Hidden By Her Sister, Loved By The Billionaire

Conditions

Chase's POV

"Breaking news. It has been confirmed that both Lyle and Theresa Silverspoon, parents to Sage and Sapphire Silverspoon and one of the most wealthy families in the country are now deceased. It is alleged that their car was ambushed on a lone road and their security team was killed by several men with guns, before shooting the Silverspoons. According to sources, Sage Silverspoon, who was also in the car was shot but has miraculously survived the attack, which authorities believe was an attempted kidnapping attempt gone dangerously wrong. Neither Sage nor Sapphire Silverspoon will make a statement to the press, other than Sapphire Silverspoon pleading with the media to allow both the girls to grieve the loss of their parents as they attempt to make sense of the tragedy, with many wondering who will be the new CEO of Elite Fashion, and will they be up for running the company, in the wake of this devastation?"

I turned off the television and turned to my father who was sitting up in his hospital bed, a grave expression on his face. He had just had a triple bypass done and his health was not improving as fast as I would have liked.

"Bloody vultures" I muttered and my father narrowed his eyes, motioning toward the television which was now just a blank screen.

"You see," he said hoarsely "this proves my point. We never know when our time is up," he said gravely "it could be today, it could be tomorrow. It is imperative that we take precautions to ensure that something like that, doesn't happen to us."

"You had a heart attack, it's not something that can be compared to a tragedy like that one" I objected, trying not to roll my eyes as he continued to argue his point, using anything he could to prove his point.

"Nonetheless, I cannot feel at peace until you have found a wife and had children," he said firmly "The company needs you at the helm but it also needs an heir in case. I'm serious about this Chase. I let you stay out of the spotlight and the media has no idea of what you even look like, but this is nonnegotiable."

"You're not dying," I told him evenly, "the doctors said you are improving."

"For how long?" he countered "Eventually I'm going to die and I would like to go from this world knowing I can leave the company in capable hands and that it's going to continue down the family line."

Oh, he was good, I thought as I stood there, my hands in my pockets, regarding him silently. He even put a pitiful expression on his face. "Isn't it time you settled down? Found a nice woman to marry? You're not exactly young anymore" he added.

He made it sound as though I was over the hill I mused. "When I marry Father, I want to marry for love, not for convenience"

I growled "Look at you and Mother. Your marriage was arranged and you no longer even live in the same country. You can't stand to be in the same room together" I pointed out.

"We did it for the sake of the company," he said.

"I'm not you. I want a wife who is my partner, and my equal in life. I want somebody to share my life. I won't do a contract marriage" I warned him.

He exhaled in frustration. "Why won't you reconsider? There is always time to fall in love after the marriage" he said shaking his head.

I stared at him skeptically "Like you and mother?" my voice was tinged with sarcasm.

He waves a dismissive hand "That's different. We knew what we were getting into. Neither of us made love a part of the contract."

It showed, I thought with a slight amount of resentment. I would not subject my children to the same childhood I had. Nobody should be subjected to such a miserable and desolate experience.

He coughed, clutching his chest. I looked at him more closely, taking in his pallor, the dark circles underneath his eyes, the exhausted expression on his face. The company was slowly killing him. It was all he had to live for anymore. It was his pride and joy, the reason for our wealth and the power behind our name, but at what cost? Money did not give affection, nor did it provide you companionship at the end of the day.

"I can see you thinking," my father said weakly as I sat down on the chair beside him and coolly crossed my ankles "But you owe me, Chase. I sacrificed a lot to ensure that you would always have the luxurious life you've grown accustomed to."

My lip curled back. A lonely life, filled with nannies to raise me and parents who didn't give me the time of day because they were too busy to deal with a child. It wasn't any wonder that they had chosen only to have one child instead of giving me siblings.

"What if I don't want your company?" I asked deliberately "What would you do then Father?"

I could see the look of panic on his face. For the first time, he seemed speechless. It had never occurred to him that I might turn down the infamous family company in exchange for something else. His mouth opened and closed, a strangled sound coming from his lips.

"Son," he said desperately "I know you bear some resentment towards me and your mother, but everything we did, we did for you. The company must be passed down through our bloodline. You're all that I have" he choked out "and I'm trying to change. I swear, I'll be different if you just give me a chance. I want to be a grandfather, I want to see you settle down. I want to see you happy. I don't want to see you end up like me" he wheezed "If you don't want a contract marriage then I'm willing to negotiate if you have a better suggestion."

He was clutching at straws now. The old man was truly desperate to pass off the company to his only living son. It was rather sad. I had spent my whole life trying to live up to his expectations and although part of me was tempted to walk away, another part of me, the loyal and compassionate side of me, could not bear to make my father suffer any more anxiety and pain. But, if I was going to do this, I was going to do this my own way and on my own terms.

"If you insist on the fact that you won't pass over the company, at least in full, until I have taken a wife, then so be it. But I won't marry just anyone" I told him, as he stared at me, a look of hope on his face "I have seen firsthand by your marriage, what I don't want in a partner" I added shaking my head "and I also don't want you to declare that Chase Callaghan is searching for a wife. That will only bring out every gold digger in existence looking to seduce me. I want a wife who falls for the real me, not one who wants me for my money or for the company."

My father looked bewildered. "Son that's going to take a special kind of woman," he said doubtfully "and the circles that we socialize in, it's going to be impossible. You have to at least let me set you up on a few blind dates" he proposed.

I sighed. What he was proposing was reasonable. It rankled though. It wasn't as though I wasn't capable of setting up my own dates but this seemed to be more of a situation of urgency, at least in his eyes.

"I want time," I said, pinning him with a gaze "Don't pretend you're about to fall over and die tomorrow. You owe me that at least."

"Two years," my father said, his voice surprisingly firm "You have two years to find a wife, not one minute more. Otherwise, I'll give the company away to your cousin and I don't want to do that."

Two years was generous. It was longer than I expected. I narrowed my eyes. "What's the catch?"

"You take over part of the company. Attend board meetings, start taking an interest, go on the dates I set you up with, and stop fighting with me over every little decision I make in regard to your personal life. I will abide by your wishes not to be in the public eyes still and we can come to an agreement to keep it on the down low, but eventually, you will become the new face of the company" he told me.

He looked pleased with himself. The fool didn't know I was already a self-made billionaire. This company didn't mean as much to me as it did to him, but he was my family and my blood and I couldn't bring myself to turn away from him. But I was also not going to allow myself to be his puppet. "Deal, but when I become the face of the company, you retire from the company, including as a board member. You will have no say in future decisions or have any sway in what direction the company goes."

My voice was dark. He looked taken aback by my counter. I saw him mulling it over, looking for a loophole. But if he was going to make me take over the company, then I was determined to make sure that he wasn't going to be looking over my shoulder at every decision, or investment that I made. It would be my company, not his any longer. He would not be able to interfere as he saw fit.

"Agreed," he said finally, a scowl on his face.

I smiled inwardly. I'd won. He thought he had, but I had gotten the results I wanted. A wife and children were a small sacrifice in comparison to what I would be receiving as my just rewards. I stood up and began to move towards the doorway, glancing nonchalantly over my shoulder.

"I'll have the contracts drawn up," I told him smoothly "I'll come and visit you at the hospital again Father, but I sincerely hope that you'll be discharged and able to go home soon."