Chapter 1 - The Inheritance

Ethan’s POV

The steady hum of the engine filled the silence as my car rolled past the tall iron gates of the Lancaster Estate. It’s been years since I last came here. The place looked smaller than I remembered. The gardens overgrown, the fountain in the courtyard no longer running.

Matagal rin akong 'di nakauwi. Now, I'm here again.

I shouldn’t have come. I told myself that the last time, too. But the family lawyer called and said it was urgent, saying that my father’s condition had worsened. Kahit naging malayo ang loob ko sa kaniya hindi ko parin sya matiis. I couldn’t exactly ignore it.

I loosened my tie as I stepped out, the late afternoon sun brushing against the stone walls of the mansion.

My father’s voice was the first thing I heard when I entered his room, hoarse but commanding, like a man who refused to surrender even to death.

“Ethan,” he said, looking up from his bed, his breathing shallow but his eyes still sharp. "Hindi ko inaasahan na makakapunta ko."

Nanatili ako sa bukana ng pinto nang ilang minuto. “You made it sound like I didn’t have a choice.”

He gave a faint smirk. “Ganon lang pala kadali ang pauwiin ka dito. Kailangan ko pa palang makipag-habulan kay kamatayan.”

There was no warmth in our reunion.

We're just like businessmen, talking with formality as if we're in a business meeting.

He coughed, and the nurse at his bedside quickly adjusted the oxygen tube. The sight made me uncomfortable.

This man, the same man who built an empire with his bare hands, now looked fragile, bones sharp beneath thin skin. Na para bang konting ihip lang ng hangin ay bibigay na ito.

“You look tired,” he said, studying me.

“I’ve been running a company, not a spa,” I replied dryly.

He chuckled weakly. “Still arrogant, I see. At least that didn’t die with your empathy.”

I said nothing.

The lawyer, Mr. Alden, stepped forward from the corner of the room, holding a folder in his hand. “Mr. Lancaster, shall we proceed?”

My father nodded. “Yes. It’s time.”

The words immediately set off an uneasy feeling in my chest. I watched as Alden unfolded the papers.

“This,” Alden began, “is a revised clause in your inheritance, Mr. Ethan Lancaster. Effective immediately.”

My jaw tightened. “Another clause? What is it this time? Do I need to buy another company to earn your approval?”

My father smiled faintly. “Not quite.”

Alden adjusted his glasses and continued reading. “According to the revised terms, full control of Lancaster Holdings and all associated trusts will be transferred permanently to you, provided that you produce a legitimate heir within two years’ time.”

I blinked. “You can’t be serious.”

I knew it! I knew something was up, more than the fact that my Father is sick.

The lawyer cleared his throat. “I assure you, it’s legally binding.”

I turned to my father. “You’re making my personal life a business requirement now?”

His eyes, though dimmed by illness, still carried that same fire that used to intimidate boardrooms. “You’ve built an empire, Ethan, pero para saan? Sino ang magmamana kapag mawawala ka na?”

“I’m not dying any time soon.”

“But I am,” he countered. “And when I am gone, this family’s name will die with me unless you do something about it.”

I clenched my jaw. Napahilamos ako sa mukha ko. I adjusted my tie as I felt it suffocating me even more. The air in the room grew cold. I hated this; the manipulation, and despite the fact that I am old and can stand on my own now, he still got me under control.

“I don’t need an heir to run the company,” I said firmly.

He looked at me for a long time before answering. “Maybe not. But you need one to keep the legacy.”

His voice softened, “I don’t need you to marry. I don’t even need you to love. I just want to know that when I’m gone… there will still be a Lancaster to carry on.”

For a second, I saw something real in his eyes— a flicker of regret. But it passed too quickly.

I scoffed. Even at the brink of death, all he cares is the wealth he'll leave behind.

I turned away, unwilling to let him see the storm building inside me. “You always find ways to make me hate you a little more,” I muttered.

He smiled faintly. “You’ll thank me later.”

I scoffed again and left the room before he could say anything else.

The study was dim when I entered, lit only by the fading orange light seeping through the curtains. The smell of old leather was comforting as the sense familiarity washes over me.

I poured myself a glass of water, the ice clinking against the crystal. My father’s words replayed in my head like a bad joke. Produce an heir within two years.

Ridiculous.

I sat behind the desk and pulled the envelope Mr. Alden had handed me earlier. Inside were a dozen profiles.

Women, complete with photos and medical records. “Potential candidates,” the note said, personally recommended by family acquaintances. I scoffed, patawa, nakakatawa.

I skimmed through the pages. Each woman looked perfect on paper. Beautiful, healthy, well-bred. But they were strangers.

I tossed the papers aside as I grimaced in disgust.

I leaned back, rubbing my temples.

If my father wanted a grandchild, fine. But I wouldn’t marry some stranger for the sake of his empire. There had to be another way.

My eyes landed on my phone.

One name stood out in my contacts list— Celeste Vargas.

I hesitated only for a moment before pressing call.

“Ethan?” her voice came after a few rings, surprised but warm.

“Hey,” I said flatly. “I need your help with something. Discreetly.”

There was a pause. “What kind of help?”

I exhaled. “I need… a child. I need you to find someone who can carry my child. There has to be a way without involving physically right?”

Silence stretched for several seconds. I could almost hear her trying to process my words.

“Seryoso ka ba?” she asked finally.

“I don’t joke about business,” I said.

She gave a soft laugh, the kind that held disbelief. “And you’re treating this like one?”

“It’s a transaction, Celeste,” I replied, staring at the folder on my desk. “My father doesn’t need me married, just a grandchild. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Ethan…” her voice softened, half amusement, half pity. “You’ve really changed. Fine, I'll see what I can do. With this current modernization, pasalamat ka at posible na ang hinihingi mo.”

I didn’t respond.

When the call ended, tahimik nalang akong naupo. Tumambay ako sa terrace, hinihintay na sumapit ang dilim.

I looked at the documents again, at the empty line that awaited a name.

“If legacy is what he wants,” I muttered, “I’ll give it to him.”