The Inheritance Clause by Flora Ferrari

Chapter Five

Leo

I sit alone in my office, seething quietly. I’ve got a problem on my hands, for sure. It’s clear from my conversation with Amelia that I have to take what I want. She encouraged me to go for it with the woman I desire, and the only woman I’ve ever desired is her. There’s no way I can ignore that fact when the clause says I have to marry for love.

But I feel I haven’t examined the clause enough. What if there’s a subsection that tells me who I have to marry? I have a feeling that my father would have had someone in mind for me. He was always trying to set me up with women, much to my dismay.

I hear a ping on my computer which indicates that I have an appointment coming up. I frown. I cleared my work schedule this month, allowing the company to run itself while I grieve for my dad’s passing. I don’t recall setting up any appointments with anyone, including business or pleasure…

I check the notification and my heart drops to my stomach. I knew it. I just knew that my father had to be up to something…

On my calendar is a dinner date with Claudia Waterstone. I wrinkle my nose. Claudia is insufferable, in my opinion. I’ve met her a handful of times at various fundraisers and dinner parties, and though she’s a beautiful woman from a very classy family, she has never caught my eye in that way. All she ever talks about is her good looks and the money she’s made from modeling. I couldn’t care less about her or her life.

And yet here I am, booked for a dinner date with her. I almost laugh. Did I do something to piss off my dad before he died? Is that why he’s set me up with this ridiculous woman?

Surely he can’t expect me to marry her? He told me to marry, for love, not someone I can’t stand. Surely he doesn’t think that just because she has money and status that she must be a good match for me?

I stand and begin to pace the office. The trouble is, if this has been organized for some time, then it would be very rude to cancel on the day of. I’ve always prided myself on being a gentleman and there is no way I’m going to give that up now just because my eyes are set on someone else. I’ll go on this ridiculous date, have dinner with Claudia, and then let her down gently. There’s no other way around it.

I groan in annoyance. I had plans to make my moves on Amelia tonight, but I guess I’ll have to wait a little longer. I’ve made it this far, I can make it a little longer.

I head upstairs to get changed, not making too much of an effort. I don’t want Claudia to get the impression that I’m taking this seriously. I don a shirt and some slacks, not bothering with a tie. If I was getting ready to spend the night with Amelia, things would be very different. But the fact is, I’m stuck on this date and there’s not much I can do now. I curse my father under my breath. Why does he always get the last word?

I head downstairs just as the doorbell rings and check my watch. I guess it must be Claudia. I suppose my father told her to meet me here so that I couldn’t back out. Maybe he thought I wouldn’t even find out about it until it was too late. He was always one step ahead of me, even now that he’s gone.

And damn, his plan worked.

As I’m opening the door, I try to make a swift exit, but Claudia steps straight inside, kissing my cheeks with a flourish.

“I’m so glad we could finally do this,” she gushes. “I’ve been wanting to set up a date between us for years. Your father was so sweet to arrange this for us, God rest his soul.”

I can barely get a word in edgeways as she continues to talk about my father. The pain of his passing is somewhat eased by this, at least. I can’t believe he’s forced my hand like this. I never wanted to play his game, and yet there’s no chance I’m going to win it either if he gets his way.

“Well come now,” Claudia purrs. “Our date awaits.”

She takes my hand and begins to drag me out the door. Just as she does, I see Amelia at the other end of the corridor, watching me leave with shock written across her face. My stomach twists. I know what she must be thinking. She must think I’ve made a move on Claudia based on her advice. She must think I don’t care, that I was never interested in her in the first place…

I need to fix this. I need to go back. But I know I can’t until I’ve dealt with this. One explosive issue at a time. I’ll do damage control when I return, let Amelia know that she’s the only woman in the world for me. She will understand when I explain she’s the perfect woman for me. The only woman for me.

But God, I wish I was with her right now instead of sitting in the passenger seat of Claudia’s car. She reaches over to squeeze my thigh.

“Alright, lover boy,” she purrs. “Let’s do this.”

She takes us to an upscale restaurant in the city, and I order as lightly as I can while Claudia insists on a three course meal. She stares at me from across the table, her piercing eyes making me shiver in the worst way possible. All I can think of is my beautiful Amelia, alone at the house and probably wondering what the hell is going on.

“So, you finally came to your senses, did you?” Claudia asks with a coy smile. “You realized that this match was always meant to be, right?”

“My father set this up,” I snarl. “I had no part in this.”

Claudia doesn't seem fazed by my anger. “You knew it was inevitable, though, two high flying people, both very attractive, both still single at our age, it’s like we’re a match made in heaven, right? We’ve been too busy to settle down, haven’t we? But it’s not too late, and now here we are.”

“Claudia,” I say firmly. “I need you to understand something. This isn't what you think it is. I’m not looking for someone to settle down with.”

“On the contrary,” Claudia purrs, raising an eyebrow. “I know all about the inheritance clause, darling. You’re certainly looking to settle down. You’re looking for a wife.”

I stare at her in disbelief. Did my dad really tell her about the stakes I’m facing? Is that how he got her to come here tonight? She’s not here for me at all.

She’s here for the money.

“You know about the clause?” I growl. Claudia laughs fruitily.

“Of course I do! Your father told me all about it before he died. That’s when we set up this little date. He understood that we would be a good match. And I’m so glad because this is exactly where I want to be.”

I’m so angry that I feel like I could toss the table across the room. How has this happened? How has dad let this ridiculous idea get so far? He told me to marry for love, and then arranged something that’s clearly far from a love match. I foolishly believed he was at least trying to do something good for his son by doing this, trying to make me happy...but now it all feels like some elaborate plan to make me miserable.

Unless…

Unless this whole date was a ruse. A way to show me that I have something better waiting for me. A way to show me that I don’t need to marry someone rich, someone of note. Maybe my father has been sending me another message entirely.

That if I want to marry for love, then I have to go out and find it.

And I know exactly where it is.

“Claudia, I’m leaving,” I say abruptly, standing from my chair. She looks horrified.

“You’re surely not going to leave me alone at dinner?”

“I know why you’re here,” I growl. “You don’t want me, you want everything that the clause would promise you. But you’re wrong if you think you’d get anything out of marrying me. The clause states that I have to marry for love, not marry some gold digger who just wants to see how deep my pockets are. I see through you, Claudia. Go and find some other rich fool to mess with.”

“Darling, come back! L-let’s talk this over...” she stutters.

But I’m already striding away. I have no idea if I’m doing the right thing, or whether I’ve interpreted my father right, but I can’t stand the idea of spending the rest of my life with a woman like Claudia. Not when the love of my life is so close to home and so willing to be mine. Not when I have a perfect life with her mapped out even if I lose my entire inheritance. I’m not too old to start again. I won’t be able to give her everything that I want to give her right away. It’ll be a riches to rags story, and it’ll take a long time to recover from that.

But it’ll be worth it. Amelia is worth risking everything. I have to get back to her. I have to find her and confess everything I’ve been keeping inside. I have to let her know just how special she really is before it’s too late.

I step outside the restaurant and hail a cab.

“Get me home fast,” I growl as I get in the cab, tossing a handful of bills onto the front seat. “Don’t waste a second of time.”

The taxi driver does as I ask, speeding off down the road as fast as the speed limit will allow. I feel agitated, my entire body stiff with anticipation. Every possessive bone in my body wants me home right now, telling Amelia exactly what I want. I want to rip every layer of clothing off her and finally indulge in these desires that we’ve been hiding fighting so long. I just hope she’s still there, waiting for me. I wouldn’t blame her if she decided she’d had enough and upped and left. I know she’s been waiting as long as I have for a moment like this, and now she saw me leaving the house with another woman…

I hope she still wants me. I hope she can forgive me for being such a fool by trying to fulfill my father’s last wish by going on this stupid date. I hope I can make it up to her, with my mouth all over her body. It’s our time now. It’s time to leave everything else behind. It’s time to put my focus where it belongs.

On her and nothing else.