Chapter 2 The Ultimatum

KIER

"Welcome back, fam! You know what it is, live and loud from my favorite spot in the city," I tilted my phone, the live stream capturing the pulsing lights and packed dance floor of the club. The chat exploded with messages, half drooling over me, half trying to get noticed.

I leaned back against the VIP booth. My tailored black shirt clung perfectly to my chest, the top few buttons undone to show just enough skin for effect. I raked a hand through my tousled hair, pretending not to notice the camera lingering on my face.

"In case you forgot, you're tuned into the Kier Blackwood channel, where you watch me live a life you'll never afford. But hey, at least you can pretend."

I scanned the chat, smirking at the flood of comments. 'Kier, you're a god!' 'Notice me, please!' 'What's tonight's drink of choice?'

I swirled the champagne in my glass, holding it up to the camera. "Champagne, because why settle for anything less? And before you ask, no, it's not the cheap stuff. But you probably can't tell the difference."

"And you all have been asking for the secret of my glow," I teased, lowering my voice for dramatic effect. "It's all about good lighting... and good company." My gaze shifted to the two sexy models seated beside me, laughing and clinking their glasses.

The chat flooded with more emojis, some hailing me as a king, others calling me a jerk, but I just chuckled. "Oh, and for those of you asking if I'll ever settle down? Hate to break it to you, but love's just a marketing ploy. I'm here for the good stuff: money, power, and a damn good time."

I took hold of one of the models, pulling her close as I pressed my lips against hers, kissing her as if it were our last moment on Earth. She settled onto my lap while I flashed a cheeky grin at the camera and winked at my followers. After ending the live stream, I tossed my phone aside and turned my full attention to the stunning girl in front of me, along with the others beside us.

I celebrated as if the night would never end, completely unaware of how I found my way back home.

****

The alarm was ringing like crazy in my throbbing head. I opened my eyes and grabbed the alarm, why the hell was there an alarm on my nightstand? I didn't know, but it had to go.

"Shut it!" I screamed, throwing the alarm at the wall, watching it shatter to pieces. I smiled as the silence filled the room, ready to spread out comfortably on the bed, when I felt someone beside me.

Thinking it was one of the girls, I wrapped my hand around the torso, but the body I touched was clothed. That was the number one red flag, no woman on my bed should ever be clothed. And the biggest red flag was the hard muscles I was feeling.

"I do not like being groped, Mr. Blackwood," a very male voice said, and my eyes snapped open to see my driver slash bodyguard on my bed.

"What the fuck, Damon?" I yelled. In my haste to get away from him, I fell hard onto the floor.

"Shit!!!," I muttered.

"Mr. Blackwood, I sent your guests away because....." He was about to explain, but I cut him off.

"I didn't tell you to do that! Who gave you the right?" I shot back, but then I was caught short by the one person I did not expect to see this morning.

"I sent him, so get yourself together and meet me downstairs," my father, the great Donald Blackwood, said, without waiting for anyone. He moved away and shut the door behind him.

"What the hell? It's too early for this. It's barely morning," I gritted out, raking my hand through my hair.

"It's twelve in the afternoon, young master..." Damon started, but I shot him a glare.

"Shut up, and get out. And I'll say this once: don't ever be on my bed if you weren't part of my fuck list," I snapped. He grimaced and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

I sighed, rubbing my face. "What does that man want this morning?"

"What?" I spat out the juice I'd just sipped as my father spoke the most dreaded words I'd heard in a long while.

"Do I have to repeat myself? I said you are getting married to Genesis Caldwell tomorrow," he repeated, and I gaped at him. He was definitely tripping. He had to be joking, right?

"Dad, you're tripping. There's no way I'm getting married to some random woman I don't know tomorrow. Where is all this coming from?"

My father's face was set in a frown, his gray eyes hard and cold as he looked at me with disgust. "It's coming from your disgusting behavior that I can no longer tolerate. You'll do as I've said, or else you'll be stripped of all your privileges, your money, the company, this very expensive penthouse, everything."

What the hell was going on? Was this a nightmare? If it was, I needed to wake up, now.

"Dad, you can't do that," I said, standing up and pacing. It felt like the whole world was crumbling under my feet.

"Oh yes, I can. So tomorrow, if you don't show up at court, every one of your assets will be frozen."

"Fuck!"

"I'm tired of your behavior. I can't take it any longer. It's time you man up. You're almost thirty, and all you do is party like some party animal," he said, dropping another bombshell. "If you want to inherit the company and everything else, you'll marry this young woman and give me an heir."

"An heir?" I gasped, my stomach turning. I never wanted kids or to settle down, and now this was happening to me in one day?

I approached the counter and gazed at the image of the young woman. To my astonishment, she seemed oddly familiar, though I couldn't quite place why.

"Dad, this girl is just a teenager! Isn't that illegal? Am I really expected to marry a teenager?"

"No, I just don't have a recent photo of her, but you should recognize her," he replied, and I stood frozen, fixated on the picture. "That's Genesis Caldwell. You were close friends when you were little, though she was just a toddler back then."

I shook my head in disbelief, yet there was something about her that tugged at my memory. She was stunning, but people change as they grow older. Would she even appeal to me now?

"I don't remember her, Dad. Can't you think this over? Please, I promise I'll do better. Don't put me in this situation," I pleaded, but he simply shook his head, rising from his chair and brushing off his suit. He cast one last glance my way, and I realized my destiny was set. I was to marry someone I barely knew, yet she felt like a ghost from my past.

As my father reached the door, he hesitated, turning back to me with a knowing grin.

"Tomorrow, Kier. You'll remember her. And believe me, she won't be easy to forget this time."

The door clicked shut, and his words lingered in the air, heavier than any hangover I had ever experienced.