Reckless Love

Chapter 27

Jared's POV:

"They're bankrupt?" my father seriously asked over the phone.

"Yes."

I couldn't believe David Hart was going to con my father and marry off his daughter without financial help.

"There's only three months left Jared. My condition is getting worse and I may not make it. This is your problem now."

My problem.

Right. Everything in this family was my problem.

"I know. Then what do you suggest I do?" I asked with a grim tone, inhaling the smoke from my cigarette. "The whole reason I needed her was for her company's money."

"That's not entirely true. She could still be useful in the long run."

"But I don't care about the long run. I need it now!" I exclaimed in anger.

A random Italian couple gave me a weird gaze as they passed by the alleyway of the hotel.

"You need her. To convince the board that you're capable of running the entire European branch, you need a wife at your side," my father said with a stern tone.

"Then I could just go pay someone and marry them. I don't need Julia."

My father coughed roughly from the other side of the phone.

"David and I made a contract 13 years ago. We were close friends and the purpose wasn't just for the money. We wanted our families to be close."

"I don't give a fuck about any of that. I have the twenty million dollars. I could pay the money and-"

My father cut me short. "I suggest you think carefully before you even think about leaving her. Me and David may not be be close like before, but he's still a close and loved friend. You can't just leave her after all that she's going through right now."

I huffed and roughly slammed the wall I was leaning on.

Julia was indirectly and unconsciously interfering with my plans. We both didn't want to get married, but it seemed the universe was pushing us closer whether we liked it or not.

"Fine. But I'm not going to try and stick by her. The final decision is hers. If she says no to marrying me, then thats it. We part ways."

My father chuckled. "No, you're going to stick by her and help her. She's just refusing to marry you because she's overly stubborn. Convince her to marry you. Romance her if you have to."

I scoffed and threw my cigarette to the ground.

"I can't romance her. She doesn't have a romantic bone in her body. I just don't understand why I have to do this."

"Because you need her more than you think you do."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It's my dying wish. Just please, listen to me this once. I know I haven't been a great father, but I beg you to stay with her no matter what."

All the painkillers must have done something to his brain. He was starting to sound insane.

"I'll consider it."

"That's better than no, I guess."

"Yeah whatever." I rolled my eyes.

"My informants tell me your cousin is starting to call meetings and secretly talk with board members in France."

I pulled out a new cigarette and lit it up. "Harry is a jackass. He doesn't have the capability to run the entire company."

"That's what you think. He's two years older than you. Everyone will see him as more mature. If you get married to Julia, you will both become equal opponents."