The Bargain Case

Chapter 6 - Alexander

As I sat in my office, poring over the endless stacks of paperwork, my father's sudden appearance was the last thing I needed. I didn't even bother looking up from my work as he entered the room, his deep voice hitting me like a brick wall.

"I see I raised you well. Not even a greeting? I'm your father after all."

I let out a sigh as I got up from my chair, leaving the papers on the desk. "I'm sorry, father. I'm just really concentrating on this case."

He gestured for me to hug him, and I begrudgingly obliged. Despite all of his strict rules, hugging was always his favorite exception. I could never understand why he believed hugging your family was a weakness, but I learned to live with it.

"What case?" he asked after we let go of the hug, taking a seat where I suggested.

"Is this the one where I was wanted dead?" I asked, curious as to how he found out about it.

"You don't watch the news. How do you know about that?"

"I have my people," he responded as he arranged his suit. "So, any news with my daughter-in-law? Is she doing better?"

I tensed up at the mention of Amity. She had been struggling with depression and fertility issues, and the constant pressure from my father wasn't helping. "Yeah... She's much better mentally."

"Any news with the fertility problems?"

I sighed, knowing what was coming next. "Not really."

"I asked you just one thing. One! Get married and give me a grandchild. I don't care if it's a boy or a girl. I need you to have a child."

"Don't you think we want one?" I murmured, feeling the frustration building inside me. "Amity developed depression because of this. She was so upset with her body and her person in general that the stress made her develop short-term memory loss. Stop putting this pressure on us. You have my sister. She's not married, but she does have a child."

"And you want my money to go to her? To that ungrateful woman?" My father's voice rose with anger. "Alexander, you worked so hard to become the man I always wanted you to become. I just want you to have a legacy. Children. Money? I got that covered for you. Just one thing. One."

"And if it's not possible? What are you going to do?" I asked, my voice tense with anger.

"You know how things are. If you don't have a child, I can't give anything I have to you," he said with finality. "And between you and me, you are the only one that I and your mother want to give everything to. You always cared for us, unlike your sister. Just... trashing our name in every direction she could."

I gritted my teeth, barely holding back my anger. "It's funny that you said that. My mother doesn't like Amity, and she's too prideful to give everything to me just because of her. Father... this isn't going anywhere. If you came here just because of this inheritance stuff, please leave. I have important work to do."

"Somebody blackmailed us," he said suddenly, making me look up at him in surprise.

"Blackmailed? What have you done?" I asked, feeling a sense of dread wash over me.

"Wrong. The question is... why was your wife's name the main problem of the letter?" he said, getting a letter out of his jacket and placing it on my desk. 

"My wife?"

"I hope you can solve this. It's your wife after all. And our name." He gets up from his chair, and goes to the door.

"Of course. Our name. And here I was thinking you just came here to see your son. Foolish me." I put the letter aside, looking at him.

"You know what you have to do."