Chapter 19

19. You decide everything! – Why?

My father sits opposite me on the table, facing me with an inscrutable expression on his face. If I were to look beyond the stony façade, I’m sure I would see disappointment and maybe frustration.

“Gerald told me that you want to speak to me about your position in Zelt Tech,” he started, voice steady and not betraying anything he was feeling.

“It was good of him to notify you before I did myself,” I reply, trying to sound pleasant. The last thing wanted was a fighting match with my father.

“Apparently I have been taking liberties with you,” father prompts, and I reply with a shrug.

“You did appoint me to the position of the COO without my consent.”

“You gave me consent when you said you were ready to take over the company after you returned home.”

“Yeah, I didn’t say I was going to do it immediately,” I point out, “father, with all honesty, you cannot expect me, a college student with only one year and two months of education under my belt to take over an actual company.”

“Boy, I started this company with no education whatsoever,” my father protested, his mask cracking a bit, ” When I started this, I only had my arms and legs in addition to the head on my shoulders. Look at me now.”

“Yes, I am aware,” I grouse because it’s going to be like pulling teeth trying to explain something to him, “I am just not ready for such a huge responsibility.”

“You will never conquer fear unless to face it head-on.”

“What if I don’t want to face it?”

“You do not have a choice, because you already made it.”

Feel anger rise within me, “I made the choice? You were the one who was begging me left and right trying to get me to come home after mom died. You were the one who assigned Gerald, who is by the way, not an actual butler, to me.”

“Yet you were the one who came back,” Joseph points out, almost smugly.

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” I mutter back, my voice lowering.

My father sighs with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Look, son,” he starts, “I wish I would let you gallivant around, go to college and be a normal kid, but the circumstances are against us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t ask me to go into detail, but I have to retire from my position by the end of this year. It’s non- negotiable, and you need to take over after me.”

“It’s non-negotiable? My voice rises again, and I stand up, “You can’t-you can’t just throw something like that at me and expect me to accept it with no protest! You can’t throw me into the deep end like this.”

“I wish that I don’t have to,” my father’s voice was calm, but there is torment in his eyes, “when the time is right, I’ll explain everything to you, I promise. But for now, I can’t. You have to trust me on this. I’m trying to ease you into this world Zelt Tech is new, and with Gerald, you can gain all the experience you need to take over Gerald will help you along the way, in fact, all my executives will. I’ll give you a list of close friends as well, along with their contact information so you can get in touch with them.”

I cannot believe what I’m hearing. This old man was only father to me by name. I’d never known him much growing up, because he had a wife, and my mother was only his mistress. I was his bastard child and had he been able to conceive with his wife, I’m pretty sure that I would not be here.

“I should’ve never come back,” I yell, “I should’ve never listened to Gerald. Mom was right keeping me away from you! You don’t really care for me; you just want me around because I’m your only child!”

My father’s eyes turn stony hard, “don’t talk about things you don’t understand, Jace.”

“What the hell is there to understand about all this? It’s clear as day what you’re trying to do.”

“I tried my best with you,” my father replies, “I begged your mother to let me be a part of your life. I begged her to return to this city so I could be a father to my son. But she refused, and she had the custodial rights. to you. There was nothing I could do!

Nothing.”

“You’re a literal billionaire,” I exclaim, “how could you not win a court case against her?”

“Because we had an agreement until her death, and I honored the agreement because I respected her.”

“That’s bullshit, dad. You’re just trying to get off the hook.”

“You’re the one to blame me. You did not even come around to see if I’m alive after your mother died,” there is hurt in his voice, I could hear it. I don’t dare to turn towards him, because I’m afraid the expression on his face would be my undoing.”

“You sealed our fate by not marrying my mother,” I mutter darkly.

“There are things that you don’t understand-”

“Then tell me! Make me understand!” I bang my fists on the table, practically vibrating from all the repressed anger. My eyebrows are lowered in a glare, and I can almost feel the lines on my forehead, “Tell me what the hell is going on.”

For a second, it looks like my father is about to crack. But that second passes, and he is back to his controlled self.

“Jace, please,” he murmurs, “I have faith in you, I know that you will do great. You’re underestimating yourself if you think otherwise. I’ve seen your grades at school, and I’ve even talked with your professors at college-”

My head snaps up to meet his eyes at that, “you’ve been to my school?”

“Yes, I have. I wanted to know more about my son,” he shrugs, “sue me. Your professors only had good things to say about you.

You’re a hardworking kid, and you’re ambitious. You understand business matters easily. Talking with them cemented my opinion of you. I know that you’re capable of taking our legacy to the next level.”

I feel like I’ve been defeated in this battle.

“Take the position, Jace,” my father implored, “you can continue your education side by side with it. Let’s make a deal. You only need to be present at the company for three days a week, and you can employ an assistant to take care of your work. Gerald and I will assist you in any way we could. Do this for me, and trust me, you will never regret it.”

I sigh from the depths of my soul, all the fight leaving me. I’m so goddamned tired.

“Fine,” I reply, “what else is there for me to do? You’ve plotted my path yourself.”

“Jace...”