Chapter Five

Rory swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond to the old man. But as the memory of being betrayed by the three people she trusted most flashed through her mind, the fire of rage burned bright in her heart again.

She looked the old man straight in the eye. “I’ll handle that. You don’t need to worry about it.”

A smirk played on the old man's lips, clearly pleased by the sheer determination in Rory’s eyes. This was precisely why he chose her to be his daughter-in-law. She was intelligent, and above all, deeply devoted to family. She was the one who could teach his son how to feel emotion.

Mr. Dimitrios clasped his hands together and offered Rory a smile. “Are you ready to sign the contract?”

Rory grimaced. “I lost the envelope. I don’t know where I left—”

“This one?” Mr. Dimitrios interrupted, holding up the very same envelope he had given her earlier.

Her eyes widened. “H-How did you get that?”

“You left it in the car,” the old man replied with an indifferent shrug.

Rory breathed a sigh of relief. She thought she had lost it somewhere, especially since her memory was so hazy. She had even worried she’d left it at her apartment—which would have been a massive problem.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave it behind. I just have too much on my mind,” Rory apologized.

The old man waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. I understand. Anyway, as I was asking—are you ready to sign it? Or should I give you more time to think?”

“I’ll read it now,” she replied.

Rory walked up to him and retrieved the envelope now resting on the table. She immediately pulled out the papers and reviewed them, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion at what she read.

“W-Wait… you’re giving me your company?” Rory blurted out in disbelief.

“My son doesn’t need my company. He has no interest in inheriting it, so I am putting all my assets under your name, Rory. You just need to marry my son—well, you’ll need to convince him first. Once you get him to agree, you will get married, and I will transfer everything to you,” the old man said directly without even blinking.

With trembling hands, Rory looked up at him. “Isn’t this deal completely unfavorable to you? I mean, honestly speaking, you’re only asking me to marry your son, and there’s nothing else in this contract. Meanwhile, I stand to gain so much once I’m married to him. This is a totally one-sided contract, Sir.”

“There is one more thing I want to ask of you. But the question is: are you ready for that favor?”

Rory fell silent for a moment. What kind of favor could this old man possibly want besides the marriage?

She cleared her throat. “You’re not going to ask for one of my organs, are you?”

The old man burst out laughing, practically brought to tears by her question. After his laughter subsided, he looked at Rory warmly. “Why on earth would you think that? I am a wealthy man, Rory. I have connections in every corner of the world. If I needed an organ donor, I could easily get one. And most importantly, I’m perfectly healthy.”

Rory’s face flushed bright red with embarrassment. “Then... what is this favor you’re talking about?”

“I want you to give me a grandchild. Are you ready for that favor?” the old man asked, his voice suddenly grave.

Rory’s throat went dry. Asking for a grandchild was no simple matter. He was asking her to carry a life inside her womb for nine months.

“If I give you a grandchild... will you take the baby away from me? Will you strip away my rights as a mother?” she asked, her voice raspy as if something were caught in her throat.

The old man’s forehead creased. “Of course not, silly. Why would I strip away your motherhood if you give me a grandchild? I’m not that heartless, Rory. I’m just an old man who wants to see his son build a family of his own.”

A momentary look of sadness washed over his face, though it quickly vanished behind a warm smile.

“That’s why I didn’t put it in the contract—I didn’t want to force you. I may have nudged you into marrying my son, but I won’t force you to have a child. A child is a completely different story. I will settle for just seeing my only son get married,” he said softly.

A wave of sympathy washed over Rory. She suddenly thought of her late father. Her daddy had always been the proudest person at every one of her school achievements, and she knew he would have been overjoyed to see her walk down the aisle and become a mother—a milestone he would now never get to witness.

Rory bit her lip, looking at the old man intently. “If your son agrees to have a child with me, then I’m fine with it, Mr. Dimitrios—”

“Call me 'Dad', Rory. You’re going to be my daughter, so you should call me Dad,” the old man interjected quickly.

Rory let out a quiet sigh. “Fine… Dad.” She paused, feeling a slight pang in her heart as the word left her mouth. “As I was saying, I’m willing to have a child with your son. But he has to agree to it as well—and above all, you will never take away my maternal rights, even if your son and I separate in the future.”

The old man’s eyes sparkled at her words. “Of course, darling! I have no issue with that arrangement at all. I will have my lawyer revise the contract and hand it to you tomorrow.”

Rory nodded in agreement. “In that case... when do I get to meet your son?”

“You two already met last night. Don’t you remember?”

Rory winced. “I don’t remember a thing.”

She had been completely wasted the night before. That was why her head was filled with wild guesses the moment she woke up—she had zero recollection of what she’d done.

“My son is currently very busy, Rory. I’m not sure when he’ll be free next,” Mr. Dimitrios answered regretfully.

“Do you have a picture of him, then?” she pressed.

“No, I don't.”

“What? I thought he was your son! Surely it's impossible for you not to have even a single photo of him,” she asked, suppressing her irritation.

“Well, my son isn’t fond of pictures.”

“What about social media? He must have accounts. What’s his name again—”

“My son doesn’t have any,” the old man answered briskly.

“What?” Rory nearly yelled. “Who doesn’t have a social media account these days? We’re living in a modern world. Even my old  patients at the hospital have social media. How can your son not have a single one?”

“He just doesn't.”

Rory shook her head. What kind of person was this guy? Especially in this day and age where everything revolved around social media. Even she had accounts, though she rarely used them due to her busy work schedule. What kind of man was she about to marry? A monk?

Taking a deep breath, Rory asked, “He isn’t ugly, is he? I mean no offense, D-Dad. I just want to make sure your son is actually human and not an alien or some kind of goblin.”

The old man chuckled, clearly amused. “You have quite a sense of humor, child,” he said with a warm laugh. “My son isn’t ugly, I can assure you of that. He’s just...” He paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Let’s just say my son is a bit peculiar. But he’s handsome—I give you my word on that.”