The Billionaire's Marriage Offer

The Condition

June, 2018. At Jimmy Hunter's apartment.

Jim paced around, his heart beating in his throat. Twenty-four hours. If he couldn't come up with a solution in twenty four hours, it was all going to be over faster than it had started. And Jimmy didn't like to lose.

Especially not to an idiot, who also happened to be his father.

His breaths became heavier by the minute as he grumbled to himself. He paced around in circles, his mood darkening as random thoughts flooded his brain. None of his ideas at the moment were useful though. He had already tried everything.

Nearby, two familiar figures sat stiffly, their expression stony as they watched the young master with hawk eyes. One was Jim's best friend, Hartley Greene. The other his butler, Byeong Park. They both glanced at each other every few seconds, and then returned to looking at Jim. The atmosphere of the room was turning grimmer with each of Jimmy's step.

Finally, Park sighed.

And that was a mistake.

Jimmy quickly stopped in his tracks and turned back to glare at the old man, as if the sigh had disrupted his thoughts. Hartley rolled his eyes at him, whereas Park looked back unimpressed. Finally, he coughed.

"If looks could kill, Jimmy Hunter," Park chided, "I'd be dead when you were five. Now that doesn't help solve the problem, Jim. Stop scowling and think harder."

Jimmy's face darkened, and he wanted to lash out. He couldn't though. Clenching his fists, he returned to pacing around again, this time with bigger, harder steps.

After a few minutes, Hartley spoke.

"Have you contacted Leah?"

Jim didn't stop, but nodded in response.

"I couldn't reach her mobile, but I left her a message. I doubt she'll return the call though."

"Hm."

There was silence again.

Jimmy loosened his tie, and finally pulled off his vest. He was the C.E.O. of the Hunter Corporation and lived and breathed mostly in three-piece suits. Right then though, the suit suffocated him. He couldn't breathe anymore. So he pulled off the coat, the vest, the tie and threw them all on the couch where his friends sat.

He walked briskly for a few more minutes. When he couldn't think of anything anymore, he finally groaned.

"Guys, I'm going to lose my inheritance, aren't I?" he said, and flopped beside Hartley and Park. He closed his eyes in distress and leaned into the couch. It was soft. He wanted to cry.

Park extended his hand to pat him lightly on the shoulder.

"Don't lose hope, Jim," he said, "You still have twenty four hours. I've seen you accomplish bigger and better things in half that time."

"I'd like to see myself get married in that time, old man."

Jimmy's tone was resigned and Byeong Park did not know what to do. This time, Senior Mr. Hunter, Jim's father had made the perfect plan. Jimmy Hunter was the C.E.O. of Hunter Corporation, one of the most powerful companies in the country of Isekai. Senior Hunter was its Chairman. The father and son had never gotten along, really, and in the thirty years of Jim's life, they had quarrelled more than they had talked. Jim was sure his old man hated him, even though Park had spent a quarter of a century trying to convince him otherwise. This time, though, Senior Hunter had outwitted Jimmy.

The old man was about to retire, and he had therefore brazenly told his son that if he didn't see Jim married by the time he was thirty one, Jim would never own the Hunter Corporation. That had been a scary day at the Hunter estate. Both the parties had stood in the hall, glaring murderously at each other. Jimmy's face had distorted to the point that he had looked like some demon.