Chapter 1 The Clause

TENOR

"What is this?" I asked, frantically flipping through the pages of the document to make sense of it.

"Is this a joke to you? Even an amateur would have no use for this!" I snapped before he could find an answer, slamming the document on the desk as I reprimanded.

Jordan joined the company about 5 months ago as Head of Creative Design. His designs have been okay, but just "okay" didn't keep Stark Realty at the top of the game, and I think I have been patient enough.

Normally, I'd ask for a replacement after 3 months, but I could tell this one had some raw talent, although he lacked concentration and maybe the drive to put in actual work needed to harness his potential.

His designs lacked some creative juice, and at this point, I knew I had given him enough room to prove himself. Maybe these Gen Zs don't understand that a hefty pay cheque comes with hefty expectations.

"What's your role in this company again?" I tilted my ear in his direction.

"Cr – Creative designer, sir," he muttered, face down.

"Oh, I doubt that," I yelled. "Because there is nothing creative about this piece of shit," gesturing to the report in front of me.

"Listen to me Jordan, I have no room for incompetence." I thundered in annoyance. "I'll let this slide, but the next time this happens, we won't have this conversation. You'd be out! Did I make myself clear?"

"Ye – yes sir," he answered, fidgeting. I could see his clothes vibrate.

He should be scared for his job; I wasn't one to make empty threats, not after paying so much.

"Now, pick up this excuse of a design and get out of my office. I'm giving you till the end of the day to get back to me with something worth my time.

Get out!" He flinched at my brusque tone, "Yes, Mr. Stark." Just then, the door to my office flung open, and it was my Dad, but he wasn't alone.

It wasn't strange for my dad to pop into my office every once in a while, but with Attorney Christos our family lawyer, I could tell it wasn't a courtesy visit. My attention shifted to Jordan who was still standing there as if waiting for something.

"Leave!" He grabbed the design and quickly scurried away like prey let out of a trap.

"With all due respect, Mr. Jeffery Stark, this is someone's office, please knock."

"At least it's not your bedroom, boy, then you won't be worried about being naked." He responded with a smile as he approached the desk.

"Come on, Dad. It's bad manners."

"Oh, please, spare me the lecture son, I'm not your employee." They took a seat in front of me. "Have a seat, Christos is here to see you."

"You should have called, I'm quite busy with the new project, can't this wait?"

"It can, but there might be no project after this one if we decide to wait till you have the time." He tilted his neck and raised an eyebrow to meet my gaze." This had to be serious.

"So, what's it going to be?"

My mind wandered for a long second, trying to guess what this could be about, but nothing came to mind. So, I sat, and Dad gestured with a nod to Mr. Christos to begin.

He opened his briefcase and pulled out some documents. "Here is your grandfather's will," he tossed it towards me.

It's been barely 5 weeks since grandpa passed, I wasn't expecting his will to be read so soon.

"Why so early, grandpa passed barely a few weeks ago?"

"We should have done this about a week ago, but I was out of the country. The old man gave strict orders to do this one month after his passing."

"Okay. But why isn't grandma here? It's her husband's will. She deserves to hear his testament." I was curious.

"We are coming from hers, and she gave her permission." He responded.

"Please proceed Barrister," my dad cut in with a serious expression.

I leaned back in my chair and adjusted my tie.

"Mr. Stark, your grandfather stated in his will that you inherit Stark Realty Investments." He paused for a stretched second.

"Is that it? You could have just called me to tell me." I gestured to my dad, who remained quiet. Being the only grandchild, I wasn't surprised.

"There's a clause, Tenor." He added.

"Clause? What clause?" I asked.

"The condition with which you inherit Stark Realty is that you get married!"

"What!"

I sat up staring, as my eyes moved from my dad, to Mr. Christos, "Is this some kind of joke? If it is, then it's sick, because I'm not in the mood, not now please!

You could hear a pin drop. The room was silent as a graveyard, and the gaze piercing. I could tell they weren't joking.

Almost every conversation with grandpa ended with bugging me to get married. He would always go on and on about how I need a woman to hold me down on difficult days and how Lyn needed a mother figure. But I never saw it coming as a clause in his will, not in a thousand years.

"Grandpa can't do this to me. I don't want to get married."

"Tenor," my dad cut in. "He isn't joking. That's the will in front of you, you can take a look. Get you a decent girl, settle down and raise a family, simple."

"What do you mean, 'simple'," I snapped back, my brows furrowed.

"This couldn't be as hard as running Stark Realty, could it? What's your problem with getting married anyways? What happened between you and..." Not allowing him to complete his statement, I raised my eyes to meet his intensely.

My gaze was murderous. One would think I was hiding something, but in reality, I hated to talk about it and he knew it. As I concluded the eye fight with my dad, I turned to Mr. Christos.

"What happens if I refuse?"

"After your father, since you have no other siblings, Stark Realty goes to the Potter's."

"The Potter's? Like Kennedy Potter and his family? Aren't those our business rivals?" He nodded.

"FUCK!" I slammed my fist on the desk. "Your father would go to such lengths just to coerce me to get married?"

"Tenor, control yourself!"

"But who in their right frame of mind would do such a thing, was he stable when he wrote this?"

"Tenor!" my dad called out again, more loudly this time. "Watch it boy! That's my father you're referring to." I could tell he was annoyed, but so was I.

A feeling of helplessness began to weigh on me, "Can someone please tell me this is a prank? No?" I exhaled.

"Look son," my dad cut in to pacify me. "This might not be very easy for you, but you need to understand that your grandpa did this out of love. He thought you put in so much time and energy to work, and need a woman to support you. Look at Lyn, you've been an excellent father, but it's no doubt the child needs a mother and I agree with him."

My dad always found a way to say the wrong things, I'm sure he thought he sounded smart, but factually it was annoying. Little wonder mum would always get mad at him.

I hated when they said Lyn needs a mother, I felt like it discredited everything I'd done these past years to raise my daughter alone.

"For the umpteenth time, Lyn has a parent, I am her father. She doesn't need a-a mother."

"Are you sure about that, son?"

"Yes, Dad, why do you keep saying that? I really need time to process all of this." I closed my eyes, pressing my fingers against my temples, and took a few deep breaths. When I opened my eyes and they weren't on their way out, which was strange considering we had discussed the clause, or so I thought.

"What else?" I tilted my head, calling my brows in with a hand gesture.

"The clause has to be fulfilled within a year."

"Oh wow! There's a deadline?" I gasped; it felt like a punch in my gut. "Y'all are after my life aren't you? What else does he want me to do, lay down my life so I could inherit the damn company?"

Dad just sat there, didn't say a word. This was more like a punishment than a blessing, and I hated every bit.

"Our work here is done, you've got this!" They stood to take their leave. Mr. Christos walked out of the door first,"Son," Dad called out, "12 months Tenor, you don't have forever!"