Chapter Ten
In a room, not far from where Gabrielle was sitting with her father and lawyers, Jasper Thornton was pacing. His Father had called him to a meeting, but this... this was nothing he could have ever expected.
Marry. Marry. His father wanted him to marry Gabrielle Montgomery. Had the old man completely lost his fucking mind?
"Jasper, listen to me." His father yelled.
"No. No. You do not get to control this part of my life."
"Actually, yes I do. You were raised to take over my business. We are merging with the Montgomery's and it comes down to you and their daughter to create that bridge. There are sacrifices-"
Jasper slammed his hands on the desk so hard that the lawyer in the room jumped. "I have made sacrifices."
"Your mother wanted-"
"Keep mother out of this." His voice was cold as ice. Colder, even.
"This isn't a discussion, son. This is an order." Lucas Thornton stood up, closing the briefcase. "You will be marrying Gabrielle Montgomery. Now, I have a meeting in Seattle. Donovan here will go through the legal requirements with you. I suggest you go along with this, unless you want to be cut off completely."
The bastard. Jasper was seeing red. More than red. He couldn't see at all. He was angry - so, so angry. Beyond angry. Just when he thought his father couldn't exercise his control over him any more, he decided to control the one thing that Jasper thought he could choose.
Not that he would have chosen to get married. He had vowed to never get married - love was an allusion, a business deal after all, right?
"So, as per the terms of the contract..." Donovan started talking, but there was no way in hell Jasper was going to stand around and listen to that pathetic weasel of a man.
He stormed out of the room, falling against the balcony barrier, his arms holding him up. He swore loudly, kicking the barrier. The bastard.
A door at the other end of the corridor slammed shut, and a girl stormed out.
Gabrielle.
Jasper couldn't even bear to look at her. It was probably her idea. He glared at her, throwing as much hate into the look as he could. This bitch, this spoilt little child, had turned his life completely upside down, and now he had to fucking marry her?!
Because he knew he would have to. He could fight his father all he wanted, but at the end of the day, unless he was willing to give up his family, future and fortune, his father would have the final word. He was too proud to give up any of that.
Gabrielle hadn't moved. She was staring at him, as much hate in her eyes as in his.
He hadn't wanted to marry, ever. And now that he had to, he was going to be in the world's most unhappy marriage.
Great. Just fucking great.
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Perfectly Flawed
RomanceAll rights reserved. -- The boy was only seven, but he was dressed in a two thousand dollar suit. He was only seven, but he knew that the empire his father had built was the most important thing in the world, in his life. He was only seven, but he...
