Page 11 of Ruthless Heir

“I think it’s unacceptable for Nolan to have contacted Coraline with such a matter and question your leadership. But until I see facts I can’t put the blame on him. Definitely not when he didn’t set you up for a fall. Your taste in women did that.”

He’s making me sound like the playboy I used to be in my early twenties. I haven’t been that guy in years.

At the same time what the hell can I say? Nolan didn’t set me up with the actress. I picked her and fell right into his trap.

“Father—”

“No, Asher. You need to listen to me. I have faith in you and I have no doubt you can run the company. That will never change, no matter what anyone says. However, I have to be realistic.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I have to go by your actions.”

I stifle a groan. “Father, I’ve been working nonstop.”

“I know, but you haven’t tended to the most important aspect of your future. We severed the marriage contract with Priscilla almost six months ago yet you’ve made no effort to find a suitable wife. I gave you the choice of using the time wisely to explore your options but time is no longer on our side.”

Again, he’s right. “I still have a little over six months. I’ll sort it out.”

“You said that months ago. Back then I agreed but now, I’m stepping up.”

“You don’t have to do that.”Shit.I don’t want him to meddle with my life.

“I have other things to worry about, Asher. It’s time I move on. You’re not taking this seriously, so I have a solution.”

“What’s that?” My breath catches in my lungs, turning to lead.

I hear him take a quick breath. “I want you to consider marrying Portia Fairchild.”

A boulder drops into the pit of my stomach and plummets to the floor, then my ears burn, going from hot to cold and hot again. I stand and my heart kicks up a beat, pounding as fast as if I’d just finished a ninety-minute spin class.

“Portia Fairchild? As in Nigel’s daughter?” The female fucked-up version of Nolan. My father has clearly lost his mind.

My free hand curls into a tight fist. I want to hit something and smash the hell out of it until there’s nothing left.

“Nigel and I think it makes perfect sense for the two of you to marry. Nigel and I have been friends since we were children. And you grew up with Portia. You know her.”

That’s why this idea sounds just as bad as driving into an active volcano full throttle.

People think I’m ruthless and callous but Portia has been the devil incarnate since she was little. If she wasn’t stealing and lying, she was physically hurting people and blaming others for her cruelty. As she got older she became the woman who’d spread her legs for the man with the deepest pockets.

“No. I won’t do it.” My answer is as sharp as the tip of a knife. “I’m not marrying Portia.”

Father is silent. My father loathes that word—no. Only a handful of people have uttered it to him in his lifetime and lived to see their next minute unscathed.

“This is beyond outrageous,” I rant. “You know how I feel about the Fairchilds yet you want me to marry Portia. Like fuck. I’m not doing it.”

“Asher, control yourself.” He sounds more like the domineering leader he is and less like the understanding father I know him to be.

“No. You’re not going to sign my life away like grandfather. It’s unfair to shove me in that position again. Even you must see that.”

He’s silent again and I hope I’ve appealed to his better senses.

“Asher, things have reached a stage where I have to be firm. You’ve known what you needed to do to get the CFO position. There’s no way you can disagree that you’ve had sufficient time.”

I exhale through gritted teeth. “No, I can’t disagree.”And I can’t explain why I couldn’t pick one woman in the sea of choices I had to marry. I just couldn’t find the right one. “I can’t agree that this is right, either.”

“Alright…” He pauses for a beat and drags in a breath. “Here’s what we’re going to do: I’ll give you two weeks to find a potential wife. Two weeks will place us at the six-month mark. If you find a girl I’ll allow you three months to date then prep for marriage for the following three months.”

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