The Billionaire's Fatal Secret

Chapter 1 Sebastian’s POV The steering wheel slipped beneath my fingers, and I realized I might not make it home because I was already losing control. I was drunk. There was no excuse for it, and I knew exactly how dangerous it was to be behind the wheel in this condition. But at that moment, I didn’t care enough to stop. My mind was already thinking about Naomi. She had been calling me for almost an hour, but I refused to answer. Her messages had already filled my phone with apologies and explanations, and I had read every single one of them, but I decided that I didn't want to hear another word from her after what happened. The road ahead blurred, but I kept driving. My phone vibrated again, and Naomi's name appeared on the screen. I reached toward it without thinking, intending to silence the call, but my attention left the road for only a moment. When I looked up, another vehicle was already in front of me. I reacted immediately, but my reaction was too late. I turned the steering wheel in an attempt to avoid the other car, and the other driver apparently did the same. Neither of us had enough time to get out of the way. The collision happened before I could do anything. My head struck something, and for a moment, I lost track of what was happening. When I finally regained enough awareness to move, the first thing that came to mind was the other vehicle. I forced myself out of my car and moved toward the other vehicle. "Hey!" I called. "Can you hear me?" But no one answered. I moved closer and tried again, but the people inside remained still. I couldn't tell how badly they were injured, but it was obvious that something was seriously wrong. I pulled out my phone, ready to call emergency services. Then I stopped. My mind immediately went to the consequences. The police would ask what happened and would test me for alcohol. They would find out that I had been drinking, and eventually, they would discover that I was responsible for the accident. But that wasn't the only thing I was afraid of. My father's name would be involved, along with the Blackwood. Blackwood Industries would be dragged into the situation whether I wanted it or not. My father had spent his entire life protecting our family's reputation, and I had spent mine preparing to inherit everything he had built. One mistake could become a scandal large enough to destroy it. I looked at the other vehicle again, and I knew exactly what I should do. I should call for help and accept responsibility for what I had done. Instead, I thought about everything I could lose. I lowered the phone and remained where I was, trying to convince myself that someone else would eventually find them. Help would arrive, and perhaps they were still alive, and everything would somehow be resolved without me. So I turned away, got into my car, and left. Six years later… "Five hundred million dollars. You’re willing to risk five hundred million dollars because I refuse to get married?" One of the senior investors adjusts the documents in front of him before meeting my eyes. "That's not how we would describe it, Mr. Blackwood." "Describe it however you want, but my marriage is still in a condition here." "Because the merger depends on your ability to satisfy the final condition." "I know the condition," I say. "What I'm asking is why my marital status is part of it." "For twelve months," the investor finally says. "That's all." "You're asking me to get married because you think being single makes me a liability." "We're just asking you to demonstrate stability." "I'm the CEO of a billion-dollar company. If you need a wedding ring to determine whether I'm stable, perhaps you should reconsider the people making these decisions." The marriage clause is clearly written into the conditions of the merger. If I fulfill it, the deal will proceed. But if I refuse, the five-hundred-million-dollar investment will disappear. The merger would give Blackwood Industries access to a market we've been trying to enter for years. More importantly, the agreement would strengthen our international position and bring in contracts that could change the company's future. Walking away isn't as simple as refusing a ridiculous condition. I look at them sharply, refusing to stand down. "I'm twenty-eight," I say. "Not twenty-eight years into my career. Twenty-eight years old. Explain why my marital status has nothing to do with my ability to run a company." "It's about stability." I almost laugh. "I've managed acquisitions worth more than some countries' annual budgets. I've taken Blackwood Industries through two major expansions. I've never missed a financial target set by this board. But apparently, I'm unstable because I don't have a ring on my finger?" "It's not that personal, Mr. Blackwood." I scoffed. "You're making my personal life a condition of a five-hundred-million-dollar business agreement. Of course it's personal." “Mr. Blackwood, we're giving you an opportunity to protect your position. Do you know how much those twelve months of being married can help you keep your position?" I suddenly stop thinking about how ridiculous the marriage condition is and start thinking about what it could cost me. Blackwood Industries isn't simply a company to me. It's my family's legacy. My father built it, and I was raised to be responsible for protecting it. Losing control isn't something I can dismiss because I dislike the terms of the deal. The meeting ends without me giving them an answer. When I return to my office, Adrian Cole is waiting for me. He has worked with my family for years, which means he knows exactly how much patience I have, especially with unnecessary conversations. "I assume you heard about the meeting," I say. "I did." "Then tell me you have a solution." "I have a solution," he says. I remove my jacket and place it on the back of my chair. "If you're about to suggest that I actually get married, save your breath." "That's exactly what I'm going to suggest." "You've been spending too much time with the investors, Adrian. You know I’m not doing that bullshit." Adrian remains completely serious. "I'm serious, Sebastian. You need to satisfy the condition, and the simplest way is to get married." I look at him. He places a folder on my desk. "It’s not a real marriage," he continues. "You don’t have to worry because it’s just a contractual one." He opens the folder and turns it toward me. The first page contains information about a woman named Lisa Marie Walker. She's twenty-four, works to support herself and her younger sister, and has no connection to our company that I can see. I turn the page. The next document is about her sister, Kendra Rose Walker, who is nineteen and suffering from end-stage kidney failure. According to the information in the file, she needs a transplant. “How much does she need?" "More than two million dollars.” "And how did you find her?" "Her sister is receiving treatment at one of the hospitals supported by your family's foundation. I had someone look into Lisa's situation after I realized what the investors were asking from you. And I know she’s kind of someone desperate enough to consider it.” I close the folder. "No." Adrian looks surprised. "You haven't even met her." "I don't need to. Did you even realize that this arrangement is a bad idea?" "You need the merger, Sebastian." "Then I’ll find another way." "And if there isn't another way?" "Look, there's no way I'm going to marry a desperate woman simply because she needs money, Adrian." "You don't have to marry her out of sympathy. You need to marry her because you have a business problem, and she needs the solution you can provide." Adrian continues. "You can walk away from the merger, but you need to understand what you're risking. If the deal fails, the shareholders will replace you." That is exactly what I don't want. I took a deep breath before deciding. "Set up the meeting," I say.