I Have Your Sons, Mr. CEO

(This book will mostly be in a third person's pov, but in some necessary situations, there will be a first-person pov)

*****

Staff members bowed as Christian strode into his company, exuding an air of elegance and confidence. His tailored suit accentuated his tall, well-built frame, and he moved with graceful authority down the hallway, his manager walking alongside him.

They entered the elevator, their synchronized steps reflecting the harmony of their working relationship. Damien, Christian's manager, received a discreet message on his phone, prompting a change in his demeanor. As the elevator ascended, he discreetly checked his phone, his expression shifting into a surprised "o."

"What's the matter?" Christian inquired, his gaze straight ahead, unyielding.

"Um... someone is waiting for you in your office, sir," Damien replied with a respectful bow.

"Who?" Christian asked, his attention still focused ahead.

"Miss Gracias," Damien answered. Christian's eyebrow arched slightly in response.

"Who?"

"Laura Gracias," Damien clarified, Christian's curiosity was piqued, and he inclined his head slightly.

"Why?" Christian's brows furrowed, seeking an explanation for this unexpected visit and Damien only shook his head in response. Christian scoffed lightly and turned his head forward with no further questions.

Christian Asher, 28 years old, with a chain of companies. He is one of the most influential men in the business world, 6' ft tall, with big brown eyes and dark straight hair. He is street-smart, business oriented, secretive, confident, and sporty, That nation's perfect man. Though he is well known, he keeps to himself a lot, and nothing much is known about him. Including the fact that he's happily married.

He owns Asher's Conglomerate, the biggest company in America, followed by Gracias Conglomerate, his rival company. They never go hand in hand, always against each other or it's just Gracias Conglomerate. The owner, Barry Gracias, has a strong jealousy and hatred for him since their company couldn't occupy the first position because of his company.

His daughter, Laura Gracias is the CEO now after he(Barry) had retired, being the only heir of his. And now, his enemy's daughter is waiting for him in his office, confusing.

He walked inside his office and as said, Laura was there seated, in a position that speaks *confident*She had her leg crossed with a book she must have picked from one of the shelves in Asher's office. Her manager was standing by a side, her hands crossed behind her back.

Christian walked in, his million-dollar leather shoe hitting the marbled floor silently as he made his way to his seat and Laura finally raised her head.

Laura Gracias, twenty-seven years old businesswoman. The CEO of one of the biggest companies in America, Gracias Conglomerate, is her dad's company passed on to her as the only heir. She also has her fashion industry, Laura's Beauty. Gracias Conglomerate and Asher's Conglomerate are well-known for their unending rivalry though Gracias Conglomerate is no match to Asher's Conglomerate but they're never on good terms.

And right now, she's sitting before him, her dad's enemy. She was never physically involved in the enmity, but since she handles the company whether or not she's interested in the enmity, she's a part of it somehow.

"To what do I owe the surprise, Miss Gracias?" Christian's cold and domineering voice echoed in the room.

Laura scoffed. "What a great way of greeting me you know," She said with a smirk on her lips. Christian only stared on uninterestedly and flatly.

"Alright then, since you're not the greeting type..."

"Why are you here?" Christian cut in flatly.

"Trust me, this is the last place I want to be.." She said with a scoff.

"As you know about the just in-rumors.." She continued. Christian only stared on flatly.

"The kids, they're yours" She dropped the bombshell.

******

*22 hours ago**

"What The fuck is this!?" Barry shouted angrily at his manager.

"I'm sorry sir" His manager bowed

"How the hell did this get out all of a sudden!?" He questioned, anger burning in his eyes.

"I'm sorry sir, I have no idea how.."

"Get Laura over here, now!" He said through gritted teeth.

"Now!" He shouted when his manager was hesitant.

** An hour later **

"I'm here" Laura yawned tiredly as she fell on the sofa.

Barry turned to look at her angrily.

"How the hell did the media find out after I told you it must never happen?" Barry yelled and started coughing incoherently and his manager rushed to him, trying to sit him down Barry pushed him aside and turned to Laura who was equally worried after her father started coughing.

Six years ago, Laura had a nightstand with a stranger she met at a club after she, or technically they both got drunk and it resulted in babies. She never bothered to find out about whom he was even after she had the babies because she wasn't ready for marriage to someone she knows nothing about and her parents had no problem with it, except her dad who warned that the media mustn't find out about it so as not to taint his reputation.

"You must find a solution to this! You must!" He shouted, a bit lower than before.

Laura sighed and got up from her seat. "Alright Dad, I know I promised to keep it a secret, but it's not my fault they found out and I don't even know how they did and I also don't know how to correct all this," She said, with a worried look.

Barry scoffed, "Well I do," He said, sitting up properly and Laura raised her brows ."You do?" Laura asked.

"Yeah, find that man who's responsible for those babies and wed him immediately!" He said and Laura's face heated up.

"What!?" She demanded.

"You heard me, Laura, I won't let you tarnish the reputation I have been building for a lifetime just because of that silly mistake of yours. Lots of rumors and news have been going on about how you slept with an unknown man, some even said the father of the kids rejected you or even ran, there's been lots of dirty rumors and they're tainting my image! So you dare not correct it!" Barry said angrily.

"Dad.." Laura said almost in the middle of tears but he turned and walked out of the scene.

Laura bent in tears. She knew what it meant not to do as he said, He was going to take the CEO position from her. It was not the first time he was threatening her with that.

How can she get married to a random man? She doesn't even remember his face! What if he's dead or married? And she can't even, she loves someone. Someone no one knows about, not even her parents. She had hidden him perfectly all these years. She loves him so much she was willing to wed him, and now her dad wants her to get married to someone else.

"Miss.." Her dad's manager hesitated but went on anyways.

"Should I look for him?" He asked and she sighed after some seconds, she raised her head, wiped her tears, and nodded.

She was hoping it would be someone easy to convince, and scheme a plot with, probably a commoner whom she would send off to another country and lie to her dad, proclaiming him dead.

"What!?" Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets after she heard who it was.

"Christian!?" She asked again in shock and he nodded.

"Like. Christian Asher? Asher Conglomerate? Like?.."

"Yes" Her manager cuts in.

"Riley(Her manager), are you sure?" She asked and Riley nodded, equally worried as she is. She turned to her dad's manager in utter disbelief and he also nodded, confirming it

"Alright, that's crazy. There's no way it's him and there's no way I'm getting married to him and there's no way he's getting married to me too. He hates our family, our companies are rivalry and. " Laura suddenly stopped when her brain arranged the puzzles together.

"Wait. " She suddenly turned to Mathew(her dad's manager) with a big smile plastered on her face.

"Christian Asher right? My dad's biggest enemy, we slept together and had babies and now I have to marry him, impossible, even dad himself would be against this" She said with a big smile and Riley nodded as it also occurred to her too.

"Alright, that's true" Riley burst into smiles and Matthew nodded in agreement.

"Very true" Laura licked her lips in smiles as she stared at the screen which had the CCTV footage of six years ago as Christian walked into the bar, up to them making out as they walked into a dark room. It was him, the perfect candidate that would be against their marriage.

That was what she thought, but here she was, sitting before the man her dad supposedly hates, telling about THEIR kids. Things didn't go as planned, her dad didn't mind that he was his greatest enemy and all he cared about was his reputation she was almost ruining.

** Back To The First Scene **

"The kids, they're yours" She dropped the bombshell. Christian only stared on, not even caring to ring the words in his ears.

"You don't seem fazed that you have two babies with me and we're about to get married right now?" Laura asked questioningly.

"Miss, what are you talking about?" Damien cuts in.

"You must have heard about the rumors which just got out a day ago right? About her having two kids for an unknown man?" Laura's manager (Riley) cuts in.

"Yeah?" Damien turned to her fully.

"The man, it's him. It's the father of the babies" She responded.

"Wait, I don't.."

"Are you going to keep mute and not say anything?" Laura was beginning to lose her cool but Christian only stared blankly. He looked like he wasn't listening but he was trying to comprehend what he heard.

"Excuse me?" He was finally able to form words. He did so without stuttering too, showing how perfect a man he is.

"I have your babies, six years ago, we had a nightstand. There's the footage clip if you want. News finally broke out after years of me hiding it and not trying to bother any man with my babies, and my dad is trying to protect his reputation so he wants us to get married" Laura said but Christian only stared on, his expression void but he was confused.

Somehow, Laura could see that tinge of confusedness in him.

"Show him the clip girl" She gestured with her fingers and Riley nodded. She placed a tab before him and played the footage clip of them six years ago, how he walked into the bar and got drunk, also how Laura happened to be drunk sitting two stools away from him, how they made eye contact and gave each other body signs to how they walked over to a corner and started making out.

Damien looked away immediately after that scene popped out and Christian did the same too with no expression on as he looked at Laura who had her left brow raised.

"So, you wanna get married or you wanna go meet my dad and negotiate? Which one?"

"Does this guarantee I am the father of those kids?" He asked, his voice still stoic and emotionless and Laura scoffed. "You are one weird guy for real, go through the rest of the clips to see us clearing doing it," She said.

"What do you want?" Christian asked and Laura smiled.

"Do what my dad wants or rather if you have a plan of convincing my dad, the. Okay, both will do" Laura responded.

"How sure am I that the kids are mine?" He asked and Laura smiled.

"Well, you were my first and last during that period since you took my v card, and the babies resulted from it, but if you don't believe it, let's do a test, what do you think? Or what? You don't wanna take responsibility?"

"He's not a man like that..." Damien cuts in at once. "Miss.." He completed in a soothing voice so as not to anger her.

Laura smiled and turned to Christian with a raised brow.

"If they turn out to be mine, I'll take full responsibility," He said simply and Laura smiled.

*At The Hospital*

They were all seated in a ward, with two boys who look slightly identical and clinged to their mom, Laura. They were the kids, the one that happened a night six years ago.

Christian hadn't taken his eyes off them as he stared with a blank expression. No one knew what he was thinking, he was capable of not showing emotions.

Someone walking into the ward made them all snap to reality as they looked up to see if it was who they were expecting and yeah, it was him, the doctor who had just taken some blood samples of the twins.

Laura only raised her head and Christian only unfolded his arms while Riley and Damien looked ready and impatient.

"Well, Mr Asher.." He turned to Christian.

"The test came out positive sir, the blood samples matched with yours, they're your sons" He said and the two managers sighed in relief and non-relief simultaneously (you know who did which right?) Laura silently released a breath she didn't know she had been holding while Christian showed no emotions but he was troubled and all he could think about at that moment, was his wife.

What was he going to tell her? How was he going to do so? He loved his wife so much he wouldn't do anything to hurt her and now, this had to happen.

And for the first time ever since they met, Christian let out a bit of emotion. He sighed as he ruffled his hair. "Let's talk outside" He said to Laura and he walked outside.

"Babies, I'll be back okay, stay with aunt Riley" Laura whispered to the twins and they nodded.

Laura walked out to where Christian was waiting for her.

"Hey" She announced her arrival and he raised her head.

"Alright miss, as we both know, we both never meant for this to happen, it was a mistake" Laura nodded.

"But.. we can't get married. Leaving out the fact that your family and mine don't get along, we can't be married. I know nothing about you and I don't intend to know"

"Same here" Laura muttered

"So what do we do? I'm fully ready to be responsible for this kids welfare and all but we can't get married" He said and Laura nodded.

"Same, I don't wanna get married to you, or even anyone at this moment of my life but my dad.. my dad is the only hindrance, you can do your thing and talk to him, hopefully he agrees"

"And that's it right?" He asked and Laura nodded.

"Of course I want nothing else from you, not even taking responsibility of the kids, but since it's come to this. We could just orchestrate something to give to the public. We had them while we were dating but we broke up when we couldn't work anymore and the kids are doing well under my custody and you have full rights over them. Just cook a lie up or something" Laura said but Christian shook his head.

"No, not that. I don't want it to be public knowledge that the kids are mine" He said and Laura raised her brows.

"What? Why's that?" She asked and Christian also raised a brow.

"You just said you didn't want nothing to do with me. I seriously don't too. After some wordings with your dad, we will both find a way to clear the rumors without you having to get married to someone or tender the father of the kids" Christian said and Laura shook her head.

"I don't know" She muttered.

"This is not a choice of what you want or not. You will have to choose one, either you get married to me unwillingly like your dad wants or we do it my way" He said and Laura went silent for a while before agreeing. "Ok" She nodded.

"Alright then.. i''ll..."

"Why don't you want to get married to me? You got a girlfriend or what? Just curious, nothing serious" Laura asked.

"I don't want to have anything to do with your family, your dad knows better and you do too. I don't think you have a right to ask me such personal question, do you?"He asked and Laura scoffed.

"Whatever" Laura said and left the scene.

*** Later that day ***

"Well, well, well, if it isn't The CEO of the one and only Asher Conglomerate" Barry hyped hysterically as Christian stood before him with his manager by his side and Laura sat somewhere away from them.

"Who could have thought you would be responsible for the making of my grandkids one day, hilarious right? And they really look like you, they got your eyes, your nose, your..

"Let's cut to the chase Mr Gracias, I'm not here to banter words" Christian said and Barry's smile faded slowly.

"Rude.." He said as he walked over to a chair and had his seat.

"Don't you think you're too rude for someone who's about to become my son-in-law" He said with a smirk.

"You know that's never going to happen Gracias" Christian said, not moving from his spot and his face expressionless.

"You seem so confident even after you are on the edge of tainting my reputation due to your silly mistake!" Barry raised his voice and Christian only scoffed.

"Your daughter included" He said, simply as he walked over to a couch and had his seat.

"Listen Barry, I have my own personal life and I'm not about to allow you and your daughter's mistake ruin it, I ain't getting married to anyone. We better find another solution to it" Christian said and Barry smiled.

"And I suppose you have a plan for that?" He asked and Christian nodded. "Yeah, I do" He responded.

"Well, keep them to yourself" Barry said with a smirk and Christian frowned. They're really bringing out emotions from him.

"Listen Barry.."

"You listen Christian.." Barry got serious.

"You're getting married to my daughter, or.." He gestured to Mathew who walked to Christian front and brought a tab to his face. Christian looked up at Barry who smirked and gestured to him to check out the content before his face.

Christian brought down his brows and brought his gaze to the tablet and it was an article, headlined *Christian Asher, CEO of Asher's Groups Rejected His Kids For A Secret Relationship Five Years Ago* It read and Christian raised his brows abruptly and looked at Barry. Matthew left his front.

"What? You're wondering how I found out?" He said with an evil smile.

"Dad, what's going on?" Laura who has been watching ever since had to cut in.

"Well, Mr Asher here, is supposedly married to a woman.. secretly" He said the words, staring directly into Christian's eyes.

"How.. dare you!?" Christian questioned, almost loosing his cool.

"You've been hiding this for years, it wouldn't be bad if I inform the public on your behalf. I mean how could you hide such a big thing from them?.."

"Dad!" Laura cuts in, shocked that her dad could do such a thing.

"Stay out of this Laura! All this wouldn't have happened if you had kept those kids hidden properly!?" He yelled at her and she almost staggered on her feet, Riley rushed to her.

"All these years of beefing with your dad, till it got passed down to you, I never had a hold of you two's weakness. I was always the one who got pulled down, I never got a hold of you two but all of a sudden, I caught something. Why's there always a ring on his right hand, no normal person would ever think to that extent but Christian Asher that I know is no fashion guy, why then does he have a ring everytime on his finger?.." He said and let out a chuckle as he looked directly into Christian who was burning silently in anger, his hand moulding into a fist.

"Then, I did some diggings, and boom, I caught you and your secret wife one day on a date, an anniversary date to be precise. I was shocked for real but why was he keeping it a secret?, I thought. Then I did some diggings on her and she was a 'nobody' ooh, you fell in love with someone unknown in the business world, that would for sure taint your reputation somehow, perfect reason to keep it unknown and you know why all this came to am advantage for me, you two got married three years ago, I could perfectly mould the story this way "They dated for two years until he broke up with her after he found out she was pregnant and he got married to someone else two years later' Isn't that perfect?" Barry said with an evil chuckle.

"What a great way to ruin your reputation and bring Asher's Conglomerate to crumbles just like I have always wanted? Don't you think?" Barry said as he crossed his legs and sat up properly.

"So?.." He leaned in forward.

"What'd you say?" He asked with a smirk looking at a frustrated Christian whose fist got tightened. Barry saw this and his smile deepened.

"What do I do?" Christian exhaled loudly as he asked and Barry smiled.

"Simple, get married to my daughter" He said.

"Aren't you scared of what I'll do to your daughter?" Christian asked curiously and Barry smile.

"Of course I trust you not to misbehave or you know what's at stake. And I trust my daughter too, she's pretty much a psycho" He smiled proudly looking at Laura.

"Dad, no! No way! I'm not fucking getting married to him!" Laura yelled.

"Yes you will daughter" Barry said.

"Dad, no! What? You're going to sell me off to your enemy? You don't care what could happen to me, moreover he's married, he has a fucking wife! How do you think his wife will feel about this?.."

"First of all, I give no fucks about his wife darling, secondly, I'm not selling you off and he would do nothing to you and lastly, all of thus wouldn't happen if you never had sex with someone you randomly met at a club and even had his kids!" Barry fired and Laura scoffed frustratedly, almost in tears.

"Dad.."

"End of discussion darling..back to you Mr Asher, you can come get your wife when you're ready, I'll like to go get some rest now" He said and walked away without any more word while Laura slumped to the floor and Riley rushed to hold her.

Christian stood up and left without any word or without sparing Laura a glance.

****

*Christian's Mansion*

Christian walked into his mansion staggering, drunkenly. His wife, Antonia rushed to him, worriedly. "Babe.." She said as she engulfed him into a hug and he smiled drunkenly.

"Tonia.." He said, drunkenly, hugging her back.

"Shit..why did you drink so much?" Tonia asked when he staggered making her stagger too and they almost fell.

"Come have your seat" She said as she pulled his hand to make him seat on the million-dollar cushion in their sitting room.

Christian landed on the sofa softly and Tonia knelt before him. "Babe.."

"I'm..sorry" Christian muttered softly, as he caressed Tonia's cheek. Tonia smiled and kissed his hand.

"Did you really get drunk because you couldn't face me?"

"I disappointed you Tonia, I let you down. How could I possibly face you?" Christian sighed and Tonia only kissed his hand again.

"You didn't have to get drunk Christian, I will always love you no matter what" She muttered, hugging him again and Christian kissed her hair softly.

"She will be coming to live with us, is that.. okay?" Christian asked softly.

"Of course, I'm fine with it. As long as you're not actually marrying her for real?" She said with a smile.

Christian sighed softly.

"Not really but.. kinda" He muttered and Tonia flashed her eyes open and moved away from him.

"What do you mean? You're getting married to her!? What about me!?" She almost yelled.

"Babe, her dad actually wanted me to get married to her since you know, she has my kids.."

"And I don't care about that! Oh wait, you wanna marry her because we've been wanting kids and I haven't been able to provide one, huh!?"

"Tonia.." Christian gripped her firmly, making her unable to move.

"Calm down okay?" He whispered to Tonia who was breathing heavily in his grip.

"I never wanted kids, my parents are the one asking for that and you know I give no fucks about what they want! I don't care if they need grandkids, they're not my priority, you are. I love you and I'm not requiring you to make kids for me, ever. So, I'm not marrying her because she fills that post..."

"I'm only doing this to protect us,, and moreover it's only for two years, okay?" He said softly, caressing her hair.

"Two years? What do you mean?" Antonia asked.

"She came over to my office later after I left her dad's home and we signed a contract, just two years then we get a divorce" Christian explained.

"Behind her dad?" Tonia asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, he doesn't know"

From the Desk of Asher's Conglomerate and Gracias Conglomerate

The polished marble floors of the office corridor absorbed the hushed footsteps of employees going about their tasks. The atmosphere within the two towering corporate headquarters, Asher's Conglomerate and Gracias Conglomerate, was charged with a tension that had transcended the confines of business rivalry.

In the spacious office of Christian Asher, CEO of Asher's Conglomerate, the grandeur of success mingled with the whispers of secrets held for far too long. He leaned against the mahogany desk, his countenance a curious blend of solemnity and anticipation. On the opposite side of the city, in the lavish office of Laurasia Gracias, CEO of Gracias Conglomerate, a similar tableau unfolded. Laura sat at her desk, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood, betraying a mixture of nerves and determination.

The digital clock on Christian's desk read 11:58 AM. He stared at the screen displaying the live feed from Laura's office. The anticipation in the air was palpable as the clock ticked closer to noon.

Exactly at noon, their hands moved in unison, each of them pressing the button that would transmit their joint statement to the world. It was a calculated move, a disclosure that would ripple through news outlets and social media platforms, changing the course of their personal and professional lives forever.

The press release opened with the stark reality: Laurasia Gracias and Christian Asher were married. The unexpected alliance, a product of circumstances that had once driven them apart, was now laid bare before the world. They stood side by side in the photograph that accompanied the announcement, their expressions both resolute and vulnerable.

The narrative they had concocted was carefully woven into the words of the statement. "We understand that the public has questions, and we are here to address them. We are parents to two wonderful children who mean the world to us. For the sake of their happiness and well-being, we have chosen to put aside our differences and stand together as a family."

Behind the scenes, as the statement went live, an entirely different scene was unfolding. In a lavish penthouse, Barry Gracias watched the live broadcast with a sinister grin. He reveled in the knowledge that his manipulation had brought about this orchestrated revelation. The satisfaction in his eyes was unmistakable, a chess master moving his pawns across the board.

As the announcement rippled through the public consciousness, it did not take long for the media to seize upon the revelation. On a screen split into two, two broadcasters dissected the unexpected turn of events.

"Kara, this is unprecedented! The feud between Asher's and Gracias has been the stuff of legends. Who could have foreseen this?" the male broadcaster exclaimed, his tone a mix of disbelief and intrigue.

"You're absolutely right, Tom. It's like something out of a dramatic romance novel. But what's even more fascinating is how seamlessly they've concealed this marriage and their children. It's like a modern-day fairy tale," Kara responded, her eyes wide with incredulity.

"The dynamics at play here are mind-boggling. Their companies have been bitter rivals for years, and now they're linked by marriage and parenthood. Is this a strategic move or a genuine change of heart?" Tom mused.

Back in their respective offices, Christian and Laura exchanged a glance through the live feed. The screens had captured the exact moment their announcement was being discussed on air. For a fleeting moment, their eyes locked across the digital expanse, a silent acknowledgment of the path they had chosen to tread together.

In the streets below, pedestrians glanced up at the towering buildings that housed the two conglomerates. Whispers of surprise and disbelief mingled with the noise of the city. The announcement had sent shockwaves through a society that had grown accustomed to their rivalry.

And as the world tried to wrap its collective mind around the newfound connection between Asher's and Gracias, the hearts of two people beat in rhythm, their unspoken affection now laid bare for all to see.

The stage was set, the spotlight blazing. Two figures, bound by circumstance and united by choice, stepped into a narrative that was poised to redefine not only their lives but the very landscape of the business world they inhabited.

The public's reaction was a whirlwind of surprise, curiosity, and speculation. The news of Laura Gracias and Christian Asher's secret marriage and shared parenthood became the talk of the town, dominating headlines, social media feeds, and water cooler conversations alike. The apparent contradiction of the fierce business rivalry between their conglomerates and their newfound personal connection was a plot that rivaled the most captivating dramas.