MR.CEO'S CONTRACT WITH HIS SECRETARY.

CHAPTER ONE

Noah Ortega POV

Everyone sat calm in the living room while waiting for the barrister to settle down.

The room was wide enough for the six of us, excluding the barrister and his assistant.

We were gathered for the hearing of my late grandfather’s will. He passed away six weeks ago from complications of the heart. The old geezer was indeed a fighter till the end. Eighty-seven wasn’t so bad to have lived, he played his part in our lives, and now we were anxiously waiting to hear who gets the better part of his wealth.

My father Edmund and his wife Abbie, who, to my greatest displeasure, is my stepmom, sat across from me. They both looked so happy and tingly about the whole affair. Abbie whispered words to Dad, who smiled boyishly and nudged her in response. I gagged at their childish display, they could get a room if at all they had any iota of shame.

My eyes fled to the little boy seated in between my uncle Charles and his chubby wife Aunt Taylor. The ten-year-old seemed uncomfortable with where he was. None of us were his age, and it could be intimidating sometimes.

Uncle Charles and his wife had been childless for years and, after trying for a while, they resorted to fate. They were both happy and minded their business, unlike his brother Edmund.

I sighed at Abbie, who couldn’t care less about her son Liam, my stepbrother, rather she clung onto Edmund like her life depended on him.

My phone buzzed, it was a text from Tommy, my best friend and gee. He wanted to know how the reading was going? I chuckled at his insinuations, he wanted grandpa to give me the whole Ortega company and watch my dad crumble in shock. It has been my life dream to finally put that narcissistic man in his place for once and there was only one way to go about that!

The barrister cleared his throat and opened the sealed document. Abbie gasped deliriously when the paper was lifted up, like she couldn’t wait for what came next.

I ignored her silly attitude and focused on the event. My time was running out, and I needed to be at the office soon. The company is expecting some foreign investors today, and I’ve had my secretary keep them busy and satisfied till I returned.

“Today we commemorate the memory of our beloved father, grandfather and husband, William Ortega, and by reading his will to the whole family we acknowledge his authority, hardworking spirit as a man who lived and was loved.

“Can we please skip to the important part? Is this necessary?” Abbie interrupted the barrister.

Edmund placed a hand on hers. “I think father would want that.”

“Nonsense!” She hissed, rubbing her temples.

“If your chicken brains are too small to handle such readings then you might as well leave us” I replied Abbie, who glared daggers my way.

“Noah!” Aunt Taylor cried. My cold gaze fell on her, noting how she recoiled in response.

“Do not speak to my wife that way, Noah”, Dad said, pointing at me.

“Then hold her down like you should” I retorted, and the room seemed to get more tense.

“You insolent child!” Edmund yelled.

“Enough Noah, don’t rattle your father today. Let’s honor your grandpa for the last time and pretend to be at peace”, uncle Charles intervened. He was the peacemaker, unlike my dad who wanted to cause trouble and ride on others.

I gave a lopsided smile and faced the barrister squarely. The only reason I retreated from this impending war was for the sake of grandpa. I didn’t want to disrespect the old man and, besides, my fate was tied to whatever will he had for me.

“To my second son, Charles, I give him custody of my charity organization and a sum of one million dollars” aunt Taylor gasped in shock. She and her husband smiled and held hands.

“To my first son Edmund,” the barrister continued. “I leave the family mansion in his name.”

Abbie smiled joyfully, I noted the fact that I should never step foot in this house again, since the two are officially the owners.

“And ten percent of the company shares” the barrister read out. “To my grand_”

“Wait, is that all?” Abbie exclaimed. She and Edmund looked perplexed.

The barrister nodded in response to their question. “That’s impossible!” Dad yelled. “How can I get only ten percent of his shares? Who gets the remainder?!!!”

“I haven’t finished reading them sir,” the older man said politely.

“Edmund, you have to exercise patience until the will is read out, totally” Charles urged. “Go on sir”, he urged the lawyer.

“To my grandson Noah, I leave the vacation house in Florida with everything in it” My heart leaped with excitement of what could be in that amazing place. I’ve only been there twice, and it was always under renovation. But there were whispers of a garage of expensive vintage cars grandpa kept in the basement and I pray it was true.

“I leave fifty percent of my shares to Naoh”. Those were the words that sent shivers down my whole body. I wanted to cry, my eyes blurred, and my blood raced hot like a boiling flame.

Grandpa has liberated me and made me the highest shareholder of his company instead of dad. In my excitement, I zoned out the pandemonium that was going on around me. Abbie and my father got into a squabble about the authenticity of the words read by his lawyer.

My uncle and aunt, with the barrister, were trying to convince the duo and calm their raging anger.

The little boy, Laim, sat in utter fear and displeasure over the noise. He wasn’t aware of the struggle for power that was going on. Probably when he gets older he’ll realize why the adults behave in an uncivilized manner over money issues.

“What about my son Liam?!” Abbie cried. “He is his grandson too!”

“If you would let me finish,” the barrister said. “Yes, he was mentioned here_”

Abbie exclaimed fearfully “Now get on with it!”

“It says here that “for the young Liam Ortega whose mother tried to name him after me is not recognized by me. He is not my grandson.”

“What?!!”

My joy knew no bounds, Abbie deserved the comeback from grandpa. She never treated the old man right, ever since she married into the family, but somehow she thought that clinging onto Edmund would get her all the wealth that she sought.

“There is a clause here…” the barrister began. I was about to announce my exit when he spoke.

“To Noah… The determinants of getting your shares is these.”

My heart palpitated,

“One, you must be thirty of age” I heaved a sigh of relief. I will be turning thirty by next month. No big deal.

“Two, you must marry a decent woman of your aunt Taylor’s choosing” and that was the last straw for the day.

I sat there in confusion, thinking of how cruel grandpa could be. He literally handed me a rose with thorns in it.

I didn’t listen to the rest of the gibberish the barrister read out because everything irritated me, the joy that once filled my belly turned sour and churned inside me.

Marriage was the last thing in my mind and I hate to think that there was someone out there meant for me, a soulmate, because there was no such thing in life. We marry who we choose and live the life we choose, fate has no strings to pull.

“I bet you’re as disappointed as I am, Noah, let’s see if you can find a wife before your time runs out!” Abbie snickered at me before walking out of the house.

“Time?… Was there a time limit to the clause?” I thought to myself when Abbie left. I stood and walked towards the barrister who was clearing his table.

“I don’t think I got the last part of the clause. Was there a time limit for me?”

“Two months from now”

“Hell no!!” I exclaimed frustratedly. “How am I supposed to find a decent girl on such short notice?!”

“Your aunt will help you, it’s part of the will” the barrister said.

My eyes fell on aunt Taylor. She was watching me carefully, and I saw the pity in her eyes. It all fueled my annoyance as I grabbed my phone on the table and marched out of the mansion.

How dare she feel pity for me!

Someone called my name from behind. I turned to see Aunt Taylor hurrying behind me.

“Can we talk?”

“Don’t!” I begged “I don’t need that from you or uncle. I’m heading out first”, I said, and got in my car before she would try convincing me.