The Billionaire’s Secret Twins

I will Win

Blake's POV

Dr. Ellis calls just as I am beginning to lose patience with the man sitting across from me, who has spent the last twenty minutes explaining why a shipment was delayed without giving me a single useful answer.

"We’ll finish this later. By then, I expect you to know exactly what went wrong and who is responsible." I tell him.

He leaves quickly, and I answer the call before it stops ringing.

"Dr. Ellis. Do you have news for me?" I ask.

"I’ve found someone willing to carry your child. Her medical assessments are complete, and she has signed the agreement." She replies.

I lean back in my chair, smiling for the first time all morning. "My lawyer will transfer the first half of the money today."

"Then we can begin treatment. I’ll contact you when there’s something to report." Dr. Ellis replies.

"Make sure she has everything she needs," I say.

Once the call ends, I send the instructions to my lawyer before settling back in my chair, enjoying the thought of Dante discovering that his daughter is no longer his ticket to inheriting my position at the head of the family business.

My half-brother has always enjoyed spending money he never worked for, and he, like his mother, my stepmother, believes he can take my place in this family just as easily as she took my mother's place. Dante has been a thorn in my side for years, and I intend to make sure he never gets the opportunity to take what I have worked so hard to build, although I would prefer to accomplish that without pushing my father too far.

Last week, he sat in our father's house looking as though all he had to do was wait for me to disappoint the old man.

I had arrived late after dealing with a problem at one of our distribution centres, and Vanessa made sure everyone noticed before I even sat down.

"We were beginning to think you weren't coming," She said.

"Then you should have enjoyed yourselves while you could," I replied.

Dante gave me a warning look, which I ignored as I took the chair opposite him. Beside Vanessa, Sophie was complaining that she wanted to go home, although she changed her mind when a maid brought in a plate of pastries.

"I want that one," she said, pointing at the pastry my father had already taken.

"There are plenty on the plate, sweetheart," Vanessa replied.

"But I want Grandpa's," Sophie insisted.

My father handed it over before she could begin shouting, and Dante smiled as though she had done something charming.

"She knows what she wants." He said.

"She knows you'll give it to her if she makes enough noise." I replied.

"She's a child, Blake," Vanessa said.

"Yeah, a spoiled little brat," I replied.

My father cleared his throat before she could answer, looking between my brother and me. "Can we get through one conversation without this?"

"That depends on the conversation," I replied.

He pushed his cup aside and turned towards me. "I want to talk about who will succeed me as chairman of the company."

I glanced at Dante, whose attention suddenly sharpened.

"What is there to discuss? You've been preparing me to take over since I was old enough to understand how this business works." I replied.

"You've given me every reason to trust you with it. You have the experience, you understand the industry, and you know how to keep this company profitable." My father said. Dante shifted beside his wife, clearly unhappy with that part of the conversation, but my father had not finished. "What you haven't given me is any reason to believe you're thinking about the family you'll leave behind."

I sighed, recognising where this was going. "Dad, I came here because you said we needed to discuss the company's affairs."

"We are discussing them. You cannot keep putting this off because there's always another problem demanding your attention." He replied.

"I'm not putting anything off. I don't have a woman I want to marry." I said.

"You haven't looked very hard." My father replied.

Across the table, Vanessa lowered her eyes to hide a smile, and I wondered how often she had encouraged this conversation when I wasn't around.

"If this is about grandchildren, you have one sitting beside you," I said.

"Sophie is Dante's daughter. I want a child from you too," my father replied.

"Then you'll have to be patient," I said.

"I've been patient. You keep telling me there's time, and every year we have the same argument." He replied.

Dante leaned forward, apparently deciding our father needed his help. "You can't blame him for wanting to know the family has a future, Blake."

I looked at him, surprised he had managed to sound concerned without smiling. "You've become very interested in the family's future lately."

"We all should be." He said.

"Then perhaps you can start by attending the board meetings you keep leaving me to handle," I replied.

Vanessa's hand settled on his arm. "Dante makes time for his daughter. I wouldn't expect you to understand what that means."

"No, but I understand why he would rather take her shopping than sit across from executives demanding answers about their investments," I replied.

"Enough. I didn't bring you here to argue about last month's financial reports." My father struck the table with his palm, making Sophie look up from the phone she had taken from her mother.

I turned back to him, waiting for the rest.

"You are my first choice to succeed me, Blake, but I want an heir from you. If you won't give this family one, I'll have to consider your brother." My father said.

For a moment, I thought I had misunderstood him. "You're going to hand Dante my position because he managed to get his wife pregnant?"

"My position," my father corrected.

I pressed my tongue against the inside of my cheek, reminding myself that he was still my father and the only man in the room who could speak to me like that without facing the consequences of his words.

"You know what I've done for this company," I said.

"I haven't forgotten any of it." He replied.

"Then why are we having this conversation?" I asked.

"Because I want to ensure our family legacy doesn't end with you," my father said.

His answer caught me off guard, but before I could respond, Vanessa spoke. "Your father wants to know there will be someone after you. Dante already has Sophie."

I looked at her, then at my brother, who was trying very hard to appear uncomfortable with the idea of taking my place.

"And that makes him fit to run a multibillion-dollar company?" I asked.

"I am his son too, Blake," Dante replied.

"Then earn the position the way I have," I said.

Sophie tugged at Vanessa's sleeve, apparently bored with hearing her name without being included.

"Are we moving here now?" She asked.

Vanessa turned towards her. "No, darling. We're talking."

"But Daddy said when he's the boss, we can live here, and I can have the room with the balcony," Sophie said.

I looked at Dante, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face as our father slowly turned towards him.

"You've already chosen rooms?" My father asked.

"She heard us discussing what might happen in the future. You know how children repeat things." Dante replied.

"Yes, especially things their parents shouldn't have said." My father said.

Vanessa began explaining, but I stopped listening because, beneath my anger, an idea was taking shape.

My father wanted me married. He wanted a daughter-in-law fussing over him and a baby he could spoil, and he had decided the quickest way to get them was to threaten the one thing I would never willingly surrender: my position at the head of the company I had spent years building.

But he had asked for an heir, and I didn't need a wife to give him one.

When Vanessa finally fell silent, I leaned forward and rested my arms on the table.

"If I have a child, we're done with this? There will be no more talk about Dante taking my place?" I asked.

My father studied me, suspicious of how quickly my mood had changed. "If you give me an heir, I'll know you've finally begun thinking about your future."

"Then I'll take care of it," I said.

He relaxed, mistaking my willingness for surrender, while Dante glanced at Vanessa.

"Blake, this isn't something you should rush into just to prove a point," she said.

I smiled at her. "A minute ago, you thought I'd waited too long."

My father laughed, pleased enough that he let the remark pass, and began telling me there were plenty of suitable women if I would only make an effort to meet them.

I let him talk, knowing I would be calling Dr. Ellis as soon as I left.

Now my lawyer's confirmation arrives, bringing me back to the office and the agreement already signed by a woman I will never meet.

I forward the payment confirmation to Dr. Ellis, satisfied that everything is moving ahead.