Chapter 6
Damon’s POV
New York
I stormed through the tall gates of the Aldridge mansion, my shoes echoing against the marble floors with every angry step I took.
The place hadn’t changed one bit. Same polished walls. Same cold statues staring down at you like you were an outsider. And I suppose I still was, despite the blood in my veins.
My uncle, Marcus, stood by the grand staircase, arms crossed, face grim.
“You’re late,” he said flatly.
“You dragged me all the way from LA for this?” I snapped.
“Damon—”
“Jeremiah,” I corrected sharply.
His brows twitched, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he gestured toward my father’s study. I scoffed, but followed him in.
The scent of old books and whiskey hit me the second I stepped inside. It reeked of my father, the man who couldn’t spare a shred of affection when he was alive.
“Sit,” Marcus said, closing the door behind us.
I didn’t. I folded my arms and stared him down. “What the hell is this marriage clause in the will?”
He sighed and took a seat behind the large oak desk. “Your father… insisted it be included. He made it clear.”
“Insisted? You mean the man who didn’t give a damn if I lived or died suddenly cared about who I marry?”
“Watch your mouth, Damon.”
“No,” I barked. “He cuts me off from everything unless I marry a girl of his choosing? Do you have any idea how insane that sounds?”
Marcus adjusted his tie and leaned back. “It was his final wish.”
“Screw his wish!” I kicked the edge of the desk, the chair behind me clattering to the floor. “I worked my ass off building my own company in London. I never asked him for a cent. Now, out of nowhere, he lures me back with promises and then pulls this stunt?”
“Calm down,” Marcus said through gritted teeth.
I paced the room like a lion caged. “So I either marry this mystery woman or I lose access to the Aldridge fortune, the properties, the shares, the damn empire?”
“Including the subsidiary company you just started working at.”
I froze. “You can’t be serious.”
“Your father owned controlling shares. That company, technically, belongs to the Aldridge Corporation.”
My jaw clenched. My fists curled. Rage bubbled just beneath my skin. “So he knew I’d return. He planned this. The old bastard wanted to control me even from the grave.”
“He didn’t hate you, Damon.”
I laughed bitterly. “No? Then why cut me off when I left? Why pretend I didn’t exist for years? Why force me to change my name just to have a life of my own?”
Marcus was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “He was hurt when you left.”
“He was hurt?” I threw my arms in the air. “He was the one who told me I was a disappointment! That I wasn’t worthy of the Aldridge legacy! And now he wants to control my life?”
“Your father may have been harsh, but he believed in legacy. He wanted to ensure the family name continued with integrity.”
“By forcing me to marry someone I don’t even know?”
“It’s not just anyone,” Marcus said, tone serious. “She comes from a reputable family. One your father respected.”
“This isn’t the damn 1800s!” I shouted. “People don’t arrange marriages over cigar smoke and business deals.”
“Well, your father did.”
I gritted my teeth, pacing again. Every nerve in my body screamed. I had plans. Ambitions. And now, I was shackled by the last command of a man who never cared.
“There has to be another way,” I muttered. “Some legal loophole. A way around this.”
Marcus shook his head. “Your father’s lawyer made sure the will was airtight. Unless you marry the girl, you get nothing.”
“Unbelievable,” I whispered, dragging a hand through my hair.
I slammed both palms onto the desk, leaning toward my uncle. “This was a set-up.”
“He wanted you to come home. To reclaim your place.”
“By manipulating me?”
Marcus didn’t reply.
I paced again, then stopped by the window. My reflection glared back at me in the glass. The sharp cheekbones. The piercing eyes. I looked just like him. And maybe that’s why he hated me.
I let the silence linger, anger simmering in the pit of my stomach. Then I turned slowly.
“Who is this girl?” I asked.
Marcus arched a brow.
“The one he wants me to marry. Who is she?”
He stood and walked to the file cabinet, pulling out a thick manila folder. He tossed it onto the desk with a thud.
“Everything you need to know is in there.”
I stared at it. The folder. My future, wrapped in paper and ink. I didn’t reach for it.
“This is blackmail,” I muttered.
“Call it what you want. But you only have two weeks to make a decision. After that, the will becomes irrevocable.”
I laughed bitterly again. Two weeks to decide if I wanted to tie myself to a stranger for life. Two weeks to decide if I wanted to abandon my company, my plans, my freedom.
“And if I refuse?”
“Then the fortune goes to charity. The board will take over your company. Everything your father built will be divided.”
The rage hit me all over again. I punched the wall, ignoring the sharp pain in my knuckles. “That bastard. He did this on purpose. He never wanted me to have any of it.”
“Maybe,” Marcus admitted quietly. “Or maybe he wanted you to earn it in a way he respected.”
I turned away from him, clenching my jaw. “Respect? He never respected me.”
“Then prove him wrong. Take control. Marry the girl. Get everything. And then do whatever the hell you want.”
I spun around. “So that’s it? I play nice, say ‘I do’, and suddenly I get the keys to the kingdom?”
Marcus gave a single nod. “Exactly.”
I stared at the folder again. I could burn it. Tear it apart. Walk out and never look back. But then my company would vanish. And I wasn’t about to let that happen.
I picked up the folder. It felt heavier than it looked.
“What’s her name?” I asked, my voice low.
Marcus folded his arms. “It’s in the folder.”
“Well, I don’t plan to check.”
“Then I can’t tell you.”
At his word, something suddenly stirred inside me.
A challenge and I never backed down from a challenge.
“Alright,” I muttered to myself. “Let’s see who breaks first. Me or her.”
