Martin left the sentence hanging, as if he had more to say, but decided not to share. Though Bran was curious, he refused to take the bait.
“How do you know my first child isn’t already walking around somewhere?”
“Let me clarify—your first legitimate child.”
“Offer what you want. I’m not planning my life around your desires.”
“I do have a few conditions.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Under his desk, his hands clenched and unclenched.
“I’m willing to offer a substantial trust fund if you produce a child within the next two years.”
“No thanks.”
“You don’t know how much I’m offering.”
“It doesn’t matter, Dad. You have to know the value of Escapade’s stocks has skyrocketed. I don’t need your money, and I don’t want it, either.” He almost mentioned that his dad’s company was currently floundering, but thought better of it.
“You’d turn your nose up at my money? Even 250 million?”
He fought to keep from gasping aloud. “You’d give my son or daughter a quarter of a billion dollars?” Bran couldn’t figure out his dad’s game. Could it be I’ve finally earned his respect? Is this his way of offering an olive branch?
“It’s a trust fund.” Martin sounded earnest, at first. “But you’ll be the trustee until the child inherits at age eighteen. It has to be a blood-child, of course, not adopted. Your firstborn sighted child.”
“Sighted child?” Bran’s blood boi
led, throbbing so loudly in his ears that his father’s voice sounded far away.
“Don’t worry, complete blindness is really rare.”
“Get. Out.” He ground the words on his molars.
“Think about it… the ultimate slap in my face, to take my money. Is it so bad to ask for a legitimate grandchild?”
Branson slammed his hands on his desk and stood up, aiming his angry face at his dad. “Get out!”
“I’m leaving.” Martin’s voice receded, but he paused to have the last word before shutting the door behind him. “Think about it.”
Bran collapsed into his chair, knowing he would obey his father’s last order, no matter how hard he tried not to.
Chapter 6
Mom?” Ellie’s voice, scratchy from sleep, floated from her bedroom door, where she stood watching as Stephanie attempted to zip her overflowing suitcase. “Aren’t you going to kiss me goodbye?”
Stephanie sighed, abandoning her futile task. She sat on the couch and opened her arms, nodding at Ellie, who immediately ran to her mom. The impact pushed Stephanie backwards and she rolled, with Ellie in her grip, laughing at their game. “I kissed you goodbye last night.” She sat up, bringing Ellie with her, and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “It’s early. Why are you awake?”
“I needed one more kiss.” With big brown eyes, soft blond hair in curly disarray, and her lower lip protruding, Ellie’s angelic face would’ve softened the hardest of hearts. “I don’t want you to go, Mom. My tummy hurts.”
“Probably hurts because you ate too much dessert at dinner last night.” Steph kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be back tomorrow night. Laurie’s gonna keep you so busy, you won’t even miss me. You get to tour the mansion.”
“The whole thing?”
“Yep.”
“I thought I couldn’t go past the kitchen. What about all those people who don’t like kids?”
“It’s only two people—Mr. Knight and Ms. Parker—but both of them will be gone, so Mr. Fordham promised to give you a private, guided tour. Wait until you see the library. You’re going to love it.”