bright and early at Maston Corp. A knock on the door of Donn’s office and Franklin lets himself in.

“Here are the list of candidates that took the test and interview for the secretary position. These five are the most qualified”

Donn’s eyes vaguely glances through and he says.

“Hire her”

“Done…There is someone seeking an audience with you from County group-”

“When have I dealt directly with small fry? A name I’ve never heard before, meaning he isn’t an associate. Why would you bring that up, Franklin? You’ve been by my side long enough not to make such mistakes”

Franklin held his breath for a couple seconds then said.

“The guy seeking audience is the CEO of County group and the fiancé of Rose Beauregard”

Donn’s eyes shot up at once, that name has always been a trigger reset for him. Without hesitation he said “arrange a meeting tomorrow noon”.

Franklin was amazed but not surprised, the things he had seen Donn do for Rose without her knowledge were incomprehensible. The rules he broke and the extent he went, this was just one of the many he had bore witness of.

He walked out of the office with the chosen file in his hand. The file had a female passport displayed and a name filled in the name column, Mirable.