Seeking Her Soul

Chapter Two - No Choice

 I gape at my father, and look at my mother who only smiles and nods in confirmation. If it wasn't already apparent, I was in no way prepared for this news. I had planned on taking over the company after I had settled my romantic life and started a family. Like in ten years. My parents are still young, my dad's 50 and my mom is 49. I look over at Adeline. At first, she lets her jaw hang open. Then, her gape turns into a grin and she gets up and runs the around the table.

"You guys!" She throws her arms around our dad, and my mom comes up behind her to join in the hug. "Congratulations!"

My dad laughs heartily, and glances down at her with adoration. "We know that the only reason you're so happy is because you get to take over know."

Adeline's eyes sparkled. "Well, there's that." She pauses for a moment, and furrows her brow. "But I will be sad to see you go."

"A-hem," I cleared my throat. "What does this mean for the company?" I look between my parents, searching. "For me? And Adeline?"

"Well obviously you two will be the new CEOs." Warren, a guy around my age with shockingly blond hair and annoyingly blue eyes pipes up. He also happens to be my best and only friend.

"What if I don't want to be CEO," I scoff. I snapped my gaze back to my startled parents. "At least, not yet."

"Honey," my mom soothes. "You don't have to worry about anything. It'll be a couple months before everything is finalized, and that will give you time to take on the job with us around full time." She turned her gaze towards my sister. "And you already have a partner."

"Two, actually." Adeline has her attention fully on me now. "Lia is willing to partner up as well if you want the extra set of hands."

This touches me. Lia is a wonderful woman, who runs her own law firm. I couldn't believe she would give that up to help me and Adeline.

"Lia would give up her law firm?"

"Well," Adeline pauses. "She wouldn't be selling out, just passing it over to her second in command."

That relieved me a bit, since it was Lia's dream job and she had worked so hard for it. I wouldn't want her to give that up for us.

"But son," my father starts tentatively. "Seeing as you are technically the older sibling, you can take sole responsibility of the company, as per tradition."

Adeline whips around towards him.

"What?!" She's yelling now. "Are you kidding me?"

"Wait, what?" I'm confused, since I always thought that they intended to split everything evenly between us.

My dad shifts uncomfortably on his feet before continuing.

"Well, you know I'm big on tradition... And it's always been the oldest sibling that inherits the company, rather, the oldest sibling that wants to inherit the company. Just to make it less complicated. I always intended to split it between the two of you, since you get along so well and work well together. I just wanted you to know that the offer is on the table."

I just stare at him, dumbfounded. I couldn't believe that they were offering me the entire company. They knew that I couldn't run this place by myself. Without Adeline, this place would fall apart.

"Dad, no." I glance at Adeline who is positively livid. I would be too. "Adeline and I are a team. We're a package deal. And we all know that she's the heart of this company, I could never do it without her. I can't believe that you would even think for a second that I would take that deal."