The Heir Contract

SEVEN YEARS LATER••• THE KINGS' PRIVATE ESTATE~ Norman sat at the head of the long mahogany table, wearing his neatly tailored black suit with coffee in hand, as the clinking of cutlery filled the air. At his side, seven-year-old Sebastian sat, perched properly on a tall chair with his legs swinging back and forth in mismatched socks. His school uniform tie was crooked, and a bit of syrup stuck to the corner of his mouth as he focused on stacking pancakes with all seriousness. Norman looked at him with a subtle smile and set down his cup. "You stacked those like a real architect," Sebastian grinned with his eyes lighting up. "Dad, can I be an engineer and a space explorer?" Norman reached out to fix his son's tie, smoothing it down gently. "You can be anything you want, Base. Just aim higher than Jupiter." Sebastian laughed, and Norman's eyes softened. The boy was his pride, calm, clever, and observant. He had Calla's blue eyes, though Norman hadn't allowed himself to think about that in a long time. As Sebastian dug back into his breakfast, Fiona walked in. She was perfectly dressed in a silk blouse and pearls with no strand of hair out of place. Leaning down, she kissed Sebastian on the head. "Good morning, love." She then turned to Norman. "Your 10 a.m. call was moved up. Bernard's office confirmed it." Norman nodded, but didn't look at her. "Tell Sarah to shift the rest of the schedule. I'll call in from the car." Taking the seat beside Sebastian, Fiona watched Norman with frustration. They only shared a home and a name. In public, they were the power couple and looked flawless. But in private? He spoke to her like a well-trained assistant. "We should do a family photo soon," She said with a smile while dabbing the corner of Sebastian's lips with a napkin. "For the company's Mother's Day campaign." Norman gave a short, polite glance. "If PR deems it necessary." That was all. Not "of course, dear," or "let's coordinate schedules and see how it goes". All she got was the same cold agreement and a ticked checkbox. Sebastian didn't seem to notice. He reached for Norman's hand suddenly and asked. "Can you drop me off today, Daddy?" "I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." As Fiona watched the way Norman only came alive for the boy, her smile faltered. In seven years, she couldn't even remember the last time he genuinely smiled at her, aside from when they were posing for the cameras at an event. Sebastian was soon done with his breakfast and was led away by the nanny who wanted to properly fix him up for school. Once they were gone, the room suddenly felt colder as silence settled between Norman and Fiona. "Do you even realize how you treat me in front of him?" Fiona asked in a low voice as she set her coffee cup down a little too hard. "I treat you with the same courtesy I offer any business associate." "Business associate?" She repeated with a scoff. "We're married, Norman. He's seven and he watches everything. He'll start to notice that his father barely looks at his mother." Norman slowly rose from his seat and finally looked at her. "If he sees a perfect home with well-fed meals, and two parents who never argue in front of him, he's better off than most children in this city," Fiona stood too and crossed her arms. "And what about me? Am I just a prop in your perfect picture? Do you even see me anymore?" Norman held her gaze for a long moment without saying a word. This wasn't the first time they were having this conversation. And he knew it wouldn't be the last. Fiona stood there, waiting and hoping. But all she got in return was the same indifference he always wore when she was trying to have a conversation. She let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. "Of course. That's it, isn't it? Silence. Again." "Because we've been over this. More than once." She opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of running footsteps caused her to swallow her words. Just as they expected, Sebastian appeared, grinning widely. "Dad, I'm ready." "Let's go, we're running late," Norman said, his eyes softening instantly. "We'll stop for waffles." "Yay, waffles!" "Come here, honey," Fiona said and crouched to kiss him goodbye. "Be a good boy at school, okay?" "I will, Mom." As Sebastian walked ahead of him, Norman walked past Fiona, pausing just once to speak without looking at her. "We have an important dinner to attend tonight. Be ready." **** AT VOSSCORP GLOBAL••• "We have an important dinner tonight," Julian said as he pulled out an unsealed envelope from his pocket and placed it on Calla's desk. "Dinner? What's the occasion?" Julian shrugged, tucking one hand into the pocket of his trousers. "Just dinner." "Is there anything I should keep in mind? Like the dress code or..." "It's all taken care of. Darryl will deliver them to you in the evening." "Yes, boss," Calla replied with a smile and waited until Julian was out of the office before unfolding the letter. "Oh my god... The Argenté's Group!" They were one of the most powerful and untouchable families in the country that came from old money and generational influence. Unless they needed something, they never reached out. And when they did, saying no was never an option. Calla read through the letter, taking in the important details like the friendly gathering that would begin at 7:30 PM sharp. From their well-known status, the Argenté family didn't do casual dinners, even if they called it "friendly." Rolling up her sleeves, she sat up straight and went back to work. The time was 2 PM already and she needed enough time to return home and prepare. **** AT THE ARGENTÉS ESTATE~ When the car stopped, Julian got out first. He walked over to Calla's side and opened her door. "Shall we?" Taking a deep breath, she reached for his hand and stepped out of the car. As she looked around, amazed by the beauty of the place, she didn't notice Julian was watching her until she turned back to look at him. "You look stunning, Calla." She blinked, caught off guard. Compliments weren't something she received often, and definitely not from someone like Julian, who looked like he had walked out of a fashion magazine or maybe descended from Mount Olympus. "Thank you..." She smiled shyly and looked away before she stared too long. As they approached the pavement, a female attendant dressed in white approached them. "May I see your invitation card, please?" Julian handed it to her and she examined it quickly, then nodded. "Right this way, Mr. Voss. The Argenté family is expecting you." Calla and Julian followed her into the grand hall where they were immediately greeted by Two of the Argenté family members. They were now led through a long corridor lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that gave a breathtaking view of a private garden. Finally, they entered the main dining hall and met the rest of the family members and guests seated at the table. As soon as they saw Julian, the men rose to greet him and Calla before they all took their seats. "We have just one more guest before we..." The heir of the Argenté's family said and paused just as the doors opened again. "They're here, welcome." Calla looked up casually to see the final guest, but then she froze. Her heart skipped a beat and for a moment, she forgot to breathe. No, no, it couldn't be! But it was. Norman King and Fiona. Her eyes widened as she stared at the man she hadn't seen in years. He looked a bit different with shorter hair, but it was still him. And there was Fiona, walking beside him with her arm looped through his. Calla felt her stomach twist. She hadn't expected to see them anytime soon, especially not here, at the Argenté family dinner. For years, she had gone out of her way to skip events he would be present at. When Julian asked why, she'd come up with an excuse or a sickness that would make him go without her. But now, there he was... laughing softly at something Fiona said. Her shock immediately turned into anger, hurt, and resentment as her chest tightened with memories of the past. Her hands trembled slightly under the table, but she clenched it into a fist and looked away from them. She couldn't fall apart here. Not in front of them and certainly, not in front of Julian. "Mr and Mrs King," One of the men said and stood to shake hands with him. "It's nice to see you." As another round of greetings filled the room, Calla glanced around and realized that only she and Julian hadn't offered their greetings. If there was one thing she knew about the two, it was that there was no sort of connection between them. Julian and Norman had no past together, no business ties, nothing. They were complete opposites, like two sides of the same coin and Calla had always found it odd. Sometimes, she wondered why, but the distance between them had always been a relief to her. So, she never asked. Once the greetings were over, everyone settled down while Norman and Fiona moved to take their seats. At that moment, Calla hoped-prayed that they might sit far away. But no. Norman pulled out the next seat for Fiona, but before he took his seat, he looked at Julian and gave a short nod. "Mr. Voss." Julian didn't stand like the others. He simply looked up with an unreadable expression and after a brief pause, he offered a subtle nod in return. "Norman." And that was all. Before Calla could think further on why Julian addressed him by his first name, Norman smiled at her and took the seat directly across from her. In that moment, Calla felt her heartbeat seize. She wasn't just staring at a man, she was staring at the man. The one who had torn her world apart. And now, fate was mocking her, forcing her to sit at the same table as him-the face of her deepest pain. "Good evening," He said in a formal tone, just as he had greeted everyone else, but for a second, they didn't make sense to Calla. She looked up at him and searched his face for any sign of recognition... anything that might hint he knew who she was. But there was nothing. His expression was blank and polite. Relief washed over her. He didn't know her. At least, not yet. "Oh dear, were you so taken by my husband that you forgot your manners?" A voice cut in beside Norman and Calla slowly turned to the person it came from. "He does have that effect on people," Fiona continued, smiling warmly. "But I assume you know how to respond to a simple 'good evening.'"