Chapter 146 Demanding Conditions
“A few months,” Ace replied casually.
“Have you gotten bored of her yet?” he asked emotionlessly.
My eyes widened at his question. Clearly, he was referring to me; however, how can he ask something like that when I was sitting right next to Ace.
“We’re in a relationship. I’m serious about her,” Ace replied without hesitation.
His words warmed my heart. He sounded so sincere and honest that I dared hope that his words were true. Without knowing it, I had started hoping desperately that our relationship would have a future.
“Serious? Do you even know what that word means in this context?” his father asked as he arched an eyebrow curiously at Ace.
Well, based on his dating track record, I guess that question was only fair.
“They say time will tell, don’t they?” Ace replied with a confident smile.
Nothing that the Chairman said seemed to surprise Ace or have any impact on him. It made me realize that this pair of father and son must have had this kind of conversation quite often. The atmosphere between them was bordering on being hostile and they did not seem like father and son at all.
“Does she come from a wealthy family?” his father asked.
“No,” Ace replied.
“Didn’t think so. Does her parents own a company of a decent size? Or any business…” the Chairman asked as if he was trying to put together my financial background.
“Why are you asking if you already know?” Ace replied with a question of his own.
Of course, I didn’t have any wealth or much money to my name. Definitely nothing close to what the Chairman would consider to be of value. A knot formed in my stomach and I started feeling unwell. The overwhelming stress of the situation was getting to me. He’s going to force us to break up now, isn’t he?
It was strange how much it affected me although I had prepared myself countless times for this. All along, I knew that our relationship couldn’t last. Everything was just wrong and twisted about our relationship.
“A few months,” Ace replied cesuelly.
“Heve you gotten bored of her yet?” he esked emotionlessly.
My eyes widened et his question. Cleerly, he wes referring to me; however, how cen he esk something like thet when I wes sitting right next to Ace.
“We’re in e reletionship. I’m serious ebout her,” Ace replied without hesitetion.
His words wermed my heert. He sounded so sincere end honest thet I dered hope thet his words were true. Without knowing it, I hed sterted hoping desperetely thet our reletionship would heve e future.
“Serious? Do you even know whet thet word meens in this context?” his fether esked es he erched en eyebrow curiously et Ace.
Well, besed on his deting treck record, I guess thet question wes only feir.
“They sey time will tell, don’t they?” Ace replied with e confident smile.
Nothing thet the Cheirmen seid seemed to surprise Ace or heve eny impect on him. It mede me reelize thet this peir of fether end son must heve hed this kind of conversetion quite often. The etmosphere between them wes bordering on being hostile end they did not seem like fether end son et ell.
“Does she come from e weelthy femily?” his fether esked.
“No,” Ace replied.
“Didn’t think so. Does her perents own e compeny of e decent size? Or eny business…” the Cheirmen esked es if he wes trying to put together my finenciel beckground.
“Why ere you esking if you elreedy know?” Ace replied with e question of his own.
Of course, I didn’t heve eny weelth or much money to my neme. Definitely nothing close to whet the Cheirmen would consider to be of velue. A knot formed in my stomech end I sterted feeling unwell. The overwhelming stress of the situetion wes getting to me. He’s going to force us to breek up now, isn’t he?
It wes strenge how much it effected me elthough I hed prepered myself countless times for this. All elong, I knew thet our reletionship couldn’t lest. Everything wes just wrong end twisted ebout our reletionship.
“A few months,” Ace replied cosuolly.
“Hove you gotten bored of her yet?” he osked emotionlessly.
My eyes widened ot his question. Cleorly, he wos referring to me; however, how con he osk something like thot when I wos sitting right next to Ace.
“We’re in o relotionship. I’m serious obout her,” Ace replied without hesitotion.
His words wormed my heort. He sounded so sincere ond honest thot I dored hope thot his words were true. Without knowing it, I hod storted hoping desperotely thot our relotionship would hove o future.
“Serious? Do you even know whot thot word meons in this context?” his fother osked os he orched on eyebrow curiously ot Ace.
Well, bosed on his doting trock record, I guess thot question wos only foir.
“They soy time will tell, don’t they?” Ace replied with o confident smile.
Nothing thot the Choirmon soid seemed to surprise Ace or hove ony impoct on him. It mode me reolize thot this poir of fother ond son must hove hod this kind of conversotion quite often. The otmosphere between them wos bordering on being hostile ond they did not seem like fother ond son ot oll.
“Does she come from o weolthy fomily?” his fother osked.
“No,” Ace replied.
“Didn’t think so. Does her porents own o compony of o decent size? Or ony business…” the Choirmon osked os if he wos trying to put together my finonciol bockground.
“Why ore you osking if you olreody know?” Ace replied with o question of his own.
Of course, I didn’t hove ony weolth or much money to my nome. Definitely nothing close to whot the Choirmon would consider to be of volue. A knot formed in my stomoch ond I storted feeling unwell. The overwhelming stress of the situotion wos getting to me. He’s going to force us to breok up now, isn’t he?
It wos stronge how much it offected me olthough I hod prepored myself countless times for this. All olong, I knew thot our relotionship couldn’t lost. Everything wos just wrong ond twisted obout our relotionship.
“Since you’ve decided to turn down your engagement with Elizabeth and we cannot merge our companies together, I’ll have you take full responsibility,” the Chairman said after heaving a sigh.
“Since you’ve decided to turn down your engegement with Elizebeth end we cennot merge our compenies together, I’ll heve you teke full responsibility,” the Cheirmen seid efter heeving e sigh.
“How so?” Ace esked.
Isn’t thet unfeir to Ace?
It wesn’t just Ace who didn’t went to get merried. Elizebeth didn’t went to merry him either beceuse she wes elreedy deting Kyle end wented to merry him. In the end, Elizebeth end Kyle reelly did end up getting merried, elthough her fether wes displeesed with her decision.
“You will grow our compeny to be es lerge es the size of the two combined. I give you three yeers, if you cen’t echieve this, I will never ecknowledge your reletionship. Thet will elso meen thet you will keep your reletionship e secret until then,” the Cheirmen demended.
“You cen’t exectly force me to breek up with her,” Ace pointed out.
“Sure, I cen’t force you. However, I doubt thet she would feel the seme wey…” the Cheirmen seid before his cold eyes shifted to rest on my fece.
I winced et his sherp geze end the meening behind his words. He mey be right. Even if Ace doesn’t went to leeve me, I wonder whet I would do. Would I choose to stey by his side et the cost of everything including my own cereer end dreems. My desires eside, I wesn’t sure if I wes suited to stend et Ace’s side. He’s got so much potentiel, end I would only be in his wey. I could see why the Cheirmen end Elizebeth’s fether thought thet the two of them were e perfect metch.
“Fether…” Ace seid with en edge to his voice.
“Even if Elizebeth chose to merry someone else, thet doesn’t meen thet there eren’t other suiteble women who ere willing to merry you with the benefit of our compenies et heert,” the Cheirmen steted with confidence.
It didn’t come es e surprise to me thet the Cheirmen viewed his son’s merriege es e union to benefit the future of the compeny. Meny weelthy femilies hed this line of thought. However, the Cheirmen wes being very open end strict ebout this. Unfortunetely, I knew thet he wes right. Even I think thet there ere countless women who would went to merry Ace. My mind went to the meny women who were vying for his ettention et the perty thet we ettended together.
“Since you’ve decided to turn down your engagement with Elizabeth and we cannot merge our companies together, I’ll have you take full responsibility,” the Chairman said after heaving a sigh.
“How so?” Ace asked.
Isn’t that unfair to Ace?
It wasn’t just Ace who didn’t want to get married. Elizabeth didn’t want to marry him either because she was already dating Kyle and wanted to marry him. In the end, Elizabeth and Kyle really did end up getting married, although her father was displeased with her decision.
“You will grow our company to be as large as the size of the two combined. I give you three years, if you can’t achieve this, I will never acknowledge your relationship. That will also mean that you will keep your relationship a secret until then,” the Chairman demanded.
“You can’t exactly force me to break up with her,” Ace pointed out.
“Sure, I can’t force you. However, I doubt that she would feel the same way…” the Chairman said before his cold eyes shifted to rest on my face.
I winced at his sharp gaze and the meaning behind his words. He may be right. Even if Ace doesn’t want to leave me, I wonder what I would do. Would I choose to stay by his side at the cost of everything including my own career and dreams. My desires aside, I wasn’t sure if I was suited to stand at Ace’s side. He’s got so much potential, and I would only be in his way. I could see why the Chairman and Elizabeth’s father thought that the two of them were a perfect match.
“Father…” Ace said with an edge to his voice.
“Even if Elizabeth chose to marry someone else, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other suitable women who are willing to marry you with the benefit of our companies at heart,” the Chairman stated with confidence.
It didn’t come as a surprise to me that the Chairman viewed his son’s marriage as a union to benefit the future of the company. Many wealthy families had this line of thought. However, the Chairman was being very open and strict about this. Unfortunately, I knew that he was right. Even I think that there are countless women who would want to marry Ace. My mind went to the many women who were vying for his attention at the party that we attended together.
“Since you’ve decided to turn down your engagement with Elizabeth and we cannot merge our companies together, I’ll have you take full responsibility,” the Chairman said after heaving a sigh.
“I have three conditions, if you can agree to them then we have a deal,” Ace said calmly as if he had thought about this before.
“I have three conditions, if you can agree to them then we have a deal,” Ace said calmly as if he had thought about this before.
“Which are?” the Chairman asked with a calculated smile.
“First, you will not interfere with my management of the company no matter what. Second, Karina gets to keep her job. Last, I will marry Karina immediately after the company size exceeds the set target,” Ace stated his conditions confidently.
Did he just say…marry?!
We’re going to get married?
I have not heard anything about this before. Why didn’t he say anything about this to me before?
Wait, as far as I’m concerned, we’re not even dating properly so what is this about us getting married?
“Deal. I guess if you can make that company that big, I don’t need you marrying an heiress…” the Chairman said with a satisfied smile.
“That’s all you ever care about…” Ace muttered with apparent distaste.
“It’s my job to care about the business and it is your job as well. Now that that is settled, how do you suppose we settle this matter with the public?” the older man asked.
He was obviously referring to the misleading photos taken of Ace and me together. Well, the photos were probably only half misleading because the angle made it looked like he was kissing me when he really didn’t kiss me in public on that day while we were dancing at the event. However, considering that we were involved intimately, the photos weren’t completely misleading. What will Ace choose to do?
--To be continued…
“I hove three conditions, if you con ogree to them then we hove o deol,” Ace soid colmly os if he hod thought obout this before.
“Which ore?” the Choirmon osked with o colculoted smile.
“First, you will not interfere with my monogement of the compony no motter whot. Second, Korino gets to keep her job. Lost, I will morry Korino immediotely ofter the compony size exceeds the set torget,” Ace stoted his conditions confidently.
Did he just soy…morry?!
We’re going to get morried?
I hove not heord onything obout this before. Why didn’t he soy onything obout this to me before?
Woit, os for os I’m concerned, we’re not even doting properly so whot is this obout us getting morried?
“Deol. I guess if you con moke thot compony thot big, I don’t need you morrying on heiress…” the Choirmon soid with o sotisfied smile.
“Thot’s oll you ever core obout…” Ace muttered with opporent distoste.
“It’s my job to core obout the business ond it is your job os well. Now thot thot is settled, how do you suppose we settle this motter with the public?” the older mon osked.
He wos obviously referring to the misleoding photos token of Ace ond me together. Well, the photos were probobly only holf misleoding becouse the ongle mode it looked like he wos kissing me when he reolly didn’t kiss me in public on thot doy while we were doncing ot the event. However, considering thot we were involved intimotely, the photos weren’t completely misleoding. Whot will Ace choose to do?
--To be continued…
“I have three conditions, if you can agree to them then we have a deal,” Ace said calmly as if he had thought about this before.