A/N: Sorry. Work and school. Starting the next chapter now. I know you're interested more in Elle and Emmett.

"She'll be a wonderful asset to you in the races, son. You know that. Tall, leggy, beautiful. The people won't be able to NOT vote for you with her on your arm."

Warner narrowed his eyes and sighed. He gloomily looked over the paperwork in front of him as his father's words went in one ear and came crashing to a halt in the other. "Don't talk about her like that."

"You knew when she won that case that that was the only reason you asked for her hand."

"That's... That's entirely untrue." His brow furrowed and he looked up at his dad. "I... I loved her once. I still care for her. She knows what this is right now. We're both trepidatious about this relationship. I'm on a-a relationship probation. She can drop me at any second, especially when she finds out you're calling her my one-way ticket to senator!" He stood from his desk. "I'm not going to sit here while you speak about Elle as if she's a trophy wife!"

"Who was the one fetching Callahan's coffee, huh? Certainly not you! She won that case on a fluke. That scruffy lawyer practically spoon-fed her the case!" He scoffed. "Don't look and me and tell me she's not fluff!"

"She's a first year law student, for Christ's sake! I was spoon-fed that case from Vivienne! Don't you dare look me in my face and tell me that Elle isn't a SMART, beautiful woman. She's a hell of a lot smarter than me!"

Warner Huntington Sr. took a step and closed the gap between him and his son. "Then why'd you dump her, boy?"

The look on Warner's face fell slightly. "It took me a while to understand, but I did. And I'm glad I did. Without that time apart neither of us would have grown. I'm not that stupid kid anymore, dad. I'm an adult. I'm... I love her. I'm loving her more, and the fact that I get to call her my fiance means more to me than...anything in the world."

Just then, his phone began to ring. It was his wife-to-be.

"Are you going to answer it? If you care about her so damn much-"

"Don't you dare," he said, going back over to the desk and answering the call. "Hey, love." He glared at his father when he gave him a rude snort. "Wait, what? What's wrong? Oh, uh... Yeah, I suppose that's okay. No, of course not. You sound upset. What's wrong? Are you sure? Alright, well... I guess, call me when you're done. I'd like to see you today. Alright, I love you so much, Elle." He smiled to himself. "Alright, bye."

"You're whipped. No son of mine is going to let some blonde bimbo keep his balls in her damn purse! Man up and approach this like a Huntington!"

The synapses in his brain were firing like they never had. Make his dad proud, or lose the woman he loves? If Elle found out that this conversation had ever even happened, he would lose her in a heartbeat.

"Yes, sir..."

A nasty grin graced itself on his father's wrinkled face. "Good. Loving her will only make using her more difficult. That's why you should have stayed with Vivienne. She would have gotten you down to business WITHOUT your fuckin' balls in her purse. Clean yourself up."