The CEO´s children

-It's absurd! - James Robles' voice echoed in the boardroom. A stony silence hung over its occupants. The three men, in suits and impending baldness, avoided James' gaze.

His head felt like it was going to explode with impotent rage. -Don't just sit there,” he growled again. -Give me a solution. Has the man lost his mind?

He was breathing audibly, leaning against the huge table of more than four meters. One of the men scratched the side of his neck, staring at the granite design on the floor. James waited even longer for them to look him in the eye, and when he saw that none did, he punched the table. -Arthur! - he snapped at the only lawyer in the room, who was also his own personal servant.

Have you nothing to say about it? It's the stupidest condition I've ever seen in my life. I can't believe they're going to enforce it in court. How do you propose we settle this?

Arturo, a thin, dark-haired, middle-aged man who had never seen his client looking so menacing, ran his finger down the inside of his shirt collar, visibly nervous. -I've already reviewed the details, Mr. Robles. It's legally binding. Quite so, in fact. There's nothing we can do about it.

James looked at the man with icy eyes and, at last, it happened. He understood the reality. The feeling of denial gave way to shock, to horror, and he felt the urge to break something precious. He turned to the window overlooking the Manhattan skyline. It felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest. He was furious. And he couldn't remember the last time something had irritated him so much. It drained all his energy. He concentrated on his breathing, forcing himself to push that helpless disbelief out of his mind.

He was not one to succumb to futile hopes. Magical and mystical emotions did not exist in his life, only hard work, power, money and position. The news the lawyers had just given him threatened to take away everything he had worked for for as long as he could remember.

-Can we prove he was nuts when he made that amendment?

Once again, there was dead silence in the room. The three lawyers stared at him dumbfounded.

He raised his eyebrows. -I'm not kidding.

Arthur stepped forward. -Everyone knows your father's reputation, Mr. Robles. He was meeting with Chinese delegates and negotiating gas pipeline projects until a week before his death. No one will believe he had lost his mind.

-So give me a solution,” he whispered, gritting his teeth. -You are the lawyers. When I agreed to pay your firm half a million dollars a year in advance, no one indicated to me that I would have to solve the legal problems myself.

The lawyer blushed. -The amendment was made two weeks before his father died. He intended it to be enforced. He knew his heart problems were getting worse. He made sure there were no loose ends.

-I'd kill him if he wasn't already dead, - James said before grimacing and messing with his hair in despair. -He's managed to ruin my life beyond repair. - He looked back at the group. -There's no way out of this? There's no mistake in the will?

The other two lawyers stood up solemnly, as if they were going to give the news of an imminent death. -Mr. Robles, there is no way around it. Even if you were responsible for the company getting where it is, you never asked your father to leave the shares in your name.

-I didn't know I was going to get so screwed when I died,” he muttered to himself.

Arturo sighed. -As his lawyer, I would suggest that he carry out his father's wish. - He drew back when James looked at him with murderous eyes and clenched his jaw.

But she admired his courage in speaking, even if his voice lacked its usual confidence.

-It's not the end of the world, Mr. Robles. All you need is a woman who is willing to marry you and bear your child. Surely no woman in her right mind is capable of refusing you.

James felt heat on his face, embarrassed. He could do without that conversation about reproduction with his lawyer. -My father didn't specify anything about marrying me, did he?

Arthur picked up the offending document in front of James and glanced at it. - No. My apologies. You only need a biological son to inherit the business. I suggest you look for a surrogate.

James glared hatefully at the document containing the will. His father had torn it up. What kind of man was forcing his thirty-eight-year-old son to reproduce so he could inherit his own business? The adrenaline was beginning to wear off and he felt weak, very vulnerable and tempted to do as his lawyer suggested.

The humiliation was too great. He had never in his life been forced to do anything against his will. And now, to free himself from absolute ruin, he was expected to impregnate some random woman... and then what? Raise the child? Leave it with nannies until it grew up and stopped bothering him? And when would that be? Eighteen, when the parasite went off to college?

He grimaced at the mere thought of having a child in his house. He was used to living in a hurry. His overt detachment from anything to do with family and emotions had earned him success so far. He was addicted to order and control and had no time for diapers or food stains.

Defeated, he was aware that his father had not only wrecked his life, but the baby that would come into the world as a result, for James did not want a child in his life.

-There's-” Arthur reached over to take an envelope behind the document. -

A letter his father wrote to him. It is confidential. James was in no mood for more nonsense.

-I could enlighten him as to why he decided to make such an unusual modification.

James turned the envelope over and tore the seal open. Pulling the letter out, he was momentarily hopeful. Maybe it was a joke. Maybe there's something in the letter?

-I know you will be outraged by the changes made to the will. You've owned the company for a long time, but my health is deteriorating rapidly and I want to make sure you're not left on your own after I leave. Not that you ever needed anyone, but that's the problem. You should do it. Everybody does. You've based your life on work, money and power, and you often talk passionately about it, but you should know what's most important in life?

-What a load of bollocks! - James exclaimed, throwing the offending letter on top of the document, closing it and putting it aside. He could no longer bear its contents.

-Get it out of my sight!