The Billionaire's Contract Lover

CHAPTER 6

You have to choose

After a long pause, Richard sat again. His voice was softer, almost hesitant-a tone Leo rarely heard from him.

"Leo... you're alone."

Leo froze.

Richard's gaze softened.

"Your mother was everything to me. When she died, I lost more than a wife. I lost the one person who made this house a home."

Leo swallowed hard.

He rarely spoke of her.

Richard almost never did.

"Son," Richard continued, "you work all day, travel all year, and come home to empty penthouses. You don't attend parties, date. Do you even trust people?

Look at you, you're drifting away."

Leo's chest tightened.

He hated how accurate that was.

"You think marriage will fix that?" he muttered.

"Not instantly," Richard admitted. "But you need someone, Leo. Someone to share the weight. A person who isn't afraid of your world."

Leo looked away.

"What if I never find that person?"

Richard paused.

"Then maybe you already have."

Leo frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Richard raised an eyebrow.

"I saw the news. The incident yesterday. You stopped traffic to help a girl."

Leo stiffened.

"You investigated her?"

"Of course," Richard said simply. "It's my job to know who my son interacts with."

Leo's jaw clenched.

"Ruby is not someone for you to interfere with."

Richard studied him carefully.

"So you do care."

Leo froze.

He didn't expect the conversation to turn that fast.

"She was injured," Leo said quickly. "That's all. Anyone would have helped."

"Not anyone," Richard corrected. "Most people would have driven off, especially in your position."

Leo looked down, remembering Ruby's frightened eyes.

Richard continued, voice thoughtful.

"She looked... gentle."

Leo blinked. "You saw her?"

"A picture from the security footage."

Leo's hands curled into fists.

"Dad, stay out of this."

Richard sighed.

"I'm not saying she's the one. But she triggered something in you. You can't deny it."

Leo didn't answer.

Richard walked closer, placing a hand on the desk.

"Leo, you have two options."

Leo raised his eyes slowly.

"One," Richard said, "you find someone you can build a life with. Someone you choose."

Leo exhaled shakily.

"Or two," Richard continued calmly, "I choose for you."

Leo's heart dropped.

"I won't let you arrange my marriage," he said firmly.

"Then find someone," Richard insisted. "Before the end of the year."

Leo stepped back.

"That's-"

"Fair," Richard interrupted.

Leo stared, speechless.

Richard straightened his cuffs.

"The world is watching you. The board is watching you. And I am watching you most of all."

Leo swallowed hard.

"And if I refuse?"

Richard sighed, the sound heavy with finality.

"Then I will appoint your brother as the next CEO."

Silence.

The kind that broke something inside Leo.

His hands trembled slightly-anger, frustration, betrayal, fear.

Richard softened just a little.

"Leo... I want you to be happy. But I also need you to secure the future of this family."

Leo looked away, jaw tight.

He didn't have an answer.

*******

Later, after the meeting, Leo walked out of the mansion, his steps heavy. He got into his car but didn't start the engine.

He stared at the steering wheel, breathing slowly, fighting the storm inside him.

He leaned back and closed his eyes.

Ruby's face appeared behind his eyelids-soft, gentle, frightened, strong.

Her voice replayed:

"People like you don't talk to people like me."

Leo exhaled shakily.

Across the city, Leo pushed open the front doors of Saint Rowland Medical Center, the familiar scent of disinfectant and sterile air hitting him at once.

He hated hospitals. The bright white lights, the constant beeping of machines, the low murmurs of doctors and nurses-it all felt suffocating. But today, he needed to be here.

He needed to see Blake.

It had been years since they last saw each other, ever since Leo left for business school abroad and Blake dove headfirst into medical studies. Life has been busy. Complicated. Heavy. And now, with the weight of his father's latest decision pressing on him, Leo needed someone who wasn't afraid to tell the truth.

The receptionists looked up as he walked in. Recognizing him instantly, they whispered among themselves. Everyone knew the Carter's family-one of the wealthiest in the country. Leo was used to attention, but today, he ignored it.

He took the elevator to the fifth floor, where Blake often took breaks between surgeries. As he approached the resting lounge, he spotted a tall figure in a white coat leaning over a table, flipping through patient files.

Leo grinned.

"Dr. Blake Harrison," he called out dramatically. "Saving lives and breaking hearts, I see."

Blake froze, then slowly turned.

The moment he recognized Leo, his face broke into a wide smile.

"Leo?" he exclaimed. "Holy-get over here!"

They embraced tightly, the kind of hug that came with years of history-childhood fights, shared secrets, teenage stupidity, dreams whispered under star lit rooftops.

When they pulled apart, Blake shook his head in disbelief. "You look richer every time I see you," he teased.

"And you look sleep deprived," Leo shot back.

"Occupational hazard."

They sat down across from each other, the reunion warmth fading into something steadier, more serious.

"So," Blake started, leaning back. "What brings you here? You don't visit hospitals unless someone forces you or you break a bone."

Leo sighed. "My dad."

Blake nodded slowly. "Let me guess... another business move?"

"It's more than that," Leo replied. "He wants to merge Carter's Industries with an international conglomerate. He plans to step down eventually. Which means-"

"Which means everything will fall on you," Blake finished.

Leo rubbed his palms together anxiously. "Exactly."

He slumped back in his chair, eyes drifting to the window. "I'm not ready for it, Blake. I'm not even sure I want it. But my father... he's already decided."

Blake folded his arms, observing him quietly. "Has he discussed it with you properly? Or is this another 'expectation' he's dropping on your shoulders?"

Leo let out a bitter laugh. "You know my father."

"Yeah," Blake muttered. "I do."

They sat in silence for a moment, letting the weight of the situation settle.

"You know," Blake said softly, "you don't have to follow the path he chose."

Leo looked at him, eyes tired. "But if I don't... who will? My father trusts me. He built everything from scratch. He believes this merger will secure our legacy for decades. If I walk away, it'll crush him."

"Leo," Blake said firmly, "you're not responsible for carrying the dreams he created for himself."

Leo stared at him, absorbing the words.

"I wish it were that simple," he whispered.

Blake leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Maybe it's not simple. But you're allowed to want something different. You're allowed to breathe."

Leo laughed lightly. "And do what? Travel? Paint? Start a café?"

"If that's what makes you happy," Blake answered without hesitation.

Leo's laughter faded, replaced by a small, grateful smile.

Just then, a nurse poked her head into the room. "Dr. Harrison, they need you in Ward C."

Blake nodded. "I'll be there in a minute."