A/N:- WELL HERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER HOPE YOU LIKE THIS ONE.
Meetings & Unexpected but Welcomed Changes
I stop in my tracks at the sight.
Isabella, her father and my father all stand up as I take an inventory of all my exits and what possible weapons are in this room. Isabella Swan is said to be a deadly adversary when and if provoked, I want to be ready for anything.
My Father's voice breaks me out of my thoughts, obviously sensing my change in demeanour.
"Son, please stand at ease. The Swan's have agreed to a truce of sorts and we are discussing it now."
I look at him in utter surprise.
Did I hear him right? Did I just hear him say that they have agreed to some kind of truce?
No way can this be happening!
I shout out my surprise at my father, who in my 12 years as the boss has never done anything like this before; only advising me on things if I asked, that is why I still included him in some things.
"Excuse me? Where the hell did this come from? Why now?"
"Because son, I don't want to see a war happen any more than Mr. Swan here does. We both want our children to grow up and continue our businesses, but neither can win in a war and both will be wiped out.
"Something I know you don't want to happen either. So come in, sit down and we will discuss this like the adults we all are to come up with a solution that we can all agree on." He replies in a stern, but calm and level voice.
I knew that voice and all I can do was comply with his request.
He is my elder, as well as my Father, after all.
The worst that can happen is that we get into an argument and they would leave, signalling the start of a war. That thought made my stomach clench, so I guess I could see my father's side of things, to a point.
I don't want a war, not really; I mean I like what I do and I am good at what I do, but I don't want an all out war, so where things go from here will be very interesting.
I look at Isabella and her father and note all I could about them visually.
Charlie Swan looks week and frail, something I grew up thinking that was far from possible, his daughter looked – well looked...beautiful. I have never seen her up close before and I must say she is far more attractive than I thought she would be.
She has long wavy chocolate brown hair that has natural red highlights through it, big brown eyes that seem to be endless – which is not normal...or so I normally find with brown eyes, but I know that she is very deadly when she wants and needs to be.
I see that she must care deeply for her father, with her proximity to him; one hand on his shoulder, while her other is holding his hand. She looks like she is doing what I did when I first saw them in this room. I knew then that she is watching her back, like I am still.
I go and stand by my father as he continues. I may be the leader of this family now, but he is still my elder and until the day he is six feet under, he has a hand and/or voice in everything. Not to mention my respect in his office, in mine it's the other way around.
"As I was saying, I do not want a war and you are not well enough to deal with one. Plus young Isabella here may be strong, but I doubt very much she would be able to do much to win one any time soon. My son Edward, as much as I'd like to think otherwise, is just as much at a disadvantage if a war was to come.
"Our families are just that equally matched. So what we need to do is to find and do something to unite our families so that it's air tight and solid and cannot be broken without consequence.
"It is no secret that we want Swan Industries and you want Mason Corporations, but I know that if my son and I will not give Mason Corporations up without a fight; you wouldn't either with Swan Industries.
"So I have been thinking a merger of some sort may do the trick, only question is what type of merger? And how do we go about initiating it? Mr. Swan, what are your thoughts on the matter?"
I look at Mr. Swan and see his face suddenly look like it just aged 100 years, he pales and his shoulders slump just slightly. His daughter; in an act of love, respect and devotion to her father, kneels at his feet with one hand still on his shoulder and the other one moving to his cheek; cupping his face.
I take a step forward towards the pair; I don't know what made me do it, but I just felt like I had to and it is the right thing to do in that moment. I lean down a fraction and ask in a calm soft tone.
"Would you like a glass of water Mr. Swan?" I can't stop the small smile that spreads across my lips when Isabella looks up at me, a shocked I would be so polite and nice to ask.
'Hmm... I wonder what she has heard about me?' I think to myself.
In that moment I could see that when it came to her father she is very much a little girl that is worried sick about their ill parent, I could tell that while she may be a hardened killer and strict with the business side of things, like me, her blood family is very important to her and she cares very deeply about them.
Rumour has it she doesn't have a lot of close staff members and it is a fact that they have a very quick turnover on lower and lesser staff members, a lot of them have even come to work for us; unlike me, where I have all my family working for me.
Maybe more so than I...If that were possible...Hmmm, interesting; is she blushing at me?
Her voice shakes me out of my musings, her voice is clear and calm, but I can tell that is just a cover up to be strong in front of us. "That would be really gracious of you to offer, thank you." She turns back to her father when he begins to cough.
I turn and walk over to my father's bar. Grab a glass and then open the bar fridge up, where I knew he kept a bottle of un-opened, clean and pure spring water. I grab the un-opened bottle, then turn and walk back over to the Swan's.
Isabella takes them and then looks at both the bottle and glass as if I have done something to them. So I say.
"The bottle is un-opened and the glass is clean just so you know. Because I will not stoop so low as to try and poison an already sick man, despite what the many rumours may say about me. Plus these are for my Father's personal use and everything gets screened for his safety. Would you like a glass for yourself, Miss. Swan?"
"Thank you and I will not require a glass for myself."
She dismissively nods her head and then pours her father a drink. He takes a sip and continues as if nothing happened. For which I had to give him more respect for.
"Well, I think that maybe our children here should be the main focus of whatever is chosen as the uniting factor because let's face it Ed; you and I are both on numbered days. I, more so than you;" he pauses for a brief moment, but when he starts to talk again his eyes light up and shine more than before and a grin spreads across his face.
"OHHH! A thought just occurred to me. Isabella here is not getting any younger and I think it is about time she settles down. So may be if your son and name sake over there is willing, our children could be married and that way, we both can be satisfied that our businesses stay within the family, but at the same time, are joined. How does that idea sound?"
He looks from me to my father and then finally to his daughter. Who looks shocked to say the least. I mean I have no intentions of ever wanting to get anywhere near the bitch if I can help it, so I don't want anything to do with her other than taking her company out from under her.
Hmm...Yea she is gorgeous, I'll admit to that and what I wouldn't give to have her under me...
WHAT THE HELL IS WITH YOU BRAIN... Where the hell did that thought come from and why do I suddenly feel drawn to her...SHUT UP! This is so not happening.
I shake my head trying to get rid of those type of thoughts.
I do want Swan Industries as quickly, quietly and with very little to no bloodshed as possible, so if this is the only way I can get it then maybe it will work. Plus I will get to break her in a bit.
Stop thinking like that, idiot. I chastise myself.
When I look to my Father I see that he is nodding his head, just like I thought he would be and that just makes me smile at how predictable he has become. Isabella on the other hand, suddenly stands up and shouts.
"WHAT! YOU CAN NOT BE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS DAD; I DO NOT WANT TO BE MARRIED TO THIS MAN WHORE OVER THERE!" Her words making me on edge again.
Charlie looks at his daughter with a stern and fiery glare as he replies with an air of authority to his voice I didn't think he could still muster from his frail and failing body.
"You WILL do as you are told young lady; your mother and I were betrothed to one another from the time we were born. That's how I own half of the businesses that make up Swan Industries and you're lucky I didn't do that to you, granted you and Edward Jr. have not known each other for nearly as long and have come to be very competitive rivals, but this could prevent a war and make both our businesses better in the long run; which is what's more important.
"All you both will have to do is be cordial and civil towards each other and let the rest fall as they may, so long as it doesn't affect the running and inner workings of both Swan Industries and Mason Corporations and is kept private then everything should go just fine. Also you will both have to try and not kill each other."
He looks to me and my father and gives us a small smile, then looking back to his daughter with sad eyes; he continues.
"Plus my little Bell bell, I would like to be able to walk you down the aisle on my own and as things stand now that will not be possible in a few months let alone a few years. And at the rate you're going at with your 'all work and no play attitude' and never allowing yourself to ever get close to anyone to make friends even, let alone take a boyfriend; you are not looking to be slowing down any time soon so this is perfect. Don't you think Ed? Edward Jr.?"
I am speechless.
I don't know what the bloody hell to say, I don't want a wife. I mean, I have never thought about it because I never thought that I would be able to have one, it wouldn't be safe. But I can clearly see that Isabella has the same work ethics as me and that she loves her blood family like me.
I can see the benefits of this idea, I guess, and if all I have to do is sacrifice my single status – and quite obviously stay away from any other woman other than Isabella; which will be hard, but I can tell I would never live to tell the tale of it if I strayed – to prevent many of my men and family members dying from a war, also taking; if only in part, ownership of Swan Industries then surely that's not to bad...right?
I look to my father because I still don't know what to say in response. I can already tell that Isabella is going to fight this at first.
"That would be a wonderful idea Charlie, my good acquaintance! This is perfect and works out in both of our favours. I don't know why I didn't think of it! Brilliant. Just simply brilliant. What do you think, Edward?"
Shit, what do I say? If my father likes this idea and if I know him as well as I think I do; then he has already agreed to this in his mind and there will be no way for me to back out of it, FUCK, I know that no matter what I say I am still going to get married to Isabella Swan; one way or another.
"Um...I can see where the benefits with this...Uh...'arrangement' are and Mr. Swan does perfectly point out things that could...hm...Work, if all parties concerned are in agreeance with one another.
"I will be...Umm...honoured to take Miss. Swan's hand in marriage for the sake of our families and businesses so that they thrive and continue to run smoothly without threat of a war between us and be stronger for it."
DAMN IT, WHY DID I HAVE TO BE AND ACT ALL NERVIOUS NOW? She is going to think I'm pussy whipped now!
Although I'd like to whip her ass...
Stop it right there mate, it's no good going into those thoughts if you are never going to get any ever again so shut up and get used to ol' lefty and porn to get off of.
Great now I'm talking to myself. I look to see that my father is nodding at my comments and is looking at Charlie and Isabella with expecting eyes.
"I can't believe you are all agreeing to this, this is my life and I don't want to get married right now!" Isabella sighs, throwing her arms up in the air and getting up to pace the room. She looks to her father after a few tense minutes and sighs again.
Isabella walks up to me then and I tense up expecting the worse, but what I get surprised me.
I wish I knew what is going through her pretty little head of hers, so far she has done and acted the exact opposite to how I thought she would act. I think to myself.
She holds her hand out to me and says. "My Grandfather told me once 'The lives of the many outweigh the lives of the few' so while I don't want to do this, I cannot ignore the benefits of it. I will honourably accept and learn to live with this 'arrangement', so long as you agree to a few conditions."
I take her hand and I am momentarily stunned as an electric shock that's somehow different than the one you get from static shoots up my arm from out joined hands. I look at her face and I can tell she notices it to. I come to my senses a few seconds later and reply back to her.
"Your Grandfather was a wise man, I also don't want to do this anymore than you do but I have to admit that while I and my men are really good at what we do, I really don't want a war either.
"I know that I am rather...um...flighty when it comes to women, but if I am being perfectly honest it is about time that I settle down anyway. I couldn't think of a better woman to be getting married to than you, someone who is obviously my equal at heart – from what I have seen here in this room. I will agree to your conditions if you agree to a few of mine."
She looks up at me with her big brown eyes and I can see in them my counter has flared up her competitive nature and I knew that she is just as much a fighter as I am and this marriage will not have a dull moment to it.
A/N:- PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. THANK YOU FOR READING.