Page 12 of Forgive Me, Father

3.The wife shall provide the husband with at least one male heir.

4.After the birth of said heir, the wife may then make personal decisions regarding her actions and lifestyle, subject to mutual agreement.

5.The wife shall accompany the husband to all events, regardless of personal preference or desire to attend.

6.The wife is obligated to meet the husband's physical, emotional, and sexual needs to the best of her abilities, ensuring his satisfaction in these areas.

7.The wife shall make every reasonable effort to maintain the husband's happiness, both in private and public matters.

8.The wife shall refrain from involving herself in the husband's business affairs and shall adopt a position of submission, allowing the husband to govern and manage his household as he sees fit.

That one was going to be hard.I wasn’t the submissive kind, and Philip had known that.He’d understood that I would respect him in front of friends, family, and other Dons.This guy didn’t.

9.The wife shall relinquish all rights to any children born from the marriage should she choose to terminate this contract prior to the child's legal adulthood, thereby forfeiting any claim or custody rights.

10.Upon marriage, the wife acknowledges that she becomes the property of the husband.She shall be subject to his authority, and he retains full control over her actions, decisions, and person, with the sole discretion to act as he deems fit.

I didn’t like this contract at all, but then again, the one I was going to sign with Philip wasn’t much different.

Tears pricked in my eyes.I wasn’t going to get a better life by signing up for this, but it was the only way out of the merger my father wanted me to complete.

My eyes scanned through his responsibilities.There weren’t many.His duties were simple: protect her, give her whatever she wanted, and if she fulfilled the contract for ten years, having provided him with a son, he would allow her to leave.She would receive a settlement equivalent to ten million, adjusted for the economy's growth, and be free to start over.

Without the child, of course.

It didn’t sound so bad.Ten years, and then I could walk away with whatever I desired.That was doable.

The financial terms were entirely his to manage.There was no mention of a merger or anything beyond that, something I found curious.I wondered if he would change that, or if I’d have to make him.

I could arrange to get my father’s assets to him, at least make him proud of this new merger.From what I saw in this contract, there was no doubt a prenup to sign, especially given the wealth involved.It wasn’t hard to figure out that Alfonso was affluent, his wealth practically screamed it.

You didn’t need an accounting degree to see that.He had laid out every detail of his assets in this document, and the list alone spanned four pages.

Fuck, how far up the circle was this guy?

Amendment and termination followed, basically repeating what I had already read.

And then it was just signatures.It was a straightforward contract stating what I would have to do and what I would have to give up.A child.

I didn’t know if I could, but that was a then problem and not to be worried about now.

I had no idea how my father would feel about this merger; I just hoped and prayed that they were not going to abandon me.

My gaze landed on the pen in the holder sitting on the desk.I decidedfuck this.

Mother would drag me down the aisle if she got her hands on me now, so I filled out my name and everything else.Afterwards, I marched back to his office.Didn’t even knock and opened the door.

He was on the phone and simply stared at me.Then he nodded.

I closed the door behind me, the soft click echoing in the still room.Every step I took toward his desk felt like an eternity, his gaze never once leaving me.It was as if I were the prey, and he, the most dangerous predator, studying me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.But I wasn’t a helpless victim.I was here of my own accord, walking willingly into his web.

He set the phone down with deliberate slowness, the sound of it hitting the desk sharp in the quiet.Straightening my spine, I forced my pulse to steady, refusing to show the tension rising in my chest.

“I want you to reconsider a merger with S.A.N.T.Distributions.It was what the DaCostas would get if they merged with us.”

He nodded.“I saw.And it would’ve been your father’s biggest mistake.”

“Excuse me?”

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