Page 6 of Kyle
Jack's expression never changed.
"Our decisions are final. You both get married to each other or we go through with our plans."
Now it was Ingrid's turn. Her life was turning upside down, and she felt the helpless rage flowing through her system. Taking a deep breath, she faced her grandfather. Matthew had just recently commented on the fact that William Ryder considered her his favorite.
"Granddad, please reconsider." She spread her hands in entreaty, a pleading expression on her face.
It took a hell of a lot out of her to beg, but she was desperate. For a moment, William seemed unmoved, his jaw set and eyes steely. Jack looked at her, his face giving away nothing.
The silence stretched, thick and oppressive, as everyone in the room waited for the verdict. Finally, William sighed, the sound edged with disappointment.
"Everything we've built depends on you two. This isn't about punishment. It's about preserving what we started." His words hung heavy, leaving Ingrid acutely aware of both the weight of expectation and the love that, however stern, underpinned his resolve.
"I for one think arranging a marriage is archaic." Iona, highly entertained, drawled as she stretched shapely legs encased in transparent stockings forward. "But darling, you should be grateful." She eyed her daughter maliciously. "You're getting a sweetheart deal. Kyle is a very handsome man, while you..."
"You'd do well to shut your mouth." William told his former daughter-in-law in an icy tone. "You're nothing but a worthless tramp who somehow managed to produce a smart whip of a daughter. You're only here as a consideration, seeing as you own two percent of the company."
"How dare..." She sputtered to a stop when he started to rise and shrank back in sulky silence.
"Consider this a fait accompli." He continued. "The wedding will be a private affair, which will be held in two weeks." He swept a gaze around the room. "Our decision is final." He looked at his granddaughter, expression softening fractionally. "It's for the best."
*****
She was vibrating. She could actually feel her bosom trembling. The meeting had been summarily dismissed by the two men who had told them in no uncertain terms that their word was law, and it was a take it or leave it situation with no wiggle room.
She had stormed out of the house, grabbing her coat from the disdainful housekeeper and stormed out with her brother behind her. And on top of everything, she had had to endure her mother's snide remarks as she put in her parting shot.
"Think of it this way, darling." She had murmured, careful not to allow her voice to carry. "Kyle is handsome and quite a catch. In ordinary circumstances, you would never be able to latch onto a man like him. Consider yourself lucky."
Ingrid had not bothered to comment. If she had, it would have been lethal. So, she had left and was at her brother's place.
She could not go to her apartment. Alone, there was no telling what she might do, and she had to vent. Needed to indeed.
She paced restlessly around the sparse living room, her mind racing with anger, disbelief, and a gnawing sense of betrayal. Each time she tried to calm herself, the reality of her situation came crashing back. Her future had been decided in a single, suffocating meeting, with barely a thought for her own desires or happiness.
She clenched her fists, needing something, anything, to help her process the injustice she'd just endured, as her brother watched her silently, ready to offer support if she finally let her composure slip. She was close to tears, and it infuriated her to pieces.
She was not a female who dissolved at the drop of a hat. She had learned not to give into her emotions. She was a woman, a Black plus-sized woman in a competitive world of business, high profile.
She had people serving under her and had had to prove herself. When she first started at the company straight out of college, shehad been treated like any other employee and had had to work her way up to the top.
Now, no one dared whisper that it was nepotism. She had earned her title. And she was damn good at her job.
That was what was burning her now. She was excellent at her job, one that was now hanging by a thread.
"He's a tyrant."
"That's established." Matthew had waited for her to calm down enough to start talking.
"I worked so damn hard, putting in sixteen hours a day, proving that I am not just there because my name happens to be Ryder. I belong, made a difference." She spread her arms wide as she continued to pace. "Above all odds, I proved myself and it's not enough." Her eyes flashed fire. "It's never enough. The last person, the very last person on this fricking earth I want to marry is that womanizing jackass. I won't!"
"Then don't."
She whirled around at her brother's reasonable tone.
"Walk away from it. You have money put aside. Open your own company, go somewhere else, call their fricking bluff. You're too valuable to the company for them to lose you. Don't allow them to decide for you."
He rubbed the back of his neck wearily and felt the guilt charging right through him. It should be him. If he wasn't who he was, he would be the one carrying on the legacy, but he couldn't change, not even for her.
