Chapter 7 A DETERMINED LOVER

LIAM'S POV

I was so angry that I felt like I needed to break something. I was seething as I walked out of my father's mansion, his words still ringing in my head.

"Why do I even need a honeymoon when all this is just a sham?" I yelled at him.

He chuckled, "Do you think that this marriage is just a joke to you? That it's just a ploy and a way for you to get your inheritance?" He paused and walked up to me,

"You disappoint me Liam, I thought you were smarter than this. Do you really think that I would make it very easy for you? Until you learn what it is to be a man outside of work, then, I will gladly give you your inheritance but if not, then forget about it. I will simply give it out to charity." He said and moved back to his window.

He stood there with his hands crossed behind his back, "tell her to come and see me soon. I would like to have a one on one conversation with my daughter-in-law. You may leave. I believe you and I have nothing more to say to each other." He concluded.

That's how I got to this point of rage.

"How could he possibly do this to me? It's not by force to get married and besides when I had taken Yvonne to him, he rejected her and I do not know why. She is hardworking and beautiful and yet, he choose to give me the daughter of his best friend, he had no right to meddle in my life the way that he's doing." I thought as I drove my car out of the mansion.

I could not go home. I knew going there would only make things worse because the sight of Audrey would only fuel my rage. I needed to get to the office.

I drove my car to the office. I got greetings from all angles as I walked through the company's large glass automatic double doors.

I was in no mood to answer any greetings.

My personal assistant came up to me, "sir, would you like me to get you anything for this morning?" She asked.

"No, set up a meeting with the CEO of Grey and Ice. I would like to speak with her this instant."

"B..but sir, would that be possible? I mean..."

"Tell her it's me, Liam Smith. We have to close the deal anyway, don't we?" I cut her speech off.

She simply nodded and left to do as I had asked. I opened the doors to my office, beige colored wallpapers, black floor tiles, a huge black office desk, scented sticks, "the perfect kind of decor for a powerful CEO" or so my interior designer had said but now, looking at all these, I felt like ripping them off.

I got to my mini wine cellar and got a whiskey which I poured into a cup.

"Someone doesn't look so happy."

I would have been terribly angry at the sudden remark if I didn't know who that voice belonged to.

I sighed and glanced at him, "what part of personal space don't you understand Tobias?"

He raised his hands up in the air.

"Can you really blame me? It's not like we are one to set personal boundaries for each other." He replied.

I sighed and took a swig of my whiskey before moving to sit behind my table.

"I just can't understand why he's so stubborn." I said, frustrated by my father.

I heard the cups in the rack make noise, Tobias wanted to pour himself a drink as well.

"The apple doesn't particularly fall far from the tree you know." He commented.

"And is that supposed to help in any way?"

He laughed as he poured himself a whiskey as well. Then he sat on the sofa just beside my table but a few feet away.

"Look, I'm not totally against what the old man is saying. He's just saying that you should have a life outside of work."

I looked at my best friend as he was spilling rubbish and it made me wonder,

"Remind me again why I'm friends with you Tobias?" I asked him.

He laughed like it was a funny joke I just made.

He leaned in a bit, "I know, I'm just joking please, and what I'm saying is this, it won't hurt to just do as he says at least until you get what you need, you have got to stoop to conquer my friend." He said.

"I have taken Yvonne to him and I can not understand why he won't take her."

"It's probably because he had it planned and he didn't want to make you feel above him and disregard him so that's why he insisted on getting you married to um...what was her name again?"

My nose scrunched up and I felt a little irritated by him at this point, "I have mentioned her name to you countless times already Toby."

"You can't blame me, I've got a lot to think about."

"Well, it's Audrey." I responded.

"Yeah, and plus, I was at your wedding and she didn't look so bad, in fact she didn't look bad at all. I think she'd make the perfect wife."

It was weird hearing him talk about my wife in such a way,

Did I just call her 'my wife,'

I shook my head, that can never be acknowledged by me or anyone. I do not love her. Marrying me is at her own detriment. I'm not a nice guy, at least not when I don't love you.

"Why don't you get married to her then?"

"Oh come on, don't take it anymore personal." Tobias said.

I was getting a headache from hearing him speak.

"Just do as your father says. Soon, it'll all be over once you get what you want. And who knows what might happen in the future between the both of you."

I opened my mouth to reply but just then, my eyes and hers met. I stood up,

"Yvonne."