The Unloved Heiress Goes Rogue

Persuasion

Grayson Drake

“When are you going to get married and give me some more grandchildren” my grandfather complained, coughing from his hospital bed, a hand on his chest as I gave him a glass of water and a stern look.

He was simply acting as though he was about to keel over and die. The reality was far from the truth. The stubborn old geezer was simply playing a role, one he had done numerous times before.

“Grandfather, you act as though you are dying, when you were simply here for some surgery and to recover. You know full well that I’m simply too busy to date and find a wife. Besides which” I took a deep breath, fixing my gaze on him and narrowing my eyes “Every single woman that I’ve dated has either been a gold digger or unfaithful.”

I had grown to distrust women as a result. All of them, as far as I was concerned were cut from the same cloth. I had yet for any woman to show me differently.

“Bah,” my grandfather waved a dismissive hand at me, an impatient look on his face. “You simply haven’t found the right girl yet. You and your sister” he continued to complain, as my assistant Thomas stood there smiling and chuckling behind me. “You’re going to be the death of me. One of you works too much” a deliberate dig at me and the hours I put into the family company, “and the other one is a party animal” he groaned dramatically.

“Grandfather you are the one who insisted I inherit the family company and now that I have made it extremely profitable and our family name one of the most powerful in the country, you want to say that I am working too much?” I deadpanned.

I had worked hard to make the company what it was today and we were now one of the wealthiest families in the world. Hard work and consistency had paid off.

He sighed, ignoring what I had said. “Work isn’t everything. There is more to life you know.”

I rolled my eyes. He was being his usual dramatic self. I took the glass of water from him and tidied up the blankets on top of him, making sure that he was comfortable. As much as he irritated me, I still loved him. There was nobody else like my grandfather.

“If I ever find the right girl, I promise you that I will marry her,” I said, knowing that was highly unlikely.

“Why not just pick one? There are so many out there.” My grandfather leaned forward, his eyes earnest, “Love can always come later" he insisted.

“You mean a contract marriage?” my mouth twisted with amusement. “Like the sort that you had with my grandmother? You were lucky that the both of you fell in love with each other but the likelihood of that happening is very low Grandfather. I don’t want to be stuck in a marriage with a woman who only wants me for my money. I want a woman who is genuine and loving. Don’t forget” I paused and looked at him “There is also Jackson to consider. He is so young. He deserves a mother who will help to raise him well. Somebody who will be there for him, instead of simply pretending that he's not there. They would have to treat him as though he was their own child."

“How could I forget my one and only grandchild” Grandfather commented wryly. “Why do you think I am urging you to have more? Jackson would benefit from having another sibling don’t you think?” he added slyly.

He was trying to pull every trick out of the book in a blatant attempt to persuade me. It wasn't going to work.

“Right now, I think my son is dealing with enough. I don’t want to introduce him to different women all the time and frankly, there are those that don’t like children who I don’t want anywhere near my son” I explained tightly.

Some women were nothing but trouble. Jackson's mother had been one of them. I was not prepared to make the same mistake twice.

“Aren’t you stuck looking for another nanny” Grandfather pointed out, “it’s not exactly as though he has stability. If he had a mother and you had a wife, she could take care of him and you wouldn’t need to hire one” he said triumphantly.

“No thank you,” I said calmly, refusing to take the bait.

He sighed, looking disappointed. “Thomas, you agree with me, don’t you” he appealed to my personal assistant and chauffeur.

Thomas laughed and shook his head at my grandfather. “I know better than to get in the middle of this Mr Drake. I’m sorry but you’re going to have to persuade him on your own.”

“Get some rest Grandfather. I’ll come see you again soon. I’ll bring Jackson next time” I promised swiftly, watching his eyes light up at the prospect.

He loved his grandson immensely and Jackson adored him just as much. The two were like little thieves in the night when they got together and mischievous. Jackson could do no wrong when he was in Grandfather's company. Sometimes that was not a good thing.

“You better, I miss that little rascal” he grumbled, “takes after you, you know” he added darkly.

“I know,” I said agreeably, not fazed in the slightest.

It was something else to be grateful for. Even his looks were prominently resembled me, rather than his mother.

I bowed my head respectfully at my grandfather and then quietly walked out. Thomas walked beside me. “It’s not such a bad idea you know,” he said quietly as I shot him a sharp glance. “Having a wife would make things a lot easier when it came to Jackson. This is what? The fourth nanny to quit so far?” he asked, as I flattened my lips.

“Still no reason to marry a stranger or date somebody I’m not interested in” I snarled.

My son was my whole world. I would protect him the best I could. Unfortunately, there were always people who would try and manipulate me by pretending to like my son, something I had found out the hard way. Now I was careful who was allowed near him. My sister, Lorelai did her best to be a good aunt to him but as Grandfather had stated, she was more a party girl than the maternal type. She also caused me a high amount of grief as I struggled to keep her safe and always be aware of her whereabouts. As a wealthy heiress, she was a target for those who would also use her for money or who would attempt to kidnap and ransom her. The foolish girl was always taking risks despite my warnings. One of these days, I feared she would be taught a valuable lesson and I wouldn't be there to save her.

We got into the limousine. Thomas got into the driver’s seat and looked at me over his shoulder. “Where would you like to go now sir?” he asked.

I looked at my watch and noticed the time. The visit with my grandfather had gone longer than expected, but I didn’t like to rush. The old man had been the one who practically raised me after my parent’s death and I owed a lot to him. I could never repay him for what he had done for me.

“I need to see one of my business clients. We do a lot of business through Edgar Rosethorn’s company and he happens to want to renew our contracts with him which are coincidentally up in a month’s time. I’ve made no promises, there are other companies also bidding for the work, but it would be interesting to see what he has to say. He’s a wealthy man in his own right, but he relies on supplying business to our company to make the majority of his profits. He's been a steady supplier for years, but it might be time for a change" I exhaled.

“I’ve heard that he’s a bit of a” Thomas hesitated, but he had captured my attention now.

“Go on” I urged, leaning back against my seat and interested in what my assistant had to say.

“I’ve heard that he’s not a very nice man. His last wife died, committed suicide you know” Thomas said, peering at me to see what my reaction would be and disappointed as I simply remained expressionless.

“His personal life has nothing to do with me,” I said shrugging nonchalantly. “My only interest is in doing business with the person who I believe is right for the job and which company I believe is going to be the best fit, while also providing the quality materials that we need. What Edgar Rosethorn does in his spare time, or how he treats people, is neither here nor there, so long as it doesn’t interfere with his business reputation” I added calmly.

A scandal that had to do with Edgar Rosethorn's business on the other hand... would be a different matter.

“Still, it makes me uneasy,” Thomas said, glancing in the rearview mirror “Your grandfather wouldn’t do business with a man like him" he commented, shaking his head.

“My grandfather is no longer in charge” I reminded my assistant as he bit his lip, no doubt recognizing that he had stepped too far over the line and past my personal boundaries, “and how I conduct business is not any of your business" I rumbled.

“Apologies Sir” Thomas hastily apologized, looking remorseful.

I nodded, adjusting my tie. But his words continued to repeat themselves in my mind. My grandfather had a talent for reading people and telling instantly what kind of people they were. If they mistreated people or they were disliked for a variety of reasons, he would refuse to do business with them, even if it meant that it affected our profits. Thomas hadn’t been incorrect in making that statement and I frowned, wondering if I was doing my grandfather a disservice by not doing the same. Still, I reminded myself, one couldn't make money by being softhearted in the business world. Instead, one had to be ruthless to show those who sought to overthrow you, who exactly was in charge.