carefully.
“I
hadn’t meant to eavesdrop,” Ursula said quietly now to her son as they faced
each other across his desk. “I was merely wondering why he just happened to
have company as soon as I left the house. Well, it seemed he’d called his
lawyer over to discuss certain matters of his will.”
She
looked up at her son with worried eyes. “I feel bad for having to listen in
like that, but in a way I’m glad because now you know what you’re up against. I
didn’t get to hear that much, but the little I did hear, was that your father
is planning to disinherit you.”
Morgan
shot to his feet with a huff, going to pace the length of his spacious office.
“Dad would never do that. We’ve never really seen eye to eye, in many things,
but I’m his only son.”
“Yes I
know. But Morgan, you’re so stubborn, and I’m sorry to say, quite a bit of the
heartless devil. You break women’s hearts like they were clay toys. Your father
isn’t happy with you especially after you left Hilary Morrison. You know her
father and yours have been friends for a long time.”
“So, I
break the heart of his best friend’s daughter and I get cut out of his fortune?
How messed up is that?” Morgan said with a disbelieving grunt.
“Look,
all I know is that, he’s considering putting in some kind of clause – in
the will. I just thought I should warn you,” she said with a deep sigh. Her
face, still very beautiful at over fifty years, was now drawn with more lines
than Morgan was used to. His heart suddenly softened and he went to crouch in
front of her chair so that he could look into the clear blue eyes so much like
his own.
“Just
tell me what I need to do, mother.”
She
smiled a little, rifling her fingers through his thick hair. “That’ll have to
be your decision. But your father is showing some concern that you’ll never
settle down. Your profligate lifestyle has made him think that once you’re head
of the company, your last thought would be about finding love or having a
family. He doesn’t want that for you.”
Morgan’s
lips curled in a scathing smile. Straightening, he murmured, “Funny that dad
should think like that – considering how he treated you all these years.
Oh sure, I noticed, even though I was a kid. But I saw everything you went
through and I’m not ready to put any “wife” through that, especially if I have
feelings for her. Leaving her alone day and night, never there for her when she
needs me – and filling her life with extravagance to make up for the
important things I should be giving her – like my love and attention. Why would I want to get married and play the same farce
you and dad played? I don’t want to get some women hurt or feeling deprived
like you did. I don’t want that on my conscience.”
Ursula
rose calmly to her feet. “Well then, expect to lose hold on the precious
company you’re so dedicated to,” she said plainly. “Because your father intends
to take it all away unless you can prove you have it in you to share true
feelings for anyone other than yourself. He wants you to get married, to be
happy. He intends to step down in a year – maybe even in half that time.
But he’s going to pass over giving you control of the firm if he feels it’ll
jeopardize your chances of having a normal life, a normal relationship…and a
family of your own.”
“This
is bullshit,” Morgan growled, his expression furious. Shoving his hands back
through his hair, he sighed before turning to his waxy-faced mother. “I’m
sorry, mom. I didn’t mean to speak like that in front of you. I just…what the
hell do you expect me to do now?”
“Make
the effort,” she said simply. “Morgan…your father isn’t feeling well. That’s
one thing he did confide in me about. He doesn’t really have that much time.”
Her eyes held her son’s meaningfully. Morgan drew in a sharp breath.
“What?”
he breathed in shock.
“The
doctors were very clear that he needs
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