Legacy of Secrets

The woman sat across from him in the dining room, positioned at one end of the long table while he occupied the other. He silently observed her as she sipped her coffee, his gaze shifting away from her as he gave her the time she needed before he could provide the long-awaited answer to her proposition. Although she was now more interested in studying the features of his face than considering what she would say to him.

He placed his cup down with a sigh, before lifting his gaze towards her. His eyes bore into her sharply as he spoke, "Have you made up your mind?"

Then the woman opened her mouth to respond, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Her voice might have been soft as she spoke, but the way he dragged his words was intimidating enough to render her speechless. She already had her answer in mind when she sat in her chair an hour ago, ever since they had dinner together in silence at that table. But now, after the empty plates and leftover food had been taken away and replaced by two warm drinks with an additional file folder placed beside them, the woman could feel every ounce of determination she had previously possessed slipping away and being replaced by doubt.

She cleared her throat before carefully letting her words pass through her small lips. "Um, I have—," she spoke softly, "I apologize for taking so long to make a decision, but I needed time to be sure."

"To be sure of what, exactly?"

Aishleen fell silent as she noted the response to the question the man had just posed. Many things had been considerations for her over the past few weeks. First, the circumstances that brought her here. And second, the future written on the papers right in front of her.

Aishleen's gaze locked onto the man, continuing to study him silently as he sat there. Waiting.  Following Aishleen's gaze, the woman took a moment to observe his figure and how he sat there with such confidence radiating from him. His cold gaze locked onto Aishleen's eyes, intimidating. His fingers rested on the table, his palm hovering above the polished wooden surface. His skin tone contrasted against the finished wood below.

It wasn't his icy stare or his cold demeanor that made the woman tremble as Aishleen sat there facing him. It was the man himself, the aura he exuded even when he allowed the dreadful silence to fill the room, accompanying the two of them for the past hour. His mere presence in the room, dominating without lifting a finger.

Because he was Keenan Seymour. The second son of the massive conglomerate Seymour family, now the sole heir to the company and wealth built by his grandfather over the years. The rights that became his after the major downfall caused by his older brother, the eldest son and initial heir, just a few years before Aishleen's encounter, where he presented his proposal to Aishleen.

It was a case that caused a major uproar in the country and also led to the disinheritance of Seymour's eldest son, Kyle Seymour, from his position as the heir of Seymour Group. The title was then passed on to the second son, who now sat together with Aishleen at the dining table. And it was the second son that became the reason why Aishleen was here, placing her palm on the papers before her, the words written on them etched into Aishleen's mind as her thoughts slowly responded to the deal she was presented with.

"I just need to make sure that you and I are truly on the same page in this. That everything won't fall apart," Keenan scoffed at Aishleen's words, a smirk forming as he chuckled softly. "I already said it on the day I made the deal. I prefer everything to be neat and in order. Why do you think I chose you for this agreement?"

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me," Aishleen replied before tucking her lower lip between her teeth. "Why me? I know I never asked before, although maybe I should have, but I still don't understand why you chose me for this."

The man continued to grin, leaning forward in his chair, resting his chin on his crossed wrist planted on the table. "I've dealt with women for years, and from my extensive experience, I've learned that once a man gets involved with a woman, there will always be two chosen consequences," he paused to exhale, licking his lower lip before continuing, "The first is how women always bring it into their hearts. Everything becomes deeply personal, and they act based on their emotions, not logic. Full of expectations. And that's where everything falls apart. Second, after dealing firsthand with two-faced people in my line of work, I can always tell when someone comes to me with their eyes and minds solely focused on the rewards. Their greed for money and status makes me feel disgusted. I've spent enough time dealing with hypocrites in the company and in my personal life. I don't need to waste any more time and energy dealing with them at home."

"Is that what happened with your ex-girlfriend?" Aishleen guessed, referencing the information the man had previously disclosed to her.

He sneered, leaning back in his chair to take a deep breath, never once diverting his gaze from Aishleen, as if he were reading her without allowing her to see his emotions or thoughts.

"Perhaps you could say that," he answered, raising his cup to sip the warm liquid, but not before he spoke, "I hope my past love life won't be an issue for you."

Aishleen bit her lower lip between her teeth, releasing it only after letting his words sink in. "No, of course not. I don't think I need to dwell on your past adventures. As long as they don't suddenly try to interfere with the current stream of issues in our lives," Aishleen replied. And it was true. Aishleen wouldn't have trouble dealing with his past, not when she had her own shadowed past to contend with. "But what makes you think you won't encounter the same issues with me? After all, I'm just a woman."

He raised his eyes to gaze at the woman before him, with a piercing look as if Aishleen had just said something utterly foolish, a thought indicated by the way he raised an eyebrow and revealed a smirk behind the cup he held to curl his lips. He lowered the cup back onto its saucer, running his tongue over his lower lip to wipe away the sweet liquid that had just passed.

"Alright, my dear," he chuckled, "We both know we've moved past the first topic. You and I both know it won't be an issue in the near future. However, if it ever changes one day, I won't mind at all."

The grin he gave in response to Aishleen's words made her heart race, and she had to blink to divert her attention from the blush creeping up her pretty cheeks.

"And as for the second matter," Keenan continued, "After knowing each other for years, I know for certain that you're not someone who's greedy for material things. And you're a woman with goals, especially in mutually beneficial situations like this. You will only win something from this as much as I do, perhaps even more."  And once again, he was right.

Aishleen placed her palm on the papers before her, looking down to read the words printed in black ink.

"Marriage Agreement."

Aishleen had read the documents in the contract multiple times since the man had sent them a few weeks ago, giving her enough time to study every part of its contents to ensure no loopholes or anything that could harm her. Aishleen had no issue with the arrangements within the contract, but her eyes would always be drawn to one particular section.

"Number 4, point a. When the prospect of an heir becomes a necessity, both parties must agree for the inheritance to take place and it will be executed accordingly."

An heir. The word caught Aishleen's attention.

Aishleen lifted her gaze to meet the man's eyes once again, still locked onto her, indicating that he had been studying her expression as her thoughts wandered through the contract's sentences.

"Is there an issue you'd like to discuss?" he asked suddenly, intertwining his fingers on the table with his elbow folded. "You're free to reject any part if you feel it could be a burden for you."

Of course, Aishleen thought to herself as the words she spoke were buried beneath the words she had just read. As the heir to his family's company and wealth, he would eventually need his own successor, preferably from his own lineage. Especially when he had to safeguard the company from the grip of his elder brother and his successor. And after Aishleen signed the contract, Aishleen would be responsible for providing that.

"No," the woman finally gave a firm answer, "Not at all."

He gave Aishleen an understanding smile at her words, and Aishleen turned her face, redirecting her attention back to the lines of the agreement in the contract in her hands. She already knew what she had to do with it, but she still took some time to sign the papers as her mind wandered back to the day when she proposed her ideas and concepts almost three months ago.