02

Xavier Knight

Driving through the busy streets of New York, I made my way to my company, XDS Autotech. My best friends, Daniel Adams, Sean Peterson, and I are equal partners in the company. Our company was the USA’s top Auto component manufacturer company.

Our company was nothing when we started it right after college. We were Mechanical engineering graduates, after college, we started this company from scratch and after seven years of intense struggle, our company became the highest-grossing company of the year, last year. The goal was the same for this year as well. Right now, we had clients all over the world and famous automobile companies were our clients. We had offices in some countries in the world but we had been working on expanding our business. It’s a billion dollars company and I was very proud of it. And why wouldn’t feel proud? It was my dream and now I was living it.

As I reached my company building, I parked my car in the private parking area and sauntered towards the entrance. Greeting good morning to the security guards, I entered the building then headed towards the private elevator, greeting good morning to my employees and the receptionist who was giving me a seductive smile making me mentally roll my eyes.

Entering into the elevator, I click the sixtieth-floor button, which was my floor. Fifty-ninth belonged to Daniel and fifty-eight to Sean. Only a few other people worked on our floors and all other employees working in their respective departments on their respective floors.

Once on the floor, I sauntered towards my office, greeting good morning to Mrs. Rosa Miller with a smile, she was the floor manager and was hardworking. As I got near my office I abruptly stopped, the view in front of me gave me an instant headache. There were hundreds of flower bouquets placed near the sitting area in front of my office.

“What is all this Ronald?” I asked my employee who, actually worked in the management department but right had to work as my temporary P.A. since I didn’t have one at the moment as I fired my last P.A. a week ago.

“Sir, these are wishes from your clients and business partners.” He replied politely.

I sighed, new clients always send letters and flowers as a thank you greeting.

“Clear the place, Ronald. This scene is giving me a headache”.

“Umm…sir you won’t go through these letters?” He questioned.

I sighed. “I don’t have time Ronald, I have more important work to do.”

Don’t get me wrong but my every second count and going through these letters would surely take a day. But I couldn’t disappoint my clients as they were the reason I was standing here.

“Ronald, do one thing, you together with Mrs. Miller, reply for those letters on my behalf but first come in the office and tell me my today’s schedule,” I said and entered my office.

∷∷∷∷∷

I was going through the documents when suddenly my phone rang. I smiled watching the name which appeared on the phone screen ‘My Old man’. I picked up the call immediately.

“Good morning…world’s best dad,” I said, grinning ear to ear as I relaxed back in my chair.

“Oh.. flattering, are you saying this because you didn’t meet your old man and old woman for so long?” Came his taunting reply.

“Oh come on, dad, you know I have been busy and I said that because I mean it.” Yeah, my parents are the best in the world. I am really very lucky to have them.

“Okay, okay fine I get it.” He laughed. “Well son, your mother and I have something to talk to you about. Come for dinner tonight and don’t say no because this is important.” He said with seriousness in his tone.

“Dad, is everything all right? Is mom okay?” I asked worriedly as I sat straight in my chair. My mom had a heart problem, she had already got two heart attacks in the past, but luckily they were not fatal.

“Don’t worry son, everything is fine and your mom is well, It’s just that we both want to talk to you. Please do come, son.”

“Dad, you don’t have to say please, you just have to order. I will come for sure, okay? See you tonight, bye dad, love you.” Saying that I hung the call.

∷∷∷∷∷

“No way in hell I am gonna do that!” I snapped angrily at my parents who were sitting with me in the living room of the mansion after we had dinner.

I came here to meet them, I was worried sick that there must be something serious but I didn’t expect this news.

“One thing I don’t understand is that why you invested in Andrew’s company? You know he is not a wise man and most importantly why I have to marry her daughter?” I asked in bitterness.

“Xavi..son, please try to understand it’s for your own good. She is a good girl,” My mom said in a soft tone, taking my hands in hers.

I gazed at her in disbelief. “How can you say that it’s for my own good? I am more than capable to create my own good and bullshit with that good girl crap, Andrew’s daughter is nothing but a spoiled brat,” I snapped.

“Language Xavier.” My dad snapped at me. I huffed, I hadn’t ever raised my voice at them.

“Sorry, dad…mom.” I apologized.

“Here we are not talking about Scarlet, we know what she is but we are talking about Andrew’s other daughter. She is his stepdaughter.” Dad said.

“Andrew has two daughters?” I asked in surprise because I had never heard about that. Only that brat Scarlet was seen everywhere in the media.

“Yes, but that’s not the point right now. Listen, son, she is a good girl. She is anything but a spoiled brat.” He said.

“How do you know that, dad? Have you seen her, met her? I myself right now got to know that Andrew has two daughters, I have never seen her; never met her. I don’t know how she looks like and you want me to marry her?” I asked in disbelief.

“Please son…” I cut my dad in between

“My answer is NO and that’s final,” I said getting up from the couch.

Suddenly my mom took my hands in hers again. “Xavi, son, we never asked you for anything, we let you do what you wanted to we never interfered but for this first time, we are asking you for something. Please son just this one time listens to us just this time. We will never do anything wrong to you, we always want your good. Please, please, son.” Mom said with teary eyes.

My heart sank watching my mother cry, it hurt me so much. The last time I saw tears in her eyes was when I was in college and fell ill. I was away from home and she cried to see me but I didn’t allow her to come to me because she was not well. We only talked on Skype. After that, I had never seen her cry.

“Don’t cry, mom, you know I can’t see tears in your eyes.” I embraced her into a tight hug.

“Please son, listen to us, we just want to see you happy,” Dad said. I gazed at him and found him with teary eyes which he was trying to hide but I saw them.

I immediately let go of my mom and hugged my dad tightly. Indeed, they had never asked me for anything; even never questioned my decisions. They gave me everything and when I told my dad about my decision of starting my own company, he supported me in that too when wanted me to run the family business.

They are the best parents in the world. If they were insisting me to do something then there must be something serious which they didn’t want to tell me. At this moment, I wanted to hate them for doing this to me, but I couldn’t because I love them to death. I can do anything for them. If marrying that girl would bring a smile to my parent’s face so be it. I will do it!

Sighing, I pulled apart and ran my hands in my hair to compose myself.

“Okay, mom, dad, I will do this…just for you,” I said. Even though I didn’t want to but I had to. I mean what could go wrong?

“Oh my god, son thank you, thank you, thank you so much.” Mom said happily and hugged me.

“But I have conditions!” I said after I pulled away from the hug.

“What conditions son?” Dad asked.

“This wedding will the smallest you could arrange. I mean.. no guest; no media. From my side, only you two will be present and from her side only her parents, no one else. No one should get to know about this marriage thing. And I want her details before I marry her.” I said in finality.

My dad and mom looked at each other seem like they were talking with their eyes.

“Okay, son as you are agreeing to marry her we accept your conditions,” Dad replied.

“Thank you, Xavi,” Mom again hugged me tightly and I imitated her action.

It feels good to see them happy.

And about that girl, I will handle her myself.