Limited Affair

Chapter One - Richard King

"Don't do this Stephanie! I love you very much so I cannot possibly allow you to marry my mutual enemy! Besides, you know he's only marrying you for your dowry don't you?" Stephanie's father asked.

"Daddy, you know I would love to be your beautiful, precious daughter to be married off to some slimy, fat businessman to strengthen your relations. But this is my life, I love Charles and he loves me too. We're going to have a beautiful, lavish wedding in St. Louis. It's not like he's a hated man, the is an honest and respected gentleman," argued Stephanie.

"He's my competition!" Richard boomed. "And if you fully intend to go through with this, I will not pay for it!" he declared.

"Well that's all good and fine because I don't need you to pay for it, my dowry alone would cover the cost!" she screamed. Stephanie glared coldly at her father, daring him to find something else to fight over, he glared right back with his lips set in a firm line, then she turned on her heel and stormed out of the office slamming the door as she went. Richard King sat down behind his massive mahogany desk to think about the argument he just had with his beloved daughter. Well, Dervish is my rival but if we combine the two companies I could work this to my benefit, he thought. Although, when I have my lawyer write up the proposal I'll have to include co-management. So, we'd both be in charge, but if one of us was to, I don't know, say, suddenly die they would either have to produce an heir to take his place or the other would have to take full control. "I'll be one of the richest men in the country!" He announced happily, then glanced around quickly to make sure no one had heard him. "And on top of that Stephanie will be heartbroken so it will be so easy to simply marry her off! Good grief I'm a genius!" he said. Just then his butler Alfred walked in.

"Sir, the Missus became worried when Miss Stephanie came out of your office looking very distressed. Is there anything the matter?" he questioned.

"No, no nothing's wrong," Richard waved him off. "But Alfred, I would like you to call up my lawyer Thomas please and make sure you convey to him that this is of the utmost importance please."

"Yes Sir," Alfred replied. Now... thought Richard as he reclined in his chair, I must call up my ever faithful Mr. Knight to arrange for Mr. Dervish's untimely death. He shook his head solemnly then smiled deviously.