Grandpa Harold Sterling leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping slowly against the desk.
"The Dawson family's first daughter has finally agreed to marry you," he said calmly. "The wedding shall commence this week"
Adrian let out a humorless laugh.
"So you dragged me all the way here just to tell me this?"
He slid his glasses back onto his face. "I'm not marrying anyone."
"It was never an option," Grandpa Sterling replied coldly. "This marriage is happening."
"I clearly told you I'm not interested in this political marriage," Adrian snapped. "Yet you still went ahead with it."
Adrian remembered how, a month ago, his grandfather had brought up the marriage alliance out of nowhere and discussed it with the Dawson family without his knowledge.
When he finally found out, he had outright rejected it and walked away.
Since that day, he hadn't stepped foot in this mansion, until this morning, when Butler Ian suddenly called, saying his grandfather needed him urgently.
"You don't get to choose who I marry," Adrian said darkly. "This marriage has nothing to do with me."
Silence filled the room.
Then Grandpa Sterling slowly opened the drawer beside him. He took out a sealed document and placed it on the desk between them.
"This document contains my will," he said. "If you refuse this marriage, the companies the shares, and all the properties will be divided among your cousins."
Adrian's hand clenched into a tight fist.
"You wouldn't dare," he said through gritted teeth.
How could his grandfather even think of handing over the companies Adrian had single-handedly built into what it was today to his useless cousins? He had been only nineteen years old when he was declared CEO, years after losing his parents in a car accident.
"Watch me," Grandpa Sterling replied calmly. "All it takes is my signature."
The two men stared at each other, their eyes dark and unyielding.
"I'll marry her," Adrian said slowly. "But don't ever expect me to treat her like a wife."
He turned and walked toward the door, anger boiling furiously inside him.
As soon as Adrian left, Butler Ian entered the study.
"Do you think this is right?" Ian asked carefully. "Forcing him to marry a stranger so suddenly?"
"I am never wrong with my decisions, Ian," Grandpa Sterling replied. "I have a feeling something good will come out of this."
He paused, then frowned slightly.
"About the Dawson family's first daughter… why am I only finding out now that Richard Dawson had another child?"
"I did some research," Butler Ian answered. "His first wife did give birth to a baby girl before their divorce."
"So she was dragged out to replace his second daughter in this marriage," Grandpa Sterling said with a smirk.
"What a sly man."
He leaned back in his chair.
"I want more information about her."
"Yes, sir," Butler Ian said, bowing before leaving the study.
Adrian stormed toward his car and slammed the backseat door shut.
His assistant, Ray, who was in the driver's seat, flinched and quickly glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
Of course, his boss was angry again.
Whoever managed to piss Adrian Sterling off this early in the morning deserved a curse, because the entire company would suffer for it.
Adrian roughly loosened his tie and said coldly,
"Ray, I want a full report on the so-called first daughter of the Dawson family on my desk today."
"Yes, boss," Ray replied, starting the car and driving off.