fate | CL fanfic

one

April 2nd 2005:

"Yes, we're absolutely positive.." Hervé smiled at the pair, though his eyes held something more, like he was unsure of what he was agreeing to also.

Ralph looked to his wife reluctantly, tapping the pen on the table in an uneven rhythm for a moment before gripping it harshly. Scanning his eyes over the paper for the final time before hovering the black ballpoint over the paper.

"So let me just... by singing this contract, your son will marry my daughter the day she turns eighteen?And the business is joint." It was obvious Ralph was unsure about what was about to happen, Hervé could see how her parents could easily mess up what they'd worked so hard for.

"It's all in the paper Ralph," Pascale pointed to the printed words, "It is the only way to guarantee success long term.. if you want your daughter to succeed this is a good idea."

His wife Sofia grasped his hand, squeezing as if to reassure him as the pen finally landed on the paper, ever so carefully signing his name after an agonising wait. The writing was messy, messier than Hervé wanted, it was all due to the nerves. The nerves that seemed to become much more intense once the deal was made official.

"Fantastic!" Hervé boomed, standing up from his chair and snatching away the paper before anyone could change their minds, "So it is settled then Mr and Mrs Ashby, we will see you in some years time."

The couple left the Monaco resident without looking back, "Do you think we have done the right thing cheri?" Ralph asked, holding his wife close to him as they walked down to the car service.

"When it comes down to it this is the best option." Sofia told her husband, confirming that their daughter will be safe here, when the time comes, reaffirming that sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, "Their son is already learning how to handle the business, by the time they're adults she will be taken care of well."

"It is in herself that she will find the strength that she needs." Ralph nodded thinking of his eight year old little girl at home, the one of which he just signed her life away, "She doesn't need a marriage of convenience, she is capable of business success by herself."

Sofia chuckled at her husband, the rare side of him that he was showing, "You've gone soft my love, the Leclerc's are a good family. Good morals. They know what they are doing with our angel," she promised "And you know I'd rather keep her in the dark about the business stuff, it will ruin her childhood."

"Generational wealth.. I know, it's what's best I know." Ralph absentmindedly nodded as he climbed into the car with his wife to drive home to Paris where his little child would be up waiting with the nanny Marie.

He was going to make the most of these up and coming few years, because she would surely hate him for this, even if it was what was best for her long term as he'd been persuaded.