THE CLAUSE

Chapter 2

Brandon's POV

I dropped my phone after finally ending the call with my father. I was already irritated when I saw his name on the caller ID wanting to just smash the phone. I pressed the intercom that connected me to my assistant’s office; “Stacy, get in here now.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

“Cancel all my meetings. I have to leave. Also, make sure you call Alfredo and tell him I want those files on my desk by tomorrow morning. If he doesn't deliver, he can forget about me funding whatever he comes up with next.”

“Yes, sir, but I did send him an email yesterday asking for them, and I haven't received a reply yet,” she responded.

“That’s why I said to call him, Stacy, not send an email. Alfredo likes it rough, and it's a good thing I do too,” I said as I strode toward the door, with her quickly following behind me. 

She's always fidgeting and nervous. It’s a good thing she’s great at her job; otherwise, I would have gotten rid of her a long time ago. She’s the first assistant I’ve hired who lasted two weeks without quitting and is excellent at what she does.

“Bye, sir,” she said as I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the garage floor. I nodded in response as the door closed. 

I took out my phone and quickly dialed my lawyer's number, already feeling impatient. 

"Yes, sir?" she answered on the third ring.

"My father just called me and asked me to check with you about a document he sent regarding his retirement and my taking over. I’m irritated that I hadn't heard from her first."

"Yes, sir, he did send it, and it just arrived here about thirty minutes ago. I was about to call you," she replied.

"Excuses again, Reece. I'm on my way, and you better be ready before I get there." 

I didn’t wait for her to respond before ending the call.

I reach Reece's office in half the time it normally takes, but I’ve never considered myself normal—at least not since I turned ten. I park my car and quickly enter the building, turning heads as I walk through. I’m not sure if it’s admiration or fear; I suspect it’s the latter.

I stride into Reece’s office without checking with the receptionist to see if she’s busy. When I enter, I find her already seated and waiting.

“Good morning to you too, Mr. Wilson. Please have a seat,” she says.

I look her dead in the eye. “Reece, you’re becoming sluggish.”

“And I apologize, sir. I should have called you immediately after I received it.”

“Yes, you should have,” I reply as I take a seat directly in front of her.

Reece is an attractive woman with brown eyes that match her hair. She has a slim figure and excels at her job, which I find most appealing. However, I never mix business with pleasure, regardless of how attractive she might be. I like to believe she feels the same way because, unlike others I’ve met, she has never made a move on me. She is purely my lawyer and is great at what she does—at least, I hope so.

“Have you read it?” I ask, breaking the growing silence.

“No, sir. It's your document, so I thought it only fitting to wait for you to go over it first, don’t you think?” she responds.

“Hm,” I grunt in acknowledgment.

“Open it,” I instructed her.

“Sir, before I do, I just want you to say—”

“Open it,” I interrupt, cutting her off.

She grabs the envelope, tears it open, and pulls out the document inside.

“Read it out loud,” I commanded.

She meets my gaze and replies, “Yes, sir.”

Taking a deep breath, she begins: “I, Mr. Bernard Wilson, owner and CEO of Wilson Holdings…” 

“Stop.” I cut her off. “You know what I want to hear. I don’t need to hear him blab when I don’t have to. Go on.” 

I watch as her eyes scan the document for a while until they finally stop, and she goes still. At that moment, even though I don’t usually get scared, I feel my heart rate increase. If I don’t inherit the company, all my plans will fall apart, and this will all be for nothing. This company wasn’t just power—it was revenge. And only I knew it.”. 

“Spit it out, Reece. Don’t keep me on edge.”

Her eyes meet mine, and she smiles. “It’s yours, sir.”

It was then that I realized my heart rate did indeed increase. “Are you sure?” I ask.

“Yes, sir. But… 

"But what?"

"There's a clause" 

“A clause? And what does this clause say?”

I should have known my father wouldn’t let it go just like that—the sneaky bastard always has something up his sleeve, and I guess that’s where I got it from.

“Reece…” I say in a warning tone.

“The clause says you have to be married, sir.”

“What?”

“You have to be married before the company is fully yours. Until then, it will still be in your father's name. You can resume the CEO duties since he has retired, but you won’t have the company to yourself until you are married.”

I grab the document from her hand and scan over it until I see the clause.

“Bloody hell,” I say as I feel my anger boil.