Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

WILLIAM'S POV

The echoes of my steps as I walked filled the hallway that leads to my grandfather's study, he had invited me over earlier today asking me to come over, it may seem strange but ever since I took over as CEO, James Carter senior rarely asked for a private meeting, yes we have our grandfather and grandson time whenever I come over for dinner, where we have a chat over his expensive collection of whiskey, but that's mostly business talk and also his secretary gives him his weekly reports and I always send him mails also.

A single knock on the thick mahogany door and a gruff come in from inside.

I pushed the door open and he was seated across the table on his vintage swivel chair, his shiny silver hair snatching my attention for a minute, although his eyes were bright and gleaming, one cannot miss the wrinkles that had formed on the eyelids and his wrist, but I'm sure he was beaming with energy, at seventy six, he does what most men his age would have given up on, he's formidable.

He nodded at me to acknowledge my presence and asked me to seat, since the call earlier today I've been wondering what he wanted to talk about, I sat on one of the seats opposite his end of the table and the vinyl crackles as I tried to get comfortable, but one look from him made me seat up.

One may see this as an act of fear towards this man in front of me, I'll say this, not fear, respect, this man single handedly raised me to be the businessman I am today, so I respect him and his wisdom.

The office was quite and I could hear the grandfather clock ticking behind me, but still I had to ask why he wanted to see me, but before the question could leave my lips, he asked.

" Do you know about the Carrington winery ?" 

" Yes sir, I do " I replied, he nodded his approval, 

"There will be a merger between the two companies"

My face scrunched up, I didn't know about any merger, this is my first time hearing of this.

But as always, he didn't care if I had any idea or not, he just continued, I knew he was the chairman, but I'm the CEO, I should know of everything that goes on around the company. 

" Why am I only hearing of this now ?" I asked

" Because it's just been finalized, I and the late Levi Carrington were good friends in the old days and we made a promise to each other that we will have our children get married so as to create a greater bond between the two families"

I furrowed my brows, I don't understand where this was going.

" The Carrington's winery will merge with the Carters Inc., but for this to be finalize, you'll have to marry Naya Carrington " 

his voice was stern as he said this.

This must be a joke, but again grandpa never made jokes but I had to be sure if I had heard right.

" I'm to marry who grandpa?, Is this a joke, if it is, it's not funny "

But my grandfather glared at me, he was serious about this, 

" Grandpa, there are other ways  to a business merger, marriage?, Are we back to the medevial era ?"

But my words seem to anger him more,

" We gain more with this merger, the Carrington's winery becomes a subsidairy part "

" And to what expense, a marriage to a girl I know nothing about, grandpa, and what about Suzanne ?" 

As soon as I mentioned her name, he stood up sharply, his eyes went cold and hard and his voice went tight

" You don't mention that Golddigger in my presence "

But I was quick to defend her, grandpa never liked Suzanne and he's never gave a good reason as to why, but I don't care what he thinks

" She's not a Golddigger, and I love her, why can't you see that ? "

" Love, for a businessman you use your heart more than your head " he scoffed, but then smiled evilly

" You have no choice, if you keep refusing to marry Miss Carrington, I would remove you from the CEO position, Ezekiel will take over "

I worked hard to get to where I am now, I worked hard to put Carter incorporated to the position it is now, I did it, by myself. Zeke had never worked for anything.

" Zeke will ruin Carter's inc. " I said with balled fist and a shaking voice.

" Don't you see the bigger picture, Liam, why do you want to give everything you've worked hard for because of a girl ?"

" You've never liked her, never gave a good reason why either, she's worked so hard to get to where she is, to prove to you she's right for me, what else do you want ?" I asked, my voice tightened with emotions

" I don't need her to do anything, I just see her the way she is, the way you should see her, I won't let you marry such a girl, I made you who you are Liam, I won't let you loose yourself, one day you'll thank me for this " his voice was gruff as he said this why he left the room, leaving me to my own thoughts.

Seated in the bar of my penthouse for the past two hours I've been nursing the whiskey in my glad for an hour or so, my thoughts were on the argument between I and my grandfather, how could he do this to me, how could he want me to choose between the woman I love and the company I use every bit of my sweats to build, my grandfather knows I love the company, from the day when I was seven years old, he took me to the company as my birthday gift and told me how it will be mine only if I can make it stand out in the world, Carter's incorporated is my blood and sweats.

I gulped down the remaining whiskey in my glass  letting it  burn my chest as I thought about Anne and how she will feel about this, just last month when she introduced her fashion line in Paris, Ihad joined her as a way to support, and after the congratulatory dinner,  I took her on a date in one of the restaurants that overlooked Eiffel tower, I proposed, but she rejected my proposal, not because she doesn't love me less, but that she knew I held my grandfather in a great light, she knew he didn't like her and knows he doesn't approve of her for me and that's why she's working hard to do so, she says when she's grown enough to stand by my side, she'd wear my ring proudly and that grandfather will have to approve of her, I know I couldn't love her less, and I understood her reason.

Right now I'm about to make a decision that will either make or mar our relationship, pouring down another glass of whiskey in my glass, I gulped all down immediately wincing at the burning sensation it gave, I picked on my phone and dialed his number.