CEO of my Heart

04

Henry's eyes grew tight, "This apartment is not willed to me by my father, Thomas Liu so it is not within the board's jurisdiction. It belongs to me. It's also not for sale."

Liu chuckled. Another man would have been blunted by the insult, but then again Liu had no pride or accomplishments to speak of. Why would he need shame? Liu spoke coldly. "It might be up for sale with your birthday coming up so soon and you have yet to get a lady to the altar. I'm sure you'll have need for fast cash soon enough with your rich tastes."

Like the elephant in the room, the subject that had been giving Henry nightmares for months crashed through the forefront. Henry Wong had the misfortune of a traditional father who had wanted his son to be a family man. Although Conrad had bequeath the most of the company to his son after his unfortunate demise, he had included a clause. This was that if he did not marry by the age of twenty eight and produce an heir, the position of CEO and Wong Industries would be left to Wallace instead. This included his planes, his cars, his house, and his dog Madeline. The mere thought of his father thinking he had ownership over that dog enraged Henry.

Henry smiled pleasantly as he mixed his drink, "Rich tastes? I have simple tastes. In my impending nuptials, I have many families who have offered me their daughters. I am quite flattered by the increasing ferocity of their mothers more than the women. I have no rush to accept, she only need be pregnant and not even carry the child to term. I have no terror in that as I shall be a married man, by the requirements of a madman's ramblings."

Liu looked at Henry curiously, "So you are considering my daughter?" His tone was flippant, like he couldn't care less about the proposition of Henry as a son-in-law. "But one has to consider the figurehead you now are in the company is such a waste of potential. You'd bring little to any family you'd wed into. It's just a courtesy to your father really since you are so petulant. But if you decide to be a bachelor, I know of a nice clothing store that has need of a new manager to manage the storefront."

Henry snorted into his drink, "Retail? What a nice idea, but I'll have to decline."

Liu shook his glass at Henry. "You're shameless. You should get a real job instead of relying on what your father built for you. It isn't as if you need to be CEO. There are so many men who want to promote themselves, but you're sitting in the seat."

Liu had a very cushy job in the company where he had plenty of prestige doing business. Henry also knew he made a lot of income both foreign and domestic that fed into his coffers. But for Liu, nothing was enough. Before Henry could summon the courage to point this out, Liu jumped up. A thick plump body had jumped into his lap, eyeing the salami sandwich the businessman had tucked into his briefcase.

Henry hid his laugh with a well rehearsed cough. Madeline was a Corgi. She had the scent of a bloodhound and was notorious for begging food from the people who least liked her. He made a note to order a Kobe steak for the dog to chew on as he swept her up. The dog's tongue lolled out as he lapped at Henry's face.

"I apologize for Madeline's poor manners." Henry said firmly as he stealthily paged his butler under the table. "I'm sure she's just interested in your sandwich. She's a carnivore so she's inclined to a meat meal."

The Corgi lapped at Henry's hands as he fed her some turkey from the opened sandwich container by his hand. The dog had been gifted to him by a nanny who had been unable to take care of her. Henry had fallen in love with her as a child, so he had kept her close as he had grown into an adult. His girlfriends had come and gone, but Madeline had always stayed the same.

When the butler emerged with a bow to Henry's page. Henry gestured at Liu, "Michael can you help Thomas Liu get a cab, he was just leaving."