"What is it now, Dad?" Lucas expelled an air of exasperation. He hated it when his father thought he was still a kid he could boss around.
He already did what his father wanted, but it seemed he was not yet satisfied as he called him at his office and disturbed his busy day.
"Can't a father call his son without any reason?" Frankie stated condescendingly, as always. "I just want to check on you."
Again, it was not always as simple with his father as he made it sound. Truthfully, his father had never been this gentle and considerate.
Franklin Preston was a ruthless and manipulative businessman many had feared as he built his empire. But he had changed since his friend died and Andy came into their lives.
"I already proposed. What else do you want from me?" He knew his father would not call without a catch.
Who knew if his father's illness was even authentic? His father could only be faking it to manipulate him to do his bidding. As the oldest son and heir, he had no choice but to do what was best for the family.
"I need you to plan the wedding next week, Lucas," Frankie announced on the phone as if he had merely mentioned the weather. "You know I could die soon."
What the hell!
Next week?
Was he kidding?
"Die? You are as strong as a horse, Dad." He could not help but be sarcastic.
"You heard what the doctors said," his father reminded him. "Besides, you will not inherit my company if you don't get married soon. You know how conservative the Board is."
Again, his father resorted to emotional blackmail. However, if that did not work, his father would bait him with the company like dangling a carrot on a stick.
It was the reason he had started his company. He did not want his future to rely on his father's mercy.
However, he could not believe what his father had asked him to do.
In a week? Really?
"Dad, we are not talking about going on a trip. It is marriage." He reminded his father how ridiculous his idea was.
He could not marry her in a week. It had nothing to do with the preparations, the venue, the clothes. But he barely convinced his fiancée to accept his ring, let alone marry him in just a few days.
He doubted she would agree to marry him in the following week. Besides, what was the rush? It was not as if his father was dying tomorrow.
"Precisely!" His father loudly said. "We are talking about your marriage. The clock is ticking. You are not getting younger while I'm dying."
Again, with the overly exaggerated words of an aging man. First, Lucas was not that old. Second, his father might be sick, but he was not dying. At least his illness was not terminal.
However, he had agreed to marry Andy for different reasons. Nonetheless, he was uncomfortable about telling his father about that.
"If you have nothing else to say, I'm busy." He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache developing in his skull. "Bye, Dad! I will see you soon."
He believed his father was still far from becoming senile. On the contrary, he was sharper than ever. His father could still run their family business without a hitch until now.
However, Frankie was pressuring him to take over his job. His brother, Tristan, was still too young to help since he was still in school. Like it or not, he was the only one next in line.
"What are you up to now, old man?" He questioned once he had ended the call.
He could tell when his father was cooking something up. However, his father was too clever for his own good. It might take him time to figure out what he had planned.
He glanced at his watch, recalling that he had another meeting. But he had to leave now if he would make it without being late.
"I'm on my way to my lunch meeting." He informed his secretary, leaving her a few instructions before rushing out of his office.
It was a short drive to the restaurant where he was meeting his prospective investor. Therefore, he arrived earlier than his appointment time.
But as he occupied his usual table, he found two familiar faces sitting by the adjacent table. To his surprise, his friend, Jeremy, was having lunch with his fiancee.
Damnit! Will this girl ever learn?
Despite being dumped and humiliated by his friend, she still crawled back to him as soon as he reappeared, begging her forgiveness.
Quickly, he had to stop her stupidity before she messed everything up. The last thing he wanted was his father breathing down his neck again if the wedding did not push through.
"Darling! I hope I'm not late for our lunch date." He walked to her side, bending over to kiss her on her lips. It was short, but he ensured the show counted for his friend's benefit. He needed to claim what was already his. He could not let this scumbag sneak back into her life.
He was Jeremy's friend, but he would not condone his friend's unruly behavior, especially cheating on Andy. It was unacceptable, remembering their promise to William that they would protect their friend's sister.
"Darling?"
"Lucas?"
Andy and Jeremy simultaneously asked, appearing both in shock by his action.
"Andy, what is the meaning of this?" Jeremy angrily turned to his ex-girlfriend, clearly still in the dark about their engagement. "Lucas, what the hell!"
"What do you think? Isn't it obvious?" He hated to be in this position. Despite his different opinion from Jeremy, he would always be his friend.
Then, he immediately noticed that she did not wear his ring on her finger when he looked down at her hand. Didn't she want Jeremy to know about their engagement?
Why?
Was she getting back with his friend?
"Lucas, what are you doing?" On the other hand, Andy was staring at him with eyes blazing with barely content fury.
"I think I should be asking you the same question, Darling." He whispered near her ears as he pulled a chair and sat next to his fiancee.
One of the reasons he had agreed with his father to marry her was to protect her from men like Jeremy. Therefore, he would not let his friend get back into her life.
"I will assume my fiancee has not told you about our good news." He finally turned to his friend, who could not stop looking between him and his fiancée.
"Andy, fiancee?" Jeremy turned away from him to look at the woman beside him. "Is this some kind of a sick joke?"
Of course, he saw him that night looking at them. So, when Andy kissed him, he kissed her back. He wanted to ensure they put on a great show for his friend.
"Nope!" he responded casually, leaving no room for misunderstanding. "In fact..." He paused, locking eyes with his fiancée. "...we're getting married next week." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders possessively as he dropped the bombshell.
"Seriously?"
"Next week?"