His voice softened as he reminded her of the future they had promised each other and the life they had sworn to build together.
The obstacle had always been his grandfather’s will. The document had been carefully designed to prevent Sophie from becoming part of the family. Control of the Hale family fortune had been entrusted entirely to Marcus’s grandmother, and she held the power to dispose of it as she saw fit. If news of their relationship ever became public before the right time, she could redirect the entire estate to a charitable trust, leaving the family with virtually nothing.
That reality had forced Marcus to be patient.
His plan was simple in theory, though difficult in practice: strengthen the company, take the Hale Group public, attract major investment, and establish enoug
